This film was the last appearance of Desmond Llewelyn's Q, and he went out with a high note.
Q: I've always tried to teach you two things: first, never let them see you bleed. Bond: And the second? Q: Always have an escape plan. (is lowered into the floor)
Just when you think Bond's been rumbled...
Christmas Jones:(in Russian) You speak English very well for a Russian. Bond(in Russian) I studied at Oxford.
This might double as a Continuity Nod; Book!Bond studied Oriental Languages at Oxford.
The ski vs Parahawk chase in the Caucasus mountains.
Bond dodging an explosion with style (photo).
One for a mook in a James Bond movie, of all people. One of the Parahawks chasing Bond falls off a cliff. Bond then quips "See you back at the lodge" as he watches the Parahawk falls, only to see him open a spare parachute and rejoin the fight. Bond is not amused at all. A mere Mook denied James Bond himself his One-Liner. Possibly the first time and the only time it happened.
One has to give credit to Dr. Christmas Jones for being able to disarm a nuclear bomb while traveling at high speed in a pipeline inspection rig. Even though the bomb was never nuclear, she didn't know that when she volunteered.
Christmas is actually a pretty solid character who suffers far more from being underplayed by her actressnote then again, Denise Richards might not have been given the best material to work with — she never waits for Bond to rescue her in the nuclear silo, instead rigs a mechanism herself, and mostly holds her own during the action sequences. Not once does she turn into any kind of dimwitted Screaming Woman.
M, who'd earlier expressed guilt for advising Elektra's father to not pay for her ransom when she'd been kidnapped, slapping Elektra across the face upon the reveal of her true colors.
M manipulating Elektra to give her access to a clock with batteries, which she promptly uses to MacGyver a GPS signal once Elektra and her bodyguard Gabor are out of sight, making it possible for Bond, Christmas and Zukovsky to locate her.
The way Brosnan says "Family motto" sums up his portrayal of the character perfectly: a man who repeatedly ends up in ridiculous, painful situations all the time, but keeps going because that's just who he is. The best part about it being his family's motto is the implication that everyonein the Bond family is like this.
Valentin Zukovsky freeing Bond from a torture chair. With one bullet. While mortally wounded. Even better, his entrance to that scene:
Zukovsky: I'm looking for a submarine. It's big and black and the driver is a good friend of mine.
Also just a bit earlier when Zukovsky killed his traitorous henchman Bullion.
Bullion: Boss! You're alive! I'm so glad to see you! Zukovsky: Me too! (coldly shoots Bullion with his machine gun)
Renard's first scene. He's clearly a master of the Blofeld Ploy.
Renard's escape from the test site - Bond shoots at him, but is foiled by the bulletproof glass. Renard's nonchalance sells it.
"No hard feelings, Mister Bond, but we're even. Soon, you'll feel nothing at all". (the elevator goes up as Renard points down to a bomb that's just started ticking)
Bond allowing the bomb in the pipeline to detonate and let Elektra think she's won.
Bond taking down a helicopter with some flammable gas and a flaregun.
Bond's final confrontation with Elektra, who he demands call off Renard from triggering the nuclear attack. He has her cornered with nowhere to go, but she remains confident that Bond, now visibly impatient, cannot bring himself to kill her. Thus, this exchange.
Elektra: You wouldn't kill me. You'd miss me. Renard:(On the phone) Yes? Elektra: .....DIVE, Bond...(Bond shoots her dead) Bond: I never miss.
