When a deadly satellite weapon system falls into the wrong hands, only Agent 007 can save the world from certain disaster. Armed with his license to kill, Bond races to Russia in search of the stolen access codes for "Goldeneye," an awesome space weapon that can fire a devastating electromagnetic pulse toward Earth. But 007 is up against an enemy who anticipates his every move: a mastermind motivated by years of simmering hatred. Bond also squares off against Xenia Onatopp, an assassin who uses pleasure as her ultimate weapon. Written by

Plot Synopsis:
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The story opens in 1986, in the Cold War Soviet Union. British secret agent James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and his fellow 00 agent, Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), have infiltrated a secret Soviet chemical weapons production facility with the intention of destroying it. After finding their target, a large room filled with chemical canisters, James begins to plant explosive charges while Alec holds off the facility's guards. Alec is captured by the ruthless General Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov (Gottfried John), who orders Bond to surrender. Bond resets the charge timers from six minutes to three and walks out to surrender just as Ourumov seemingly executes Trevelyan with a bullet to the head. Bond takes cover behind a cart of chemical canisters and moves toward a conveyor belt that leads outside. A soldier with an itchy trigger finger is shot dead by Ourumov when he shoots at Bond. Bond is able to escape on the conveyor belt and shoots out the locks holding hundreds of other canisters which temporarily bury Ourumov's men. Outside the facility, Bond, using a motorcycle, leaps after a plane that falls off a nearby cliff. He successfully regains control of the plane and flies off as the weapons plant explodes.

Nine years later Bond is driving in the mountains near Monaco with a female psychiatrist from MI6 who is assigned to evaluate his mental state. He races down a mountain road, just as another woman, Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), pulls up alongside him in a red Ferrari. A somewhat dangerous driving game ensues between Bond and Xenia, which ends when Bond's psychiatrist demands that he halt the game. Bond does and seduces her.

Bonds current assignment is to observe possible subversive Russian involvement from the Janus crime syndicate in the demonstration of a French hi-tech helicopter called the Eurocopter Tiger, which is unaffected by electromagnetic pulses from nuclear weapons. He is ordered to follow the same woman he raced with earlier, Xenia Onatopp, a Russian helicopter pilot. Xenia has been the mistress of a Canadian Air Force captain. That night, while on the guy's private yacht, she kills in the middle of having sex with him, by crushing his chest between her thighs, while an accomplice steals the admiral's ID. The next morning, Bond searches the yacht and finds the body. He rushes to the site of the Tiger demonstration. As he arrives, Xenia and her accomplice kill the test pilots and steal their uniforms and helmets, then climb into the Tiger. Bond is arrested and watches helplessly as Xenia flies away.

In the wastes of Siberia, at Severnaya, a Russian satellite communications outpost, General Ourumov and Onatopp arrive in the Tiger helicopter, ostensibly for a surprise inspection of the a new satellite weapons system called "Goldeneye." Ourumov orders the commanding officer to hand over the activation keys and control disk for Goldeneye and promptly has Onatopp machine-gun everyone working at the facility to leave no witnesses (while she's using the weapon, she shows signs of sexual excitement). Onatopp and Ourumov then activate one of the two Goldeneye satellites, one which contains a powerful nuclear warhead capable of delivering an electromagnetic pulse (EMP) over Severnaya. Unknown, however, to Onatopp and Ourumov, one of the technicians, Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), was out of the room getting coffee when the others were murdered and is hiding in the kitchen cupboard. Natalya manages to avoid being detected when Xenia enters the kitchen searching for her.

Ourumov and Onatopp escape in the Eurocopter, it being unaffected by the EMP. Three Russian MiGs dispatched to the scene are destroyed; two crash into each other when the electronic components within them are disrupted by the EMP. The last loses power and crashes directly into the huge satellite of the facility, causing the antenna stalk to plunge into the ground. Natalya survives the destruction of the command center and is able to climb out of the underground portion on the antenna stalk.

At MI:6 headquarters, in a high-tech observation room, Bond talks with Tanner, a specialist, who tells him they found the missing Eurocopter at Severnaya by satellite imagery. They also witness the total disruption of images in the region resulting from the EMP. Bond spots a survivor crawling away, Natalya, and reports to his superior, M. Following a brief and tense conversation where she senses Bond doesn't trust her judgment and she tells him he is a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur" and a "relic of the Cold War", she orders him to fly to St. Petersburg to investigate the connections between the Goldeneye weapons system, Ourumov and a mysterious Russian crime syndicate known only as Janus. She also warns him to complete his mission and not be guided by his desire for revenge on Ourumov for Trevelyan's death. Bond drops by Q's lab and is given a wristwatch with a laser, a belt loaded with a cable that can support his weight and an exploding ballpoint pen.

Ourumov meets with Russia's Defense Minister, Dmitri Mishkin, and declares that he is resigning his post in light of the disaster at Severnaya, which he "blames" on separatist nationals. Mishkin is displeased and questions why Ourumov has jumped to such a conclusion given that there was not only one survivor in the disaster, but two. Besides Natalya, another survivor, Boris Grishenko (Alan Cumming), a brilliant computer programmer and hacker, had actually escaped with Ourumov and Xenia and was listed as missing, however, they had not counted on Natalya's surviving the blast. Boris summons her to a chapel via email and she goes there, promptly being captured by Boris and Onatopp.

Bond arrives in St. Petersburg and meets his CIA contact, Jack Wade (Joe Don Baker). Wade agrees to take Bond to the hideout of a Russian gangster, Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane), whom Bond had shot in the leg and given a permanent limp years before (Bond had also stolen Zukovsky's woman.) Zhukovsky is the only connection Bond has to meeting the leader of Janus. Zukovsky is still quite bitter about his wounded leg, nearly shooting Bond but agrees to aid Bond when the agent offers him a bribe of money and explosives. Zukovsky also gives Bond a bit of history about Janus' leader; the man is allegedly the child of Lienz Cossack parents whose tribe had collaborated with the Nazis during World War II and were given refuge by the English government. However, they were betrayed by England and remanded back to USSR where they were all executed under orders from Stalin.

At his hotel's pool and steam room, Bond meets Xenia herself, his lead to Janus. The two fight, with the combat being sexually exciting to Xenia. Bond refuses to be seduced or injured and, pointing his gun at her, orders her to take him to Janus. They arrive at a graveyard of sorts, full of statues of Soviet-era Russian leaders.

Bond knocks Xenia unconscious and walks out into the graveyard to meet Janus. He hears several odd noises, putting him on edge, prompting him to draw his pistol. Much to his shock, "Janus" is Alec Trevelyan, alive and well, although the right side of his face is scarred from the explosives at the weapons facility. Alec explains his origin to Bond; his parents escaped Stalin's execution of their people and fled to England, where Alec was born. After chiding Bond about his loyalty to the mission, England and not to his friend during the Soviet mission years before, Alec has Bond knocked out with a tranquilizer dart to the neck.

Bond wakes up in the pilot's seat of the Eurocopter, which has been programmed to fire its rockets at itself. In the backseat is Natalya. Bond is able to hit the emergency eject button with his head and the two are propelled away from the blast. Bond frees them both and they are almost immediately arrested by Russian police and both are taken to a holding center.

While waiting to be questioned, Bond tells Natalya that he knows who she is, recognizing that her watch is permanently stopped, a sign of the EMP that destroyed Severnaya. She tells him she knows little else besides Ourumov's theft of the Goldeneye control disk and that Boris is working with the general. Minister Mishkin walks in the room and threatens Bond with execution for espionage; Bond counters with accusations of treason by Ourumov. Natalya admonishes them both and answers Mishkin's question as to why Ourumov would steal Goldeneye. Natalya tells him that there is a second satellite with a nuclear weapon. Ourumov suddenly bursts into the room and protests that Mishkin is interfering with his own investigation. Ourumov seizes Bonds Walther PPK and kills a guard and Mishkin, intending to frame Bond. Bond is able to subdue Ourumov and a few guards and he and Simonova escape into the archives. Bond escapes after Natalya is captured by Ourumov. Bond steals a Russian tank and chases after them.

Bond finally tracks them to a train yard where Ourumov and Natalya board a large, black train that serves as Trevelyan's mobile HQ. Further down the tracks, Bond is able to derail the train with the tank and confronts Trevelyan, holding he and Onatopp at gunpoint. Trevelyan summons Ourumov into the room with Natalya whom he holds hostage. Causing a minor distraction by telling Ourumov of Trevelyan's Cossack heritage, he is able to shoot Ourumov but Trevelyan and Xenia escape. Trevelyan locks the train remotely, trapping Bond and Natalya inside, and tells Bond that he's planted explosives on the train with timers set for the same six minutes Bond gave him years before (in actuality, three minutes). Using the laser in his wristwatch, Bond cuts through the floor while Natalya, on a computer console, finds Boris Grishenko's location in Cuba. The two escape the train before it explodes.

The two travel to Cuba and meet Jack Wade, who gives Bond a plane. Bond and Natalya spend a romantic night together, Natalya remarking on how cold Bond's nature is. Bond counters saying that he must kill his old friend to stop him. The two fly over the approximate location where Natalya had traced Boris, a seemingly idyllic lake. A missile fired from under the water cripples their plane and they crash in the jungle. At the crash site, Onatopp rappels down from a chopper and attacks Bond. Bond is able to shoot the chopper down, pulling her into a tree and crushing her ribcage. Bond and Natalya discover that the lake really hides a giant satellite dish embedded in the earth. Alec and Boris have activated the second satellite's nuclear bomb and have programmed it to explode over London; Alec's plan is one of revenge against England's betrayal of his Cossack heritage; the EMP will destroy every computer system causing nationwide chaos. The blast will also erase all financial records, but not before Alec has had Boris break into the Bank of London and loot billions of pounds.

Bond and Natalya make their way inside; Bond places explosive charges near fuel pipes and Natalya finds a computer terminal to block Boris' programming of the Goldeneye satellite.A brief gunfight ensues and the fuel pipes are punctured, causing the flammable fluid to begin pooling nearby Alec's and Boris' command terminal. Bond is captured, as is Natalya, and both are brought to Trevelyan, who quickly and easily disarms the bombs Bond planted. Boris discovers that Natalya has changed his access codes for the satellite and Trevelyan threatens to kill Bond if Natalya doesn't undo her work. Having picked up Bond's grenade pen, Boris begins playing with it, pressing the button and activating the charge. Bond knocks the grenade into the pool of leaking fuel where it explodes, causing a fire which threatens the entire facility. Alec orders Boris to regain control of the satellite. Trevelyan races off to find Bond and chases him to the satellite dish's large antenna while Natalya takes control of a helicopter and its pilot. On the antenna, Bond and Alec battle hand-to-hand. During the fight, Bond is able to block the gearing mechanism controlling positioning of the antenna, which prevents Boris from regaining control of the nuke in orbit. It subsequently burns up and the facility explodes. Boris appears to survive and declares himself invincible when a shower of liquid nitrogen freezes him instantly, killing him.

Still fighting hand-to-hand, Bond and Alec find themselves at the bottom stalk of the antenna, hundreds of feet above the dish. The fight ends with Bond throwing Alec over the side, holding onto his former friend's boot. Alec asks if Bond intends to drop him "For England, James?" Bond replies "No. For me." and lets go. Alec plummets to the bottom of the dish and is still alive. Bond leaps to safety from the disintegrating antenna onto the helicopter Natalya has commandeered and flies off just as the antenna collapses, landing directly on Alec. The pilot leaves them in a nearby field where they are met by Jack Wade and a small unit of U.S. Marines.

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Pietka from Seattle, WA
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This is by far one of the best Bond films simply because it does not try to be a Bond film. GoldenEye demonstrates an impressive independence that separates it from the tried-and-true-but-getting-boring Bond formula. The one liners are not that great, but the action sequences are mindblowing. The chase scene is the best I have ever seen in any movie. Period. Purists will complain that there is a lack of gadgetry, but let them pout and go back to MacGyver reruns. Possibility is not permissibility. Just because Bond has a snazzy car does not mean that he has to utilize every perk that Q has included. It is a relief that the writers did not force a new scene just to show off the car. The movie does not need one, which helps it to maintain its quality as not just a Bond movie, but a high quality action movie that can stand on its own. You will even find (gasp!) . . . character building! There is actually dialogue between Q and Bond, instead of just a briefing and some commands. Brosnan more than holds his own against past Bonds, and offers some of that GQ gentlemen element found missing in some of the past ones. Bond fan, action fan, any fan, check this one out. I even made my girlfriend watch it, and even she enjoyed it. Chances are you will too.

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from United Kingdom
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After a 6 year hiatus the producers needed to make this film good enough to bring Bond back to the forefront, and in comparison to the films that followed, I believe this to be the best. Without a cold war to fuel plot lines, the story is able to step into new territories, with many great plot elements. Pierce Brosnan portrays Bond amazingly well in my opinion, and ties all the classic 007 elements together flawlessly. Although adhering to the Bond foundations, this film has a great, fresh feel to it, I think partly due to the industrial style score by Eric Serra. I think you need to see this film more than once to fully appreciate it, but it is definitely a classic!

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TimBoHannon from Seattle Washington area
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Much had changed for James Bond since Sean Connery first took the role in 1962. The series had taken a turn for the worse in the seventies, when five films were made but zero good ones were. Still, the public was willing to grant Bond limitless amnesty that decade, even as his escapades grew less and less exciting and more and more campy with each new film. The 70s came and went, ushering in the 80s, which kicked off well with 1981's "For Your Eyes Only." However, it went all downhill from there as the public finally stopped tolerating the bad movies and his popularity tanked in favor of superior competition. Bruce Willis and Arnold Schwarzenegger became mega stars during that time, and the emergence Indiana Jones was making Bond look dull and decrepit by comparison. Tim Burton's summer sweep of the cinemas with "Batman" in 1989 exacerbated Bond's woes, and when legal disputes arose between the production company and the studio shortly thereafter, it appeared that Bond had finally died his horrible but well deserved death.

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. Pierce Brosnan was given the role after being forced to reject it in the late eighties, and production began. The success of the film was crucial. If it lacked spark or came across as campy, it was likely that Bond would be finished forever. With the stakes in mind, the Broccoli family (the Bond producers) hired an all-new creative team and set to work re-establishing 007 in a new era.

I knew none of that when I first saw the film in 1999. It was my introduction to the world of James Bond, and was a truly an exceptional first handshake. Knowing what I know now, and seeing the Bond films I have seen now, I still find it as worthwhile as I did then, and I am forever thankful that it was made well enough to not only resuscitate Bond, but propel him into the nineties with the momentum of a blazing fastball.

The film opens in the eighties, ironically, with a scene depicting the Bond and Agent 006, real name Alec Trevelyan, being detected inside a Soviet chemical weapons factory. This section also introduces the character of Ourumov (Gottfried John), who murders Alec seemingly on a whim.

Nine years later, Bond meets an appealing young lady (Famke Janssen) while driving...make that playfully racing, near Monte Carlo. Suspicious, he follows her to a nearby casino where he finds out that her name is Xenia Onatopp and she carries ties to the Janus crime syndicate in St. Petersburg. He chases Xenia when he suspects an imminent crime, but is not in time to avert her theft of the Tiger--a helicopter that is hardened to all forms of electronic interference.

Back at MI-6 headquarters, the Tiger is spotted via satellite at Russian satellite control facility, and it soon becomes obvious that the copter is merely part of a grander scheme to steal a scary satellite weapon called GoldenEye. What it does can be described with words, but not with as much clarity as seeing it in the movie (there are lapses in the visuals here, but the sight is so impressive that they hardly matter). Bond then departs for St. Petersburg to find the Janus head man (Sean Bean) and stop him from using GoldenEye on a more vulnerable target. Much mystery surrounds the identity of Janus, but it is in the trailer and I suspect most people know it by now.

There are several reasons that "GoldenEye" is the best Bond film made in many, many years. The first is the tone, which has ushered out all of the giddy goofiness of Roger Moore's films and assumed one reminiscent of the earliest Bond films. The sets, the camera work and the dialogue all come across as subtle, subconscious reminders of why Bond became so beloved to begin with.

I always felt there were two major problems with the Bonds of the seventies and eighties. The first is the inane tone (exception: "For Your Eyes Only,"), a point I am driving into the ground. With the same exception, they also featured uniformly unexciting (read it: bad) action plus horrendous acting. There are light moments in "GoldenEye," as there should be, but the correct tone is never compromised.

The only problem is that there is a little too much padding in the middle. The story is well told, although there is a meeting with Bond and Valentin Zukovsky (reprised by Robbie Coltrane in "The World is Not Enough") that has no significance to the advancement of the story. It is unnecessary and causes the film to drag some. After Bond meets Janus, though, prepare for the film to take off, as there will be little rest from there on out.

Just like in the early Bonds, the acting transcends the genre. Pierce Brosnan is the clear focal point, and is mostly successful. He seems too reserved at times, as if he is a little timid at acting his best for fear it might look bad. He does not lack charm, though, because there is something about Pierce that makes him the ultimate ladies man on screen and off.

More successful is Sean Bean as James's opponent. Bean brings cold, subtle intensity to the role that shows off the acting skills that got him cast in "The Fellowship of the Ring." General Ourumov, who is in bed with Janus, provides a second bad guy. Gottfried John portrays him as a demonstrative brute, and his style provides a fine foil to Bean's controlled anger. Alan Cumming plays an evil computer nerd who provides most the light moments I referred to earlier. Fellow X-Man Famke Janssen's character is downright demented, and will not be forgotten easily.

My friends, I have just explained why "GoldenEye" is a most superior Bond film that brought Agent 007 back from the dead and won over a new generation of fans. The best way I can think of to conclude this review is to comment on the film's conclusion. At one point it involves a brawl between Bond and Janus (who is referred to by his real name by that time) that buries just about every other one in the series. While it does quite not take the gold from the fistfight that opens "Thunderball," is does serve as a final reminder that Bond is indeed back, and that he is once again a force best not ignored.

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jbrolly (jbrolly@loyola.edu) from Plainview, New York
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Bond is back and better than ever. OK, he may not be better than ever but he's better than he's been in some time. GoldenEye has a great opening scene that is more entertaining than most entire movies. It involves bungee jumping, guns, motorcycles, planes, and nerve gas among other things. Pierce Brosnan's first effort as Bond is a remarkable one. The movie has good acting, good action, and humor. It's great escapism from start to finish. The women are beautiful and Famke Jannsen and Sean Bean play their roles well. GoldenEye also boasts one of the best finales of the series in which Bond must take on the villain atop a gigantic satellite dish. As stated earlier, Brosnan is terrific as Bond. He's suave, witty, charming, looks good in a suit, and has a capacity for action. In conclusion, this is a thrilling Bond from start to finish and should not be missed. Out of 4 stars - 3.5

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Righty-Sock (robertfrangie@hotmail.com) from Mexico
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Brosnan has the look, the style, the intelligence and the bravura that James Bond should have… As charming, sophisticated, and always in control of the situation, Bond called upon all his ability for improvising escapes from truly impossible situations… The new Bond drives a BMW, remains preferring his vodka martinis 'shaken but not stirred,' and uses a Walther PPK, 7.65mm… The famous announcement "Bond, James Bond" is changed…

The plot line of "Goldeneye" revolves around an international terrorist organization calling itself Janus that steels a top-secret Russian weapon system named GoldenEye and threatens to use it to destroy a major European city unless paid off…

Bond's mission was to find and stop the GoldenEye, struggling with a sadistic assassin, a treacherous general, an 'invincible' computer hacker, and most dangerous of all, a colleague and friend…

The opening scene is spectacular with a great bungee jump from a top of a dam to an exciting racing over a cliff in a motorcycle and skydiving into a crushing private plane… Martin Campbell's film comes with a phenomenal tank chase through the streets of St. Petersburg; a brutal showdown in the jungle; and a battle to the death on a high gantry…

Goldeneye's female characters are honestly beautiful with particular techniques… The bad one is Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), an ex-Soviet fighter pilot who tranquilly smokes big cigars and knocks off her victims with her 'killer thighs.' In one scene, she challenges Bond's legendary Aston Martin DB5 to a wild road race outside Monte Carlo with her red Ferrari; in another she was so smart that she snatches a top-secret helicopter from under the noses of the French navy…

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 is suddenly a marked woman…

The other supporting actors are all fine:

Sean Bean plays a potentially fascinating bad character, the embittered and cynical traitor who was believed to have been killed on a mission… Alec Trevelyan has sworn revenge on the country that was responsible for his parents' suicide…

Alan Cumming plays the 'invincible' Boris Grishenko who sees crime as a chance to show off his skills; and Gottfried John, the renegade ambitious general who provides inside access to Russian military secrets…

Award-winning Judi Dench is terrific as Bond's unshaken spy chief…

Samantha Bond as MoneyPenny puts forward for consideration that Bond's behavior might be interpreted as sexual harassment…

Serena Gordon as the neurotic MI6 assessor Caroline evaluates 007 for just 'trying to show off the size of his… ego.'

One familiar face among the MI6 staff was that of the redoubtable Q, played once again by Desmond Llewelyn who introduces 007 to his latest chariot, the BMW Z3… Although convertible, this agile vehicle doesn't play a significant action role in the film… Q doesn't forget to deliver Bond a typical leather belt, a watch that expels a laser beam, and a silver pen used to clever effect…

The 17th Bond film takes us from Russia, Puerto Rico, Monaco and back to England… It features one of the best title tunes performed by the "Queen of Rock & Roll," Tina Turner…

For trivia buffs: Kate Gayson appears as an extra at the Chemin De Fer table at Monte Carlo's gambling casino; she's the daughter of Eunice Gayson, who played Bond's fetching girlfriend, Sylvia Trench in the first two Bond films, "Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love." It was to Sylvia Trench that Sean Connery uttered his first line of dialog, "I admire your luck, Mr. ...?"

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Ben Burgraff (cariart) from Las Vegas, Nevada
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GOLDENEYE, the long-delayed debut of Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, was a film mired in MGM's convoluted legal problems for six years, problems which had nothing to do with the 007 franchise, but which happened to fall at the worst possible time; after Timothy Dalton's 'Serious Bond' experiment, LICENCE TO KILL, failed to break even in U.S. markets. Despite international grosses that made the film a profitable venture, many American critics, long grumbling that the Bond series had outlasted it's welcome, heaped abuse on the newer, leaner direction for 'Bond', and it's taciturn, less light-hearted star...and, with MGM's decision to put the expensive series 'on hold' until their own legal and financial issues could be resolved, LICENCE TO KILL became the unfair 'scapegoat' for the delay.

Much happened during the six-year hiatus; with the collapse of the Soviet Union, the Communist undercurrent of many Bond films (and the subject of most of Ian Fleming's novels) was lost; Richard Maibaum, the series' most prolific screenwriter, passed away, and ill health forced legendary producer Albert ('Cubby') Broccoli to turn over his duties to his daughter Barbara, and stepson, Michael G. Wilson (thus ending the other 'prime' 007 screenwriter's script contributions); many other key production figures would retire, die, or move on; and finally, as the delay continued, Timothy Dalton, nearing 50, announced that he was no longer interested in playing James Bond (sparking rumors that Eon Productions, no longer honor-bound by the senior Broccoli's choices, had given him 'the boot').

While all this opened the door for Pierce Brosnan's long-awaited debut as 007 (after his aborted first attempt, in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS), with a new 'look' and style for the franchise, whether audiences would even accept a new 'James Bond' adventure was in doubt.

Fortunately, everything 'worked'. Brosnan, now 42, was more ruggedly believable as 007 than he would have been, at 34, and Dame Judi Dench, as the first woman 'M' (referring to Bond as a "sexist, misogynist dinosaur"), proved a perfect successor to the late Bernard Lee. While the plot of the film, involving the master plan of a renegade Russian General (Gottfried John) and an assumed dead 006 (Sean Bean) to use an electronic warfare system (GoldenEye) against England was nothing new, Brosnan's daring-do and one-liners (with humor restored to the franchise), as he proved his value in the new world 'order', found an audience 'primed' for James Bond's return...and the welcome cameo of the series' last original 'regular', "Q" (Desmond Llewelyn, 81, and as cranky as ever), cemented 007's links to both the past and the future.

James Bond's greatest crisis, whether he still had 'Box Office', had been overcome, and with audience favorite Pierce Brosnan in place, his emergence into the 21st century was assured.

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Jerry Jones from United States
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*** 1/2

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Izabella Scorupco, Sean Bean, and Famke Janssen.

Double-0 agent James Bond, still as suave and sophisticated as he was in the last film, enters Russia in search of the stolen Goldeneye satellite.

After six years without 007, the fans needed a movie like this. Just about everything in this works, from the witty plot to Pierce Brosnan as the new Bond. And I can't review this without complimenting Sean Bean as the series best villain.

Rank in the Series: 1st

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uds3 from Longmont, Colorado
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After a 6 year hiatus due to protracted legal wranglings as to WHO owned the BOND film rights, GOLDENEYE was finally made! It was worth the wait! With the almost impossible assignment of both retaining the quintessential METHOD of the Connery period and the need to drag Bond screaming into the new millennium and its new technology, Martin Campbell actually pulled it off.

Brosnan, though not my personal favorite I have to say, did a damn near remarkable job, by not only bringing elements of Connery, Dalton and Moore to the role, but by stamping it with his own identity (he WAS actually first choice ahead of Dalton but was contractually tied to REMINGTON STEELE and could not gain a release!)

Wishing to link back with the earlier mega successful Bonds, the very title of GOLDENEYE was inspirational, immediately bringing to mind the latent image of GOLDFINGER. Not one half bad title song either compared to some recent efforts.

With Bernard Lee's sad demise, Judy Dench made a brilliant replacement as M, all balls and bravado. Similarly, Moneypenny is now a strictly new-age secretary admonishing 007 for his sexual harassment of her good self! Dearest of all, Desmond Llewelyn still shines as "Q" berating 007 for his behaviour and telling him to "grow up."

Famke Janssen is a throw-back to the good old days of Bond badgirls as the aptly named Xenia Onatopp. Izabella Scorupco however must be the most beautiful of all the "good" Bond girls. Feminine to the core and everything the average man would want to love and protect she is is simply yummy.....no more so than when she chides 007's cold-war repartee with his Russian counterpart as "Boys with Toys" Soo cute!

Action was at a premium from the rip-snorting bungee-jump (pre-credits) to the climactic battle atop the communications tower. Everything gelled in this movie to elevate it to amongst the top 5 Bond films...no question! Top dialog, state of the art fx, innuendos on tap and a really first rate villain. Shame none of the later Brosnan outings have come close to this one!

8.8 out of 10!

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Anders Aslund (anders.aslund@xpress.se) from Karlstad, Sweden
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Sorry y'all. I think this is the best James Bond ever. Not only because Pierce Brosnan IS James Bond, or because it feels modern having a woman (and what a woman!) cast as M. Or even the fact that this film actually is just a little bit believable...

I love the feel of it. The part where JB races through ... Moscow, is it? I dunno ... with a tank is just superb.

There is only one thing I dislike: why oh why did they have to put the BMW in the film? They don't use it!It's in the film for only a couple of minutes, not even that. Product Placement at its worst. And it's such an UGLY car!

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mOVIemAN56
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After coming of the failures of The Living Daylights and License to Kill, Bond bounces back with a new 007. James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) is sent to discover why a satellite station at Severnaya has been destroyed by a satellite named Goldeneye. Along his mission, Bond receives help from the joyful CIA agent Jack Wade and the beautiful Severnaya operative Natalya Simonova(Izabella Scorupco).

Throughout the movie Bond fights in a library and drives a tank through Moscow. The story for a Bond movie was solid and Goldeneye brought my favorite villain in Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean). Brosnan does a great job as the charming 007 and Izabella Scorupco as the Bond girl. Goldeneye comes along with lovable characters and hateful villains, amazing action sequences and a great hatred between Bond and Trevelyan.

Goldeneye. Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Izabella Scorupco, Sean Bean, Gottfried John. 3 1/2 out of 5 Stars.

official james bond series|russian|agent|russia|chemical weapons|electromagnetic pulse|showdown|fire|cuba|general|satellite|chase|escape|massacre|assassin|military|army|tank|research station|missile|top secret|british|enemy|train|helicopter|terrorist|jungle|computer|die hard scenario|female gunfighter|opening action scene|terrorist plot|seaplane|subtitled scene|espionage|airport|gunfight|sauna|church|exploding train|gadget watch|mixed caps in title|one word title|brawl|fight|one man army|tough guy|warrior|grenade|conspiracy|sadist|london england|mexican standoff|bungee jumping|beach|megalomaniac|mercenary|exploding tank|museum|disfigurement|plane crash|ak 47|action hero|friend turned foe|year 1995|post soviet russia|blood splatter|blood|gun duel|gun battle|slow motion scene|bullet time|1990s|year 1986|1980s|returning character with different actor|kissing while having sex|mixed martial arts|held at gunpoint|russian general|soldier|hand to hand combat|karate|fistfight|seventeenth part|lifting a female into the air|lifting someone into the air|lifting an adult into the air|good versus evil|cemetery|airplane|pistol|gangster|shootout|silencer|female assassin|motorcycle|snow|terrorism|evil man|unsubtitled foreign language|train explosion|exploding helicopter|exploding car|woman with a gun|dominant woman|color in title|riviera|cult figure|cult film|hero killing woman|aston martin|head butt|tattoo on butt|russian army|card game|spy camera|gambling house|gambling casino|casino owners|casino card game|motorcycle stunt|rogue agent|reboot of series|spying|spy mission|secret service|secret service agent|secret agent|laser|intelligence|intelligence agent|intelligence agency|high tech|gadgetry|gadget car|british secret service|britain|bond girl|evil plot|british intelligence|train wreck|leg scissors|female killer|shot to death|shot in the forehead|shot in the foot|shot in the chest|shot in the back|rough sex|loss of friend|exploding building|car accident|violence|trap|murder|kidnapping|hostage|gun|falling from height|explosion|death|car chase|bathroom|elevator|st. petersburg russia|strangulation|poetic justice|martial arts|electro magnetic pulse|partner|player|sequel|blockbuster|revolving door|slide locked back|villainess|bungee jump|revenge|russian mafia|spy turned terrorist|timebomb|computer cracker|sadism|gatling gun|machine gun|ejection seat|see you in hell|colonel|spy|casino|satellite dish|laser cutter|boat|innuendo|wheelchair|villain|organized crime|former soviet union|reverse footage|nuclear weapons|machismo|vengeance|internet|suffocation|gadget|cossack|post cold war|baccarat|title spoken by character|

AKAs Titles:


Certifications:
Argentina:13 / Australia:PG / Brazil:12 / Canada:PA (Manitoba) / Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) / Canada:AA (Ontario) / Canada:13+ (Quebec) / Denmark:16 / Finland:K-16 / Germany:16 / Iceland:12 / Ireland:15 (Original rating) / Netherlands:12 / New Zealand:PG / Norway:15 / Philippines:PG-13 / Portugal:M/12 / Singapore:PG / Singapore:PG13 (re-rating) / South Korea:15 / Spain:13 / Sweden:15 / UK:12 (cut) / UK:15 (uncut) (2006 ultimate edition) / USA:PG-13 (certificate #34064)