REVIEW: GoldenEye (Released in 1995) [25th Anniversary]

DIRECTOR: Martin Campbell

PRODUCERS: Barbara Broccoli & Michael G. Wilson

WRITERS: Michael France (story) & Jeffery Caine & Bruce Fierstein (screenplay)

PERFORMERS: Pierce Brosnan Sean Bean Izabella Scorupco Famke Janssen Alan Cummings with Joe Don Baker and Judi Dench

In the year 1995 a lot of things happened, some of which I remember so fondly because I lived to see them and whenever I look back on the 90's decade, I recall mainly these things: gangsta rapper Eazy-E passed away tragically of AIDS, Bill Clinton was on the verge of his second term as President of the United States, fashion was becoming more and more transcendent through style and I on the other hand was beginning Junior High School. Then there was this: the long awaited revival in one of the most popular franchise films of all time: you know his name, you know his number and his usual introduction... "Bond... James Bond". This was perhaps a very big deal at the time because since 1989's License to Kill, the Bond franchise had been in a drought for six years and only time would tell when it ever get back on it's feet. GoldenEye did more than just revitalize the series, it gave the series new life and new possibilities.

Taking place during two time periods between the Cold War and the New World Order, GoldenEye sees our main hero himself searching for a stolen satellite weapon. In his first portrayal as the legendary super spy, Pierce Brosnan gives a very turning and masterful performance as James Bond. As he carries this film, you see a blend of the former Bond actors of the old days between Sean Connery and Timothy Dalton. He was rather his own type of Bond character, playing him in a way that was considered new to the franchise and to the audience old and new. Ruthless when he needed to be, funny here and there (the bathroom scene in the opening, for instance) and more importantly, always moving and on the job, no matter where he was or what he was doing. One thing about this film that really stood out is the humanity behind the characters and their actions (good or bad). The Sean Bean character in particular, being a major example of that: he goes from trusted partner and close confidant to Brosnan's Bond to suddenly a twisted individual driven by vengeance and retribution against the thing he despises most which is exactly what Bond stands for. Unlike past Bond villains, Bean's character is a complete departure from them as a man who only seeks for himself and shows no remorse in any of his actions once he goes rogue. But the main difference between him and Bond displayed here is that one represents justice and the other is self seeking (PROVERBS 15:7-9 NIV).

Of course, no Bond film would ever be complete nor whole without the women. Now there was always one thing very clear about James Bond: he was a real ladies man, one that every girl wanted. In this film however, he ends up having his hands full with two of them and they both give such stellar performances. Famke Jannsen for her part really delivers a new kind of 'Femme Fatale' as she plays a ruthless Soviet Union soldier who uses pleasure for a weapon of choice. In fact, whenever she goes at it with Brosnan, I can't help but feel like I want to squirm in terror because I get creeped out by her advances towards our hero... it was almost like a younger and more edgier Sharon Stone in 'Basic Instinct' and 'Total Recall'. Izabella Scorupco as the computer programmer and the only surviving member of her ill-fated crew is also just as good. She's tough, smart, tech-savvy and doesn't take no for an answer regardless of the circumstances she's in or getting in. I only wished that she had a chance to show her fighting ability especially in the climax, but even so she still puts on a great performance. Now the romance aspect may be the film's only flaw because of how much some say it slows the film down but when you're James Bond traveling across the world while saving it, you know you're in for some time with the first girl you lay eyes on. After all, you can't have a Bond film without any romance in it, can you?

Director Martin Campbell really knows what a Bond film really is, and considering how this one turned out to be, you would wonder why he came back several years later to do 'Casino Royale (2006)' which also introduced Daniel Craig in the Bond role. But back to this one, Campbell knows action when he sees it, captures it like he knows when it's coming and even makes every effort to display a wide shot on all that's happening whether it's intimate or action packed. He doesn't miss a beat or a single moment's notice as reveals everything and leaves nothing to chance. The effects also, were all practical, not CGI which I also liked because they were common at the time and long before the full blown CGI as we know it today was being put to constant use far more than what we were used to seeing before. From jumping off a dam to chasing a runaway airplane or commandeering a Soviet Union Tank in the middle of a chase and in broad daylight the stunts are what really define this film's action sequences and remind us what James Bond is all about.

This is by far the best 'Bond' film on my list in terms of decade and legacy. I don't think this franchise would not have seen it's light of day had this film not been conceived when it was. Not only was Brosnan the right man for the job, he was the best man for the job. Campbell gave the people exactly what they wanted: a Bond film for the 90's, I was so blessed to have been in that time as young as I was because it's every boy's fantasy to be like James Bond for a day. If you had what he had, you couldn't see yourself doing anything else other than what he does. Just one of those things some of us wish we had growing up. I perhaps would not have been able to handle it, but looking back on this film twenty five years later makes me think: 'Time flew by so fast!'. So much of it has gone by with this film that if not for this, we wouldn't have had that or this other thing. GoldenEye was so popular that it even had a video game for the game console Nintendo '64 and man, was that the hottest game on the market or what? I remember hearing about boys playing that game every day non-stop. Then what followed was more Bond films after this, some of which were good in their own way but not as good as this. Even after all these years, this still stands as the one that revitalized it all and gave it new life and opened doors for more stories to be told and are still being told. Cheers to GoldenEye and wishing it a Happy 25th Anniversary with a dry Vodka Martini, Shaken... not Stirred.

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