GoldenEye, released in theaters on Nov. 17, 1995, is a pivotal entry in the James Bond canon. It served as a complete, energetic revitalization of the franchise, successfully transporting 007 from the Cold War into the morally ambiguous landscape of the 1990s. The film is defined by its cutting-edge action, a strong thematic focus on loyalty and betrayal, and the highly anticipated debut of Pierce Brosnan as Agent 007.
The plot begins with a classic setup of Cold War espionage, but quickly jumps ahead nine years to a world reeling from the collapse of the Soviet Union.
Bond finds himself chasing the trail of a powerful, orbiting electromagnetic pulse weapon known as GoldenEye, which has fallen into the hands of a treacherous organization with a devastating agenda.
The central conflict is intensely personal: Bond is confronted by a ghost from his past, his former close ally and fellow agent, Alec Trevelyan, or Agent 006 (Sean Bean).
Trevelyan’s vengeful plan forces Bond to contend not just with global security, but with deep-seated betrayal.
Bond teams up with Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco), a resilient computer programmer and the sole survivor of the attack that led to the weapon’s theft.
Their mission is complicated by the presence of Trevelyan’s formidable and ruthless enforcer, the stunning and deadly Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen).
The film is anchored by its supporting cast, which signals a new direction for the series: Judi Dench makes her iconic debut as M, who is immediately critical of Bond’s “sexist, misogynist dinosaur” status.
The indispensable Q (Desmond Llewellyn) returns with his gadgets, while Joe Don Baker appears as the gruff, often-sidelined CIA agent Jack Wade.
The tension is further fleshed out by figures like the Russian mobster Valentin Zukovsky (Robbie Coltrane) and Dimitri Mishkin, the Russian Defence Minister (Tchéky Karyo).
Minnie Driver has a brief appearance as Irina, Zukovsky’s mistress.
Martin Campbell (Defenseless, Casino Royale, The Legend of Zorro) directed the film.
Pierce Brosnan as James Bond in GoldenEye (Photo/United Artists)
Reception for GoldenEye
GoldenEye grossed $26.2 million on its opening weekend, finishing No. 1 at the box office.
The film would gross $356.4 million worldwide.
Roger Ebert gave GoldenEye three out of four stars in his review.
Legacy
GoldenEye successfully balanced classic Bond tropes with contemporary urgency, proving the character was still relevant in a world without the Soviet threat. The film is a masterfully executed thriller that asserts that the toughest enemy is often the one you trusted most.
