GoldenEye (1995)

"You have to tip your hat to Sean (Connery)'s work, you really do, because that is the blueprint for this character. Sean casts a long shadow over this piece. He's the man I looked over my shoulder at... Sean was the first James Bond I ever saw. - Pierce Brosnan

My first James Bond film. I've seen parts of a couple others on TV, but I was never really interested in the series. After viewing Pierce Brosnan in the role, I might have to watch a few of the older ones, just to see if any of his predecessors are as adept as this suave Brit. Brosnan's other movie starring roles have been pretty lame (most notably in "Lawnmower Man"), but his TV series, "Remington Steele," was pretty good. Bond isn't that much of a stretch from his TV persona.

Of course, a big part of the Bond persona is witty banter and Brosnan is quite capable in this respect. Always smarmy but yet never smug, Brosnan seems the perfect Bond. Physically he is capable too. He looks good in his action sequences and in his romantic moments. In fact, aided by the script here, Brosnan seems ready to take Bond into the more politically correct arena of cinema for the 20th century.

The woman in the film help in this transition. The two main female leads are quite a contrast to the doe-eyed innocent who opens the film with Bond. Like many of her predecessors, she is easily seduced by Bond's charm. But the other women in the film help to progress the "misogynist dinosaur" into the new world order. In fact, Bond's boss, "M," is even a female now, played wonderfully by Judy Dench. And now, Moneypenny, "M's" secretary, who apparently has always had a flirtatious relationship with the secret agent, is more forward. She teases Bond about making good on his sexist innuendo. As for the two female leads, one is a villain and one is a romantic interest, however both are strong females in their own way. The villain, Famke Janssen, is delicious in her attempts to make men sexual victims. She literally fucks one to death. Sure, this smacks a little of the old Bond women, her name is even a pun, but Janssen makes her character a strong presence. We cannot deny the presence of this woman. Nobody messes with her. Even Bond has a hard time handling her. She doesn't chew up the scenery here, she devours it whole. Her character's persona is overwhelming. Whether killing, maiming or seducing, Janssen takes eye- popping delight in her actions. Conversely, Izabella Scorupco is rather sedate. Yet, she too is strong and capable. A computer whiz, Scorupco also decries Bond's male prowess, even when she falls victim to it. But, in keeping with this new sensibility, she isn't seduced by Bond; She willingly enters into a relationship with him as his equal. In the end, she helps him complete his mission, using her mind - not her body to aid him.

Other minor characters help make the film interesting. Joe Don Baker is wonderfully intrusive as a bombastic American CIA agent. Calling Brosnan every nickname imaginable for James, Baker represents the British ideal of the loud, rude American. He seems to relish the opportunity. Brosnan cringes every time he appears. It's quite amusing. The rotund Robbie Coltrane, probably best known for "Nuns on the Run," has a wonderful albeit small role as a former enemy recruited to aid Bond. Although this is one of the few places in the film where a knowledge of Bond films may be helpful, it's still not a necessity. Even a novice Bond viewer like myself could piece together the information provided to understand the plot and the relationships completely. Even when standard Bond characters like "M" and "Q" (still played by Desmond Llewelyn) came into play, I pretty much got the jest of their relationships.

The scene with "Q" in particular points out the film's new take on the Bond persona. In fitting with the new, more breezy and 90ish image, the visit to the "gadget" lab in "GoldenEye" is quite humorous. Bond films have apparently always featured marvelous gadgets and the ones here are certainly interesting and one is even used in a nail-biting moment of the film. But very visual, lampooning humor, reminiscent of the Zucker Brothers, is actually used in this scene. It's a wonderfully hilarious sequence in the film.

Director Martin Campell very rarely allows the action to stop. There's no slowing down for plot or character development here. The film bulldozes it's way to the finale. At over 60 million dollars, no expense is spared in the budget. Bond does everything here and the actions sequences are almost all top-notch. It's strange that the first effect in the film, with Bond sky-diving into a out-of-control, pilot-less plane is rather cheesy. I guess this is an homage to the previous films. After this almost humorous scene, the action all looks pretty real. We get a car chase here, as well as a tank chase on the streets of the Soviet Union, an airplane crash, a helicopter ejection sequence, and plenty of gunfights and explosions. The film's action never stops.

"GoldenEye" firmly places Brosnan in the Bond character for at least a few more films. Even the end credits here promise that Bond will return. Brosnan is now Bond. We never have a moment of disbelief in this area. And the film even finds a clever way to make the Russians the enemy again. If the powers-that-be can keep up the fairly reasonable plots, with ever-so-slightly feasible villains, and if they can keep Bond moving forward towards a less sexist Lothario, then the series can continue. Brosnan is more than able to accomplish this transition with the Bond character. The writers and producers need only make it happen and the public will come.

Notes: Script by Jeffery Caine and Bruce Feirstein. Music by Eric Serra. He even sings a song here. The less-than- memorable theme here, sung by Tina Turner, is written by Bono and The Edge (of U2).

Brosnan was tapped to play Bond in the late 80's but couldn't get out of his TV contract. It was some years later, after some legal trouble at MGM/UA, that he got the call again.

The film is "Dedicated to the memory of Derrick Meddings.

Based on characters created by Ian Fleming. The author, who wrote several books in the series, was a Naval Intelligence agent in WWII who based Bond on a real person. Fleming's estate in Jamaica, where he wrote the books, was called GoldenEye. The titular "GoldenEye" in this film, however, is a thing, not a place. Fleming had nothing to do with the story or script.

Others who have played Bond: Barry Nelson (as an American Bond on a TV movie), Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton. Woody Allen, Peter Sellars, David Niven and others play him in "Casino Royale" (1967), not considered a real part of the Bond series.

Brosnan's wife, Cassandra Harris, played a love interest to Moore's Bond in 1981's "For Your Eyes Only." She died in 1991 of ovarian cancer. They have one child - named Sean (perhaps after Connery?)

The Nepotism Factor: The series was first undertaken in 1961 by producer Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli. His daughter, Barbara, acts as a producer here.

There have been 17 Bond films. None of them have lost money, although several did poorly in the states.

Another nepotism factor: Brosnan's step-son, Christopher, is credited as a Production Coordinator.

The films:

"Dr. No" (1962)

"From Russia With Love" (1963)

"Goldfinger" (1964)

"Thunderball" (1965)

"Casino Royale" (1967 - produced by Charles K. Feldman)

"You Only Live Twice" (1967)

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (1969)

"Diamonds Are Forever" (1971)

"Live and Let Die" (1973)

"The Man with the Golden Gun" (1974)

"The Spy who Loved Me" (1977)

"Moonraker" (1979)

"For Your Eyes Only" (1981)

"Octopussy" (1983)

"Never Say Never Again" (1983 - remake of "Thunderball")

"A View to a Kill" (1985)

"The Living Daylights" (1987)

"Licence (License) to Kill" (1989)

"GoldenEye" (1995)

(Review written in 1995)

Report Card

Script: B

Acting: A

Cinematography\Lighting: B+

Special Effects\Make Up: A

Music: A

Final Grade: B