British secret James Bond (PIERCE BROSNAN) has been sent to North Korea to assassinate renegade military leader Colonel Moon (WILL YUN LEE). The plan goes awry, however, and Moon is apparently killed, his second-in-charge, Zao (RICK YUNE), is injured and Bond is captured. After 14 months of torture and interrogation, he's released in exchange for Zao, but discovers that his own government and boss, M (JUDI DENCH), believe he's damaged goods. Accordingly, she rescinds his spy status.
Wanting to regain that and get revenge on those who set him up and wronged him, Bond follows a lead and heads for Cuba where he meets Raoul (EMILIO ECHEVARRIA) and learns of an undercover operation involving DNA transplants to give people new identities. He also meets and beds the sultry
Jinx (HALLE BERRY) who happens to be an American spy working to disrupt that operation.
After an encounter with Zao that leads to more clues, Bond heads for London to meet flamboyant businessman Gustav Graves (TOBY STEPHENS) who deals in diamonds, some of which were found on Zao. Following a fencing match that turns into something far more intense, Graves invites Bond to Iceland where, with the aid of publicist Miranda Frost (ROSAMUND PIKE) and inventor Vlad (MICHAEL GOREVOY), he's preparing to unveil an invention named Icarus. An orbiting satellite, the invention can provide a great deal of light and energy wherever it's directed on the Earth.
Equipped with various high-tech gadgets courtesy of Q (JOHN CLEESE), Bond must deal with various heavies such as Zao and Mr. Kil (LAWRENCE MAKOARE) as he tries to figure out how Graves his involved with the situation and must then stop the villains from unleashing their nefarious plan.