SECOND TIME'S A CHARM WITH BROSNAN IN `TOMMORROW'.

Byline: Glenn Whipp Daily News Film Critic

After 18 movies, countless babes and bad guys and a pop-culture saturation that's overflowing at the brim, what's left for our favorite English super spy, James Bond? Do you have him come out of the closet and make a pass at Q? Or perhaps show how he likes to spend his quiet moments curled up on the sofa with a self-help manual and a warm cup of cocoa that's shaken, not stirred.

Maybe not. If you're the producers of the 19th installment of 007, ``Tomorrow Never Dies,'' there's only one way to push the long-running series into the 21st century. You go back to the formula and milk it for all it's worth.

And that's exactly what they've done. Oh, there's the odd refinement or two. This edition's Bond girl is a Chinese operative, Wai Lin (Michelle Yeoh), who rises above sidekick status to help Bond save the world. In a radical departure, she and 007 don't even kiss until the final frame.

Of course, the more things change, the more they stay the same. Yeoh also happens to be a drop-dead gorgeous former Miss Malaysia who looks great in a tight jumpsuit. But give the series credit for taking baby steps. Maybe by the next film they'll do something about those cheesy opening-credit sequences.

As for the rest of ``Tomorrow Never Dies,'' it's yet another Bond film, which translates into an oddly reassuring series of rituals whose outcome is as obvious as the women's cleavage.

Pierce Brosnan returns for his second outing as Agent 007, seeming more comfortable in the role than he was two years ago in ``GoldenEye.'' Here, he's up against loony media mogul Elliot Carver (Jonathan Pryce) who isn't content to sell the news - he wants to stage it as well.

It isn't an original idea; after all, William Randolph Hearst was doing this kind of thing 100 years ago with the Spanish-American War. But in today's information age, where wars are beamed into our living rooms by ratings-hungry media barons, Pryce's villain affords all sorts of delicious possibilities, and the script has some fun with them.

Bond's mission is to get behind the mysterious circumstances that led to Chinese fighter jets sinking a British ship that had inexplicably entered into its waters. According to the ship's radar, it was in neutral territory. But then, the ship's captain didn't know that Carver had altered his radar via satellite. And the Chinese didn't know that Carver had his own ``stealth ship'' in its waters, a ship that blew the British vessel out of the ocean.

That's the setup, for what it's worth. But few people come to these films for the brain-teasing plot developments. Real Bond fans will want to know how the rituals compare with past efforts. Here's how they stack up:

The opening sequence: A silly episode with Bond infiltrating a meeting between arms smugglers ends with a thrilling payoff that will send you through the roof.

The gadgets: Q has devised a couple of doozies. The best is a BMW that can be driven by remote control. If this car comes out on the market, women the world over could regain control of the television remotes.

The action: It's OK. Some bits are thrilling, others seem to last longer than the 35 years the Bond franchise has been around.

The babes: Teri Hatcher, looking alarmingly thin, plays Carver's wife. She knew Bond way back when - and easily comes under his charms again. Yeoh is the best thing about the movie, playing a lethal weapon who can kick like a mule while breezily trading quips with 007.

The villains: Pryce has some fine moments as a man who knows that sticks and stones can break your bones, but words can make you a whole lot of money. Unfortunately, his enforcer, a thug named Mr. Stamper (Gotz Otto), bears an uncanny resemblance to Brigitte Nielsen (without the upper torso) - only he's not as scary. Mr. Stamper is kind of a comedown after ``GoldenEye's'' Famke Janssen and her bone-crushing thighs.

The locations: France, Thailand, Germany, Mexico. Nice scenery, although nothing comes close to matching the majesty of Ursula Andress rising out of the ocean in ``Dr. No.''

The theme song: Sheryl Crow sings the title track. It falls somewhere between Shirley Bassey's ``Goldfinger'' and Lulu's ``The Man With the Golden Gun.'' Decent, but you won't be humming it when you leave the theater.

The components add up to an enjoyable, though not particularly memorable entry into the Bond franchise. Brosnan remains a solid reason we can still have fun with this creaky old series. Suitably charming and dangerous, Brosnan has reinvigorated 007 and made him his own man. He'll never erase the ghost of Sean Connery, but chances are half of this film's audience wasn't born when Connery made ``Dr. No'' 35 years ago.

And if Connery were still around as Bond, he probably would be having that warm cup of cocoa right about now. That or he'd be sound asleep at the rest home for old spies, no doubt dreaming about Pussy Galore.

THE FACTS

The film: ``Tomorrow Never Dies'' (PG-13; intense action, violence, sexuality and innuendo).

The stars: Pierce Brosnan, Michelle Yeoh, Jonathan Pryce and Teri Hatcher.

Behind the scenes: Directed by Roger Spottiswoode. Written by Bruce Fierstein. Released by United Artists.

Running time: One hour, 58 minutes.

Playing: Citywide.

Our rating: Three Stars.