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"When the world is the target and the threat
is real, you can still depend on one man. You know the name. You
know the number."
James Bond, agent 007 (Pierce Brosnan), must
save the world when a top secret space weapon Goldeneye, a satellite
which triggers a nuclear pulse in the target area which destroys
all electronic equipment, falls into the wrong hands, that have
evil intentions for its use, to use it against Great Britain.
Along the way he encounters danger, beautiful women, AND a deadly
ex- British agent, who turns out to be an old friend of Bond's,
Alec Trevalyan (Sean Bean).
While on vacation, Bond runs into a beautiful
but deadly Russian mafia killer, Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen).
He makes her acquaintance first in an impromptu wild car race
down a winding mountain road, and then again around the gaming
tables of a high-class casino, as she hangs on the arm of a
military man, a fool who is about to die with a smile on his
face. Though the cold war is over, the Russian mafia is up to
no good, and soon James Bond is on her trail, and nearly stops
her from stealing a new Tiger Helicopter, a new prototype that
is impervious from any form of jamming.
Then, because they are bad guys with a dastardly
plan, they attack the Siberian facility that houses the top
secret Goldeneye, killing without mercy all but two people who
worked there. One person, Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco)
had gone on her break, right before the killing began and managed
to hide from psychopathic killer Xenia. The second person to
escape the slaughter, was Boris Grishenko (Allan Cumming), a
nerdy computer programmer who of course was in cahoots with
the bad guys.
Bond is sent to Russia, to find the very frightened
Natalya who had gone underground, deal with the bad guys, stop
their plan and get Goldeneye away, back to safe territory.
Quite simply, this is the best bond flick in
years. The screenplay, by Jeffrey Caine and Bruce Feirstein,
is a well written James Bond yarn that offers a lot to James
Bond fans, and people who like exciting spy adventures, with
some comical moments added as well. At one point James is captured.
Dimitri Mishkin (Tchéky Karyo), the Russian Defense Minister
who is working with the mafia: "So, how shall we execute
you, Mr. Bond?" Bond answers him: "What, no small
talk? No chit-chat? You know, that's the problem these days.
No one bothers to take the time to give a really sinister interrogation."
Adding to the greatness of the script, is the
marvelous direction, by Martin Campbell, and great cast of actors
and actresses.
The action sequences are exciting, and up to
the high standards of traditional 007 action flicks. The opening
sequence starts with a bungee jump down a wall of a dam, as
007 and 006 are on a mission to destroy a Russian nerve gas
factory. When 006 is thought to be dead, only Bond makes a fantastic,
if improbable escape that is fantastically entertaining.
Another favorite scene is Bond's fantastic
gun work to escape with Natalya in tow from the nasty Russian
Defense Minister, and the subsequent crazy tank chase that followed.
Of course, the exciting ending sequences, including
a one on one fight between Bond and Alec, aren't to be missed
either.
Pierce Brosnan, who plays Bond with great finesse,
carries the film marvelously. Combining the danger of Sean Connery
and the smoothness of Roger Moore, Brosnan is equally convincing
doing action scenes, thinking quick on his feet, shooting the
bad guys, and kissing the girls.
Sean Bean, who has a talent in playing intense
villains, is convincing as Bond's equal foe, Alec Trevalyan.
Izabella Scorupco does a great job as the woman,
who helps Bond find the ones responsible for killing her colleagues,
and stealing Goldeneye.
Allan Cumming, a very versatile actor, is very
convincing as the slimy, despicable, nerdy ex coworker of Natalya,
whose traitorous, self-gaining actions cost innocent people
their lives, and puts Natalya and Bond in mortal danger as well.
"I am inVINcible!" A pen gets him in the end.
Back at British Secret Service Headquarters,
M (Judy Dench), Q (Desmond Llewelyn), and Miss Moneypenny (Samantha
Bond) are there to help, to scold, and advise James.
The long-suffering character, Q, is in charge
of the specially armed gadgets and cars that the agents are
issued to use. He has been in the James Bond movies since the
beginning, and James never returns a car in one piece, let alone
in running condition. After explaining the new car to Bond,
he quips."Need I remind you, 007, that you have a license
to kill---not to break the traffic laws!"
Another regular character introduced is a folksy
American agent, Jack Wade (Joe Don Baker), who James finds annoying,
but helpful.
M (Judy Dench) a new director on board, scolds
Bond on his weaknesses for women: "I think you are a sexist
misogynist dinosaur, a relic from the Cold War." Judy does
a good job as a hardened director, that does have some soft
spots, and a droll sense of humor. "If I want sarcasm,
I'll speak to my children."
A new secretarial Miss Moneypenny (Samantha
Bond), quips and jokes with James Bond, and puts up with his
innuendos.
This action film is meant for adult audiences,
17 and over.
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