1995 | Dir. Martin Campbell | 130 Minutes
"I might as well ask you if all the vodka martinis ever silenced the screams of all the men you've killed, or if you find forgiveness in the arms of all those willing women for all the dead ones you failed to protect."
In a post-Cold War world, James Bond faces off against a mysterious criminal organization bent on destroying London with a electro-magnetic pulse satellite weapon stolen from Russia. Bond discovers the mastermind behind the operation is the former 006, an old friend long-believed to be dead.
Director Martin Campbell's GoldenEye is a stylish action-packed reintroduction to James Bond that strikes the perfect balance between heightened drama and cheeky humor. Thematically, the film makes a strong case for the continued existence of 007 after the Cold War as the world faces new threats that require Bond's specific talents. However, the picture makes a point of showing how the world surrounding Bond has changed besides the dissolution of the Soviet Union, most noticeably its general attitude towards women. Bond now reports to a female M, one who has as little patience with Bond's recklessness as previous male Ms. The love interest constantly and rightfully calls Bond out for his uncaring bravado. The most capable killer working for the villain is a sadistic beauty who literally uses sex as a weapon. Intriguingly, though the meta-commentary is surface-level at best, for a handful of stand-out moments Bond's allies and enemies question his persistent character flaws.
GoldenEye is among the best examples of the franchise's hallmark of blending thrilling stunts, impressive special effects, and solid production design. The featured set pieces are genuinely fun and some of the most memorable and inspired of the series. The fantastically entertaining tank chase sequence through the streets of St. Petersburg may be the most iconic sequence of the film. Trevelyan's secret base in Cuba, the setting of the explosive climatic battle, is an fitting update to the customary elaborate Bond villain hideout. The GoldenEye EMP effects sequences hold up fairly well by contemporary cinematic standards. Considering every facet of the polished production, the only aspect that feels particularly dated is Éric Serra's cheesy industrial-synth-heavy score.
Pierce Brosnan is a perfect fit as James Bond, markedly more handsome than his predecessors, much more believable than Roger Moore as an action hero but decidedly less rugged than Timothy Dalton. Izabella Scorupco is convincing as the resourceful programmer and love interest Natalya Simonova though her forced Russian accent is pretty rough. Tortured supporting actor extraordinaire Sean Bean is excellent as Trevelyan, pitch perfect as a disillusioned dark reflection of Bond. Famke Janssen looks like she's having the time of her life as the sadistic underling Xenia Onatopp. Gottfried John is essentially a Russian caricature as the traitorous Commander Ourumov, though the look on his face as he takes a swig from a flask when he sees Bond chasing him in a tank is priceless. Of all the bad Russian stereotypes and horrible accents featured in the film, character actor Alan Cumming's portrayal of arrogant hacker Boris Grishenko borders on hate crime. Joe Don Baker, who previously appeared in The Living Daylights as arms dealer Brad Whitaker, phones it in as CIA Agent Jack Wade. Robbie Coltrane appears briefly in a memorable scene as ex-KGB gangster Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky while Minnie Driver makes a odd cameo appearance as his nightclub singer mistress Irina. Judi Dench makes her regal no-nonsense debut as M alongside Samantha Bond making a topical sexual harassment joke in her first appearance as Moneypenny and Michael Kitchen in his first appearance as Chief of Staff Bill Tanner. Desmond Llewelyn is entertaining as always in his fifteenth appearance as Q.
A slick and entertaining action film, GoldenEye effectively brings James Bond into the post-Cold War era with just a bit of introspection and many, many explosions. Pierce Brosnan's debut as 007 remains one of the indisputable high points of Eon Productions' signature franchise.
THE COLD OPEN
One of the best action sequences of the entire series from the bungee jumping stunt to the high-flying escape. It also serves as a solid introduction to Trevelyan and a coda to Bond's Cold War adventures. The way that Bond defies physics by somehow falling faster than the airplane to catch up with it is jarring but forgivable because the whole sequence is just so damn entertaining.
THE THEME SONG AND OPENING TITLES
Tina Turner's "GoldenEye" written by Bono and the Edge is full of fabulous energy though the lyrics are somewhat confounding. Taking over for Maurice Binder, Daniel Kleinman's opening title sequence is striking, rife with imagery signifying the collapse of Soviet rule while still retaining the customary beautiful female figures of a James Bond intro.
THE BOND GIRL
Natalya Simonova is delightfully feisty and self-sufficient. Despite being captured and in need of rescue, she manages to appropriately criticize Bond for his arrogance and general lack of caring. As far as Bond love interests go, she is a significant step in the right direction in terms of overall characterization.
THE BOND VILLAIN
Alec Trevelyan represents everything despicable about Bond twisted into the form of an anti-British antagonist. He has all of Bond's skills as well as his overt sexual proclivities though demonstrated much less tastefully in how he harasses Simonova. His background as a Lienz Cossack orphan betrayed by the British government is an intriguing criticism of Western Cold War politics, giving him the proper motivation to turn against his former employers.
FEATURED HENCHMAN
Xenia Onatopp is ostensibly a bad joke turned deadly, taking great pleasure in crushing men between her thighs. Her lust for violence is comically out of control, turned on by mowing down unsuspecting programmers at the secret Siberian base and the prospect of experiencing a train wreck. She is sex and death personified.
BEST GADGET
The exploding pen is one of the most memorable gadgets of the series, though the payoff leaves more to be desired.
FLEMING FIDELITY
As an officer for British Naval Intelligence, author Ian Fleming was in charge of Operation Goldeneye, tasked with monitoring developments in Spain following the Spanish Civil War. Fleming named his house in Oracabessa, Jamaica after the operation and would write all of the James Bond novels there. The film is named after the Operation Goldeneye and Fleming's house, while the plot of the film is completely original.
FRAGMENTS
- Sean Bean previously auditioned for the role of James Bond in The Living Daylights
- GoldenEye 007 for the Nintendo 64 released in 1997 is one of the very few objectively excellent video games based on a film, and arguably one of the best video games of all time overall
- At the bottom of the end credits, the film advertises that "James Bond Will Return"
