12 Things You Learn Rewatching Die Another Day

11. The First 25 Minutes Are Actually Awesome

Because the film catches a ton of very justified flak, it's easy to forget that the first 25 minutes of Die Another Day are actually pretty damn great.

The pre-title sequence is especially spectacular, with Bond taking on the North Korean army, getting to crack some killer one-liners along the way, and ultimately being captured.

The title sequence is unique among Bond films as it actually furthers the plot, documenting Bond's torture and confinement, even if it's unfortunately set to Madonna's awful title track.

From here we get to see a Bond stripped of his 00 status and rocking a giant beard for good measure. It couldn't feel much more different to the decidedly trashier film that follows, and honestly plays like it was written by someone else entirely.

It all goes downhill, then, when Bond decides to fake his death by literally willing his heartbeat to slow down. The opening chunk of the film, however, had the makings of an honest-to-God franchise classic. What a waste.