GoldenEye

Mickles

Hi folks!

I came across the forum this morning and thought it looked like a fun place to be so I decided to join!

My favourite Bond film is definitely GoldenEye. I could watch it over and over again. I just wish I'd been to see it on the big screen back in 1995!

Are there any more avid GoldenEye fans out there?

mhousty007

Greetings! I too am a big fan of Goldeneye. IMO it is by far Pierce's best. It was a tremendous film to relauch Bond after six years away. Plus I spent literally hundreds of hours playing the Nintendo 64 game, so that heightens my affection for it! )

Mickles

mhousty007 wrote:

Greetings! I too am a big fan of Goldeneye. IMO it is by far Pierce's best. It was a tremendous film to relauch Bond after six years away. Plus I spent literally hundreds of hours playing the Nintendo 64 game, so that heightens my affection for it! )

Hi there!

Did you see GoldenEye on the big screen? I didn't as I was only seven at the time!

Barbel

GE has many points which endear it to me- Brosnan is brilliant, the supportng cast excel, the locations are appropriate- although the score stinks and the plotting is muddy.

Campbell is ace (as on CR), the casting of Judi Dench was a masterstroke, and Brosnan finally takes on the role he was born to play at just the right moment. A deserved success both critically and commercially.

DAWUSS

Great film, great game, and IIRC both were projected to be failures prior to their release

actonsteve

I dont like it. But I dont like any really in the Brosnan era.

I find it a souless mechanical picture. And back in 1995 we were just grateful Bond wasnt an embarassment.

One of my least favourites.

Dan Same

I loved GE. It's one of my ten favourite Bond films. I was particularly appreciative of it after the dark ages of 1985-'89. Plus, I have to say that IMO, it's vastly superior to Campbell's other effort. :v

What do I love about it? Brosnan's superb performance, the legendary Xenia Onatopp (IMO the third greatest Bond villain of all time no matter what the villain elimination game says ), a pretty good villain in Alec, wonderful locations, great action scenes, a terrific PTS, some pretty good direction and a fine screenplay.

However the one thing which prevents GE from being the absolute masterpiece I believe it could have been is the psychoanalysing, psychoanalysing and psychoanalysing. I really hate that and CR confirmed my belief that if Campbell ever directs another Bond film, he should be given strict orders to stay away from any psychoanalysing!

Barbel

Dan Same wrote:

However the one thing which prevents GE from being the absolute masterpiece I believe it could have been is the psychoanalysing, psychoanalysing and psychoanalysing.

That and Eric Serra's excuse for a score.

Mickles

I think I'm the only one who likes Eric Serra's score!

Barbel

Mickles wrote:

I think I'm the only one who likes Eric Serra's score!

No, JennyFlexFan shares your taste. But then, he's known for that sort of thing! )

actonsteve

Dan Same wrote:

the legendary Xenia Onatopp (IMO the third greatest Bond villain of all time no matter what the villain elimination game says ),

OK, OK, Famke Janssen is an attractive lady but Xenia is abit of a cliche. If you want a vamp then look at Fiona Volpe or Helga Brandt on how to do it right.

Her scenes with Brosnan are close to embarassing. Its not her fault - its the script ("I always like a woman who pulls rank") and that name, yeuch, its like Austin Powers invaded the eon films.

Cliched and tired. But one of the beter Brosnan villains - which sort of says it all....

mhousty007

Hi Mickles. Yup, I saw it on the big screen, the first Bond film I ever saw at the cinema. It was excellent. I have seen every Bond film since then at the cinema but GE remains my favourite. I also remember TND being awesome too, though it has kind of lost some of its appeal after subsequent viewings. Still love it though!

Dan Same

actonsteve wrote:

Dan Same wrote:

the legendary Xenia Onatopp (IMO the third greatest Bond villain of all time no matter what the villain elimination game says )

OK, OK, Famke Janssen is an attractive lady but Xenia is abit of a cliche. If you want a vamp then look at Fiona Volpe or Helga Brandt on how to do it right.

Her scenes with Brosnan are close to embarassing. Its not her fault - its the script ("I always like a woman who pulls rank") and that name, yeuch, its like Austin Powers invaded the eon films.

Cliched and tired. But one of the beter Brosnan villains - which sort of says it all....

I don't agree. I thought her scenes (particularly the scene in which she attacks Bond) were extraordinary. There has never really been a villain who exuded the raw sexual power that she does so I would argue that rather being cliched, she is an absolute original. IMO she is vastly superior to Fiona Volpe, Helga Brandt or really any other villainess. I think that Xenia is wonderful and it's not simply because she's hot. IMO she is a villain that is as legendary as Goldfinger, Oddjob and Blofeld. In fact it quite annoys me that she failed to finish third in the villain elimination game. X-(

I also think that her name is no worse (if one dislikes it that is) than many other Bond names such as Pussy Galore. However I think it's a great name as well and IMO perfectly suiting the kind of woman she was. Additionally, I also like her lines.

Sorry actonsteve, I guess I disagree with you on everything regarding Xenia. But that's not surprising; we have totally different views regarding Dalton and Brosnan.

Mickles

Famke Janssen's portrayal as Xenia Onatopp was extraordinary! She's the first thing that springs to mind when I think of GoldenEye... I wonder why?!

actonsteve

Dan Same wrote:

IMO she is a villain that is as legendary as Goldfinger, Oddjob and Blofeld. In fact it quite annoys me that she failed to finish third in the villain elimination game. X-(

):)):)) yeah, right. No offence but love is blind.

]

Dan Same wrote:

I also think that her name is no worse (if one dislikes it that is) than many other Bond names such as Pussy Galore. However I think it's a great name as well and IMO perfectly suiting the kind of woman she was. Additionally, I also like her lines.

Its too obvious. Too Austin Powers. I tends to the naff myth that Bond girls must have ridiculous names linked with sexual innuendo. There was alot of that in the Brosnan years. It would culminate in the trite innuendo written script of DAD. And many fell on the stony ground there.

Dan Same wrote:

Sorry actonsteve, I guess I disagree with you on everything regarding Xenia. But that's not surprising; we have totally different views regarding Dalton and Brosnan.

Absolutely. I adore unconditionally all Bonds from 1962 to 1989. But cant abide the 1995-2002 crop. I wasnt happy at the time but now it has passed have no respect for them. I wish they never happened. But Casino Royale is a work of genius. They've pulled it out of the hat for that one. I thought they'd lost it forever with DAD.

Dan Same

actonsteve wrote:

Dan Same wrote:

IMO she is a villain that is as legendary as Goldfinger, Oddjob and Blofeld. In fact it quite annoys me that she failed to finish third in the villain elimination game. X-(

) ) ) yeah, right. No offence but love is blind.

Why would I be offended? I adore Xenia and I think she was one of the absolute greatest villains along with the three I mentioned above, and I say that unashamedly.

actonsteve wrote:

Dan Same wrote:

I also think that her name is no worse (if one dislikes it that is) than many other Bond names such as Pussy Galore. However I think it's a great name as well and IMO perfectly suiting the kind of woman she was. Additionally, I also like her lines.

Its too obvious. Too Austin Powers. I tends to the naff myth that Bond girls must have ridiculous names linked with sexual innuendo. There was alot of that in the Brosnan years. It would culminate in the trite innuendo written script of DAD. And many fell on the stony ground there.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree here. While I too hated the script in DAD, I don't think that the name Xenia Onatopp is either too obvious or Austin Powers-like. I think it's a wonderful name that matches a Russian villainess who kills people using a unique technique perfectly.

actonsteve wrote:

Absolutely. I adore unconditionally all Bonds from 1962 to 1989. But cant abide the 1995-2002 crop. I wasnt happy at the time but now it has passed have no respect for them. I wish they never happened. But Casino Royale is a work of genius. They've pulled it out of the hat for that one. I thought they'd lost it forever with DAD.

I'm happy you feel that way. While I have a different opinion to you (loved 1962-'83, hated 1985-'89, loved 1995-'99, hated 2002 and didn't love 2006 and miss the Brosnan films) I am genuinely happy that, regardless of your opinion, you haven't given up on one of the greatest cinematic characters of all time. {[]

actonsteve

Dan Same wrote:

I am genuinely happy that, regardless of your opinion, you haven't given up on one of the greatest cinematic characters of all time. {[]

Dan, you replied like that post like a gentleman. V impressed.

Also, you are right - I didnt give up did I? But if another DAD comes along I think my loyalty will be put under severe strain.

I cant abide DAD.

Dan Same

actonsteve wrote:

Dan, you replied like that post like a gentleman. V impressed.

Thanks.

actonsteve wrote:

Also, you are right - I didnt give up did I? But if another DAD comes along I think my loyalty will be put under severe strain.

I cant abide DAD.

Me neither.

Mickles

Die Anoter Day's awful! An invisible car?!

What's your favourite Xenia scene, Dan?

JennyFlexFan

Mickles wrote:

I think I'm the only one who likes Eric Serra's score!

It appears we share the same passions...

I'm surprised no one has cited Izabella Scorupco's performance as Natalya as one of GE's highlights. Xenia was definitely dressed 'sexier' and went for the whole femme fatale look, and clearly her character was heavily based on Fatima Blush.

Natalya is wonderful. She's beautiful but she doesn't have to dress like Xenia to show it off. She's one of the most brave Bond girls, she had all of her friends killed during a normal day at work, survived an exploding bunker and took a sled all the way to when she could get to St. Petersburg!

Once she's there, she uses her wits and intelligence to get the better of the computer store owner to get what she wants -- contact with Boris, who she believes is a friend. Instead she is tricked and winds up in the Tiger Helicopter alongside Bond, who she screams at in order to be saved. At first, she's very reluctant to trust him, she even gives him a sharp kick in the shins after getting her out of the copter.

Her first reaction in the Archives, naturally is to shrink away, because even her friend Boris turned out to be working for the bad guys, so she didn't want to make any connections with Bond but eventually gives in and trusts him. Also on the train she's hilarious when ordering Bond to get them out of there and when she even goes along with Bond's double entendres.

She's also not afraid to fight, for if she didn't distract Xenia with the tree branch, Bond would've died by her thighs. She also disarmed the Goldeneye weapon and comandeered a helicopter to save Bond. A truly independent girl and may be one of the most realistic in the series. She seems like the next person in line after Tracy and Vesper that Bond could fall in love with!

The video game is also amazing, no other games have come close to it! It still has replay factor after almost 11 years(!!!)

Serra's score too is a gem that just isn't everyone's personal taste. It happens to be mine.

DashDangerous

GE is special to me as it was the first Bond film my wife had ever seen, so I got an opportunity to appreciate from a newcomers point of view.

19 million hours of the game didn't hurt its image in my mind either... especially deathmatch...

Dan Same

Mickles wrote:

What's your favourite Xenia scene, Dan?

I have a few, but if I had to pick one, perhaps the first scene in which she attacks Bond.

Loeffelholz

I'm quite a big fan of Xenia Onatopp, myself; Famke Janssen is hot, and plays the part with just the right amount of scenery-chewing, OTT glee: very appropriate for the film, and that particular era of Bond, IMRO.

Truth be told I much prefer her, in terms of sex appeal, to the much-adored Ms Scorupco, who is a fine-looking, fiesty lady...but she doesn't linger in my memory nearly as stubbornly as the tall, statuesque brunette in the patent-leather tights who sighs with sexual release as she murders the Severnaya workers---and who looks very much as if she's having a moment of private pleasure on Trevelyan's train, later, when she says: "He's going to derail us" :x )

Mickles

"He's going to derail us..."

That quote is SO, SO funny!

nantoons007

I loved GE. it`s one of my favorite Bond films, & Brosnan's best. Eric Serra`s score; to me, is still the cooolest. I actually hum it as I walk down the street.

If I had to choose between Xenia & Natalya, I`ll have to say Natalya. Black leather doesn't do it for me. Plus I agree with JennyFlexFan on all her other qualities.

Also, is it just me, or is Tina Turner's theme performance the best since Shirley Bassey's ~Goldfinger~?

Mickles

Eric Serra's score is fantastic! I also find myself humming it on a regular basis! Maybe I should buy the soundtrack...

actonsteve

nantoons007 wrote:

Also, is it just me, or is Tina Turner's theme performance the best since Shirley Bassey's ~Goldfinger~?

Thats about Goldeneyes only redeeming quality...

Napoleon Plural

Full marks to Ms Scorupco for giving us a real person as a Bond girl, but like Eva Green in CR, I feel that while she is very much the sort of person I might meet, I wouldn't really fancy her much, there's something abrasive there. Scorupco is like those east European gals I get a facial from every few months, the senusous nature of it chilled by the brusque, telling-off tone of voice...