{"id":464,"date":"2014-09-27T13:46:57","date_gmt":"2014-09-27T13:46:57","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/cinemacocoa.com\/?p=464"},"modified":"2014-09-27T13:46:57","modified_gmt":"2014-09-27T13:46:57","slug":"saga-review-james-bond-no-17-no-20","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/cinemacocoa.com\/?p=464","title":{"rendered":"Saga Review: James Bond (No.17 – No.20)"},"content":{"rendered":"

That’s right, with\u00a0Skyfall\u00a0<\/em>releasing later this year I am opting to give you my thoughts on all of the Bond films! There’s twenty-two films, and when I started this challenge there were twenty-two weeks before\u00a0Skyfall<\/em>, sounds good to me!
\nI grew up in the six year drought of Bond films, between the Dalton and Brosnen Eras, so my definition of Bond is Timothy Dalton in\u00a0The Living Daylights<\/em>\u00a0and\u00a0License to Kill<\/em>, while\u00a0Goldeneye\u00a0<\/em>is one of my top favourites. It took me a little while to watch all of the other James Bond films, but they were regularly shown on television, and while the Brosnen films quickly worsened I would never grow to like the Roger Moore era. At least not yet.<\/p>\n

Because there are twenty-two films I am breaking my reviews down into eras as best I can, and quite possibly Pierce Brosnen’s reign as Bond proves to be the most intriguing. I remember them well, especially Goldeneye<\/em> as that was the first Bond film I saw in cinemas, and of course the Nintendo video game of the same name. But almost <\/em>immediately we can sense the franchise struggling to find identity in this new era; Goldeneye was a success after the six years hiatus, but after that the magic and power ebbed away at an increasing rate.<\/p>\n

What would happen would be a downward spiral, but what can we expect from this wild, flailing era? Awesome and unique villains, I can say that much, but also helicopters with chainsaws, Solar death-rays, newspapers, the Goldeneye theme, ice palaces, invisible cars and awful casting choices. The list goes on, and on!<\/p>\n

Goldeneye <\/strong>(1995)
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\nPierce Brosnen revives the Bond franchise six years later with a bombastic, entertaining return.<\/p>\n

When the key and access codes to a sophisticated weaponised satellite are stolen, James Bond must stop whoever is responsible before they use it to destroy the modern world. But while he is teamed up with a rogue Russian computer technician a dangerous femme fatale wants him dead, while the mastermind behind the plot seeks personal revenge.<\/p>\n

Goldeneye<\/em> is a leap into the 1990s, and a positive all-change for the franchise. Judi Dench takes over as the first female M, and Samantha Bond plays the third Miss Moneypenny, while the film itself is riddled with tech-talk and \u201cinternet hacker\u201d jargon that has most certainly dated the experience! The film\u2019s soundtrack is all over the place, feeling disjointed and awkward.<\/p>\n

However, Brosnen does a great job as Bond, coming somewhere between Dalton and Connery. Bond\u2019s darker, merciless side is hinted at in conversation, while Brosnen has the correct amount of wry comedic timing without hamming it to death! He and Desmond Llewelyn\u2019s scenes in Q\u2019s lab are genius, and possibly the best in the series!<\/p>\n

The other actors, except for Sean Bean as an excellent and original turncoat villain, are a little… over the top; there are some questionable accents being thrown around, while Famke Janssen topples all previous villainesses with a truly psychotic (and memorable) character.<\/p>\n

But, I do love it. As the first Bond film I saw on release, how can I not? Sure it is 1990s, but Goldeneye<\/em> has the first use of computer graphics (okay, some satellite shots are dodgy) and it is the first Bond film to come on DVD. It also has the most use of models and miniatures of any Bond film and it shows, with some excellent effects. Tina Turner\u2019s opening theme is still incredible, and tops all the others, while the opening itself (with new designer Daniel Kleinman) is a much needed breath of fresh air for the franchise!<\/p>\n

It is punchy, incredibly fast paced yet maintains the sense of danger and espionage nicely. Brosnen\u2019s reign as James Bond looks very promising indeed. Right? … Right?<\/p>\n

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\nAdditional Marshmallows: If you are like me, and anyone growing up with Goldeneye<\/em> as their Bond film, you will have obsessed over the tie-in Nintendo game on the N64. It is very, very hard to watch it again without thinking \u201cGod, that level was murderous!\u201d<\/div>\n
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