"The things we do for frequent flyer mileage"...GoldenEye Appreciation and Discussion.

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  • DragonpolDragonpol https://thebondologistblog.blogspot.com
    Posts: 18,324
    GoldenGun wrote: »
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    GE has one of the best main title sequences and one of the best theme songs in all of Bond.

    I know you don't like GoldenEye but its great to see you defend the theme song. Quite a few fans don't seem very keen on it but its always been one of my favourites.

    Also, this scene is just for you @Thunderfinger. Brilliantly acted by the two. Love the end bit with Ourumov putting on his hat in defiance.

    GE had the best supporting cast.

    Tchécky Karyo, fantastic actor!

    Seconded. I really like that character and the actor.
  • Posts: 19,339
    +1 peeps
  • Goldeneye is easily the best film in the Brosnan series, with two of the best sequences in the series, the opening and end fight are just fantastic. Martin Campbell made this film with his great direction, something the other Bros Bonds suffered from, in my opinion.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    I'll go further and say that from my perspective, GE is the only Brosnan Bond film which truly feels like a Bond film.

    The others feel to me like someone trying to make a Bond film, but not quite knowing how to. Like all those spy spoofs we had in the 60's.

    As the famous poster said, "No Substitutes"
  • Brosnan in GE was sharp, deadly and a man of action. IN the rest of his films the descent to comparative mediocrity was kinda shocking, for me. HE became a bland, ordinary action hero. Some good scenes in some of the other films, but nothing as crisp and clear as GE. And that fight in the steambath was impressive/deadly and sexy. I thought a new era of great Bond action had started. It began and ended in one film.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    bondjames wrote: »
    I'll go further and say that from my perspective, GE is the only Brosnan Bond film which truly feels like a Bond film.

    The others feel to me like someone trying to make a Bond film, but not quite knowing how to. Like all those spy spoofs we had in the 60's.

    As the famous poster said, "No Substitutes"

    That sounds a lot like QOS and SF.

    TND was as Bondian as they come with Brosnan at his best.
    The comedy factor was big, yes. But it fit the times and after 7 more or less campy very funny films, that's not something speaking against the Brosnan-era.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited October 2016 Posts: 23,883
    Brosnan in GE was sharp, deadly and a man of action. IN the rest of his films the descent to comparative mediocrity was kinda shocking, for me. HE became a bland, ordinary action hero. Some good scenes in some of the other films, but nothing as crisp and clear as GE. And that fight in the steambath was impressive/deadly and sexy. I thought a new era of great Bond action had started. It began and ended in one film.
    Agreed. Campbell knew how to get the best out of Brosnan and his character in that film is distinctly Bondian to me.
    TND was as Bondian as they come with Brosnan at his best.
    I agree up to and including Hamburg. From there on the film and Brosnan's characterization collapses to me. By the end of it I feel he is just a generic action man with a machine gun.
  • chrisisallchrisisall Brosnan Defender Of The Realm
    Posts: 17,820
    bondjames wrote: »
    up to and including Hamburg. From there on the film and Brosnan's characterization collapses to me. By the end of it I feel he is just a generic action man with a machine gun.
    *yawwwwn*
    :P
  • chrisisall wrote: »
    bondjames wrote: »
    up to and including Hamburg. From there on the film and Brosnan's characterization collapses to me. By the end of it I feel he is just a generic action man with a machine gun.
    *yawwwwn*
    :P

    I pretty much agree with this.
  • Posts: 19,339
    GE is more consistant throughout compared to TND though,which loses its way totally after Bond leaves Hamburg.

    The sight of Bond on the stealth boat holding and firing machine guns,one in each hand,is not Bond's style,and it really annoys me to this day.
  • BondAficionadoBondAficionado Former IMDBer
    Posts: 1,890
    Tbh I like Brosnan's over-the-top machine gun action scenes. It's what makes him different from the others and that's a necessity. Just like when Moore didn't want to drive an Aston, or didn't want to order a martini "shaken, not stirred."

    Brosnan has some of his best moments firing an automatic weapon. Think of the detainment escape/finale in GE with the AK-47. It makes sense as well because everyone else has a machine gun in his films. E.g I rarely see someone come at Brosnan with a pistol (even the snipers are automatic :smile: )

    Even though I think it's a part of Brosnan's "style", it had been done before by several others: Lazenby in the epic finale when he's sliding down the ice and even Moore in the TSWLM's finale (reminder: he kills dozens with a machine gun!). I forget if Connery ever did in YOLT and Dalton only briefly fired an AK in TLD I believe.

    So I think it is Bond's style - whether we like it or not - because he does do it, albeit in just a few instances per Bond actor. The PPK is definitely his preferred weapon of choice and nothing beats that.
  • Posts: 11,425
    Brosnan in GE was sharp, deadly and a man of action. IN the rest of his films the descent to comparative mediocrity was kinda shocking, for me. HE became a bland, ordinary action hero. Some good scenes in some of the other films, but nothing as crisp and clear as GE. And that fight in the steambath was impressive/deadly and sexy. I thought a new era of great Bond action had started. It began and ended in one film.

    Well put. Except it was clear from GE that The Brosnan era was going to be a major disappointment.

    GE is without doubt the most overrated film in the entire series - more so even than SF.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited April 2017 Posts: 23,883
    Getafix wrote: »
    Brosnan in GE was sharp, deadly and a man of action. IN the rest of his films the descent to comparative mediocrity was kinda shocking, for me. HE became a bland, ordinary action hero. Some good scenes in some of the other films, but nothing as crisp and clear as GE. And that fight in the steambath was impressive/deadly and sexy. I thought a new era of great Bond action had started. It began and ended in one film.

    Well put. Except it was clear from GE that The Brosnan era was going to be a major disappointment.

    GE is without doubt the most overrated film in the entire series - more so even than SF.
    I feel a bit differently. I could tell right away in GE that something was amiss. Even though I agree completely with @TellyBlofeld's comments above, I instinctively felt that Brosnan was a little uncomfortable as Bond. Trying too hard rather than embodying and personifying, if you will. Sadly, my fears were confirmed with the next installment which did indeed descend into a generic XXX actionfest about half way through. The third entry was a complete disgrace imho, and it's only the fourth that he regained some of that promise and footing that he had initially shown me in GE. Sadly, by then it was too late, and the film itself was a farce.
  • edited April 2017 Posts: 11,425
    I can't watch GE personally. Abysmal as far as I'm concerned. I actually prefer the first half of TND, but that's not saying much. TWINE is without doubt the worst in the series. DAD actually amuses me because it's so bad you have to laugh - more entertaining in some regards than any of the other Brosnans. By DAD it was as if EON Had completely given up on Brosnan and were resigned to churning out total dreck. At least he went out with a bang. A film that seemed to be trying for the title of worst film ever made, but somehow falls short.

    It's a shame Cubby's last significant act as producer was to bequeath us Brosnan and a decade of abysmal movies. I don't hold it against him - how can you hold anything against Cubby? At least I assume it was Cubby. Perhaps Babs or MGW a played a part in the casting?
  • Posts: 11,189
    I'll say it up front. GoldenEye has one of the best acted Bond girls. Natalya Symonova. Very likable character and actress and a more believable tough girl than Pam Bouvier.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited April 2017 Posts: 23,883
    Getafix wrote: »
    I can't watch GE personally. Abysmal as far as I'm concerned. I actually prefer the first half of TND, but that's not saying much. TWINE is without doubt the worst in the series. DAD actually amuses me because it's so bad you have to laugh - more entertaining in some regards than any of the other Brosnans. By DAD it was as if EON Had completely given up on Brosnan and were resigned to churning out total dreck. At least he went out with a bang. A film that seemed to be trying for the title of worst film ever made, but somehow falls short.
    I'm inclined to agree with you on all of the above. I do enjoy his films quite a bit these days though (all except TWINE that is) & GE has always been a personal favourite of mine. SP in particular has made me look more fondly overall at the Brosnan era (with some nostalgia even).
    Getafix wrote: »
    It's a shame Cubby's last significant act as producer was to bequeath us Brosnan and a decade of abysmal movies. I don't hold it against him - how can you hold anything against Cubby? At least I assume it was Cubby. Perhaps Babs or MGW a played a part in the casting?
    If I'm not mistaken, MGM had quite a say in this as well. I believe the then head of the organization was a big proponent of Brosnan. When Dalton packed it in, it was inevitable and I can imagine the drumbeat was unrelenting. Everyone saw him as the chosen one at that time, and he was the man in waiting for 8 long years (since 1987).
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    David Picker used his clout to get Dalton out and Brosnan in.
  • edited April 2017 Posts: 11,425
    Yes I think you're both right actually. It was the studio sticking it's nose in as usual. MGM have been a disaster for Bond. For that I blame Harry!

    If David Picker is who I think he is then Babs has a few choice words to describe him.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,001
    A GE Appreciation Thread? Don't mind if I do.
  • edited April 2017 Posts: 11,425
    Fair point. I'll butt out! Probably for the best.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,001
    Getafix wrote: »
    Fair point. I'll butt out! Probably for the best.

    I didn't mean it like that, I just had no clue there was a thread for this until now. I'm sure I've spent a fair amount of time expressing my negativity regarding SF/SP in the appropriate threads.

    However, in the spirit of "appreciation," would you say there's anything you do enjoy about GE? A certain scene or bit of dialogue or anything of the sort?
  • edited April 2017 Posts: 11,425
    I've never enjoyed the end credits more...

    Hang on let me think about it but pretty sure there's nothing I like about that film.

    It's tough.

    I guess Q's "that's my lunch" line is quite amusing. And I remember enjoying the curving silver stairs in the underground control room - they're a Ken Adam motif that appear in almost every Bond film he ever designed.

  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,428
    Getafix wrote: »
    I've never enjoyed the end credits more

    You're a Serra fan?
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,001
    Getafix wrote: »
    I've never enjoyed the end credits more

    I was going to note "aside from the end credits," knew it was coming!

    Funny, that's probably my least favorite part of the movie solely because of Serra's wailing.
  • edited April 2017 Posts: 11,189
    As I've said before, even if you don't like the film, you surely can't not appreciate scenes such as these:

  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited April 2017 Posts: 23,883
    Outstanding scenes.

    This is another classic imho (one can see Campbell's use of lighting, which he did again in the CR torture scene):


    This film is one of the very best in my view. I always finish watching it on a complete high. Few Bond films do that for me. OP & TSWLM are perhaps the other two. Not too much complexity. Rather, just pure fun from start to finish.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,001
    In that scene with Mishkin/Ourumov, I love the bit of unsettling score that drops at 1:35 as Ourumov nervously swallows, realizing that Natalya escaped. Great stuff.
  • Posts: 11,425
    Hmm. Still not doing it for me after all these years.

  • Posts: 11,189
    The polar opposite view to me. A film I've seen so much I can quote the script in its entirety on command.

    I'm inclined to agree on certain aspects though. Namely some of the dodgy dialogue, Boris and The Experience of Love.
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 41,001
    @BAIN123, glad I'm not the only one. One of the only films I think I could recite the entire script to (or at least a solid 90% of it).
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