GOLDENEYE (1995)

GOLDENEYE

Directed by Martin Cambell.  Written by Jeffrey Caine & Bruce Fierstein.
Starring Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen, Joe Don Baker, Judi Dench, Robbie Coltrane
1995, 130 minutes, Color, Rated PG-13, Panavision 2.35:1

Commentary:
There was a six year gap between LICENSE TO KILL (1989) and GOLDENEYE (1995).  The reason for this began all the way back in the 1960's.  Producer Kevin McClory worked with Ian Fleming in the late 1950's on a proposed James Bond movie that was not based on any of the books.  When the movie didn't materialize, Fleming used the plot in the 1960 novel THUNDERBALL, without acknowledging (or paying) McClory.  This led to a lawsuit that resulted in EON Productions (the owners of all the other stories except for Casino Royale) and McClory joining forces on the 1965 THUNDERBALL film.  Additionally, McClory retained the rights to the story and certain elements that were introduced in it, notably Blofeld and S.P.E.C.T.R.E.

Flash forward to 1990, where MGM/UA was sold and the new owners decided to put the rights to the Bond franchise up for sale.  This began a series of legal battles over who had the rights (due to both issues with CASINO ROYALE and THUNDERBALL) that were resolved when MGM/UA was again sold and the new owners decided to keep the franchise.  Work began on the next Bond film finally began in earnest in 1994, at which time Timothy Dalton announced that he was stepping away from the role.  A search for a new Bond was started and the role was ultimately offered to Pierce Brosnan, who accepted it.*

GOLDENEYE represented something of a new beginning for the series since many of the faces behind the scenes were different.  Richard Maibaum, who had a hand in writing 13 of the Bond films up to that point, died in 1991.  Martin Campbell ware hired to direct meaning the 5 film streak by John Glen was ended.  Campbell brought an entirely new energy to the series, straddling the line between escapism and realism better than most directors tasked with helming a Bond film.  John Barry was either unavailable or not asked so the music chores were handled by Michael Serra, who brought a decidedly 90's sensibility to the score.  The script was handled by two new writers, Jeffrey Caine and Bruce Fierstein, and they concocted a tale that contains equal parts realism and escapist fun.

GOLDENEYE has an exceptional cast.  Brosnan excels as Bond, bringing a truckload of charisma and presence to the role.  He's more reminiscent of Sean Connery's physicality than any of the other three actors who had played the role up to that point.  He could not quite pull off the physical presence that Connery had, but he brought a real swagger back to the role and is always believable in the fight scenes**.  He also is shown frequently doing many of the stunts.   Sean Bean makes for a different kind of Bond villain, and the backstory between he and Bond works well for the film.  The film also features two attractive female leads in Izabella Scorupco and Famke Janssen.  Janssen especially is a memorable villain and brings real panache as Xenia Onatopp.  Lastly, this was the film that introduced Judi Dench as 'M'.  She would go on to appear in the next six Bond films.

With the "Goldeneye" killer laser satellite, the plot brought a global threat back to the series for the first time since OCTOPUSSY and it was a welcome return.  The visual effects, incorporating both miniature work by Derek Meddings and some early CGI helped sell the story immeasurably.  (The CGI effects have dated far worse than Meddings' work, which I think is outstanding.  Of course, I am partial to such miniature work so your mileage may vary.)

Also welcome is GOLDENEYE's humor, which is somewhat more sophisticated than had been seen in the most recent Bond films. Bond's interactions with Onatopp are especially humorous.  Played down are the pithy one-liners that Moore made famous (and that Dalton could never quite bring off), with most of the humor being decidedly situational in nature.  It's a welcome change, although this too would change as the Brosnan years progressed.

All in all, GOLDENEYE seemed to hint at greater things to come.  Unfortunately, the Brosnan films (for me) never quite live up to the potential on display here.

GOLDENEYE was a late-era special edition laserdisc that featured a number of extra features that would be used on subsequent DVD and Blu-ray releases, including the "World of 007" television special with Elizabeth Hurley, a commentary track with director Martin Campbell and Michael G. Wilson.  Up until the 4k digital versions, every release used the same video master.  The Blu-Ray tweaked it somewhat but it still showed its age.  The 4k version is noticeably better.

Stuff To Like:

• Great special effects add immeasurable scope to the proceedings.  This would prove to be Derek Meddings final film, and he went out on a high note.
• Brosnan brings an entirely different energy to the part than Timothy Dalton.  Dalton was never cool, but Brosnan is.
• Action scenes are well handled.  Especially the tank chase.
• Famke Janssen steals every scene she is in, in a good way.
• Humor veers away from the puerile.  

Stuff to Dislike:

• Bond is seemingly always confronted by bad guys who can't aim well.  While not as bad as the subsequent Brosnan films, GOLDENEYE nevertheless set the path towards the increasingly laughable action scenes for Brosnan in the role.  The escape from the Russian prison is ALMOST too much...almost.
• CGI really dates the film to the mid-1990s.
• Eh, not really a fan of Serra's music score.

Notes:
*Brosnan had been offered the role in 1986 but NBC refused to release him from his Remington Steele television contract.  This was a dick move since NBC had previously announced that the series had been canceled.  However, when Brosnan star heated up due to the Bond talk they un-canceled the series and held him to his contract.  In hindsight, this was probably a good thing as he may have been too young for the role in 1986.  Nine years later he was aged both in years and personal tragedy, and both worked well for him in the role.

**This is notable because Brosnan is not a muscular guy.  There is the odd shot in GOLDENEYE where you see how slight a build he really has.