GoldenEye (1995)

Director:

Martin Campbell

Writers (WGA):

Ian Fleming (characters)
Michael France (story)

Release Date:

17 November 1995 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

Tagline:

You know the name. You know the number.

Plot:

James Bond teams up with the lone survivor of a destroyed Russian research center to stop the hijacking of a nuclear space weapon by a fellow agent believed to be dead.

Plot Keywords:

Russian | Agent | James Bond | Satellite | General

Awards:

Nominated for 2 BAFTA Film Awards. Another 2 wins & 4 nominations

US TV Schedule:

Fri. Nov. 27

9:00 PM

SYFY

Cast

Pierce Brosnan	...	James Bond
Sean Bean	...	Alec Trevelyan / Janus
Izabella Scorupco	...	Natalya Fyodorovna Simonova
Famke Janssen	...	Xenia Zirgavna Onatopp
Joe Don Baker	...	Jack Wade
Judi Dench	...	M
Robbie Coltrane	...	Valentin Dmitrovich Zukovsky
Gottfried John	...	General Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov
Alan Cumming	...	Boris Grishenko
Tchéky Karyo	...	Defense Minister Dmitri Mishkin (as Tcheky Karyo)
Desmond Llewelyn	...	Q
Samantha Bond	...	Miss Moneypenny
Michael Kitchen	...	Bill Tanner
Serena Gordon	...	Caroline
Simon Kunz	...	Severnaya Duty Officer

Also Known As:

Bond 17 (UK) (working title)
Golden Eye (International: English title) (alternative spelling)

MPAA:

Rated PG-13 for a number of sequences of action/violence, and for some sexuality.

Runtime:

130 min

Country:

UK | USA

Language:

English | Russian | Spanish

Color:

Color | Color (Rankcolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Sound Mix:

DTS | Dolby Digital

Certification:

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

Filming Locations:

Admiralteysky, St. Petersburg, Russia

Company:

Eon Productions

Trivia:

The first draft of GoldenEye contained four action sequences that all ended up in future Bond films. Bond and Marina, later renamed Natalya, escaping from a Nuclear explosion underground and another scene with them avoiding helicopters with giant buzz saws both ended up in The World Is Not Enough (1999). The American Government and Mi6 to attempting destroy the space based weapon Tempest, renamed GoldenEye, ended up in Die Another Day (2002) as the attempt to destroy the Icarus weapon. Last, the free fall sequence ended up in Quantum of Solace (2008).

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Bond and Natalya are flying a plane over the dish, and they get shot with a missile from under the water. The plane that the missile hits is an empty plane with no passengers inside. Also, it appears to not even be in motion.

Quotes:

[first lines]
[Russian in toilet cubicle looks around his newspaper to see Bond hanging from the ceiling]
James Bond: Beg your pardon, forgot to knock.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Get Smart (2008)

Soundtrack:

GoldenEye

Campbell's "GoldenEye" embraces many of the best-loved motifs and situations from the classic Bond movies…

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. ...?"