GoldenEye

	Publisher: United Artists	Running Time: 2 Hours 10 Minutes
	Release Date: November 17, 1995	Format: DVD

After a six year break, James Bond returned to theaters in 1995. This time, however, there was a new Bond. Timothy Dalton decided against reprising the role after so much time had elapsed between License to Kill and the next Bond film, which would be called GoldenEye, named after Ian Fleming's Jamaican estate. Unlike the previous films, GoldenEye was not directly related to any of the books written by Ian Fleming.

The new actor was one that was sought after for the role for quite some time. Originally he was going to replace Roger Moore, but due to a contract with NBC for the prime-time show Remington Steele, was unable to accept. Now with Dalton stepping aside, the producers cast Pierce Brosnan, who would be the face of Bond through the 90s and into the new millennium. With the help of a new director in Martin Campbell, the two would make one of the most thrilling films in the series.

Being both the first Bond film of the 90s and the first in the post-Cold War era, GoldenEye is what should be considered the start of the modern Bond movies. Not only did the plot dramatically change with the fall of the Soviet Union (a traditional rival to MI6 in the series), the advent of the PC was another major change. It is not that PCs had not played some sort of role in the past movies (they were shown on camera going back to when Moore was Bond), but GoldenEye was the first in the series that actually used the new technology to help make the film. The impact would be more profound with the higher budget successor Tomorrow Never Dies.

As far as the plot goes, GoldenEye breaks from the typical mold of wacky villains with either some sort of body attachment (Dr. No), super human strength (Jaws) or mental condition (Max Zorin). Sure, Xenia Onatopp's masochistic tendencies and deadly leg grip are a little weird, but she's not the main character. That role goes to double agent Alec Trevelyan who is set on seeking revenge for the death of his parents that he blames on England. The film features many memorable moments, including the opening scene where Trevelyan is “killed”, a chase through the streets of St. Petersburg and the finale on the cradle where Bond and Trevelyan have one last showdown.

GoldenEye was a much-needed reset after years of beleaguered showings at the box office. Brosnan was the right pick at the right time. He brought together the seriousness of Dalton, the wit of Moore and the good looks and charm of Connery. Unfortunately, GoldenEye was the pinnacle of his career as Bond. Director Martin Campbell would move on to other projects and the series would move in a direction more focused on delivering special effects and gadgets than on a good plot. I might be a little biased growing up during the 90s to say that this is my favorite in the series . That doesn't take anything away from Goldfinger and other classic Bond films. Nonetheless, Brosnan and GoldenEye brought the series into the post-Cold War era and positioned it well for future box office success. If only they had stuck with the GoldenEye formula Brosnan might be remembered as the best of the Bonds.

Final:	10
Written by Kyle	Review Guide

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