GoldenEye
1995
D: Martin Campbell
**********
Pros: Characterization, Action, Gimmicks, Music, Cast
Cons: No Bond Car Chase, Some Silly Moments
I know that my hot Xennial takes on the Bond franchise may be surprising, but I’m going to say this right now: GoldenEye is the best Bond movie, and the game is better. It does the best job of providing solid characterization while maintaining the gonzo elements that are the franchise’s strongest trait. The problem is that Bond was never the most compelling or well-developed character, and the best strategy is to deconstruct the character to some extent. License to Kill was an early attempt at this, but it was a pretty bland movie. In fact, I believe that most of the character’s popularity came from Sean Connery’s charisma (requiescat in pace), and this late, great actor seemed to agree with me. It also doesn’t help that most of the earlier Bond movies had dated actions scenes and terrible pacing.
As for characterization, Bond is relatively well-developed. He’s still a suave action hero, but the movie acknowledges his dark side. This movie displays the potential consequences of his profession and the toll it takes. Bond hardens himself against any feelings of remorse when a former comrade goes rogue and must be defeated. Pierce Brosnan is perfect in the role. He’s believable as an action hero, at least in his earlier Bond films. His Bond has a charm that belies the focus of a cold-blooded killer. I feel obligated to count Connery as the best Bond, but I like Brosnan better. Then again, many Boomers will just shamelessly go out and say Moore was the best Bond while I’m here being squeamish about it.
GoldenEye also features one the franchise’s best villains: Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean). A true nemesis to Bond, he betrays England and becomes a terrorist bent to hold the world hostage with the eponymous Russian killsat. His past as a 00 also gives him a skill set that matches 007's. Assuming Bond would compromise a mission to help him in a bind, Trevelyan becomes bitter and vengeful toward our hero. His dedication to the self contrasts with Bond’s loyalty to the greater good, further reinforcing him as a foil. Still, Bond admits personal motivations in killing him in cold blood, reflecting that on some level there’s commonality between them. It’s Trevelyan’s lack of principle that enrages Bond, while it’s Bond’s lack of sociability that engrages Trevelyan. I can’t help but see that in a certain fandom. In keeping with the franchise’s tradition of basing villains on celebrities, he is named after a British censor who was a constant thorn in EON’s side. This movie, along with Patriot Games, ensured I was already of fan of Sean Bean before Lord of the Rings. As a macrocosm of this shifting alliances, the movie takes place in the aftermath of the Cold War, focusing on Russia’s adjustment to the Fall of Communism. The cold open takes place during the Cold War, when Trevelyan and Bond were still friends.
On the subject of Bond girls, Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco) is the best of the bunch. While most of these are at best love interests and at worst objects, Natalya is practically a deuteragonist, having her own independent conflict and arc. The only other Bond girl that comes close is Melina from For Your Eyes Only, which happens to one of the less watchable entries in the series. At one point she even calls out Bond for his personal flaws and coldness. Unfortunately, despite this they have an obligatory sex-tease at the end. As much as I love the video game, I hate how it did our heroine dirty, reducing her to an idiot for no apparent reason. In the movie, Natalya’s her connection to the plot was working on the Russian killsat project before Trevelyan’s terrorist organization slaughtered her friends and colleagues to steal it. So what does she do when she finally meets Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming), a co-worker who betrayed her, her country, and her friends to help a mass-murderous organization? She runs up to him and starts absolutely whaling on him while he cowers helplessly. Even Trevelyan just lets her do it for a while. On the other hand, video game Natalya refuses to help you save the world if you just scare Boris.
Another credit to the movie is Moneypenny (Samantha Bond). Her dynamic with Bond is underrated. They have good chemistry as friends while suggesting the idea that they might be potential soulmates. It’s also meaningful that Bond genuinely treats her as a true equal because they don’t automatically have sex. It was one of those ways a promiscuous male character can somehow be acceptable in the conservative culture that produced him. Unfortunately, Die Another Day made it stupid.
GoldenEye features a solid cast of memorable characters. Famke Janssen plays Xenia Onatopp, an evil henchwoman whose signature move is suffocating men with her legs when she has sex with them; she clearly gets sexually aroused when shooting people. Gottfried John plays a traitorous Russian officer. Joe Don Baker is a jolly CIA agent who aids Bond. Robbie Coltrane plays a former KGB foe whose help Bond must seek. Desmond Llewelyn reprises his role as Q, and Judi Dench appears as more modernized interpretation of M. Minnie Driver also has a small role.
The action in the movie is a huge step up from previous works in the series. Great stunts (including Wayne Michaels’ dam bungee jump) and choreography, all in peak 90’s practical effects. The gunfights are visceral with extra’s screaming in pain when they get shot. I’m also happy that they used minuatures for MiG-29’s instead of trying to pass off F-5’s as Russian planes (although it does use an obscure Swiss-American plane in the first scene).
While taking its characters more seriously, the movie refreshingly uses gadgets. I like the Craig movies, but think its shying away from this was throwing the baby out with the bathwater. I mean, this is what’s cool about the Bond franchise. The classic DB5 gets an appearance as Bond’s default car before he’s introduced to his new Z3. Unfortunately the car’s a bit of a letdown, and this is my biggest complaint about the moviie. In a particularly egregious example of product placement, BMW lent a pre-production sales prototype they were reluctant to mess up. Therefore, despite have a respectable weapons set, the Z3 wasn’t used in an action scene, and, no, a tank is not cooler than a Bond car. Not using mockups must be a trademark for Campbell, who also apparently had no choice but to total twelve Aston Martins for a crash in Casino Royale. Then again I wouldn’t be surprised that mocking up a car would cost more than a T-54. I also believe that Bond cars should come in neutral colors, so it doesn’t help that this one is blue.
The comic relief is pretty good, with witty dialogue instead of bad double entendres. However it does have some silly moments. The Q scene has some ill-advised slapstick in the background. A scene in which Xenio takes steals someone’s ID while flashing it to the 4th Wall is a bit camp. Also, Bond is confounded by men in ghillie suits two feet away from him at one moment.
The Intro theme is also my favorite in the franchise by Tina Turner. Its visual aspect was also a watershed moment: all the Bond intros up to this one look the same with their black backrounds, but this one started a trend of each one’s having its own distinctive look. Eric Serra’s score is very memorable, providing the movie with a unique atmosphere. Unfortunately it does sound goofy at times.
I admit this movie has special nostalgic significance to me. I came of age in the gap between this and License to Kill, which was the longest since they started making Bond films. In fact, I knew of James Bond, Jr. before I even heard of James Bond. This may be the first Bond movie I’ve watched, but it still holds up. I’ve noticed that Martin Campbell seems to have a specific talent for this franchise, having made this and Casino Royale. In fact the irony I prefer Disney’s 1950’s Zorro over his movie adaptations.
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