GoldenEye (1995)

Production issues and legal troubles delayed the production of this, the 17th official entry in the James Bond series. By the time it was made, 007’s greatest adversary, the Soviet Union, had collapsed. The writers took this into account, creating some interesting lines, but they still decided that Mother Russia was their best and most serviceable foe.

Renegade remnants of the USSR hijack a satellite weapon (this marking the THIRD time such a plot has been used) and threaten to wreak havoc with it. Enter Bond to the rescue. Pierce Brosnan fills in the tux for this go-around and he handles himself rather well. Judi Dench as Bond’s boss M also handles him very well, rightly keeping Bond in check and reminding him that the Cold War is over.

Overall, the film is a mixed bag. There’s lots of action and stunts, but the return of over-the-top gadgets, a recycled plot device and a bizarre bad girl (who gets sexual thrills from suffocating people between her thighs) holds it back from being one of the better Bond films. Surprisingly, despite being made in the mid 90s, GoldenEye has a very 80s look and feel to it.

An interesting subplot nearly develops, with Sean Bean playing a turncoat British agent masterminding the whole operation. Sadly, Sean Bean doesn’t exactly fill the role of a genius mastermind very well. He can play villain, sure, but super-smart villain? Not so much. I was also thrown off by the villain having a back story motivating him to do evil things, because Bond villains are usually just evil guys. Trying to rationalize and make us sympathize with the villain’s painful past may be a product of 90s emphasis on psychobabble and being in tune with everyone’s feelings. Stupid hippie talk I say, but hey, GoldenEye is a popcorn flick, and not too bad a one at that.

RATING: 3 out of 5