GoldenEye
1995
Director: Martin
Campbell
Starring: Pierce
Brosnan, Sean Bean, Judi Dench, Famke Janssen, Izabella Scorupco, Alan Cumming,
Robbie Coltrane, Gottifried John
Rated PG-13
Need I remind you,
007, that you have a license to kill, not to break the traffic laws.
-Q
STATS
Kills: 25 (estimate)
Girls: Natalya
Simonova, Xenia Onatopp, Caroline
Car: BMWZ3, however
Bond’s casual vehicle is the Aston Martin
Locales: Monte Carlo,
St. Petersburg, Cuba
Odd Villain Trait:
Xenia Onatopp gets off on violence (literally) and can crush a man
wrapping her legs around his waist
Song: “Goldeneye”
performed by Tina Turner (written by Bono & Edge of U2 fame)
Other notable song:
“The Experience of Love” performed by Serra
After 6 ½ years removed from theaters around the globe,
James Bond reloaded and returned in a big way for GoldenEye. GoldenEye was a major cinematic event
for 1995. The Berlin wall had fallen and
many felt Bond’s legacy should go with it.
It was questioned as to whether the character could remain relevant with
no cold war. Also, debuting in the role
of James Bond was Pierce Brosnan, an actor who many had been clamoring to see
play this part (and as we all know my mother was one of those people). Would he be able to live up to expectation? Could Bond manage to win back audiences and
pick back up where he had left off?
During this long delay, Timothy Dalton grew tired of waiting. The script for Dalton started as using the short story title The Property of a Lady and through many rewrites became GoldenEye. In April of 1994, with no Bond movie in production any time soon, Dalton resigned from the role. He was only Bond for 2 films, but spent 7 years as the face of the character. There were many back up names, such as Mel Gibson and Liam Neeson, but James Bond was pretty much handed over to Pierce Brosnan if he wanted it. It marks the only time there wasn’t some sort of grand search for James Bond. In GoldenEye, Brosnan comes off as a hybrid featuring the best of Connery, Moore and Dalton. He’s able to pull off the suave so damn well too. Pierce was definitely born to give this role a shot. One of the greatest attributes to his Bond is the script. It actually transforms Bond into a three-dimensional person. Comments are made about his past and his reputation. And while living up to some of it, you feel a sense of the character moving forward and progressing.
He’s also given a
villain with personal ties. The Bond in GoldenEye has depth, emotion and is far
more than just a one note sideshow. They
even drop that Bond’s parents were killed in a climbing accident. What Dalton was able to accomplish with his
performances, Brosnan is able to add thanks to his performance and the words on
paper. In this film, Bond also does
everything you’d want him to do here, from car chases, to cards, to skydiving,
to shooting right down to the hairy chest.
A fun side note, Brosnan’s Bond contract prohibited him from being in a
tux in other feature films. However,
Barbara Streisand’s The Mirror Has Two
Faces snuck this by the 007 police. GoldenEye is by
far the best cast, best directed and best acted film of the entire 007 series
thus far and likely until Casino Royale
(2006). The only possible weak link on
paper looks to be the female leads, but jump on that presumption and it’ll bite
you in the ass. Izabella Scorupco plays
ball with the best of them in this. If
she’s a model turned actress, just wow.
This is always attempted in the series and comes across as quite obvious. Her character is well written, fits greatly
into the story and never feels awkwardly forced into the plot.
Do I really need to say much about Famke
Janssen here? She is incredible in this
film and gives us one of the most memorable Bond villains in history, stealing
some of the thunder from Sean Bean’s 006.
Both actresses give performances that would make you think they were far
more experienced than they were going in.
This is one of the only times both major female attractions in a Bond
film excel simultaneously. Speaking of actresses, M is now a lady. Judi Dench debuts and infuses some life and
importance into the character of M. She
isn’t friends with Bond and doesn’t agree with his methods, but likes the
results. We are given a complex M that
we’re not sure if we like or not.
There’s a terrific scene early on in M’s office where Bond and her
square off a bit.
Sean Bean proves terrific as 006. His character digs deep into Bond, knowing
some of his most personal trappings.
Bean plays it good, just being on the edge of going over the top, but
holding back before he ever gets there.
His character gets the Dr. Loomis “I was in a massive explosion but I
managed to get away with some scarring on only one side of my face” as a nice
little evil touch. His final battle with
Bond is edge of your seat excitement.
And I always give high merits to his death. ALWAYS in films of this time and before, when
someone fell to their death, the camera cut away just before they made contact
with the surface (the film Terminal
Velocity did show it, and my jaw did drop, but later it’s discovered that
it was a cadaver anyway and so the fall didn't really take a life, lessening
the impact of the scene). I was shocked
and thrilled to see Trevelyan actually hit the ground at the end of his death
drop. Still today, it’s a rarity. Well done.
Martin Campbell makes his first appearance as director. 2nd choice by the producers
too. John Woo was flattered, but turned
them down (how bizarre is that car chase between Bond and Onatopp knowing
this. Woo would do this same scene in Mission
Impossible 2 five years later). His film
still holds up to this day. At the time,
GoldenEye delivered what Bond was
supposed to do, and had been lacking. GoldenEye took reigns and became THE
action picture to be topped/copied. The
film features amazing stunt-work and real physical effects and action. The only problem moment, that kinda doesn't fit the tone of the film is the tank chase, but its done pretty tastefully and
nothing of that
stature had been seen since the early 80s. Campbell was asked back for the next film,
but turned it down, not wanting to do two Bond films in a row. The opening credits look dazzling, modernized and
enhanced. From Spy Who Loved Me to License
to Kill they were all pretty much looking the same, and without and few
minute details, you probably couldn’t guess which sequence belongs to which
movie. Tina Turner’s “GoldenEye” is a
great tribute to the works of Shirley Bassey, particularly “Goldfinger”. It gives the classic, elegant and nostalgic
feel to re-immerse ourselves into the world of 007.
GoldenEye was a
massive success at the box office and with critics. It was the biggest Bond film since Moonraker (16 years prior). Bond had returned in spades and was back in
high demand. The film also coincided
with a success re-release of the classic Bond films on VHS where many were
reliving and discovering these films for the first time. The film would also leave a massive legacy on
the video game world. The Nintendo 64
adaptation of the film successfully transcended the first person shooter to a
multiplayer platform that is by which the industry still holds to the highest
standard today. The game is constantly
in talks of the greatest of all time.
Younger people may know this game more-so than the film, that’s how big
it has become. GoldenEye was the
first 007 film I ever got to see in the theater. It did not disappoint. I was excited to finally see Pierce Brosnan
in the role. Seeing Bond on the big
screen for the first time was a huge moment in my movie going experience. I’m sorry for those of you who’s first was
something like Octopussy.
One of the biggest and lasting memories of GoldenEye for me was the insanely
awesome teaser trailer that got me incredibly excited and introduced the world
to Pierce Brosnan as James Bond. It was
also attached to every film in the VHS collection from that time. I love Brosnan’s breaking of the fourth wall
(“You expecting someone else?”). Perfect
answer to the hype. Try as they might,
but there might never be a Bond trailer as good and that delivers as this. No one could sell a Bond picture better than
the GoldenEye trailer. Hence, I leave you with it
Brandon Peters will return in TOMORROW NEVER DIES
*Scott’s love letter to GoldenEye: http://scottalanmendelson.blogspot.com/2010/11/nobody-did-it-better-goldeneye-still-my.html
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