Die Another Day - Pierce Brosnan (2002) - Victoria Harbour, Hong Kong

I appear to be approaching a moment in this blog's life where the pick of overseas productions filmed here are starting to diminish and get increasingly difficult to obtain due to either unavailability or prohibitive cost, so I may have to start delving into more of the local stock in future (hit me with a wish list and I will see what I can do).

Until that happens, I have another entry in the category of films supposedly shot in Hong Kong but actually weren't. There are really only two types: those that sent a camera over to capture real images for later insertion (e.g Macao, Spy Game, The Chairman*) and those that just used stock footage and nothing else (Target Hong Kong, The Road to Hong Kong, A Countess from Hong Kong, Tomb Raider etc)

This film, Die Another Day, essentially falls into the latter category. It appears that someone has taken an image of Hong Kong Island's famous waterfront and used it as the back projection for the scene when Bond manages to escape whatever predicament he has got himself into by swimming through (supposedly) Victoria Harbour.

Looking at the upper picture, the only recognisable structure I can make out is the Bank of China Tower. Nothing else in that skyline makes any sense to me, even when taking into account buildings that have since been replaced. My hunch is the image is a mash up with the B.O.C Tower thrown in to make it look like Hong Kong. It doesn't even make any sense if I flip the image the other way.

Obviously the set designers didn't bother with too much reality either - perhaps because they would need permission to use the name of the Royal HK Yacht Club? Whatever. Like the rest of this film, the HK scene is a travesty and I include it here merely to educate people on the fact that this was not filmed here. In case you hadn't already realised.

* Granted, J. Lee Thompson and Gregory Peck had all intention of filming here but were the subject of death threats from the local mouth-frothing commies and were unceremoniously booted out of HK by the authorities for everyone's safety. It was only 2 years after the '67 riots after all. However, before that, Thompson managed to capture a variety of brief shots of HK that were later incorporated into the general establishment scenes.

Around the World in 80 Days - Pierce Brosnan (1989) - Stanley Peninsula, Hong Kong

The Tankadere sinks and the shipwrecked travelers manage to row to what is supposed to be Mainland China but was actually a small rocky beach on the western edge of Stanley Peninsula. The land on the right in the top picture is Yuen Kok on Lamma island with Wailingding Island (in Chinese waters) in the far distance.

This location isn't very far from the boundary with the former Stanley Fort. Of course since 1997 it has been renamed Chek Chue Barracks (赤柱 'chek chu' is the Cantonese name for Stanley) and has the PLA stationed there.

Around the World in 80 Days - Pierce Brosnan (1989) - Sai Kung Public Pier, Sai Kung

In order to get to Yokohama on time to catch the paddle steamer "General Grant" to San Francisco, Fogg and friends try to get themselves onto a boat bound for Japan only to find out they can be taken up to Shanghai and catch their crossing from there instead. The small vessel they catch to Shanghai is the "Tankadere" - a small junk that sinks on the way.

They board this junk in what is unmistakably Sai Kung public pier - a place I know quite well from the multitude of times I've hopped on and off dive boats there. In the show though, the white round pillars holding up the roof have been surrounded by some badly painted cardboard to make them look like wood.

Around the World in 80 Days - Pierce Brosnan (1989) - Bela Vista Hotel, Macau

Now that I have finally got round to looking at the locations in this mini-series (I've had it in my drawer for about 2 years but only just mustered enough energy to sit through all 4.5 hours trying to spot HK locations, so please forgive my tardiness), I can finally provide us all with some shots of the interior of the Bela Vista. Thankfully it's had a bit of a clean up since 1989.

Around the World in 80 Days - Pierce Brosnan (1989) - Aberdeen Harbour

Finally, a shot taken in Hong Kong that is actually meant to be Hong Kong. The only problem is that this is most definitely some stock footage because is shows a view of Aberdeen harbour (looking east in the top picture) that was probably taken in the 1960's, given the complete lack of development.

Around the World in 80 Days - Pierce Brosnan (1989) - The Rangoon aka The Wan Fu?

The ship that Fogg and Co board to go to HK in the book is called the "Rangoon". The long shot of the ship steaming off to Hong Kong was also actually filmed in Hong Kong and appears to be a shot of our old friend the Wan Fu (the Hongkong Hilton's own pleasure boat). I can't confirm exactly but maybe someone is able to - it looks very similar to the images I've previously posted.

Around the World in 80 Days - Pierce Brosnan (1989) - Sai Kung Waterfront, Sai Kung

So previously the former Marine Police HQ stood in for the central police station in Bombay, and now Sai Kung waterfront is standing in for Calcutta as Fogg and Co try to board the ship, Rangoon, that will take them to Hong Kong. The set looks like it was set up on a newly reclaimed patch of ground that has since had the new East Division Marine Police station built on it behind Lake Court.  

Around the World in 80 Days - Pierce Brosnan (1989) - Former Marine Police HQ, Tsim Sha Tsui

No, not the David Niven film nor the Steve Coogan/Jackie Chan version but rather the four hour mini series filmed in the late 1980's and starring Pierce Brosnan. In truth, a series that shows there is a limit to Brosnan's acting abilities as well as the production department's budget. We see a few old faces here - Brosnan has already been here before for Noble House and Detonator 2 and Julia Nickson who was also in Noble House as well as China Cry amongst others.

The series was filmed in various locations including Hong Kong although, rather ironically, the Hong Kong section of the film was made in Macau and the instead Hong Kong itself stood in for a variety of other locations! The first location we see is that of the former Marine Police HQ in Tsim Sha Tsui which stood in for Bombay Central Police Station.

In case you recognise the passageway where Peter Ustinov is standing, it's the very same one Forest Whitaker et al stood in for Bloodsport a few years earlier.

Detonator II: Night Watch - Pierce Brosnan (1995) - Cannon Street, Causeway Bay

The last Cannon Street post for Cracker: White Ghost has reminded me that I missed off another view of Cannon Street. The common factor is a large neon sign in the background that can also be seen in the Cracker screen shots. I don't know what the sign was for but I suspect someone can fill in the gaps in my knowledge, you can see it in the shot below (red neon in the background).

So this is us looking down Cannon Street (i.e. looking North) towards the junction with Jaffe Road. The next scene - involving the car crashing into the phone booth - looks to have been filmed to the south where Cannon St ends at the junction with Lockhart Road. See below.

Detonator II: Night Watch - Pierce Brosnan (1995) - Aberdeen, Hong Kong

Not the film finale (it looks as though that may have been filmed in Croatia), but at the end of the car chase the events unfold out at Aberdeen. The scene starts with a view of the ABBA House development (don't ask me about the name, I have no idea) and the camera was obviously placed in the waterfront park on the opposite side of the ride - the clue is the concrete pavilion that you can see the top of. The pavilion and garden are still there.

I've only included a few screen grabs here but the scene is a good few minutes long and was filmed almost entirely in this section of the Aberdeen waterfront. The estate you can see in the lower picture is actually the Ap Lei Chau estate on the opposite side of the harbour.

Detonator II: Night Watch - Pierce Brosnan (1995) - Stubbs Road, Wanchai

At the end of the film there is a small snippet filmed along a road that seems to be very typical of the roads that wrap themselves around the mid-levels from Wanchai to Central. And so it was as it turned out to be filmed around the lower section of Stubbs Road above Wanchai.

There's been much growth in this area in the last 20 years in both buildings and trees although it is the latter preventing the view over to Jardine's Lookout that can be seen in the top grab - as you can see in the Streetview grab below - although you should just be able to make out the pink facade of (what I believe is) Celeste Court poking up into view in both the second screen grab and Streetview below.

A few metres beyond this road bend is the entrance to a rather interesting looking development called Hanaevilla. As you can see from the Streetview that follows this hasn't changed at all other than the aforementioned block getting a blue makeover. It's an interesting building (built circa 1959) with some nicely curved balconies.

Detonator II: Night Watch - Pierce Brosnan (1995) - Causeway Road, Causeway Bay

Okay, not strictly all Causeway Road, but at least both ends of it as the motorbike chase unfolds. After starting just around the corner in Cannon Street the next scene is from the bike's point of view as it chases after the car at the corner where Gloucester Road and Causeway Road merge. Actually, the bike is on Yee Wo Street in the first shot as it joins the aforementioned corner.

It doesn't look like the place has changed too much other than the appearance of the Rosedale Hotel, as you can see from the Streetview.

The next shot is, surprisingly (because these things rarely follow real geography), at the far end of Causeway Road at the corner with Hing Fat Street on the other side of Victoria Park with Park Towers (a residential development) in view on the corner.

Detonator II: Night Watch - Pierce Brosnan (1995) - Cannon Street, Causeway Bay

Part of the motorbike chase that occurs towards the end of the film was shot along Cannon Street.

These top two pictures show the part of the street near to the junction with Gloucester Road (see the bus in the top picture driving along Gloucester Rd). There is then another shot as the motorbike turns on to Jaffe Road (see below). As you can see from the following Streetview, not much has changed here at all, although the more observant may be able to see Hennessy Centre at the back. This has since been replaced by Hysan Place.

Detonator II: Night Watch - Pierce Brosnan (1995) - Lockhart Road, Wanchai

Another night time neon shot along Lockhart Road in Wanchai. The key to the identification this time is the New York Cinema on the right hand side. It used to be in the Causeway Bay Plaza 2 but closed in 2006 and has since been replaced by a restaurant.

Here is the current Streetview. The plaza looks the same but much of the neon has been removed.