lowefreddy

Pierce Brosnan is my favourite Bond, and this is a wonderful film. Brosnan gets to play a more complex and tormented Bond (relatively speaking); there is a hint of what was later brought to the forefront with Daniel Craig. Sophie Marceau and Denise Richards are both brilliant. It's wonderful that Judi Dench's M gets involved in a big way - and John Cleese came in as Q! I love the Brosnan/Cleese Q scenes; it's sad that we had only two Bond films with that pairing.

And the action sequences are fantastic, my favourites being the Thames sequence at the start, and the caviar factory shootout. Although I had a new appreciation for the finale this time around - it is thrilling, and very claustrophobic. It perfectly conveys the jeopardy of the submarine going further down...and Bond and Christmas getting more and more trapped. It's brilliantly shot.

This film's plot demands concentration, and I do suspect that for a general audience, it might not be that memorable. I think the Brosnan films are generally more well-liked by committed, serious Bond fans, rather than casual fans. Which is a shame - because he was so good, and once you get into the series, you realise how fantastic all four of his films are. But I get that, at first glance, this is one of the slower, more complicated ones, and the final one-liner might also put off casual fans.

But it is worth it for the serious Bondians; it's one of my favourites. Pierce is the best Bond!

Goldeneye hits the mark with great success. Along with Live and Let Die and The Living Daylights, it has a freshness to it that is customary for an actor's first Bond film. It is quite slow to start, but that's because it's setting up HIM, the man, the myth, the legend, etc. It establishes his character...and then it gets on with the plot.

It's one of Bond's rather smaller-scale affairs, and honestly, it benefits. It boasts one of the best pre-title sequences and one of the best finales; the latter especially feels very deserved and is a delight to watch. Pierce Brosnan nails it; he's so brilliant. All of the supporting cast are great, my favourite being Izabella Scorupco as Natalya. ("Do you destroy every vehicle you get into?" "Standard operating procedure." Brilliant.)

And while Tomorrow Never Dies remains my favourite of the Brosnan era, I get why this is a lot of people's favourite. It has lots of good stuff. The one major downside is the terrible music...but we'll skip over that. Tina Turner's song is cool.

Considering how troubled this film's production was, it is astonishing how good the final result is. Pierce Brosnan is on top form. The characters are so lively and memorable: we get Elliot Carver, the bonkers villain; Paris, Bond's former flame (I love that concept); Wai Lin, his Chinese ally; Dr Kaufman, the eccentric hit man...as well as the usual brilliance from Judi Dench, Moneypenny and Q. It moves at a brilliant pace. Every action sequence is hair-raising. And the finale feels like something out of a Lewis Gilbert film: a big, bombastic battle on the sea at the villain's lair. It's such a satisfying payoff.

I understand that the almost indecipherable cacophony of gunfire might put some people off. It's definitely one of the more frenetic Bond films (Goldeneye is way slower-paced by comparison). But with Pierce Brosnan being so good, the music being gorgeous and the characters being so interesting...I can't get enough of it.

The top musical standouts are Bond and Paris's ill-fated reunion, and his 'kiss of life' to Wai Lin at the end.

I think it's one of the very best Bond films.