James Bond (Pierce Brosnan)

GOLDENEYE (15)

D: Martin Campbell

MGM/United Artists/Eon (Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli)

UK/US 1995

130 mins

Action/Thriller

W: Jeffrey Caine & Bruce Feirstein [based on characters created by Ian Fleming]

DP: Phil Meheux

Ed: Terry Rawlings

Mus: Eric Serra

Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Sean Bean (Alec Trevelyan), Izabella Scorupco (Natalya Simonova), Famke Janssen (Xenia Onatopp), Robbie Coltrane (Valentin Zukovsky), Judi Dench (M)

Pierce Brosnan’s first outing as James Bond brings the spy franchise into the 1990’s following a 6-year hiatus from the previous entry (1989’s Licence To Kill).

The plot isn’t too dissimilar from the 007 films before or since, with Bond investigating a Russian satellite weapons programme with the eponymous name, GoldenEye.

The action scenes are well handled and choreographed, but where the film really flourishes is with its villains, who are amongst the more memorable of the entire franchise, pitting 007 against a former agent turned rogue and a beautiful female assassin who crushes men to dead with her legs (what a way to die!).

The accompanying video game also became a favourite for gamers, released on multiple consoles and attracting a new generation of fans to the film series.

Pierce Brosnan was incredibly well suited to play the suave British spy, but the scripts for his following films were never quite as strong as his suitability for the role.

6/10

TOMORROW NEVER DIES (12)

D: Roger Spottiswoode

MGM/United Artists/Eon (Michael Wilson & Barbara Broccoli)

UK/USA 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 1997

119 mins

Action/Thriller

W: Bruce Feirstein [based on characters created by Ian Fleming]

DP: Robert Elswit

Ed: Dominique Fortin & Michel Arcand

Mus: David Arnold

Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Jonathan Pryce (Elliot Carver), Michelle Yeoh (Wai Lin), Teri Hatcher (Paris Carver), Joe Don Baker (Jack Wade), Ricky Jade (Henry Gupta)

James Bond takes on a powerful media mogul who manipulates the news by creating catastrophic events, ensuring that his newspaper chains are first with the breaking scoop.

1984 meets 007, with the usual gadgets, gimmicks, stunts and beautiful women. Pierce Brosnan doesn't do a bad job as the suave British spy, but the script doesn't really give him enough to go with. Enjoyable enough, but it's no Goldfinger.

6/10

Pierce Brosnan & Teri Hatcher in Tomorrow Never Dies

THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH (15)

D: Michael Apted

MGM/Eon (Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli)

UK/USA 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 1999

125 mins

Action/Thriller

W: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade & Bruce Feistein [based on characters created by Ian Fleming]

DP: Adrian Biddle

Ed: Jim Clark

Mus: David Arnold

Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Sophie Marceau (Elektra King), Robert Carlyle (Victor Zokas), Denise Richards (Christmas Jones), Robbie Coltrane (Valentin Zukovsky), Judi Dench (M), Desmond Llewelyn (Q), John Cleese (R)

Pierce Brosnan's third appearance as James Bond sees him take on a villain who is immune from feeling any pain.

The film begins well, with an action-packed gambit which seems to be the staple of Bond movies. It soon goes downhill though, especially after the introduction of Bond girl Christmas Jones, played by a hugely miscast Denise Richards, who may be pleasing on the eye, but can't act for shit.

Certainly better than Brosnan's next outing as 007 (the awful Die Another Day).

5/10

Denise Richards & Pierce Brosnan in The World is Not Enough

DIE ANOTHER DAY (12)

D: Lee Tamahori

20th Century Fox/Odyssey/Apollo (Sam Taylor, Mike Downey & Frank Huebner)

UK/USA 🇬🇧 🇺🇸 2002

103 mins

Action/Thriller

W: Neal Purvis & Robert Wade [based on characters created by Ian Fleming]

DP: David Tattersall

Ed: Christian Wagner

Mus: David Arnold

PD: Peter Lamont

Pierce Brosnan (James Bond), Halle Berry (Jinx Johnson), Toby Stephens (Gustav Graves), Rosamund Pike (Miranda Frost), Rick Yune (Zao), Judi Dench (M), John Cleese (Q), Michael Madsen (Damien Falco), Madonna (Verity)

James Bond escapes imprisonment by North Koreans and sets out to discover who betrayed him.

Pierce Brosnan deserves a little credit for keeping a straight face through what is easily the most ridiculous Bond movie so far, which takes the piss out of viewers by asking them to accept that it's feasible for the film's hero to hide behind an invisible car.

Worst Bond film. Worst Bond song. Worst Bond cameo appearance. Take a bow, Madonna.

4/10