Dmitri Mishkin: "How shall we kill you?"
Bond: "What - no small talk? No chit-chat? That's the problem with the world these days - no one takes the time to conduct the proper sinister interrogation."
This exchange in `Goldeneye' probably best sums up the Pierce Brosnan era of 007 this isn't your father's 007 anymore. Sure, `Goldeneye' features a lot of the obligatory trappings of every James Bond movie made since 1963's `Goldfinger': elaborate chase scenes, gadgets, a bad girl with a name laced with sexual innuendo, and a megalomaniacal villain obsessed with taking over the world. However, there's also a new attempt to bring 007 into the modern world. As played by Pierce Brosnan, James Bond is still the cold, calculating, womanizing spy he's always been, but the arrogance has been tempered with a bit of self-awareness . . . and even a little remorse. Brosnan is also the first Bond to even slightly recognize how absurd some of the situations he's involved in really are hey, he couldn't chastise the villain for failing to reveal his grandiose plan for world domination if he didn't recognize this. Brosnan's Bond is a more adult, somber hero than his predecessors while this makes for a more well-rounded, three dimensional, believable character, it's debatable as to whether or not this makes for better Bond. More on that in a second.
But as for the film `Goldeneye' pretty darn good, if not great. Wisely avoiding the `Thunderball' template that so many Bond films seem to blindly follow (submarines and nuclear missiles), `Goldeneye' instead starts with a vacationing James Bond (Brosnan), who meets the lovely but deadly Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen, in one of the best Bond `bad girl' performances of all time). Xenia is part of a Russian mafia team trying to steal an experimental helicopter that is insulated against all forms of electronic jamming Bond, of course, tries to stop her, but not before getting a little frisky with her first. Xenia succeeds, leading Bond to investigate why she would want to steal that specific helicopter and he uncovers a plot involving the space satellite `Goldeneye', capable of unleashing electromagnetic pulses that can completely disrupt all electronic transmissions and functions anywhere in the world. Xenia is just part of a larger plan, one involving some rogue Russian military officers and a rogue, evil ex-British Secret Service agent, 006 (Sean Bean). Whoever controls the Goldeneye satellite can conceivably control the world, so once again, it's up to James Bond to save the world . . .
The action contained in `Goldeneye' is admittedly spectacular. (In fact, the action sequences of all the Brosnan Bond movies are impressive.) The opening sequence involving a free-fall off a perilously high cliff without a parachute is simply awesome, and later segments get the adrenaline racing as well. The story is also pretty darn good while not exactly Shakespeare, it covers all the standard Bond elements fairly well. There's a lot of razor-sharp dialogue between the characters, the plot is fairly original, the story crackles along at a good pace, and the ludicrous plot holes are kept to a bare minimum. The main (and only) gripe with both the story and the action . . . well, it just doesn't have the feel of a 007 film. Take out Pierce Brosnan and the references to the British Secret Service, insert Bruce Willis, and `Goldeneye' could be a generic action film. There's small touches missing from both action and story that keep `Goldeneye' from having the true feel of a Bond film it's missing things like the hilarious golfing scene from `Goldfinger', or the final confrontation of `Man With the Golden Gun'. It's not a major gripe, but `Goldeneye' is simply too generic, as if someone took a standard action screenplay, inserted a few names like 007, M, and Q, and thought that was enough to make a classic Bond movie. It's enough to make a pretty good Bond movie, I guess, but the formula falls short of being great or being a classic.
As for the cast first rate, for the most part. As mentioned before, Famke Janssen practically steals the film as Xenia Onatopp, a sadomasochistic sex kitten from hell. Equal parts camp and vicious brutality, Janssen makes Xenia one of the most memorable Bond characters in quite a long time. The `good girl' of the film Natalya Simonova (played by Izabella Scorupco) is excellent as well while not exactly believable as one of the world's best computer programmers, she shows enough charm, wit and style to be more than simple arm candy for 007. Sean Bean is pretty good as the rogue agent 006, but the character is so quiet and deadly serious that he almost fades into the background at times. A little more over-the-top outrage would've made 006 a better Bond villain. Special mention must be made of Desmond Llewelyn, who never, ever disappointed as Q, and Dame Judi Dench as the `new' M . . . it's definitely a guilty pleasure to see an actress of her esteemed caliber slumming in a Bond flick and loving every minute of it. And Pierce Brosnan well, he's one of the best Bonds ever (second only to Sean Connery). Debonair, cold, and confident, Brosnan effortlessly exudes a lot of the qualities that make 007 great . . . and have been missing for quite a while. The only issue I have with Brosnan as Bond is the change towards the introspective, fallible, `21st century' Bond but that's not Brosnan's fault. Still, part of the `charm' of 007 is his complete ruthlessness (and if don't think Bond is ruthless, watch the first few Sean Connery 007 films again), and the introduction of self-introspection and doubt takes away from the established character. Change can be good at times, but this one isn't. A minor quibble, to be sure . . . but it's there nonetheless, and it's held Brosnan back from possibly being the best 007 of all time.
Overall, `Goldeneye' is a quality film that's packed with action and is also a lot of fun. If you're a die-hard Bond fan (like myself), you'll probably walk away from it a wee bit disappointed, but for the most part, it's still undeniably entertaining. One of the better Bond films, and to date, possibly Pierce Brosnan's best Bond film. Grade: B+
Bond: "What - no small talk? No chit-chat? That's the problem with the world these days - no one takes the time to conduct the proper sinister interrogation."
This exchange in `Goldeneye' probably best sums up the Pierce Brosnan era of 007 this isn't your father's 007 anymore. Sure, `Goldeneye' features a lot of the obligatory trappings of every James Bond movie made since 1963's `Goldfinger': elaborate chase scenes, gadgets, a bad girl with a name laced with sexual innuendo, and a megalomaniacal villain obsessed with taking over the world. However, there's also a new attempt to bring 007 into the modern world. As played by Pierce Brosnan, James Bond is still the cold, calculating, womanizing spy he's always been, but the arrogance has been tempered with a bit of self-awareness . . . and even a little remorse. Brosnan is also the first Bond to even slightly recognize how absurd some of the situations he's involved in really are hey, he couldn't chastise the villain for failing to reveal his grandiose plan for world domination if he didn't recognize this. Brosnan's Bond is a more adult, somber hero than his predecessors while this makes for a more well-rounded, three dimensional, believable character, it's debatable as to whether or not this makes for better Bond. More on that in a second.
But as for the film `Goldeneye' pretty darn good, if not great. Wisely avoiding the `Thunderball' template that so many Bond films seem to blindly follow (submarines and nuclear missiles), `Goldeneye' instead starts with a vacationing James Bond (Brosnan), who meets the lovely but deadly Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen, in one of the best Bond `bad girl' performances of all time). Xenia is part of a Russian mafia team trying to steal an experimental helicopter that is insulated against all forms of electronic jamming Bond, of course, tries to stop her, but not before getting a little frisky with her first. Xenia succeeds, leading Bond to investigate why she would want to steal that specific helicopter and he uncovers a plot involving the space satellite `Goldeneye', capable of unleashing electromagnetic pulses that can completely disrupt all electronic transmissions and functions anywhere in the world. Xenia is just part of a larger plan, one involving some rogue Russian military officers and a rogue, evil ex-British Secret Service agent, 006 (Sean Bean). Whoever controls the Goldeneye satellite can conceivably control the world, so once again, it's up to James Bond to save the world . . .
The action contained in `Goldeneye' is admittedly spectacular. (In fact, the action sequences of all the Brosnan Bond movies are impressive.) The opening sequence involving a free-fall off a perilously high cliff without a parachute is simply awesome, and later segments get the adrenaline racing as well. The story is also pretty darn good while not exactly Shakespeare, it covers all the standard Bond elements fairly well. There's a lot of razor-sharp dialogue between the characters, the plot is fairly original, the story crackles along at a good pace, and the ludicrous plot holes are kept to a bare minimum. The main (and only) gripe with both the story and the action . . . well, it just doesn't have the feel of a 007 film. Take out Pierce Brosnan and the references to the British Secret Service, insert Bruce Willis, and `Goldeneye' could be a generic action film. There's small touches missing from both action and story that keep `Goldeneye' from having the true feel of a Bond film it's missing things like the hilarious golfing scene from `Goldfinger', or the final confrontation of `Man With the Golden Gun'. It's not a major gripe, but `Goldeneye' is simply too generic, as if someone took a standard action screenplay, inserted a few names like 007, M, and Q, and thought that was enough to make a classic Bond movie. It's enough to make a pretty good Bond movie, I guess, but the formula falls short of being great or being a classic.
As for the cast first rate, for the most part. As mentioned before, Famke Janssen practically steals the film as Xenia Onatopp, a sadomasochistic sex kitten from hell. Equal parts camp and vicious brutality, Janssen makes Xenia one of the most memorable Bond characters in quite a long time. The `good girl' of the film Natalya Simonova (played by Izabella Scorupco) is excellent as well while not exactly believable as one of the world's best computer programmers, she shows enough charm, wit and style to be more than simple arm candy for 007. Sean Bean is pretty good as the rogue agent 006, but the character is so quiet and deadly serious that he almost fades into the background at times. A little more over-the-top outrage would've made 006 a better Bond villain. Special mention must be made of Desmond Llewelyn, who never, ever disappointed as Q, and Dame Judi Dench as the `new' M . . . it's definitely a guilty pleasure to see an actress of her esteemed caliber slumming in a Bond flick and loving every minute of it. And Pierce Brosnan well, he's one of the best Bonds ever (second only to Sean Connery). Debonair, cold, and confident, Brosnan effortlessly exudes a lot of the qualities that make 007 great . . . and have been missing for quite a while. The only issue I have with Brosnan as Bond is the change towards the introspective, fallible, `21st century' Bond but that's not Brosnan's fault. Still, part of the `charm' of 007 is his complete ruthlessness (and if don't think Bond is ruthless, watch the first few Sean Connery 007 films again), and the introduction of self-introspection and doubt takes away from the established character. Change can be good at times, but this one isn't. A minor quibble, to be sure . . . but it's there nonetheless, and it's held Brosnan back from possibly being the best 007 of all time.
Overall, `Goldeneye' is a quality film that's packed with action and is also a lot of fun. If you're a die-hard Bond fan (like myself), you'll probably walk away from it a wee bit disappointed, but for the most part, it's still undeniably entertaining. One of the better Bond films, and to date, possibly Pierce Brosnan's best Bond film. Grade: B+