This one was very entertaining. Pierce Brosnan isn’t my favorite Bond (in Tomorrow Never Dies I found him tedious) but in GoldenEye he displays a charming, youthful energy. If one smashed Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and George Lazenby together, you’d get Brosnan (note my intentional omission of Timothy Dalton).
The Spy Who Loved Me is easily the best Roger Moore Bond outing. It evokes From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and Thunderball — my favorite of the Sean Connery Bond adventures, but adds new elements that keep things varied, entertaining, and in a few spots, surpasses the earlier Bonds.
Admittedly I haven’t seen too many movies in the theater this year, but this is the best film I saw in 2006. This is the type of movie where I forgot I was in a theater, as I was so caught up with the story, the characters, and how it will all work out. The film is engrossing despite a minimalist approach: Will Smith and his son, 90% of the time. It’s a testament to true acting skill that Smith not only carries this movie, but does it while running with big metal boxes.
You know Goldfinger is awesome even before loading it in the DVD player — it’s a pop culture landmark and a high point for the James Bond franchise. Even the title speaks “Bond” — much more so than a meandering one like The World Is Not Enough. There’s a professional (almost dare I say — golden) sheen to the whole affair, from Sean Connery’s comfort as the British spy to the heavy-set, slightly warped villans. Add as additional layers a brassy score, some cute ladies, and some inventive yet confident direction — and this film oozes class.
I think I’ve just seen one of the best, if not the best, Bond film. Suddenly I “get” what Bond is about, and why so much time spent (and so many movies made) trying to replicate the suspenseful experience that is Thunderball.