Before I review this masterpiece let me brief you on something I watched on TV a few days ago. Accidentally I came across on S-PIX channel an interview with Pierce Brosnan that happened before the release of "Die Another Day". Brosnan was explaining to media persons that his actual contract with the OO7 producers was over but somehow, he had to go on with "Die Another Day". After all finished asking questions, one guy suddenly sprang up and had the following dialogue with Pierce :
Guy : "Mr. Brosnan, tell me some qualities of the next Bond .... " Brosnan : "Well the new Bond will be a well established versatile actor and he shall also be tougher than the Bond the world has ever seen."
Guy : "Mr. Brosnan, I hear many actors are being considered for the role of OO7. So, I sincerely request you to recommend ME also for the role of OO7 ....."
Brosnan : (uncontrollably ..... ) Ha Ha Ha Ha ....... Definitely !
Guy : " ..... Please Mr. Brosnan, I’m serious !" I too couldn’t help and laughed. But it also made me think as to why that poor guy, a commoner was so immersed in the dreams of becoming a OO7. I don’t know what you consider the reason to be. But I’d say James Bond is the dream of every man. Whatever a man ( esp. from the Western Civilisation ) dreams of adventuring is what we see as James Bond. James Bond is a fictional character created by the novelist Ian Fleming. There are three things that James Bond movies are known for (apart fromBond himself): over-the-top action sequences, exotic locales, andgorgeous babes. No other series’s Hero has the class that OO7 has.Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me, Thunderball, From Russia With Loveare memorable ones. We all know for how many years Bond movies have thrilled audience the world over.
But one important movie that is often forgotten is Goldeneye. It saved the franchise from its demise. In the ’80s, Hollywood actors Schwarzenneger, Bruce Willis were established as superstars and movie fans died hard for them not for OO7. After Roger Moore was gone, the tough Timothy Dalton failed to impress the audience who were under the American spell. OO7 lost the pace and also its grip on box office. The result: It seemed for a long while in the early 1990s that we would never see aJames Bond film again, as the franchise became enmeshed in endless legalwrangles and a disillusioned Timothy Dalton decided to quit as OO7. When the legal issues were finally put to rest in 1994, it was announced that another Bond film was going to be made, but not with erstwhile incumbent Timothy Dalton. Thus, GOLDENEYE WAS RELEASED with a new face - Pierce Brosnan.
Brosnan as Bond: Goldeneye was not an easy release as Brosnan had great shoes to fill in. The yester-year success image of Bond that was heavily marred by Dalton’s era had to be revived. I’d like to recall that earlier someone commented for my review on Casino Royale that Brosnan was the worst James Bond to date as his physique never matched that of Connery *and .... *Brosnan was so thin that if he hits the commentor, Brosnan’s wrist would break. Take this: Even before the Dalton era, Pierce Brosnan was originally set to replace Moore. But being tied to a series named "Remington Steele" he couldn’t appear as Bond.. It was only because of Brosnan’s A-grade performance that Goldeneye became a success and today Bond movies are still in existence! Desmond Llewelyn himself branded Brosnan as the best Bond! Obviously .....the Broccolis were not Bloody Fools ! One must understand that James Bond is neither Jackie Chan nor Arnold Schwarzenegger to fight shaolins or predators and robots. He is a spy in form of a real man who faces true villains, none other than humans in THIS real world - not with only his physique but also with his license to kill, skill, gadgets and women. Though Brosnan isn’t my fav Bond, he did deliver his best -GE is of Brosnan what Goldfinger is of Connery . Sadly, his beautiful performance (or should I say contribution) is forgotten because of 007 producers who terribly misused him in TND, TWINE and of course the flamboyant Die Another Day.
Plot: In a post cold war era, Bond has to stop London from being destroyed by an Electromagnetic Pulse triggered weapon that could potentially destroy all information stored electronically (Inflation adjusted to stone age! ). Bond is sent to discover why a satellite station at Severnaya has been destroyed by a satellite named Goldeneye. The good Bond girl is the irresistible Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco) who ’tastes like .... strawberries’ Natalya possesses all the technical ability to neutralize Janus’ scheme or to destroy all computer records with the GoldenEye… As one who survived a mass murder, this lovely beauty teams up with Bond to face, guess who ... Alec who died 9 years ago !
The way Bond races Ferrari in Monte Carlo, the way flaunts his DB5 in Casino, the way he plays Baccarat, the way he drives the Russian tank, the way he kills (seductress) Onatopp.......this movie HAS its moments to make me dream and forget I exist in this world ! Other action sequences that are decent include some good aircraft crashes and explosions into a satellite dish, a great shootout in a military archive, which leads onto the highlight of the movie- an outstanding tank chase through Russia. The climax is also great as well. Its set at the top of a strange scaffolding, and features a great, suspenseful fight between Brosnan and Penn. This IS the movie that made me and many others what I am - a Bond fan !
My favorite quotes:
Bond : "Beg Your pardon....Forgot To Knock ! "
Q : "Don’t touch that ....It’s my Lunch !"
Bond : "She always did enjoy a good squeeze!"
Cons :
Brosnan, riding a bike enters an already falling aeroplane mid air, drives it and escapes from the evil clutches of the Russians. By laws of Physics it’s impossible. How did you do it Mr Brosnan ?
MI-6 agent Alec is fatally shot in his head only to meet Bond 9 years later !
Xenia Onatopp kills men with the weapon which is ..... pleasure (man, she’s dangerous n hot) !
Conclusion: GOLDENEYE IS INVINCIBLE. Not because it’s a great Bond Movie, but bcos it’s an experience and beyond ...... it’s every man’s DREAM !