Monday, April 22, 2013

GoldenEye Review (Updated)













GoldenEye


Release Date: 26th December 1995 - Australia


Production Companies
Eon Productions (made by)
United Artists


Genre: Action

Rating: M

Runtime: 124 minutes


Budget: $60,000,000

Box Office Gross: $352,194,034 (Worldwide)


Plot Summary
When a powerful satellite weapon system called "GoldenEye" gets stolen, only Agent James Bond 007 can stop those responsible. Sent to Russia to find the space weapon that fell into
the wrong hands, Bond
must investigate the
identity of a syndicate,
Janus, who stole it from
a Russian research
facility after an accident.
Meanwhile, Bond must
confront a sexy but
deadly female assassin.
And the renegade Russian
General Ourumov. Both
happened to be working
for Janus. But when
James discovers that the
mastermind behind this
evil plot and syndicate is
an old friend who is now
his worst enemy and
knows every move from
the intrepid spy.


Cast
Pierce Brosnan - James Bond
Sean Bean - Alec Trevelyan
Izabella Scorupco - Natalya
Simonova
Judi Dench - M
Desmond Llewellyn - Q
Famke Janssen - Xenia
Onatopp
Alan Cumming - Boris
Grishenko
Joe Don Baker - Jack Wade
Robbie Coltrane - Valentin
Zukovsky
Tcheky Karyo - Dimitri
Mishkin
Gottfried John - General
Ourumov
Samantha Bond - Miss
Moneypenny
Michael Kitchen - Bill Tanner
Serena Gordon - Caroline
Simon Dunz - Severnaya
Duty Officer
Pavel Douglas - French
Warship Captain
Olivier Lajous - French
Warship Officer
Billy J. Mitchell - Admiral Chuck Farrell
Constantine Gregory - Computer Store Manager
Minnie Driver - Irina
Michelle Arthur - Anna
Ravil Isyanov - MIG Pilot
Vladimir Milanovich - Croupier
Trevor Byfield - Train Driver
Peter Majer - Valentin's Bodyguard
Michael G. Wilson - Russian Security Council
Member (Cameo) (Uncredited)
Martin Campbell - Cyclist (Cameo) (Uncredited)

Crew
Director - Martin Campbell
Based on Characters - Ian Fleming
Story - Michael France
Screenplay - Jeffrey Caine and
Bruce Fierstein
Script Supervisor - June Randall
Associate Producer - Anthony Waye
Executive Producer - Tom Pevsner
Consulting Producer - Albert R. Broccoli (Uncredited)
Producers - Michael G. Wilson
and Barbara Broccoli
Casting Director - Debbie McWilliams
Dialogue Coach - Andrew Jack
Production Designer - Peter Lamont
Supervising Art Director - Neil Lamont
Art Directors - Andrew Ackland-Snow,
Kathrin Bunner and Charles Dwight Lee
Assistant Art Directors - Michael Boone,
Steven Lawrence and James Hambidge (Uncredited)
Storyboard Artists - Martin Asbury
and Syd Cain
Construction Coordinator - Tony Graysmark
Production Buyer - Ron Quelch
Set Decorator - Michael Ford
Property Master - Barry Wilkinson
Costume Designer - Lindy Hemming
Hairdressing Supervisor - Colin Jamison
Director of Photography - Phil Meheux
Second Unit Cameraman - Harvey Harrison
Camera Operator (Uncredited)/Model
Unit Camera Operator - David Worley
Production Manager - Philip Kohler
Unit Production Manager - Callum McDougall
Assistant Director - Gerry Gavigan
Assistant Director: Second Unit - Terry Madden
Second Unit Director - Ian Sharp
Additional Unit Director/Photographer -
Arthur Wooster
Stunt Coordinator - Simon Crane
Parachute Coordinator - B.J. Worth
Action Helicopters - David Paris and
Peter Flynn
Aviation Advisor - Mike Woodley
Car Chase Stunts - Remy Julienne
Special Effects Supervisor - Chris Corbould
Special Effects Floor Supervisors -
Steve Hamilton and Andy Williams
Visual Effects Coordinator - Mara Bryan
Miniature Effects Supervisor - Derek Meddings
Modeller Head of Department - Brian Smithies
Art Director: Model Unit - Michael Lamont
Visual Effects Photographer - Paul Wilson
Model Unit Camera Operator - John Morgan
Editor - Terry Rawlings
Supervising Sound Editor - Jim Shields
Sound Re-Recording Mixers - Michael Carter,
Graham V. Hartstone and John Hayward
Title Designer: Main Titles - Daniel Kleinman
Unit Publicist - Geoff Freeman
Composer: James Bond Theme - Monty Norman
Music/Writer/Performer: "The Experience of
Love" - Eric Serra
Performer: "Goldeneye" - Tina Turner
Writers/Executive Producers: "Goldeneye" -
Bono and The Edge
Music Editor - Robert Hathaway


Review
In 1995, after six years without a Bond film, James Bond was re-introduced to a new generation of fans. Audiences saw him again on the big screen for the first timeGOLDENEYE relaunches the franchise into the modern era and completely re-evaluates its status. Martin Campbell's direction defines the movie as a combination of explosive action and thrills with a bit of humour. The plot is highly intricate, and the characters are remarkable.

Pierce Brosnan not only got a fresh start in portraying the secret agent but also gives charm and dashing looks to the main character without giving him a comedic or darker attitude, and shows an emotional side of Bond that we never see in the originals. The acting performances (aside from Brosnan) are sublime, like Sean Bean playing the traitorous ex-agent, who is also Bond's former friend and archnemesis. Famke Janssen portrays the femme fatale, and last but not least, let's not forget Judi Dench for the first time in her role as Bond's superior, M.

The visuals are impressive. Tina Turner gives an incredible vocal performance for the theme song that catches up to Shirley Bassey's old Bond themes. The highlighted scenes include the opening sequence and the tank chase.

GOLDENEYE is the only Bond feature with Brosnan in the lead that's shaken, not stirred. It is the best of his four Bond movies and one of my favourites in the series. In a capacity, it does show the audience how explosive and tight action exploits people into becoming the Bond fans of the 90s. I highly recommend it.

Star rating: (5/5) Best Movie Ever

1 comment:

  1. Definitely one of the better Bond flicks and Pierce Brosnan is my third favorite Bond behind Connery and Craig. I would say that this was the best Bond since Goldfinger at the time.

    -James

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