November 20, 1999 -- James Bond never seems to get old. All of his surrounding cast, like "M" and "Q" and Moneypenny grow old and are replaced or die, but Bond marches on, defying time. What keeps him ticking?

The Bond legend was developed by Sean Connery, a charismatic actor who starred in the first Bond movie, "Dr. No," in 1962. Dashing, urbane, but ruthless, he got the series off to a good start, starring in such great films as "Goldfinger." After seven movies he handed off to another urbane and charming fellow, Roger Moore, who carried the series through the 1970s and 1980s, also starring in seven bond films including my favorite, "The Spy Who Loved Me." Then the series floundered while a new Bond was sought. Timothy Dalton did not quite seem to fit the bill in a couple of productions that weren't really top rate. Pierce Brosnan arrived with a thunderclap in 1995 starring in the spectacular "Goldeneye," and the series was reborn.

Brosnan is still going strong with "The World is Not Enough" and the series shows no signs of slowing down. Brosnan fits the Bond role very well. He's handsome, charming and tough. Bond is an anachronistic womanizer, a loose canon in what seems to be a less adventuresome time. He never worries about AIDS or even herpes. Why is he still popular?

Some social observers feel that the 1990s are a lot like the 1950s, and Bond was born at the end of that era (the early 60s were much like the 1950s). Bond provided escapist sexual and adventure fantasies back then. He still does. In today's corporate world, workers under pointy-haired Dilbert-like bosses probably need these kinds of fantasies just as much as ever, maybe more so.

Anyway, back to "The World is Not Enough." It has the standard Bond plot ingredients: stolen atomic weapons, megalomaniacs dreaming of world domination, villains who want vengeance, and who have lots of really dumb crooked-shooting minions who get killed in return for their loyalty to the bad guys.

What makes this one different is that the villains are really interesting. The main villain, Viktor Zokas (Renard), played by Robert Carlyle of "The Full Monty" is very complex. Renard feels that he is already dead. A bullet in his brain has destroyed his sense of touch and he can feel no pain. Soon, it will end his life. At first it seems he has nothing left to live for but vengeance against the British Secret Service officials who ordered his execution. It turns out there is a lot more to him than that, and he can feel pain after all.

The secret service determines that his next target may be the lovely daughter of oilman Sir Robert King, Elektra King (played by Sophie Marceau of "Braveheart"). James Bond gets the bodyguard assignment and he finds out that protecting King is tougher than he thought, and that King, too, is a complicated person. There are double-crosses all over the place in this movie and there are a lot of plot twists, despite the familiar story line.

Robert Carlyle does a fine job of playing a complex villain. Academy Award-winner Judi Dench ("Shakespeare in Love") gets to flex her acting talent a little. She plays the continuing role of "M." That old Python John Cleese ("A Fish Called Wanda") shows up to throw a little humor into the pot and that "Drop Dead Gorgeous" girl Denise Richards of "Wild Things," tags along to improve the scenery as Dr. Christmas Jones, nuclear physicist. As usual, the stuntwork is great and there's a fabulous boat chase scene. There's not much letup in the action. This film rates a B.

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