Goldeneye

• Title:  Goldeneye
• Director:  Martin Campbell
• Date:  1995
• Studio:  United Artists (MGM)
• Genre:  Action
• Cast:  Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Robbie Coltrane, Desmond Llewelyn, Samantha Bond, Judi Dench
• Format:  Color, Widescreen
• DVD Format:  R1, NTSC

"If  you think for one moment I don't have the balls to send a man out to die, your instincts are dead wrong.  I have no compution about sending you to your death.  But I won't do it on a whim."  -- M

"Need I remind you 007, that you have a license to kill -- not to break the traffic laws." -- Q

Goldeneye is Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film and he does a marvelous job -- Brosnan plays to his strengths, giving Bond a core of  steel and toughness, that isn't all that nice.  With Brosnan's portrayal --the charm, clothes, and air of sophistication are a thin veneer at best that covers an icy man.  The villainess in this film is Onatopp, a Russian pilot and assassin, who can kill men by squeezing them until they stop breathing.  Yet, she  isn't all that different than Bond -- both are functioning psychopaths -- Bond more functioning than Onatopp -- who clearly gets off  on violence and killing.

The Bond franchise re-invented itself  with Brosnan, bringing in Judi Dench as the new female "M" -- and she has more balls than any previous M.  Dench is wonderful as the hard-hitting head of  MI 6.  Samantha Bond is excellent as Moneypenny -- able to give as good as she gets to Bond, and turning down his habitual offers. Desmond Llewelyn is back as Q, but fun and light-hearted.

The plot of  the film involves a stolen Russian satellite weapon, an EMP-generator code-named, Goldeneye.  But unlike the cold-war plots of  Bond vs. Russia or China -- the first half of  Goldeneye involves Bond trying to figure out who has the weapon.  Suspects include a Russian arms dealer named Janus, a runaway general, or the two programmers who escaped the disaster when the weapon was stolen and its base destroyed.  Bond eventually discovers Janus is none other than Alec -- an old friend and MI6 agent who's not dead as Bond thought but has gone rogue.  Alec's working with one of  the programmers from the Siberan installation.  Bond ends up working with the other one, a female computer programmer named Natalia.  She's tough, smart, and although she sort of  falls for Bond's charms, she seems to know his involvement with her won't be permanent.  They eventually end up in Cuba where Bond and Natalia destroy the satellite antenna and also cause the actual Goldeneye satellite to burn up in the atmosphere.

But it's a typical Bond film in that there is plenty of  action, vehicle chases, flying bullets, and gorgeous women.  The nice thing about this film is the women are all strong:  M, Moneypenny, Onatopp, Natalia  -- none are just mindless pretty faces.  But at the same time, this isn't some "feminst counter-strike" at Bond -- the film hits all the line items one has come to expect from a Bond film.  It's highly enjoyable, if a bit long.  And Pierce Brosnan is gorgeous.  Drop dead gorgeous.  Plus he's talented and lights-up the screen, with presence and magnetism.

Recommendation:  See it!

Rating:  4 out of 5 Stars

Next Film:  Green Lantern:  Emerald Knights