GoldenEye

Overlooking Eric Serra’s irritating and flat-out incompetent score, GoldenEye remains one of the more exciting James Bond adventures – with Pierce Brosnan ably stepping into the shoes of the world’s most famous secret agent. Directed by Martin Campbell, GoldenEye possesses all the elements one expects out of the series – including fast cars, cool gadgets, and scantily-clad women – and there’s little doubt that the film manages to entertain despite an overlong running time. The convoluted storyline follows Bond as he attempts to stop an old foe from crippling England with a powerful EMP, and it’s clear that GoldenEye has been designed to appeal to the broadest audience possible – which is evidenced by the film’s distinctly old-school feel (ie the picture is more in line with the playful vibe of the series’ early years than with the darker Timothy Dalton era). Brosnan’s superb performance is matched by a surprisingly strong supporting cast, which includes Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, and Judi Dench (in her first outing as M). And although the movie suffers from an expectedly erratic pace – a problem that seems to plague every Bond flick – GoldenEye is nevertheless a solid, sporadically electrifying entry in this ongoing series.

*** out of ****