This was Pierce Brosnan's first outing as Bond and is a real success. It managed to keep the quintessential Bond attributes yet brings the franchise bang up to date in the absence of the Cold War. Brosnan puts in a stellar performance as Bond and the supporting cast including the gritty Sean Bean as the double crossing villain and just the right amount comedy in Joe Don Baker as Jack Wade and Robbie Coltrane as Valentine Zukovsky. Nice nods to the past in the use of the Aston DB5 and mentions of M's predecessors. Even the soundtrack suits the film nicely. There is enough grit and spy content to please the Dalton fans and enough quips and craziness to please the Moore fans. Misses are few and far between - the product placement of the flaccid BMW 1.9 Z3 is poor - it so obviously Un-Bondlike that even the production crew realise and the below par motor barely features in the film at all. This aside, it's great Bond movie, one of the best infact and well worth a watch.
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morgrp-556-45385420 September 2021
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Nazi_Fighter_David4 November 2007Brosnan has the look, the style, the intelligence and the bravura that James Bond should have As charming, sophisticated, and always in control of the situation, Bond called upon all his ability for improvising escapes from truly impossible situations The new Bond drives a BMW, remains preferring his vodka martinis 'shaken but not stirred,' and uses a Walther PPK, 7.65mm The famous announcement "Bond, James Bond" is changed
The plot line of "Goldeneye" revolves around an international terrorist organization calling itself Janus that steels a top-secret Russian weapon system named GoldenEye and threatens to use it to destroy a major European city unless paid off
Bond's mission was to find and stop the GoldenEye, struggling with a sadistic assassin, a treacherous general, an 'invincible' computer hacker, and most dangerous of all, a colleague and friend
The opening scene is spectacular with a great bungee jump from a top of a dam to an exciting racing over a cliff in a motorcycle and skydiving into a crushing private plane Martin Campbell's film comes with a phenomenal tank chase through the streets of St. Petersburg; a brutal showdown in the jungle; and a battle to the death on a high gantry
Goldeneye's female characters are honestly beautiful with particular techniques The bad one is Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), an ex-Soviet fighter pilot who tranquilly smokes big cigars and knocks off her victims with her 'killer thighs.' In one scene, she challenges Bond's legendary Aston Martin DB5 to a wild road race outside Monte Carlo with her red Ferrari; in another she was so smart that she snatches a top-secret helicopter from under the noses of the French navy
The good Bond girl is the irresistible Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco) who 'tastes like strawberries.' Natalya possesses all the technical ability to neutralize Janus' scheme or to destroy all computer records with the GoldenEye As one who survived a mass murder, this lovely beauty is suddenly a marked woman
The other supporting actors are all fine:
Sean Bean plays a potentially fascinating bad character, the embittered and cynical traitor who was believed to have been killed on a mission Alec Trevelyan has sworn revenge on the country that was responsible for his parents' suicide
Alan Cumming plays the 'invincible' Boris Grishenko who sees crime as a chance to show off his skills; and Gottfried John, the renegade ambitious general who provides inside access to Russian military secrets
Award-winning Judi Dench is terrific as Bond's unshaken spy chief
Samantha Bond as MoneyPenny puts forward for consideration that Bond's behavior might be interpreted as sexual harassment
Serena Gordon as the neurotic MI6 assessor Caroline evaluates 007 for just 'trying to show off the size of his ego.'
One familiar face among the MI6 staff was that of the redoubtable Q, played once again by Desmond Llewelyn who introduces 007 to his latest chariot, the BMW Z3 Although convertible, this agile vehicle doesn't play a significant action role in the film Q doesn't forget to deliver Bond a typical leather belt, a watch that expels a laser beam, and a silver pen used to clever effect
The 17th Bond film takes us from Russia, Puerto Rico, Monaco and back to England It features one of the best title tunes performed by the "Queen of Rock & Roll," Tina Turner
For trivia buffs: Kate Gayson appears as an extra at the Chemin De Fer table at Monte Carlo's gambling casino; she's the daughter of Eunice Gayson, who played Bond's fetching girlfriend, Sylvia Trench in the first two Bond films, "Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love." It was to Sylvia Trench that Sean Connery uttered his first line of dialog, "I admire your luck, Mr. ...?" -
ma-cortes10 December 2005World security is in danger , ¨Janus¨ , a terrorist organization has robbed the ¨Goldeneye¨ , an ultra secret weapon system -a spy satellite- and menaced to use it for destroying a city if doesn't pay and to cause a sabotage on the global financial markets . MI6 -Judi Dench as M- assigns to James Bond the mission to retrieve it . Of course , there's the usual breathtaking opening scene developed in a chemist arms factory located in Siberia . There Bond and agent 006 Alec Trevelyan -Sean Bean- will have to confront against Russian military , but Alec is imprisoned by General Ourumov -Gottfried John- and at the end takes place a deadly confrontation .
The film has sensational and spectacularly difficult action set pieces , as the tank pursuit in the city of Saint Petesburg or the taking on the armored train . Action is well shot , , including a groundbreaking and impressive final confrontation developed in Janus headquarter , located in Island Cuba jungle . As always , it appears Q as gadget man who teaches Bond various tools as a bomb pencil that will have special importance posteriorly , besides a speed car -BMW- equipped with rockets launchers . As Bond girls are Famke Janssen as Xena in a sensationalistic and crazed interpretation as the orgasmic to whom all risk is a emotion . Thus , she steals a super-helicopter ¨Tiger¨ and facing off opponents .Izabella Scorupco as Natalya Simanova , a computer specialist , she is marvelous and enticing with a similar countenance to Ingrid Bergman . Plus , it appears unbilled Minnie Driver . Tina Turner sings stunningly the main title and atmospheric score by Eric Serra . The film was finely directed by Martin Campbell . Rating : good and entertaining . -
GOLDENEYE, the long-delayed debut of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, was a film mired in MGM's convoluted legal problems for six years, problems which had nothing to do with the 007 franchise, but which happened to fall at the worst possible time; after Timothy Dalton's 'Serious Bond' experiment, LICENCE TO KILL, failed to break even in U.S. markets. Despite international grosses that made the film a profitable venture, many American critics, long grumbling that the Bond series had outlasted it's welcome, heaped abuse on the newer, leaner direction for 'Bond', and it's taciturn, less light-hearted star...and, with MGM's decision to put the expensive series 'on hold' until their own legal and financial issues could be resolved, LICENCE TO KILL became the unfair 'scapegoat' for the delay.
Much happened during the six-year hiatus; with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Communist undercurrent of many Bond films (and the subject of most of Ian Fleming's novels) was lost; Richard Maibaum, the series' most prolific screenwriter, passed away, and ill health forced legendary producer Albert ('Cubby') Broccoli to turn over his duties to his daughter Barbara, and stepson, Michael G. Wilson (thus ending the other 'prime' 007 screenwriter's script contributions); many other key production figures would retire, die, or move on; and finally, as the delay continued, Timothy Dalton, nearing 50, announced that he was no longer interested in playing James Bond (sparking rumors that Eon Productions, no longer honor-bound by the senior Broccoli's choices, had given him 'the boot').
While all this opened the door for Pierce Brosnan's long-awaited debut as 007 (after his aborted first attempt, in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS), with a new 'look' and style for the franchise, whether audiences would even accept a new 'James Bond' adventure was in doubt.
Fortunately, everything 'worked'. Brosnan, now 42, was more ruggedly believable as 007 than he would have been, at 34, and Dame Judi Dench, as the first woman 'M' (referring to Bond as a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur"), proved a perfect successor to the late Bernard Lee. While the plot of the film, involving the master plan of a renegade Russian General (Gottfried John) and an assumed dead 006 (Sean Bean) to use an electronic warfare system (GoldenEye) against England was nothing new, Brosnan's daring-do and one-liners (with humor restored to the franchise), as he proved his value in the new world 'order', found an audience 'primed' for James Bond's return...and the welcome cameo of the series' last original 'regular', "Q" (Desmond Llewelyn, 81, and as cranky as ever), cemented 007's links to both the past and the future.
James Bond's greatest crisis, whether he still had 'Box Office', had been overcome, and with audience favorite Pierce Brosnan in place, his emergence into the 21st century was assured. -
barnabyrudge22 March 2006The James Bond franchise, in cinematic terms, began in 1962 with Dr No. There followed a Bond movie every couple of years or so (the longest gap between two 007 films was the three-year-hiatus separating The Man With The Golden Gun - 1974 - and The Spy Who Loved Me - 1977). Then, in 1989, with the release of Licence To Kill the series seemed to die. The box office returns of that film were disappointing; the then-Bond actor Timothy Dalton was axed; the film itself was presented in a grittier, more adult style than fans were accustomed to; and various legal wranglings put the Bond character into limbo. Six long years went by without a Bond movie and many insiders predicted an end for the British super-spy and his outrageous screen adventures. Too much time had gone by, they said, no-one was interested any longer in the character or the stories. But then Goldeneye came along, with Pierce Brosnan as Bond - it went on to become a commercial hit, propelling its star into the A-list and reinvigorating the entire series.
James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and his secret agent colleague Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) infiltrate a Russian military installation on a sabotage mission. During the mission, Alec is apparently killed by the enemy forces but Bond manages a miraculous escape. Several years later, a state-of-the-art helicopter is stolen from the West by some Russian spies and used to destroy a Siberian satellite station. When Bond investigates, he discovers to his surprise that the plot involves his old colleague Alec - who is very much alive, having faked his death in the earlier exchange. Trevelyan's plan is to get control of a powerful satellite called the Goldeneye and to use it to destroy a designated target on Earth - in this case, London. It emerges that his parents were Liensk Cossacks, brutally killed by the British when he was a boy, and he has long plotted a way to have his revenge. Bond teams up with a Russian computer programmer, Natalya Semyonova (Isabella Scorupco) and pursues Trevelyan around the globe in an effort to stop his sinister scheme. The trail leads to Cuba, where Trevelyan has a secret lair from which he is on the very brink of unleashing chaos upon the world.... unless 007 can find a way to thwart him.
Goldeneye begins with a truly outrageous stunt involving Bond freefalling in pursuit of an unpiloted, plummeting airplane. This dumb but enjoyable scene sets the tone for the rest of the film - very much a tongue-in-cheek, improbable, action-orientated romp. Brosnan is OK as Bond, though I still feel Sean Connery and Roger Moore were slightly better suited to the role. Tina Turner's powerful theme song is very good, but the incidental scoring by Eric Serra has a tinny, tacky feel to it that makes one long for John Barry! As the bad guy, Sean Bean is effective enough even if he never quite matches the memorableness of the all-time great Bond villains (eg Dr No, Oddjob, Blofeld, Francisco Scaramanga). The Bond girls are very good in this one - Scorupco plays a pleasingly resourceful character, while Famke Janssen has great fun as a female baddie who crushes victims between her thighs. Goldeneye is by no means the best of the Bond series, but one has to be thankful to it for getting the dormant series up and running once more. And, in its pacy, breakneck way, it is undeniably a lot of fun. -
ivo-cobra830 October 2017GoldenEye (1995) is my number 1 personal favorite movie of all time! James Bond 007 action film the best one that was ever made. In my opinion it is the best one I love this movie to death! I grew up watching it as a child and Pierce Brosnan is my number 1 favorite James Bond. GoldenEye is the first film to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 officer James Bond. The film was directed by Martin Campbell and is the first in the series not to take story elements from the works of novelist Ian Fleming.
I'm a hard-core James Bond fan. I make no apologies for believing that Pierce Brosnan is the closest thing we've seen to IAN FLEMING's James Bond. The reason because it is my favorite it is because I feel it is just action, action , action and more action. I never feel bored with it, or it is too over long like some Bond movies are it is fast paced, entertaining and hard core action. The plot is simply and the story never get's bored. It is a beautiful movie, with beautiful direction from Martin Campbell. The stunts are completely insane in scale in this movie and really dangerous.
Music score is by Éric Serra, the title song is GoldenEye performed by Tina Turner. GoldenEye was released in 1995 after a six-year hiatus in the series caused by legal disputes, during which Timothy Dalton resigned from the role of James Bond and was replaced by Pierce Brosnan. M was also recast, with actress Judi Dench becoming the first woman to portray the character, replacing Robert Brown. The role of Miss Moneypenny was also recast, with Caroline Bliss being replaced by Samantha Bond: Desmond Llewelyn was the only actor to reprise his role, as Q. GoldenEye was the first Bond film made after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the end of the Cold War, which provided a background for the plot.
Style and sophistication are in abundance - - "The name's Bond. James Bond."
Goldeneye's female characters are honestly beautiful with particular techniques. The bad one is Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), an ex-Soviet fighter pilot who tranquilly smokes big cigars and knocks off her victims with her 'killer thighs.' In one scene, she challenges Bond's legendary Aston Martin DB5 to a wild road race outside Monte Carlo with her red Ferrari: in another she was so smart that she snatches a top-secret helicopter from under the noses of the French navy.
Izabella Scorupco is a great and the finest Bond girl, the irresistible Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco) who 'tastes like strawberries.' Natalya possesses all the technical ability to neutralize Janus' scheme or to destroy all computer records with the GoldenEye As one who survived a mass murder, this lovely beauty is suddenly a marked woman.
James Bond investigates the theft of the control disk for the GoldenEye satellite. His investigation leads to an organization of arms dealers Janus and the reappearance of someone from Bond's past. James Bond must deal with betrayal of his old friend Alec Trevelyan (006) gone rogue, from using a satellite GoldenEye against London to cause a global financial meltdown
Why I also love this movie to death beside the action is because of the great villains who created evil characters. Such as: Sean Bean as Alec Trevelyan (006), Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp: A Georgian lust murderer, Gottfried John as General Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov and Alan Cumming as Boris Grishenko: A computer programmer.
It was filmed in beautiful locations in Puerto Rico, Russia, England, UK and in the France.
The movie has a lot of insane hard-core action (I counted TEN all-star ones during my last viewing), The stunts are completely insane in scale (bungee jumping in - Arkangel Chemical Weapons Facility a stunt man performed that stunt in the opening scene.) Bond with a motorcycle jumps on a plane and catches it. Bond drives a tank in Russia for the first time and he demolishes even police cars that was excellent scene. Bond a stuntman jumps out of the window in Russia. Alec Trevelyan's train depot - exploding train. The epic climatic fight on the end of the movie between Bond and Trevelyan in his secret Goldeneye satellite control dish in Cuba in which Bond drops Trevelyan out of dish beautiful and really crazy stunt performance.
I love the soundtracks in this movie: Goldeneye by Tina Turner and The Experience of Love by Éric Serra. I just love everything about this movie from the actions, to the heroes, to the villains from acting everything abut this movie I just love so much.
GoldenEye (1995) is the seventeenth spy film in the James Bond series to be produced by Eon Productions, and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as the fictional MI6 officer James Bond. The film was directed by Martin Campbell and is the first in the series not to take story elements from the works of novelist Ian Fleming.
10/10 my favorite James Bond number 1 movie. This film is amazing Totally mind-blowing I love it. -
This film is the best of the classic James Bond films, i.e. those before the Daniel Craig reboot. It hits the right tone where it is not too serious but also not too silly either. The pacing is exciting and Pierce Brosnan is classy as always.
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Pietka-21 November 1999This is by far one of the best Bond films simply because it does not try to be a Bond film. GoldenEye demonstrates an impressive independence that separates it from the tried-and-true-but-getting-boring Bond formula. The one liners are not that great, but the action sequences are mindblowing. The chase scene is the best I have ever seen in any movie. Period. Purists will complain that there is a lack of gadgetry, but let them pout and go back to MacGyver reruns. Possibility is not permissibility. Just because Bond has a snazzy car does not mean that he has to utilize every perk that Q has included. It is a relief that the writers did not force a new scene just to show off the car. The movie does not need one, which helps it to maintain its quality as not just a Bond movie, but a high quality action movie that can stand on its own. You will even find (gasp!) . . . character building! There is actually dialogue between Q and Bond, instead of just a briefing and some commands. Brosnan more than holds his own against past Bonds, and offers some of that GQ gentlemen element found missing in some of the past ones. Bond fan, action fan, any fan, check this one out. I even made my girlfriend watch it, and even she enjoyed it. Chances are you will too.
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Fella_shibby9 May 2021I first saw this in the late 90s on cable tv.
Revisited it recently.
This is the seventeenth in the Bond series and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.
I didn't like Pierce Brosnan as Bond, i didn't enjoy the movie, the pre credit sequence is a big wtf n the climactic scene ain't that action filled too.
In the film, Bond attempts to prevent Xenia Onatopp, a member of the Janus crime syndicate, from stealing a Eurocopter Tiger attack helicopter during a military demonstration in Monte Carlo, but fails.
Later Bond fights to prevent a man with a grudge (no name for suspense's sake) from using a satellite weapon against London to cause a global financial meltdown.
This time Bond faces his childhood friend (naming wud spoil the suspense).
Bond also faces Xenia Onatopp, General Ourumov n lots of soldiers n henchmen.
Bond gets to cool off with Samantha Bond, Serena Gordon n Izabella Scorupco.
I wouldn't count the femme fatale Famke Janssen as she never gave Bond any enjoyment.
The movie has Minnie Driver in a tiny role. -
kinky_chris_2001uk11 March 2005After a 6 year hiatus the producers needed to make this film good enough to bring Bond back to the forefront, and in comparison to the films that followed, I believe this to be the best. Without a cold war to fuel plot lines, the story is able to step into new territories, with many great plot elements. Pierce Brosnan portrays Bond amazingly well in my opinion, and ties all the classic 007 elements together flawlessly. Although adhering to the Bond foundations, this film has a great, fresh feel to it, I think partly due to the industrial style score by Eric Serra. I think you need to see this film more than once to fully appreciate it, but it is definitely a classic!
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f-conklin11 February 2012Bond is back and better than ever. OK, he may not be better than ever but he's better than he's been in some time. GoldenEye has a great opening scene that is more entertaining than most entire movies. It involves bungee jumping, guns, motorcycles, planes, and nerve gas among other things. Pierce Brosnan's first effort as Bond is a remarkable one. The movie has good acting, good action, and humor. It's great escapism from start to finish. The women are beautiful and Famke Jannsen and Sean Bean play their roles well. GoldenEye also boasts one of the best finales of the series in which Bond must take on the villain atop a gigantic satellite dish. As stated earlier, Brosnan is terrific as Bond. He's suave, witty, charming, looks good in a suit, and has a capacity for action. In conclusion, this is a thrilling Bond from start to finish and should not be missed. Out of 4 stars - 3.5
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bombersflyup25 September 2020GoldenEye is entertainment, not as classy as some of those before, but among the very best in the series.
Perhaps the greatest portrayal of the lead character, with Brosnan and certainly the best opening sequence. There's no way he could make it, heh. The first half much better than the second, they all seem to go on and on though. The Bond girl Scorupco, one of the weakest. However Janssen makes up for it, taking the whole Grace Jones villainess role to another level. Bean an excellent counterpart as well. The secondary characters all decent, could do without Dench though. The song by Tina Turner, outstanding.
Alec: For England, James? Bond: No. For me! -
Perhaps the best part of this 130-minute film is the first 10.5 minutes. It's so spectacular that the rest of the film almost becomes a letdown.
When I first saw this 10 years ago, I thought that opening action scene, capped by the most outrageous stunt I had seen to that point in film - Bond falling off a cliff and catching up in mid-flight to a falling airplane, landing in the cockpit and righting the plane - was, of course, ridiculous but great fun to watch.
The rest of the film is more typical Bond silliness with far less spectacular scenes. When it comes to gadgets, sexual innuendos, unrealistic action with Bond escaping from impossible situations, lots of pretty women and exotic scenery to ogle, these James Bond films always give plenty of the above. Sad to say, in this film, the dialog is much dumber than usual and the fake Russian accents are hard to decipher which is very annoying.
One good point: there is almost no profanity in this film, even minor stuff....but overall, it's just a "fair" Bond flick. decent but nothing to write home about, except to note that it was Pierce Brosnan's debut as Bond and he is fine in that role. -
lawrence-1428 November 1999Pierce Brosnan is outstanding as 007 in GOLDENEYE, but the film lacks the spirit of Timothy Dalton's two cracking adventures, THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS and LICENCE TO KILL. This film, alone, earned twice as much as those two and in a way it's sad because it shows that people are coming to watch Bond films that now concentrate on action, modern technology etc, than those which have these elements but still have a lot more in them. Timothy Dalton should return.
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jbrolly25 November 1999Bond is back and better than ever. OK, he may not be better than ever but he's better than he's been in some time. GoldenEye has a great opening scene that is more entertaining than most entire movies. It involves bungee jumping, guns, motorcycles, planes, and nerve gas among other things. Pierce Brosnan's first effort as Bond is a remarkable one. The movie has good acting, good action, and humor. It's great escapism from start to finish. The women are beautiful and Famke Jannsen and Sean Bean play their roles well. GoldenEye also boasts one of the best finales of the series in which Bond must take on the villain atop a gigantic satellite dish. As stated earlier, Brosnan is terrific as Bond. He's suave, witty, charming, looks good in a suit, and has a capacity for action. In conclusion, this is a thrilling Bond from start to finish and should not be missed. Out of 4 stars - 3.5
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bkoganbing30 August 2009GoldenEye marked the debut finally of Pierce Brosnan as 007. Brosnan who wanted the part, but couldn't do it back in the Eighties because he was committed to Remington Steele finally got to play the part that his fans said he was born for. After GoldenEye it was more than just Pierce Brosnan fans saying it.
The title refers to a Russian satellite with nuclear capabilities that any number of folks would like to get their hands on. The ones who do are the Russian Mafia, in league with a traitorous Russian general played by Gottfried John.
Some others that James Bond has to face here are Russian pilot Famke Janssen a girl dedicated to her mission who resists Bondification and a traitor within the ranks of the British MI5 itself. Not the least of Bond's problems are a new "M" in the person of Judy Dench who also resists Bondification.
Another milestone and a tribute to new relations with Russia is the filming of large portions of the story in St. Petersburg and I'm not talking about the Florida retirement city. It's hardly a first, the film Gorky Park with William Hurt and Lee Marvin was shot in Moscow during the Eighties while a thawing Soviet Union was still in control.
Izabella Scorupco plays a Russian computer programmer who embraces Bondification gladly as she aids 007 in his efforts. She is the only survivor of a massacre at a Russian tracking station instituted by the Russian Mafia and the traitorous general.
My favorite in the film however is another Russian traitor, Alan Cummming playing a nerd Russian computer programmer who defects to the bad guys. He steals every scene he's in.
Brosnan acquits himself well after the most popular of Bonds, Sean Connery and Roger Moore have passed from the scene. He would do three more films and unlike Connery was able to do other roles and well and still be accepted for them as well.
Still Brosnan's 007 does have the style needed to carry off the part and carry it off he does. -
TimBoHannon13 August 2004Much had changed for James Bond since Sean Connery first took the role in 1962. The series had taken a turn for the worse in the seventies, when five films were made but zero good ones were. Still, the public was willing to grant Bond limitless amnesty that decade, even as his escapades grew less and less exciting and more and more campy with each new film. The 70s came and went, ushering in the 80s, which kicked off well with 1981's "For Your Eyes Only." However, it went all downhill from there as the public finally stopped tolerating the bad movies and his popularity tanked in favor of superior competition. Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger became mega stars during that time, and the emergence Indiana Jones was making Bond look dull and decrepit by comparison. Tim Burton's summer sweep of the cinemas with "Batman" in 1989 exacerbated Bond's woes, and when legal disputes arose between the production company and the studio shortly thereafter, it appeared that Bond had finally died his horrible but well deserved death.
When the legal issues were finally put to rest in 1994, it was announced that another Bond film was going to be made, but not with erstwhile incumbent Timothy Dalton. Pierce Brosnan was given the role after being forced to reject it in the late eighties, and production began. The success of the film was crucial. If it lacked spark or came across as campy, it was likely that Bond would be finished forever. With the stakes in mind, the Broccoli family (the Bond producers) hired an all-new creative team and set to work re-establishing 007 in a new era.
I knew none of that when I first saw the film in 1999. It was my introduction to the world of James Bond, and was a truly an exceptional first handshake. Knowing what I know now, and seeing the Bond films I have seen now, I still find it as worthwhile as I did then, and I am forever thankful that it was made well enough to not only resuscitate Bond, but propel him into the nineties with the momentum of a blazing fastball.
The film opens in the eighties, ironically, with a scene depicting the Bond and Agent 006, real name Alec Trevelyan, being detected inside a Soviet chemical weapons factory. This section also introduces the character of Ourumov (Gottfried John), who murders Alec seemingly on a whim.
Nine years later, Bond meets an appealing young lady (Famke Janssen) while driving...make that playfully racing, near Monte Carlo. Suspicious, he follows her to a nearby casino where he finds out that her name is Xenia Onatopp and she carries ties to the Janus crime syndicate in St. Petersburg. He chases Xenia when he suspects an imminent crime, but is not in time to avert her theft of the Tiger--a helicopter that is hardened to all forms of electronic interference.
Back at MI-6 headquarters, the Tiger is spotted via satellite at Russian satellite control facility, and it soon becomes obvious that the copter is merely part of a grander scheme to steal a scary satellite weapon called GoldenEye. What it does can be described with words, but not with as much clarity as seeing it in the movie (there are lapses in the visuals here, but the sight is so impressive that they hardly matter). Bond then departs for St. Petersburg to find the Janus head man (Sean Bean) and stop him from using GoldenEye on a more vulnerable target. Much mystery surrounds the identity of Janus, but it is in the trailer and I suspect most people know it by now.
There are several reasons that "GoldenEye" is the best Bond film made in many, many years. The first is the tone, which has ushered out all of the giddy goofiness of Roger Moore's films and assumed one reminiscent of the earliest Bond films. The sets, the camera work and the dialogue all come across as subtle, subconscious reminders of why Bond became so beloved to begin with.
I always felt there were two major problems with the Bonds of the seventies and eighties. The first is the inane tone (exception: "For Your Eyes Only,"), a point I am driving into the ground. With the same exception, they also featured uniformly unexciting (read it: bad) action plus horrendous acting. There are light moments in "GoldenEye," as there should be, but the correct tone is never compromised.
The only problem is that there is a little too much padding in the middle. The story is well told, although there is a meeting with Bond and Valentin Zukovsky (reprised by Robbie Coltrane in "The World is Not Enough") that has no significance to the advancement of the story. It is unnecessary and causes the film to drag some. After Bond meets Janus, though, prepare for the film to take off, as there will be little rest from there on out.
Just like in the early Bonds, the acting transcends the genre. Pierce Brosnan is the clear focal point, and is mostly successful. He seems too reserved at times, as if he is a little timid at acting his best for fear it might look bad. He does not lack charm, though, because there is something about Pierce that makes him the ultimate ladies man on screen and off.
More successful is Sean Bean as James's opponent. Bean brings cold, subtle intensity to the role that shows off the acting skills that got him cast in "The Fellowship of the Ring." General Ourumov, who is in bed with Janus, provides a second bad guy. Gottfried John portrays him as a demonstrative brute, and his style provides a fine foil to Bean's controlled anger. Alan Cumming plays an evil computer nerd who provides most the light moments I referred to earlier. Fellow X-Man Famke Janssen's character is downright demented, and will not be forgotten easily.
My friends, I have just explained why "GoldenEye" is a most superior Bond film that brought Agent 007 back from the dead and won over a new generation of fans. The best way I can think of to conclude this review is to comment on the film's conclusion. At one point it involves a brawl between Bond and Janus (who is referred to by his real name by that time) that buries just about every other one in the series. While it does quite not take the gold from the fistfight that opens "Thunderball," is does serve as a final reminder that Bond is indeed back, and that he is once again a force best not ignored. -
We journey on the further adventures of the sexist, misogynist, dinosaur James Bond in a film that features my favorite Bond, Pierce Brosnan. Purists will be upset at the music, especially the opening credits, as they abandon the traditional Bond music for a music video style, this time featuring Tina Turner singing music by Bono and The Edge.
The lovely Famke Janssen (The X-Men series, House on Haunted Hill) as Xenia Onatopp (Oh, those names!) provide more than sexual excitement as she and Brosnan engage in a super fight scene that alone is worth seeing the movie for.
Of course, it is hard to pry our eyes from Izabella Scorupco to watch it, but we try.
Support is provided by Alan Cumming (The Nightcrawler), Sean Bean (Boromir), and Minnie Driver, who gives us a great rendition of Tammy Wynette's Stand By Your Man. -
questl-1859224 December 2020This movie fully deserves it's status as a classic in the action/thriller/spy/drama category. It's so much fun, well written, solid dialogue and yet it finds that sweet spot with just the right amount of classic Bond ridiculousness. Famke Jensenn playing Onatopp, a soviet assassin who kills men by riding them to death in bed? Yup, sounds like a Bond movie. Judi Dench absolutely kills it as M, I love the gravitas and complexity she brings to the role. Even back in 1995 calling out Bond, what some would consider to be the fictional epitome of toxic masculinity and chauvinism, and saying he's a dinosaur and that she has no problem sending him off to die if she has to. Love her so much in this. As for Bond himself, this may be because I grew up in this period but I have always loved Brosnan in the role. Yes, the later films get exponentially more absurd and the quality absolutely goes down but he is so perfectly cast as the suave, charming and devilish-at-times international man of mystery. That man wears the hell out of those suits, drinks a martini with the best of them and looks just right in that Aston Martin.
Definite recommend for people interested in a solid action flick. The plot is a little crazy, but that was perfectly in line with when it was made and the style of film it's going for. Easily worth a rent. -
classicsoncall14 January 2019I don't know if there's a poll concerning the most insane stunts that ever appeared in a Bond film, but the one that opens this picture has to rank right up there. Who in their right mind would ever think it's a good idea to plunge off a cliff in an arcing free fall to catch up to a pilot-less airplane, in order to escape the bad guys? No trepidation at all, Pierce Brosnan makes an impressive debut as James Bond and that opening sequence is one that's hard to forget.
I have to say, actor Sean Bean in the role of Alec Trevelyan/Agent 006 had me contemplating whether he might have made a good Bond actor as well. He looked the part and matched Brosnan pretty well in appearance and stature. Of course he went to the other sider in this story, so that greatly reduced his chances. I got a kick out of Famke Janssen's character, Xenia Zaragevna Onatopp. (How is it all these Russian characters have three names?) It would be another five years before she would appear in a super-hero flick, but it looked like she might have been auditioning for a role in the "X-Men" here. It was a very physical performance, even if her method of dealing death was somewhat exaggerated.
The GoldenEye of the title turns out to be the name of a Russian space based weapons program, which eventually leads Bond to the Soviet city of St. Petersburg, where he manages to commandeer a Russian tank and run rough shod through the city. You have to wonder why Western/Soviet relations aren't left worse off after one of these excursions, but it's all in the name of stopping the bad guys before taking the world hostage.
With this viewing, I've now completed watching all the James Bond films. I tried to see them in order of release but sometimes availability worked against me. If you take a look at their favorability ranking here on IMDb, the top two in order are "Casino Royale" and "Skyfall", with "GoldenEye coming in a respectable sixth place as I write this. So it was an auspicious debut for Pierce Brosnan, who's remining Bond appearances didn't fare as well, with all three of his remaining pictures showing up at the bottom of the list. (#20 "Tomorrow Never Dies"; #21 "The World Is Not Enough", #25 "Die Another Day"). But on the flip side, and I know it's a matter of personal preference, I think Brosnan made for the most appealing Bond overall. -
Kingslaay7 February 2021Pierce Brosnan's first outing as the iconic spy was a good one. Goldeneye hit the mark with a great story, a progressive M, Bond girl and soundtrack. Pierce makes the role his own and nicely takes on the mantle of 007. Viewers can embrace a new and modern Bond for the 90s. Goldeneye is a special film for me as it was the first 007 film I watched with my parents and it hit the bullseye for me. I was captivated by this great story from start to finish. Decent film and Pierce's best Bond film.
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CuriosityKilledShawn8 December 2012A lot people would claim that the Daniel Craig era Bond movies are the most hyped, especially Casino Royale and Skyfall, but back in November 1995, as a 15-year-old, I felt more hype and anticipation building around the release of GoldenEye. It was the first Bond movie in 6 years, the longest gap in the series, after audiences were turned off by the dark, angry License to Kill (still my favorite Bond movie). The old crew was gone, and a new star, M, Moneypenny, headquarters, and director were brought on board.
While many of the people in the cinema that Saturday evening were thrilled by GoldenEye, I wasn't so smitten. After a summer of Die Hard 3, Waterworld, and Under Siege 2 the poor effects and model-work of this Bond movie failed to impress. But not only that, the script is also poor, the villain is weak, and there are grating contrivances. 17 years on, the mid-90s tech on show and exposition that a 5-year-old could now follow date the film badly.
It begins in 1986 with 007 and 006 (an unconvincing Sean Bean, then 35, playing a 50-year-old for the most part) infiltrating a Russian base. Mr. Bean doesn't make it. Nine years later Bond is on leave, with a psychiatrist evaluating if he's still fit for the job. Meanwhile the Ruskie General he crossed years earlier is now in cahoots with Mr. Bean (you didn't really think they'd hire an actor of that caliber to be killed in the first scene did you?) and plans to rob the Bank of England and reset the balance with the help of a special satellite. You see 006 is actually a Cossack descended from blah...blah...blah. Yeah, that's the villain's motivation.
The harsh, realistic tone of LTK is gone. The annoying fantasy of Moore-era 007 is back. Why the producers thought this was the way to go is beyond me. Thankfully, Tomorrow Never Dies was better. But GoldenEye is quite overrated and I can't find any justification for its popularity. -
one9eighty3 September 2020Bond 17 welcomes Pierce Brosnan as the tuxedo wearing MI6 secret agent. Besides Brosnan, a lot has changed since the last outing for Bond in the film franchise, and this film sees an almost re-birth of the franchise for the 1990's
Released in 1995 this film was directed by Martin Campbell, who would later go on to direct Daniel Craig in "Casino Royal" too. Campbell replaced John Glen who worked on 5 Bond films and reinvigorated the franchise during the 80's. Michael France steps in as writer replacing Richard Maibaum (who worked on 14 Bond films) and Michael G. Wilson (who stepped into a Production role), with Jeffrey Caine and Bruce Feirstein writing the screenplay. Ian Fleming of course is the mastermind behind the main characters in this, although the story is not based on any of his books - which is the first time that a completely original version of Bond has hit the screen. Eric Serra steps up into music department which John Barry previously monopolised. While some of Barry's original scoring is present still, Serra brings an updated score to a fresh new generation of Bond. The theme song to accompany the open credits was "Goldeneye" which was sung by Tina Turner. Previously the production team for the film would work with the musical artists so that themes of the film were incorporated into the song, but not this time. This time the song was written by Bono and The Edge from the band U2. Also, noteworthy, Albert R. Broccoli took a step away due to ill health and was mainly a consultant, his daughter Barbara took up his production role with his stepson Michael G. Wilson. Unfortunately, Albert would die 7 months after the release of this film. Running at 130 minutes this film had a budget of $60 million and grossed a whopping $352 million - which makes Bond's relaunch a massive success.
The most obvious refresh is in the title character, Pierce Brosnan replaces Timothy Dalton. Dalton was due to come back, but due to legal wrangling this production of this film did not start for 4-5 years, by which time Dalton's contract had expired. He initially agreed he would come back for a single film, but Broccoli wanted him to sign on for 4-6 films which Dalton did not want to do. So rather than renewing Dalton at all, Broccoli turned to Irishman Pierce Brosnan. Brosnan had been considered for the role prior to Dalton, but he was committed to an NBC contract to play "Remmington Steele". The writers did adapt the version of Bond for Brosnan as best as they could, but the fact of the matter remains, the film was written with Dalton in mind for the title role, which is why there is still a darkness to the character. It's amusing to look back at other people considered for the role, the studio considered Mel Gibson (they considered him before choosing Dalton in the 80's too), Hugh Grant, Liam Neeson and even Paul McGann were considered. In his role, Brosnan is brilliant, he manages to combine the approach other Bond actors gave; he manages to be as dark as Dalton, as witty and charming as Moore, and as direct and professional as Connery (sorry Lazenby, you didn't get a mention because in one film you didn't manage to stamp your mark on the franchise). Not only does he manage to combine other Bond performances, but he also manages to put his own classy stamp on the film, he is cool, stylish, and savvy. His Bond is every part an action hero but dressed down in comfortable clothes.
As well as Bond being recast, some of the regular reoccurring characters were recast too. Judi Dench replaces Robert Brown as Bond's MI6 boss "M". This was a bold move but was not the first time a female boss was considered. When Lois Maxwell was about to step away from playing Miss Moneypenny she suggested a female "M" which was actually considered, but the eventual decision was that the world wasn't ready yet. In the 1990's the world was a little more ready for a female boss, but regardless of is it was ready or not, Judi Dench absolutely commanded the role and stole the attention when she was in frame. Miss Moneypenny was recast with Caroline Bliss being replaced by Samantha Bond. She does not appear for a long time, but she is witty and charming for her time on screen. The only actor from the reoccurring characters to survive the refresh was Desmond Llewelyn as Q. There are some new reoccurring characters that are introduced here, which I can mention with the benefit of hindsight. Joe Don Baker is CIA operative Jack Wade, replacing the Felix Leiter character that came before him. The character is portrayed as a bumbling loud, chubby American which is in complete contrast to the mannerisms of Bond. Choosing this stereotype of a character seems like it's very tongue in cheek, but because Wade doesn't get a lot of screen time it works well. Robbie Coltrane's Valentin Zukovsky is also a character that you will see again in the next Bond film. Coltrane's portray is decent but not absolutely necessary. It feels like he is shoehorned in for a little bit of comedic relief - which is further backed up by his on-screen girlfriend (played by Minnie Driver) and her terrible singing.
There are three main villains in this film, General Ourumov (Gottfried John), Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen) and Alec Treveluyan (Sean Bean). All three of which give varying but great performances that are different from other villains that Bond has faced before. Ourumov is the maniacal Russian general with a hidden agenda, he is menacing and dangerous. Onatopp is a very over the top henchwoman but she is unmistakably a powerful female in a Bond film who poses as much as threat as 007. Famke Janssen does well in the role and brings to life a performance which I feel could have been a lot cheesier. Sean Bean sits at the top of the bad guy pyramid and he is great. The character is supposed to the decedent of Lienz Cossacks, who worked with MI6 for a long time to cover up his plot for revenge. He does great to play a charming character that is extremely dangerous. I am not too keen on Bean's quintessential English accent in this film, I prefer it when he's true to his Yorkshire roots, but ignoring his accent his performance is very strong. Sean Bean's role could have been played by Alan Rickman or Anthony Hopkins but they turned it down. Hopkins would again be approached for a role in "Tomorrow Never Dies" only to turn it down again then. The use of a former MI6 agent as the lead protagonist in the film was a change from using archetypal bad guys such as Nazi's, drug lords, or mad scientists. This was partly down to the changing times of the era. Worldwide politics had changed dramatically since "License to Kill", this was actually the first Bond film after the dissolution of the Soviet Union and after the end of the Cold War; the Berlin wall in Germany had also come down too. The new bad guys were the ones sat at the end of a computer who had the power to bring down nations with the press of a keyboard button. It was important that Bond changed with the times and it did that by having Alan Cumming's Boris character as the computer whizz, controlled by the former intelligence agent that Sean Bean portrayed.
Izabella Scorupco as Natalya is the typical Bond girl of the film, but with her computer knowledge she is more than just eye-candy. At different times she allows the plot to continue advancing with the information and solutions she puts in front of Bond. It is fair to say without this character the film would not advance the way it does. Scorupco does a lovely job in the role demonstrates a wide range of emotions that she puts on plate for the audience to empathise with her. Alan Cumming is her technical counterpart then nemesis in the role. I found this character to be slightly annoying at times but again he is integral to the plot. The fact that I considered the character to be annoying is testament to Cumming's performance, if he invokes emotion then he has done well.
So, there were a lot of firsts in the film, more firsts came in the studio used. This was the inaugural film to be shot at Leavesden Studios. It was also the first Bond film to use CGI too. Add to that the casting changes and the production team changes, and you have a Bond film that on the surface may look familiar, but the parts are all new. Like a classic car that has had a new engine added, an approach that seemed to work as audiences loved this Bond film and it won plenty of plaudits and awards. The name Goldeneye comes from a manoeuvre that Ian Fleming took part in while with the Naval Intelligence Division, it is also the name of his estate in Jamaica.
All in all, I really enjoyed the film. I consider it to be a fantastic rebirth of the franchise and all the players from cast and the production team do a great job. Its family friendly enough that kids or grandparents can watch it without being upset or offended, but it is equally able to be a grown-up film with lots of action and intelligence in it too. The film is everything that you would expect or want from a Bond film and with Brosnan able to combine all the other Bond performances in his portrayal in this film, it should make fans new and old happy. I am happy to recommend this film and I am certain you'll have fun watching it too.
In terms of Bond films this is a 9 out of 10.
In terms of movies in the long and illustrious history of film I would give this a 8 out of 10. -
gavin694227 June 2017James Bond teams up with the lone survivor of a destroyed Russian research center to stop the hijacking of a nuclear space weapon by a fellow agent formerly believed to be dead.
This film brings James Bond into the post-Soviet era, so the old balance of power is not quite the same. But, in many ways, it has not changed at all, and the Russians are still key adversaries. It's complicated.
Brosnan is a good Bond. I didn't grow up watching the series, but if I did he would have been my generation's Bond. And, frankly, he's pretty good. Maybe not as iconic as Connery or Moore, but it's hard to step into the shoes of giants. With ll due respect to Daniel Craig, I think Brosnan was (as of 2017) the last great Bond. -
Idocamstuf25 April 2003What did I even bother with this, I'll never know, because it sucked!! I dont know why so many people liked this film, maybe because we had not seen a Bond film in almost 7 years. I found this movie to be all style and no substance, like most action films these days. The only thing that kept me from falling asleep was the beautiful Famke Janseen, who made the movie almost watchable. I dont know, I guess I just dont enjoy 90's action movies. ** out of *****.