Goldeneye | | Cast : | Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco | | Director : | Martin Campbell | | Studio : | MGM/UA Video | | Format : | Color, Closed-captioned, Widescreen, Dolby | | Released Date : | November 17, 1995 | | DVD Released Date : | October 22, 2002 | | Language : | English (Dubbed), French (Dubbed), French (Subtitled), English (Subtitled), English (Original Language), French (Original Language) | | Audience Rating : | PG-13 (Parental Guidance Suggested) | | | BUY THIS DVD FROM AMAZON |
Customer Reviews
| Rating |  | | Date | July 13, 2005 | | Summary | A New Bond with a New Style | Content
 | James Bond changed for a fifth time with this, the 17th official Bond film, emulating the venerable Dr. Who once again. Fans welcomed the change from Timothy Dalton to Pierce Brosnan, and they vaulted this movie to the highest grossing Bond movie at that time. Brosnan made Bond more suave and sophisticated than Dalton's Bond, with a dash more humor, though less humor than Roger Moore's Bond. It helped that this movie featured non-stop action and a foe with malice toward England in his heart, and the ability to execute a nefarious plot.
In the opening scenes of this movie we see a breath-taking stunt, as Bond, well his double actually, leaps off the side of a dam on a bungee cord. Bond is penetrating a secret Soviet chemical weapons facility. We learn that Bond is on this mission with Alec Trevelyan, Agent 006 (Sean Bean). Unfortunately it appears that Alec does not survive an encounter with General Arkady Ourumov (Gottfried John). After a daring escape involving multiple close calls, the movie forwards into the present to the Mediterranean.
Bond encounters Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), and she is behaving in a most unusual fashion. Of course, Bond may have been attracted to her because of her incredible beauty, but regardless of the reason, she has gained Bond's interest. We soon observe that Xenia is a most cruel person, and she is ruthless in stealing a super secret helicopter that is resistance to electromagnetic pulses, such as a nuclear weapon might cause.
We now move to Severnaya, Russia, where the helicopter has been spotted by satellite. We have the benefit of going into Severnaya as General Ourumov and sadistic sidekick Onatopp enter the facility and demand an inspection of the Goldeneye system. It seems that during the cold war the Soviet Union had developed an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) weapon, Goldeneye, which was capable of wreaking all sorts of havoc on any electronic equipment in the weapon's aim. Unfortunately for the personnel of Severnaya, once General Ourumov obtains the control module he has Xenia eliminate the staff of Severnaya. However, one member of the staff, Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), has survived Xenia and the activation of the first of two Goldeneye satellites.
M (Judi Dench) sends Bond to Russia to find out what is going on. Bond soon meets with former foe Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane), who gives him some clues that might lead Bond to the information he seeks. As a side note, Minnie Driver has a brief role as Irina, Zukovsky's tone deaf mistress.
While Bond has been tracking down Ourumov, Natalya has been tracking former Severnaya associate Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming). After a surprised Bond encounters Alec, he awakes to the yells of Natalya, and quickly learns that they are in the cockpit of super secret helicopter, and missiles have been programmed to fire and destroy the helicopter. After a typically close call, Bond and Natalya soon end up in the hands of Ourumov and Alec once again. The ever-resourceful Bond escapes, of course, in one of the best chase scenes of all time.
The action speeds onward to a hidden satellite dish, which looks remarkably like the observatory at Arecibo, Puerto Rico. Okay, I am kidding, it really is Arecibo, except when it is a model. The action intensifies toward the exciting conclusion that takes place under, around and on the huge radio telescope facility.
This Bond movie is as good as you might think it is. We hungered for a new Bond film in the six years between the release of "License to Kill" in 1989, and the release of this film in 1995. The world had changed a lot in that time. The Soviet Union was gone, and the nature of Bond villains changed as well. As a point of trivia, this Bond marked the first time a Bond movie actually filmed in the former Soviet Union.
You can tell the style of this movie a little by the nomination for Saturn Awards this movie received for Best Action/Adventure Film and Best Actor by the Academy of Science Fiction, Fantasy & Horror Films (USA). The movie was nominated for a couple of other awards, and won a BMI award for music and a Golden Screen award (Germany).
Pierce Brosnan occasionally looks slightly uncomfortable as Bond, but he quickly makes Bond his own. By the end of the movie I was comfortable that Brosnan made a suitable James Bond, and was already looking forward to the next Bond film. I recommend this movie highly to fans of the James Bond series and for fans of action-adventure movies. This movie is a winner and a keeper.
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| Rating | | | Date | June 27, 2005 | | Summary | Distilled essence of Bond | Content
| After Timothy Dalton's decision to abandon his role as James Bond after only two films, the series was left floundering. Legal issues dogged the production of a new film. Even worse, Bond's classic enemy, the U.S.S.R., collapsed under internal pressures. The promise at the end of Licence To Kill, "JAMES BOND WILL RETURN", was sounding emptier and emptier by the mid-1990s.
However, it came together. A suave Irishman by the name of Pierce Brosnan (considered for The Living Daylights but prevented by his contract to a silly 80's detective show known as Remington Steele) was selected for the legendary role. A few characters pounded out a script and story. An assortment of mostly little-known actors and actresses was compiled. And what followed would be one of the most successful, acclaimed, and treasured Bond films ever made; in short, cinema magic.
The story follows Bond through an intriguing turn of events involving a fallen comrade (006) and a stolen Russian satellite with the power to devastate entire cities. (Apparently, the writers couldn't resist one last flick with an evil Russian.) Bond races across Europe and into Cuba to track down and foil the vicious plot to cripple the entire UK.
The casting was near-perfect. Brosnan took no time to step into the role, outdoing Moore, Dalton, and Lazenby breathlessly. (Even Connery may have to admit defeat here.) Sean Bean shines as the crisply arrogant villain. The dazzling Izabella Scorupco is perfect as the breathtaking and brilliant Natalya Simonova, a Russian programmer who saves Bond as often as he saves her. Famke Janssen sizzles as the wildly insane Xenia Onatopp, a Soviet pilot with impressive combat skills and unusually strong thighs. Robbie Coltrane and Alan Cumming, the supporting Russians, are delightful diversions. And Judi Dench comes through as the new, tough, but ultimately caring M.
The action is gripping; an assault on a Soviet chemical arms factory (with not one, but two heartpounding jumps), a mildly gratuitous car chase down a mountain, the EMP blast on a Siberian computer facility, an escape from an exploding Tiger helicopter, the breakout from a Russian jail, accompanying city-smashing tank chase, train derailment and explosion, attack on the Cuban satellite dish, and final agent vs. agent showdown; you get the picture.
Still, any movie can have sizzling action and quirky casting. But GoldenEye goes further than any of its comrades in the series. The plot is thick with intrigue, and development is paced so we are constantly in suspense. A now-famous scene between Bond and Simonova dives into just who Bond really is. (Aficionados: Don't worry, they get back to the action soon enough.)
In short, GoldenEye is the summit of James Bond movies and an achievement in the history of action movies. Not that you care; you want a flick with stunning women, blazing explosions, and slick one-liners. (It's got that, don't worry.) For the Bond lover, the casual fan, or just someone looking for a damn good movie, GoldenEye is the answer. |
| Rating | | | Date | June 08, 2005 | | Summary | Thrill ride | Content
| I really like this film, despite my initial reservations. Brosnan looked young enough for the part. I hate to say this, but he's probably too old now for Bond. Sorry Pierce. When I first saw the film, I was especially impressed with the ending. It's terrific. It has a confrontation scene between 006 and 007 that is as exciting as it gets. It even equals the Sean Connery - Robert Shaw fight on the Orient Express in From Russia With Love. Sure you can see fight scenes in Jean Claude Van Damme movies but Martin Campbell knows about dramatic tension and how to create a build up. He is also an excellent action director. I'm so glad he has been chosen to direct the next Bond film. The film works because the acting is good. Sean Bean, apparently a contender for the 007 role himself, is very convincing as 006, 'Mad little Alex'. That's why I think the next Bond actor has to be a good actor. George Lazenby appeared in an action packed Bond movie, but he didn't really engage the viewer. I think Daniel Craig should be the next Bond. He would be first rate. I saw him in 'Our Friends From the North' and he can really act. I haven't seen 'Layer Cake', Craig's latest film but the reviews have been glowing. In Goldeneye, Brosnan has the harder acting job as his character has to be always doing the right thing, whereas Bean has a roving profile in terms of good to bad. The film has classic Bond ingredients: a personalized enemy; a tip of the hat to science fiction; exotic but deadly females; kinetic action scenes that you only seem to find in Bond movies and the usual ingredients of supporting people and settings e.g Dame Judi Dench as the head of MI6. The reservations were that the formula was followed i.e. a little too much humor, an outlandish but entertaining chase scene and the obligatory love interest,although everybody was incredibly good looking. I understand the next Bond film will be routed more in reality, with a younger Bond. That sounds good to me. I remember coming out of the cinema when I was much younger, having seen a Bond movie and feeling like I was walking on air. I haven't analysed Goldeneye in detail but given impressions of it and my thoughts about the next Bond. However, Goldeneye was Brosnan's best outing as 007 and I think Daniel Craig should be the next Bond. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 22, 2005 | | Summary | No more faul play | Content
| I loved this movie. This film is one worth seeing. It covers James Bond going to Russia to find the hijacked 'Goldeneye', not to metion the villian is an old friend. 006,Alec Trevalyn(Sean Bean), faces off 007(Pierce Brosnan)in a gainatic dish. Also stars Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, and Joe Don Baker. |
| Rating | | | Date | May 18, 2005 | | Summary | The modern day Bond classic | Content
| Pierce Brosnan's first outing as James Bond not only helped revitilize the series, but Goldeneye also became a modern day Bond classic that ranks up there with the best Bond films. Martin Campbell (Mask of Zorro, Beyond Borders, rumored to be attached to the upcoming new Bond film as well) helms this installment, as Bond finds himself against a group of renegade Russians, led by his thought dead former partner (Sean Bean). Brosnan's characterization of Agent 007 is the best since Sean Connery's; bringing a dark side to Bond's psyche while making him all the more psychologically complex. The film is unbelieveably loaded with action from beginning to end, which makes it no surprise why Goldeneye was a runaway hit when released in 1995. Judi Dench makes her debut here as well as Bond's superior M, while the rest of the cast includes gorgeous beauties Izabella Scorupco and Famke Janssen, as well as Alan Cumming, Joe Don Baker, and Robbie Coltrane. |
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