Casino Royale

CASINO ROYALE
2006 | Dir. Martin Campbell | 144 Minutes

"So you want me to be half-monk, half-hitman."

On his first mission as a 00 Agent for MI6, James Bond prevents the bombing of an airliner commissioned by private banker to terrorists and notorious gambler Le Chiffre in an attempt to profit by betting against the aerospace company in the stock market. The banker attempts to recuperate the funds he lost in a high-stakes card game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. M subsequently orders Bond to bankrupt the Le Chiffre at the casino and take him into MI6 custody.

Directing his second James Bond feature following the phenomenally entertaining GoldenEye, Martin Campbell's Casino Royale is a more polished, better-paced, even stronger film. The twenty-first picture of Eon Productions' James Bond franchise radically resets the tonal trajectory of the series, trading broad gimmicks and over-the-top gadgets for genuinely engaging dramatic stakes with an emphasis on grounded practical stunt work. Between the truly superb set pieces, troubled love interest Vesper Lynd questions how Bond's occupation erodes away his humanity, compellingly presenting much more meaningful introspection for the character than ever before. The character of Bond is redefined as more of a blunt weapon than a suave precision instrument, prone to violence and brash decision-making, carrying out his duty with extreme prejudice more to selfishly satisfy his own ego than to serve Queen and Country.

From the brutal brawl before the opening credits to the literally breathtaking finale in Venice, Casino Royale delivers exhilarating action from top to bottom. Stand-out sequences include an intense parkour chase through a construction site in Madagascar, an explosive high speed pursuit across the tarmac at Miami International Airport, and a bloody knock-down drag-out fight in a stairway at the Hotel Splendide. The uniformly excellent cinematography and editing perfectly capture every thrilling moment. Perhaps the most impressive feat of the picture is that the filmmakers even manage to imbue the poker scenes with palpable tension combining excellent performances with clever staging.

Daniel Craig's debut James Bond performance is a revelation, bringing a convincing harder edge as well as subtle vulnerability to the quintessential secret agent, crafting a well-rounded character that is truly a welcome departure from previous takes on 007. Eva Green is mesmerizing as Vesper Lynd, exuding sharp intelligence and a sort of quiet torment that tragically culminates in the film's final act, her onscreen chemistry with Craig's Bond is off the charts. In one of his finest roles, character actor Mads Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre is chilling, somewhat pitiful but delightfully creepy. French freerunner Sébastien Foucan is absolutely mind-blowing, demonstrating his considerable parkour skills as the bomb-maker Mollaka in his brief but memorable appearance. Claudio Santamaria as the crafty terrorist operative Carlos is considerably less impressive by comparison. Simon Abkarian is perfectly slimy as Le Chiffre's petulant associate Alex Dimitrios while Caterina Murino is appropriately alluring as his doomed wife Solange. Judi Dench returns as M, amusingly somehow sterner than before, and Jeffrey Wright is the seventh and best actor so far to fill the role of Bond's CIA ally Felix Leiter for Eon Productions. The film also features Giancarlo Giannini as smooth-talking French MI6 agent René Mathis, Jesper Christensen as the mysterious Mr. White, and Tobias Menzies as M's assistant Villiers.

Casino Royale is one of the very best pictures of Eon's storied James Bond franchise. Stylish, suspenseful, action-packed, and even slightly meditative, Daniel Craig's first Bond film confidently refreshes the very idea of 007, appealing to contemporary sensibilities by discarding more problematic aspects of the series while still remaining surprisingly faithful to its source material.


THE COLD OPEN
Presented in striking black and white, Bond confronts corrupt MI6 Prague section chief Dryden in his office as he recalls his brutal drawn-out fight to the death with the Dryden's contact. Killing his second target with relative ease, Bond gains 00 status, immediately establishing Daniel Craig's Bond as a colder, rougher take on 007. Working the iconic gun barrel shot as Bond shoots Dryden's contact to transition the cold open into the opening titles is simply sublime.


THE THEME SONG AND OPENING TITLES
Grunge rocker Chris Cornell's "You Know My Name" may not be among the most celebrated Bond theme song but its aggressive uptempo style is tonally fitting for Casino Royale. Daniel Kleinnman's opening title sequence also presents a appealing departure from previous introductions featuring stylized abstract male figures in combat, in stark contrast to the series' standard of seductive feminine shapes, constructed from imagery inspired by playing card and casino imagery.


THE BOND GIRL
Vesper Lynd carries the dubious honor of being the source of Bond's dysfunctional attitude towards women. Fortunately, Vesper is more than a one-dimensional desirable object. When clashing with Bond verbally, she gives as good as she gets, constantly challenging Bond's methods and disposition with valid logical arguments. Bond is so stricken with Vesper, he nearly leaves MI6 to be with her, and even invents a drink and names it after her. The shock and heartbreak of her betrayal is enough to install an indefinite emotional detachment to women in Bond's psyche.


THE BOND VILLAIN
Le Chiffre is a relatively simple but still fascinating adversary. His customary Bond villain deformity alone is memorable, a health condition that causes him to occasionally bleed out of his left eye. A compulsive gambler in charge of financing terrorist activities for a mysterious criminal organization, his diabolical schemes are small-time when compared to other cinematic 007 antagonists but his methods are remarkably nasty: attempting to bomb a massive jet for profit, poisoning Bond in the middle of the poker tournament, and whipping a captured Bond's genitals demanding his bank account's password after Bond bests him at the card table. It's somewhat unfortunate that Le Chiffre meets a rather unceremonious end, shot in the head by Mr. White.


FEATURED HENCHMAN
Ill-tempered and generally despicable, Alex Dimitrios is just irritating enough for it to feel satisfying when Bond wins his Aston Martin in a hand of poker, woos his beautiful wife, and ultimately kills him silently in the middle of the Body Worlds exhibition at Miami International Airport but not unique enough to be notably memorable. The ultimate middle manager, his underlings, bomb-making parkour master Mollaka and resilient operative Carlos, are much more formidable adversaries by comparison.


BEST GADGET
One of the most practical gadgets of the series, the compact government-issue defibrillator plays a vital part in the memorable poisoning sequence.


FLEMING FIDELITY
While the first half of the film is comprised of original material, the plot of the second half is remarkably faithful to Ian Fleming's first James Bond novel Casino Royale published in 1953. The screenwriters made only a handful of changes to modernize the story. In the novel, Le Chiffre is an accountant for a branch of Soviet counterintelligence agency SMERSH who loses SMERSH's money by investing it in brothels just before a general prostitution ban, the card game featured in the novel is baccarat, and Vesper's suicide is by sleeping pill overdose.


FRAGMENTS
- There are two prior screen versions of Casino Royale: an Americanized adaptation for CBS television program Climax! starring Barry Nelson as James "Jimmy" Bond aired in 1952, and a loose comedy film adaptation starring Peter Sellers made without the involvement of Eon Productions released in 1967

- Madame Wu, The poker player who appears onboard Le Chiffre's yacht and at the tournament in Montenegro is played by Tsai Chin who previously appeared as the undercover MI6 agent Ling in the cold open of You Only Live Twice

- At the bottom of the end credits, the film advertises that "James Bond Will Return"

Die Another Day

DIE ANOTHER DAY
2002 | Dir. Lee Tamahori | 133 Minutes

"Let's just say my relationships don't seem to last."

James Bond is captured by North Korea during a mission, betrayed by an unknown double-agent within MI6. Released in exchange for a villainous North Korean agent, Bond defies M's orders, escapes MI6 custody, and hunts for the mole. Going rogue, 007 teams up with NSA operative Jinx to uncover a sinister plot devised by British millionaire Gustav Graves.

Objectively, director Lee Tamahori's Die Another Day is the worst picture of Eon Productions' flagship franchise. The action sequences are somehow simultaneously over-the-top and uninspired, the editing is jarringly choppy, the visual effects are technically shoddy, the dialogue is overloaded with cheese, and the plot is thoroughly absurd. Despite enduring a ludicrously stylized torture sequence at the top of the film, Bond carries on as a nigh invulnerable, ostensibly infallible protagonist effortlessly romancing beautiful women and defeating his enemies without plausible struggle or dramatic tension. Sauntering her way through the feature, Jinx isn't much better, created to be Bond's equal but sexually objectified and constantly rescued by Bond all the same. Devoid of the pathos and drama of the best Bond films, this installment ironically makes a strong argument that James Bond is no longer relevant as a viable cinematic action hero.

The set pieces are mostly hilariously awful. The hovercraft chase through the Korean Demilitarized Zone minefield at the start of the film and the confrontation with Zao at the Cuban gene therapy clinic are overall serviceable but everything that follows is thoroughly terrible. The fencing duel between Bond and Graves escalates to preposterous levels. The climactic battle onboard Graves' cargo plane is beyond silly, full of corny slo-mo and cheap-looking visual effects. The absolute worst action sequences all take place in Graves' visually unappealing ice palace. The invisible Aston Martin chase is silly enough but Bond surfing a massive tidal wave to safety indisputably takes the prize for the most absurd moment of the entire series.

Even for such a mediocre installment, Pierce Brosnan does his best with the material. It's just a shame that he ends his run as 007 with this atrocity. Halle Berry looks like she's having the time of her life as Jinx, a role that requires none of her esteemed acting talent. Toby Stephens scowls his way through the part of arch-villain Gustav Graves, his performance somehow more shameful after the late-film reveal that he's essentially playing a Korean man playing an Englishman. As the traitorous Miranda Frost, the versatile Rosamund Pike in her feature film debut is mostly ridiculous going from emotionally-detached MI6 agent to awkwardly evil baddie. Rick Yune chews all sorts of scenery as Graves' prime henchman Tang Ling Zao but he's at least more memorable than Michael Gorevoy as Graves' personal scientist and Lawrence Makoare as non-descript muscle Mr. Kil. Michael Madsen sleepwalks his way through his brief role Jinx's NSA boss Damian Falco, while legendary Hong Kong actor Kenneth Tsang's considerable talents are wasted on the part of the relatively noble General Moon. Judi Dench returns as M while Samantha Bond, John Cleese, and Colin Salmon make their final appearances as Moneypenny, Q, M's Deputy Chief of Staff Charles Robinson.

Pierce Brosnan's turn as James Bond ends with a colossal dud. Die Another Day represents all of the excesses of the film series in the very worst way. It is dreadfully, hilariously bad, more or less serving as a blueprint for what a modern Bond film shouldn't be.


THE COLD OPEN
The cold open is arguably the most plausible, least embarrassing part of the film. Bond's mission in North Korea is compromised after his cover is blown by an unknown source, later revealed to be Frost. He seemingly kills rogue North Korean Colonel Tan-Sun Moon played by Will Yun Lee but is captured by Moon's father the general.


THE THEME SONG AND OPENING TITLES
As Bond is tortured the North Koreans, Daniel Kleinman's opening titles break away from the boundaries of good taste, showing abstract manifestations of fire, ice, and electricity taking seductive female forms. Madonna's "Die Another Day" is pure techno trash, arguably the worst-fitting Bond theme song ever. Oddly, Madonna even makes a distracting cameo appearance in the film as Graves and Frost's fencing instructor Verity.


THE BOND GIRL
Though she is technically conceptually Bond's American equal, Jinx never quite measures up. Constantly objectified by the camera and her less-than-subtle sexually suggestive one-liners, she comes off as something of a parody of an old white screenwriter's idea of the ideal Bond love interest. She's got a ravenous sexual appetite like Bond but her dialogue is more foolish than sexy. She's resourceful and capable but she still needs Bond to rescue her. She's a skilled fighter but she can only defeat female villains, particularly the other woman Bond sleeps with in the narrative. It's a real blessing that Jinx's planned spin-off film never happened.


THE BOND VILLAIN
Gustav Graves is meant to be a twisted evil interpretation of James Bond, but the message is lost in the muddle of ice palaces, solar-powered space lasers, and North Korean aggression. The series already delivered a fine anti-Bond in GoldenEye and Graves pales in comparison. The fact that he is literally a genetically whitewashed Korean man adds an extra layer of unnecessary problematic discomfort.


FEATURED HENCHMAN
Tang Ling Zao, in his diamond-pocked incomplete genetically-altered glory, is perhaps best known for trying to out-quip Bond at every turn, more than any other henchman. He's got a memorable goofy/disturbing appearance but otherwise, he kind of sucks as a henchman, not even making it to the climatic battle.


BEST GADGET
The invisible Aston Martin is memorable for all the wrong reasons, just like the film itself. It remains arguably the most outlandish, implausible gadget of the series, more despised than the crocodile submarine.


FLEMING FIDELITY
Die Another Day was not inspired by or named after existing source material written by Ian Fleming.


FRAGMENTS
- Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin from Tomorrow Never Dies was originally supposed to return to aid James Bond in Hong Kong but she was replaced by Chinese Intelligence Agent Chang played by Ho Yi

- While filming their love scene in Cuba, Pierce Brosnan perform the Heimlich maneuver on Halle Berry when she choked on a fig, saving her life

- At the bottom of the end credits, the film advertises that "James Bond Will Return"

The World Is Not Enough

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
1999 | Dir. Michael Apted | 128 Minutes

"There's no point in living if you can't feel alive."

Ex-KGB terrorist Renard sends an assassin to murder oil tycoon Sir Robert King. M places James Bond on assignment to protect King's daughter Elektra. When Bond discovers Elektra and Renard are scheming to settle a personal vendetta against M and to cause a nuclear disaster for profit, he must save the head of MI6 and work together with a beautiful nuclear physicist to avert catastrophe.

Veteran director Michael Apted's The World Is Not Enough feels like a throwback to lesser entries of the James Bond film series, particularly the weaker pictures produced during Roger Moore's run as 007. The villains have interesting and relatively original motivations if not the most creative diabolical scheme. Elektra is among the most complex Bond villains to date. However, the driving narrative is noticeably weak. With seemingly nothing hidden under his surface-level cool detachment, Bond being tasked with rescuing M doesn't carry any palpable dramatic weight as he never seems personally invested in the mission, he just seems to be going through the motions in this one. It's a middling adventure that could have been more engaging considering the pieces in play.

The action sequences featured in The World Is Not Enough are good overall but fans of the series have seen better. The boat chase during the cold open and the escape from the sawing helicopters at the caviar factory are particularly great, and Brosnan even gets his customary James Bond skiing set piece in this one complete with the payoff of an over-the-top gadget. However, the pipeline sequence is a showcase of unconvincing special effects and the climatic fight in a cramped submarine is less than thrilling.

Pierce Brosnan effortlessly slips back into the role of James Bond in a film that unfortunately requires more physical commitment from him than his skills as an actor, playing a decidedly colder Bond. Sophie Marceau is captivating as the treacherous Elektra King, sharing good chemistry with seasoned character actor Robert Carlyle turing in a surprisingly imposing as the tormented madman Renard. Denise Richards is uniformly bland as Dr. Christmas Jones, sounding mechanical in much of her line delivery, yet another love interest for Bond who shares no romantic chemistry with Brosnan's Bond. Judi Dench makes her third appearance as M, showing a more vulnerable side of the character. Samantha Bond, Michael Kitchen, and Colin Salmon also reprise their roles as Moneypenny, Bill Tanner, and M's Deputy Chief of Staff Charles Robinson respectively. Desmond Llewelyn makes his final memorable appearance in the series as Q alongside celebrated comedian John Cleese as Q's successor. Robbie Coltrane returns as Valentin Zukovsky, this time clearly having more fun with a bigger role in the story than in from GoldenEye and a decent death scene. The film also features John Seru as Elektra's loyal bodyguard Gabor, English rapper Goldie as Valentin's traitorous henchman Bullion, and Maria Grazia Cucinotta in a brief but memorable part as the assassin featured in the cold open.

The World Is Not Enough puts all of the weaknesses inherent in the standard formula of the James Bond franchise on full display. The most intriguing aspects of the plot are woefully underdeveloped while Bond makes his way through some decent action scenes to single-handedly save the day, and romance the one-dimensional pretty lady, without growing as a character in any discernible way. The whole experience is as disposable as a Bond film can be.


THE COLD OPEN
Opening with a Swiss bank caper in Spain before properly starting the story in England, this one's a bit long and takes a while to get to the good stuff. Despite the rather silly experimental boat Bond commandeers, the explosive chase sequence on the Thames is one of the top highlights of the film. Maria Grazia Cucinotta's nameless assassin is rather captivating despite her limited screen time.


THE THEME SONG AND OPENING TITLES
Garbage's "The World Is Not Enough" is as catchy and cheesy as Bond theme songs get, going as far as working a key line of dialogue into its lyrics. Daniel Kleinman's opening title sequence featuring seductive female figures worked into abstract oil and fire imagery is slick but looks somewhat dated by modern CGI standards.


THE BOND GIRL
Dr. Christmas Jones is one of the worst love interests of the series, having little to no agency and absolutely no chemistry with Bond. She serves more as eye-candy than as a scientist throughout the picture. Even her name seems to be written for a tasteless joke to cap off the film.


THE BOND VILLAIN
The first female primary antagonist of the series, Elektra is actually pretty complex. Abducted by Renard for ransom money before the events of the film, she developed Stockholm Syndrome and a deep hatred for her father and M as her father denied Renard payment following M's guidance. Her scheme to destroy Istanbul to disrupt the only oil pipeline that rivals hers is relatively small-time for a Bond villain but she is the first go after M directly.


FEATURED HENCHMAN
A bit more than a henchman, and more or less a red herring, Renard's most interesting trait is his inability to feel pain courtesy of 009's failed attempt to kill him, lodging a bullet in his Medulla Oblongata. His twisted relationship with Elektra adds a bit more color to his disturbing characterization. Otherwise, he's one of the most run-of-the-mill villains of the series, motivated more by his devotion to Elektra than any grand philosophy.


BEST GADGET
The inflatable ski jacket that saves Bond and Elektra from an avalanche may not be the flashiest gadget ever but it is the most practical zanny gadget of the film.


FLEMING FIDELITY
The title of the film is taken from the Bond family motto introduced in Ian Fleming's tenth James Bond novel On Her Majesty's Secret Service published in 1963.


FRAGMENTS
- The home video release of the film is dedicated to Desmond Llewelyn who passed away soon after the picture was released

- Maria Grazia Cucinotta originally auditioned for the part of Elektra King

- At the top of the end credits, the film advertises that "James Bond Will Return"

Tomorrow Never Dies

TOMORROW NEVER DIES
1997 | Dir. Roger Spottiswoode | 119 Minutes

"Great men have always manipulated the media to save the world. Look at William Randolph Hearst, who told his photographers, 'You provide the pictures, I'll provide the war.' I've just taken it one step further."

Media mogul Elliot Carver uses the technology and influence at his disposal to instigate war between the British and the Chinese. James Bond must team up with Chinese spy Wai Lin to expose Carver's plot and dispel tensions between their respective governments.

Tomorrow Never Dies is a fine action film with consistently thrilling set pieces and an inspired plot about the hidden agendas of unethical news media, exponentially heightened for entertainment value to be sure, but it never quite reaches the overall quality level of the classic James Bond pictures. Its presentation is more polished than its immediate predecessor, composer David Arnold delivers a film score that's on par with some of John Barry's best work, and Roger Spottiswoode does a fine job balancing action and sly humor. However, the film distractingly falters a bit at a few points, particularly when it comes to Bond's romantic escapes. The unnecessary forced drama between Bond and Carver's wife Paris falls flat - yet another former lover predictably disposed of to clumsily give Bond personal stakes in the mission. The loss of Paris hardly registers before Bond runs off with Wai Lin. The British and Chinese spies work incredibly well together as an action duo but there is virtually no romantic chemistry between the two. The underwater "kiss of life" and subsequent make out session at the end of the picture feel unearned.

The picture perhaps most memorably features a fun car chase in a parking garage with Bond remotely controlling a BMW decked out with all of the trademark 007 explosive gadgets with a cell phone. While the remote control BMW sequence is definitely amusing, the best action sequence is the chase through the streets, rooftops, and alley of Saigon as an attack helicopter pursues Bond and Wai Lin handcuffed to each other while driving a motorcycle. The film's only missed opportunity for even more exhilarating action is the inability of the filmmakers to organically capitalize on international action star Michelle Yeoh's considerable kung fu skills. The momentum of the film grinds to a halt for an awkwardly shot fight scene in a ramshackle bicycle shop after fantastic helicopter chase sequence.

Evidently completely comfortable in the role, Pierce Brosnan continues to exude natural charisma in his second film as James Bond. Michelle Yeoh is great as Wai Lin, absolutely believable as an attractive and ultra-capable Chinese spy, despite her lack of romantic chemistry with Brosnan. Though Elliot Carver may not be one of the most memorable Bond villains, Jonathan Pryce does a fine and convincing job as the megalomaniacal madman. As the jaded rather underwritten Paris Carver, Teri Hatcher is mostly fine giving a somewhat stock performance. Götz Otto plays the standard brawny henchman Richard Stamper without much panache, while character actor Vincent Schiavelli is much more intriguing in his one scene as torture expert Dr. Kaufman, and professional magician Ricky Jay just feels out of place as hacker Henry Gupta. Judi Dench and Samantha Bond return as M and Moneypenny, growing well into their respective parts, and Joe Don Baker appears again as the goofy CIA Agent Jack Wade. As fun as ever, Desmond Llewelyn makes his sixteenth appearance as Q. Colin Salmon makes his debut as M's Deputy Chief of Staff Charles Robinson.

Though it doesn't rank among the best films of the series, Tomorrow Never Dies is overall an entertaining and perfectly serviceable James Bond adventure. With great action and a good central villain with a rather contemporary diabolical scheme executed well, the picture is a solid entry in Pierce Brosnan's run as 007. Its clever premise becomes more plausible over time as media conglomerates continue to consolidate their power and flex their influence.


THE COLD OPEN
Not one of the best but having Bond disobey orders from an admiral to stand down, blowing up a black market weapons deal and preventing a nuclear disaster is a decent way to jump back into the world of 007.


THE THEME SONG AND OPENING TITLES
Definitely carrying the swagger of a classic Bond tune, Sheryl Crow's "Tomorrow Never Dies" is as slick and stylish as Daniel Kleinman's kinetic opening title sequence featuring various digitally rendered images of suggestive feminine figures. Arguably the better song, k.d lang's "Surrender" written by David Arnold, which plays over the end credits, its tune prominently featured in the film's score, was originally intended to be the film's theme song.


THE BOND GIRL
Wai Lin is among the best Bond movie love interests despite having almost zero sexual chemistry with Bond. She's tough, resourceful, absolutely skilled in combat and, of course, beautiful. It would have been more interesting, if less acceptable at the time, for her to depicted just as Bond's platonic equal with no romantic connotations.


THE BOND VILLAIN
Elliot Carver is a heightened version of Rupert Murdoch though somehow less cartoonishly villainous in hindsight. As deep-fake videos and fact-bending grow in prominence, Carver's scheme and methodology seem less implausible and relatively quainter if anything.


FEATURED HENCHMAN
Richard Stamper is standard muscle despite his alleged talent for torture. He's not all that memorable though he is one of the few henchman with the honor of outliving their boss if only be a few minutes.


BEST GADGET
For better or worse, the remote control BMW is one of the most memorable gadgets of the series. While it may objectively seem over-the-top, it sure is fun and is becoming more plausible as automobile technology continues to evolve.


FLEMING FIDELITY
Tomorrow Never Dies is the first James Bond film not be be inspired by or even named after existing source material.


FRAGMENTS
- The film is dedicated to the memory of series producer Albert R. Broccoli who passed away in 1996

- The original title of this film was Tomorrow Never Lies

- Anthony Hopkins was originally cast as Elliot Carver but left the film after three days because the production was chaotic, carrying on without a completed shooting script

- Monica Bellucci auditioned for the part of Paris Carver; she eventually appears in Spectre as Lucia Sciarra

- A young Gerard Butler, at the start of his film career, appears as a Royal Navy seaman

- At the bottom of the end credits, the film advertises that "James Bond Will Return"

MCU CONNECTIONS

- Michelle Yeoh (Aleta Ogord in Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 and Jiang Nan in Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings)

GoldenEye

GOLDENEYE
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"