Goldeneye Goldeneye Rejoice, Bond fans, for "Goldeneye", is well worth your hard earned sheckels. I must admit, I have not been very impressed with the last ten or so Bond films. Burdened with weak plotlines, and the anemic presence of Roger Moore, the Bond films of the seventies and eighties were at times just okay, and could even be painful (Just take a gander at "A View to a Kill" if you've forgotten). Timothy Dalton was a very good Bond, but was wasted in two sub-par offerings that almost destroyed the series.
Now, Bond is back, and he's portrayed by Remington Steele himself, Pierce Brosnan. You know what? The guy was BORN to play this role. Brosnan is absolutely fantastic as Bond, giving the role some much needed ruthlessness. The plotline of "Goldeneye" revolves around a renegade Russian general and his evil scheme to seize a supposedly non-existent laser cannon satellite. As usual, Bond is called upon to save the world, and to nail as many babes as he can along the way.
What catches one's attention about "Goldeneye" is the way the film is presented. There's a "back to basics" feel to the whole experience that reminds one of the very best Bond films. The villains of the piece are reminiscent of classic Bond bad guys like Goldfinger and Dr. No; there's a minimum of high tech gadgetry, with more of a reliance on characterization and smart dialogue; best of all, the lead female characters are two of the most capable women ever featured in a Bond movie. Of course, both are gorgeous, but they also have skills. I mean, any woman who can kill a man by crushing him between her thighs has got a future in the spy business.
And of course, there's the action sequences. I kid you not: the opening montage in "Goldeneye" is the best ten minutes I've ever seen in a Bond movie. There's also stuff like the Tonka truck tank chase through St. Petersburg, with enough destruction to please the dirty little demolitionist in all of us; the way cool climactic fight scene between secret agents; and...well, see for yourself. Director Martin Campbell has crafted one heck of a movie, and if "Goldeneye" is any indication, the James Bond series is in very good shape for a long time to come.
Copyright 1995 John A. Lavin