007 GoldenEye Review

Rated PG-13 (A Number of Sequences of Action/Violence, and for Some Sexuality)

Running Time: 2 Hours & 10 Minutes

Cast-

Pierce Brosnan-007, James Bond

Sean Bean-006, Alec Trevelyan

Izabella Scorupco-Natalya Simonova

Famke Janssen-Xenia Onatopp

Judi Dench-M

Desmond Llewelyn-Q

Joe Don Baker-Jack Wade

Gottfried John-General Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov

Alan Cumming-Boris Grishenko

Robbie Coltrane-Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky

Tchéky Karyo-Defense Minister Dmitri Mishkin

Samantha Bond- Miss Jane Moneypenny

Michael Kitchen-Bill Tanner

Directed by Martin Campbell

"She always did enjoy a good squeeze."

With MGM finally emerging from bankruptcy in late December, 2010, pre-production has finally resumed on “Bond 23,” set to be released on November 9, 2012 with Daniel Craig returning as 007, James Bond. As a way to celebrate, I decided to take look back on the Pierce Brosnan era, starting with his first appearance as Bond in 1995’s “GoldenEye,” the film that introduced me to Ian Fleming’s titular spy. The James Bond franchise has remained as one of the few longest continually running film series in cinema history, having been in constant production for the most part since 1962 with a total of twenty-two films released; the last one was 2008’s “Quantum of Solace.” The sixteenth Bond film, 1989’s “License to Kill”—and the last to star Timothy Dalton—flopped at the domestic box office with only $35 million, barely covering its $32 million production budget, though it did better overseas with an additional $122 million. Although it received generally positive reviews, moviegoers were turned off by the darker, more realistic tone and perhaps it was just too soon to go this route until the series was rebooted with “Casino Royale” in 2006. While Dalton was set to return for a third film, he quit the role in 1994 due to the ongoing legal dispute between MGM/UA, which was sold to Australian broadcasting group Quintex, and Danjaq, the Swiss-based parent company of EON Productions. Pierce Brosnan was cast to replace Dalton and the media made a huge fuss, proclaiming that he was ‘born to be Bond.’ Six years after “Bond 16,” production finally began on the seventeenth film and it modernized the character in the wake of the Cold War. The changes largely proved cosmetic as the formula remained unchanged but “GoldenEye” was still an excellent revitalization of an aging franchise thanks to Martin Campbell’s confident direction, and Brosnan’s suave and charismatic performance.

In 1985, MI6 agents 006, Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) and 007, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) infiltrate a Soviet chemical weapons facility at Arkhangelsk. During their attempt to destroy the base, Alec is captured and shot dead by Colonel Arkady Ourumov (Gottfried John) but Bond manages to steal an airplane and escape. Nine years later, Bond is following Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), a suspected member of the Janus crime syndicate. Onatopp is working with Ourumov, now a General, and together they steal a prototype helicopter that is immune to electromagnetic pulses. They fly to a bunker in Severnaya, where they massacre the staff and steal the control disc to a dual satellite weapons system dubbed ‘GoldenEye,’ which detonates a nuclear weapon in orbit and the resulting EMP knocks out all electronic devices on the ground. One is activated to destroy the complex but unbeknownst to them, a lone survivor, Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), manages to escape. M (Judi Dench) sends Bond to investigate, who discovers that the head of Janus is an old friend, seemingly back from the dead.

For the most part, the plot of “GoldenEye” is standard Bond fare but Campbell sure does a great job in making it all seem fresh and exciting at the time of its release. The character itself was so closely associated with the Cold War that critics felt that it was better to leave Bond in the past but one thing you can always count on in life (besides death and taxes) is that he always returns. There’s a heavy dose of action with a large shootout in the first ten minutes, leading to a thrilling escape involving Bond riding a motorcycle off a cliff and diving toward an unmanned airplane. The most memorable set-piece is when Bond steals a T-54/55 series tank and plows through the streets of St. Petersburg, causing untold amounts of property damage while the famous theme plays. When two police cars crash into him, he looks back to see if the officers are okay, adjusts his tie, and continues on his way. There’s the usual amount of gadgets, though it's thankfully nowhere near as outlandish as the later installments. They include a watch equipped with a cutting laser, a ballpoint pen that detonates after three clicks, and a belt that doubles as a grappling gun. The most disappointing aspect is that the script could’ve explored Bond’s internal conflict with having to kill his former best friend and while we get the feeling that he harbors regrets, nothing is ever made of it. The more things change, the more they stay the same and that’s the best way to describe “GoldenEye,” a successful modernization but with an unchanged formula. Still, the one-liners come fast, the Bond Girls are gorgeous, and the action scenes are expertly choreographed, making the film a fun ride.

Pierce Brosnan completely nails the role in his first outing as James Bond, displaying a confident, charismatic wit with a hint of vulnerability. When Onatopp gets crushed in-between two tree branches, he quips, ‘She always did enjoy a good squeeze.’ Famke Janssen is sexy as the sadomasochistic Xenia Onatopp, who has a penchant for killing people by crushing the life out of them between her strong thighs while screaming in orgasm. In contrast Izabella Scorupco’s Natalya Simonova plays a more homely Bond Girl who seems to enjoy being bossy but for the most part, ends up doing very little. As the main villain Alec Trevelyan, Sean Bean plays him as a dark mirror of Bond, without the moral center and fueled by petty revenge and greed. The rest of the cast includes Judi Dench as M, Desmond Llewelyn as the gadget-making Q and Samantha Bond as the flirtatious Miss Jane Moneypenny. The theme song, titled after the film, is sung by Tina Turner with the surreal opening credits depicting the fall of the Soviet Union.

Released on November 17, 1995, “GoldenEye” received largely positive reviews with 82% on Rotten Tomatoes, although the film does have its fair share of detractors who found that despite the new coat of paint, the series still seemed stale and tired. Bond had an explosive comeback at the box office after a six-year hiatus, earning $352.2 million worldwide, proving that Bond was still a relevant character in an increasingly changing world. With “GoldenEye,” Campbell successfully mixes everything you would expect from a Bond film: humor, exotic locales, gorgeous ladies, and stunning action in the name of fun, reintroducing him to old fans that had grown tired of him and gaining new ones. This is simply one of the best Bond films made.

Final Rating: 4.5 out of 5

"Good, because I think you're a sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War, whose boyish charms, though wasted on me, obviously appealed to that young woman I sent out to evaluate you."