One of the most polarizing James Bond films of all time is undoubtedly 2002’s Die Another Day. I’m not above criticizing the film myself, but at the same time, I understand that part of its appeal is sparking a major re-evaluation of Pierce Brosnan’s final 007 film – especially after speaking with the film’s director, Lee Tamahori, and hearing him defend one of its most controversial gadgets: the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish.
To be honest, I’ve never had anything against the infamous invisible car, aka “Vanish.” But when I had the chance to speak with Lee Tamahori about his latest film, The Convert, I was interested to hear about his experience directing Pierce Brosnan’s final James Bond film. In our conversation, Lee delved into both familiar and new parts of the film. This story falls in the former camp, with Lee Tamahori defending 007’s invisible car in CinemaBlend, saying:
One thing I didn’t know about the Bond series is everything that’s in the Bond movies, all the gadgets, everything they use, the cars, the machine guns, the invisible cars. I know there are a lot of controversial opinions about invisible cars, but it’s all based on scientific fact. These things are actually made. Adaptive camouflage was developed by the Soviets to make the enemy think there’s a tank when there isn’t one there, to allow them to hide.
Honestly, when it comes to the most ridiculous James Bond gadgets, this flashy Aston Martin has never made it onto my list. For decades before Die Another Day, everything from Goldfinger’s ejection seat and rotating number plates to Tomorrow Never Dies’ cell phone-powered BMW was on display in MI6’s Q branch’s armory. Nobody batted an eye at such things, but the Vanquish, which somehow disappeared, was problematic. But after being introduced by the Quartermaster like any other device, the Aston Martin in Die Another Day became a bit of a joke.
Admittedly, the vehicle’s nickname is a pretty cute play on what John Cleese says in this scene from the movie.
Die Another Day (2002) – Q’s Gadget Scene (1080p) FULL HD – Watch on YouTube
Another unusual device featured in the film, a giant diamond solar-powered laser known as Icarus, also adheres to writer/producer Michael G. Wilson’s knack for transforming early military-grade technology into spy movie menaces. Lee Tamahori went on to provide more background on the weapon used in the film by James Bond villain Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens), revealing that it was inspired by real life.
that’s why, [Icarus] … This is based on another Russian attempt to bring sunlight into parts of Russia in the winter by reflecting the sun’s rays so that crops could be grown in the middle of winter. This attempt was ultimately unsuccessful, as the arrays there were too large, but there was solid scientific justification for it.
Gadgets that seem impossible to build today could be made into a military contract tomorrow, and sometimes when you see something like the Aston Martin V12 Vanquish in Die Another Day you can imagine that the people who make such things would be inspired to try and make it happen, which just makes the existence of this Bond gadget less of a challenge.
Like picking your favorite James Bond actor, the question of whether a Bond gadget is useful or silly is entirely subjective, so while I’m sure the Adaptive Camouflage Car would be great as a set-piece driver, I wouldn’t blame fans who disagree.
(Images courtesy of Danjaq, LLC and MGM)
If anything, reviving this debate is a good way to pass the time while we wait for the announcement of Bond 26. And if we really want to criticize this movie, there are better things to criticize, like the sword-fighting scene in Die Another Day being chopped up by weapons experts.
Another good way to spend your time is to go see The Convert, starring Lee Tamahori and Guy Pearce, which will be available in theaters and on VOD from July 12th. While you’re there, check out what Pearce had to say about his previous role as James Bond.
