Where to watch GoldenEye
2 1/2 Stars
When a deadly satellite weapon system falls into the wrong hands, only Agent James Bond 007 (Pierce Brosnan) can save the world from certain disaster. Armed with his licence to kill, Bond races to Russia in search of the stolen access codes for “GoldenEye”, an awesome space weapon that can fire a devastating electromagnetic pulse toward Earth. But 007 is up against an enemy who anticipates his every move: a mastermind motivated by years of simmering hatred. Bond also squares off against Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), an assassin who uses pleasure as her ultimate weapon.
Pierce Brosnan is the 1990’s face of the James Bond franchise after it lay dormant for a record six years, bringing our venerable hero into the modern age of computer warfare and shaky post-Cold War alliances. Goldeneye, the 17th Bond film, is an unwieldy beast that sparkles with touches of spectacular filmmaking but also lumbers through an unworthy third act. John Barry’s iconic theme has been interpreted by David Arnold; the musical score and title track are both duds. Many aficionados site this entry as the best of the Brosnan Bond films; I can’t count myself among that opinion.
As the picture opens, Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is being tested for aptitude by a female doctor. They are enjoying a spirited ride through the countryside when a gorgeous vixen in an exotic sports car challenges him to a race. This leads to a well-choreographed chase through Monte Carlo, one of the film’s many heightened chase sequences. Later, Bond uses a tank to troll the streets of St. Petersburg in pursuit of a villainous Russian general.
Judi Dench makes her first appearance in the series as M. Her dismissal of Bond’s practices as antiquated gives way to his unquestionable results. This time out Bond is out to stop a crazed military leader, a former 00 agent (Sean Bean), and his female bodyguard, all intent on using satellites to rob the Bank of England before erasing its financial records, thus destroying Britain’s economy.
The James Bond movies rise and fall based on their villains; outside of the memorable Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), the bad guys are not compelling enough to rank as ‘great’ Bond baddies. Vendettas and bank robberies are too low scale for the plot to work. Also, Martin Campbell has not found an interesting way to film the hacking sequences; the movie slows to a grind on several occasions, disrupting the excitement of the previous action segment.
However, Brosnan is good in the role that he appears to have been born to play. His medium-built doesn’t suggest a cold-blooded killer but rather a mischievous-minded banker. As with the Dalton Bond’s, there is a curious lack of sex in Goldeneye. Sure, Bond beds two women, but in comparison to the Connery days, this Bond is nearly celibate. I enjoyed the pumped-up pre-title sequence and the exhilarating chases in various countries, but Goldeneye is too sluggish at 130 minutes.
Directed by: Martin Campbell
Written by: Ian Fleming, Michael France, Jeffrey Caine
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco