GoldenEye

Damn, that Martin Campbell sure knows how to kick off a new Bond era, doesn't he?!?

Truthfully, there's not much sense in burying the lead here - as I often do - and holding back from the fact that I f**king love GoldenEye. The 1995 film, bringing Bond back after a lengthy legal hiatus that seems to plague the series periodically, is a nostalgia bomb in 2021, but it's also a wildly effective Bond film. 

For Bond, the 80s were chaotic. We had competing Bond films early in the decade, one of which was a clear sign of some needed change, followed by 2 pretty good films that had a new Bond and a significant tonal shift many audiences didn't seem to adopt.

Enter GoldenEye, ready to not give a damn about any of that and get the iconic British spy back on track with a new approach, an original story, and a new James Bond in Pierce Brosnan. To be fair, part of GoldenEye's legacy lends itself to the videogame for many 90s kids. The game and film are synonymous with excellence at this point and often memories of one conjure up images of the other. I can't watch the opening bungee jump sequence of the film and not remember the first mission in GoldenEye, complete with a highly-pixilated Brosnan performing the same stunt (and that's just a single, easy example). But on its own merits - iconic videogame or not - GoldenEye just SLAPS (as the kids say these days)! Having not watched it for likely the better part of a decade, I was engrossed with the opening sequence's stunts, the camerawork, Pierce Brosnan's swagger (and hair), the shocking elimination of 006, the skydive into the plane, and the first BUN-DUNDUNDUN of the intro song. It all sent chills up my spine, the comforting tingle of aforementioned nostalgia, sure, but also a thrilling opening, flat out. Much like Casino Royale did with Craig's first scenes, it made me forget about any misgivings or issues the Bond franchise had been having up until that point. 

Brosnan's classic "killing pout" on full display.
Blue Steel with a dose of bloodshed!

A main driver of this is that GoldenEye is a much more dynamically filmed movie than its predecessors. It's eons ahead of the still-shots the series was built upon, and it's got a greater focus on cinematography and framing than almost all of Moore's movies and is just better at it than Dalton's. Put simply, it just looks nicer and the film feels elevated because of it. There's iconic shots here, many of which are thanks to the strong camerawork: Bond driving a tank through the streets, diving off the dam, and the satellite high above its ground-planted dish and all the vertigo that comes with it. Complimenting this filmmaking is an awesome original score that comes with plenty of the classic James Bond theme at just the right moments plus some neat tricks of its own, like the hollow, low cymbal echo (you know what one I'm talking about!) and some very 90's beats. 

But like...there's worse ways to die TBH

It also helps that Pierce Brosnan in the role fits like a glove. Forget about what other films he does for just a moment and I would be willing to bet that Brosnan in GoldenEye is one of the most Bond performances out of the entire series. The amount of swagger and confidence he brings to the character would have you thinking it's his 4th or 5th film and it becomes easy to see why the producers wanted him so bad ever since the talks of Moore leaving the role had begun. Like many of the best Bond films, GoldenEye has a memorable cast of characters too ranging from Alan Cumming's pen-clicking Boris, Judi Dench's first turn in the iconic role of M, Sean Bean's mysterious 006/Alec, Famke Janssen's sex-crazed Xenia Onatopp, and Izabella Scorupco's understated, but effective Bond girl, Natalya. They all create memorable, sometimes over-the-top characters that live in the higher ranks of Bond lore and often help distinguish the best Bond films from the forgettable ones. 

There's also a decent story to go along with everything that's generic in a way that means it makes sense but isn't fully uninteresting, while also pulling off some surprises. The twist in the middle is effective and while the film may, at times, feel like it's trying to get from impressive setpiece to impressive setpiece, its still ultimately boiled down to: Bond must stop the bad guys and their powerful weapon. Speaking of the setpieces, the sequences of action here are deeply rooted in their 90s style and still hold up well today. The opener still hooks you, the return of the Aston Martin DB5 is glorious (only to be replaced by a...BMW Z3?!?), the tank chase is a blast, literally, the train escape is tense, and the finale is a spectacle. As does most of the film, it just works. 

One of these men is known for dying.
I wonder what will happen to them?

GoldenEye is a rarity among the Bond films where an actor's first film creates one of the best Bond films and, as we'll see with Brosnan, his best film overall. It's a testament to how easily he slid into the role, but also how much confidence was on display from all parties here. This magic - thanks largely to Martin Campbell - would be recaptured with Casino Royale, but until we get there, let's enjoy how awesome GoldenEye still is. BUN-DUNDUNDUN!

CONS

• Can feel like it's just trying to get from one action sequence to another
• We traded in the Aston Martin DB5 for a BMW Z3? In what world?
• Loses steam in some quieter moments, particularly when the story's mostly-generic exposition dumps are happening

PROS

• Pierce Brosnan becomes James Bond within the first frames. Having gone through this journey up until this point, it's actually remarkable to see
• Fantastic filmmaking on display that brings more movement, editing, and cinematography to a series that can have a history of stale iterations of each
• That opening sequence, original score, and beginning of the GoldenEye theme song HIT HARD
• The original score overall is iconic. The James Bond theme + hollow cymbal echoes are what everyone remembers
• Awesome action setpieces that stick with you. The finale on the satellite dish is unique
• Memorable side characters, most of which who make a lasting impact
• Entertaining from start to finish, well directed, and feels like a breath of fresh air in a Bond franchise needing a "classic"

Retro Rath's Review Score |

10/10 - Instant Classic