GoldenEye is the 17th James Bond film and the first to star Pierce Brosnan as Ian Fleming’s British secret service agent, James Bond. Made by Albert R Broccoli’s EON Productions (though listed as “Albert R Broccoli presents”), it was the second official James Bond film not produced by Broccoli himself. While undergoing heart surgery, Broccoli entrusted the making of the film and the forthcoming generation of James Bond films to his daughter Barbara Broccoli and stepson Michael G Wilson, both of whom had been executive producers of previous James Bond films. GoldenEye was released in 1995 and directed by New Zealander Martin Campbell. Campbell would later sign to direct 2006’s Bond film Casino Royale.

Plot summary: In 1986, MI6 agents 007 (James Bond) and 006 (Alec Trevelyan), infiltrate an illicit Soviet chemical weapons facility at Arkhangelsk and plant explosive charges. Trevelyan is apparently captured and shot dead by Colonel Arkady Ourumov, but Bond steals an airplane and escapes from the facility as it explodes.

Nine years later, Bond arrives in Monte Carlo to follow Xenia Onatopp, a suspected member of the Janus crime syndicate, who has formed a suspicious relationship with a Canadian Navy admiral. She murders the admiral to allow Ourumov (now a General) to steal his identity. The next day, they steal a prototype French Tiger helicopter that can withstand an electromagnetic pulse, despite Bond’s efforts to stop them. They fly it to a bunker in Severnaya, where they massacre the staff and steal the control disk for the dual GoldenEye satellite weapons.

The two program one of the GoldenEye satellites to destroy the complex with an electromagnetic pulse, and escape with traitorous programmer Boris Grishenko. The pulse also destroys three Russian MiG-29 aircraft dispatched to check on the facility; one crashes into the complex destroying it. Natalya Simonova, (Izabella Scorupco), the lone survivor, contacts Grishenko and arranges to meet him in St Petersburg, where he betrays her to Janus.

In London, M assigns Bond to investigate the attack due to circumstantial evidence, and he flies to St Petersburg to meet CIA agent Jack Wade. He suggests Bond meet Valentin Zukovsky, a Russian Mafia head and business rival of Janus. After Bond gives him a tip-off on a potential heist, Zukovsky arranges a meeting between Bond and Janus, who reveals himself as Trevelyan. A Lienz Cossack, Trevelyan faked his death, having vowed revenge against Britain for their involvement in his parents’ deaths.

Xenia Onatopp fights it out with James Bond.

Trevelyan ties Bond up with Simonova in the Tiger helicopter programmed to self-destruct, from which the two escape using its ejection system. They are immediately arrested by the Russian police and interrogated by the Minister of Defence, Dmitri Mishkin. Just as Simonova reveals the existence of a second satellite and Ourumov’s involvement in the massacre at Severnaya, Ourumov bursts into the room, shooting Mishkin and dragging Simonova into a car.

Bond steals a T-55 tank and pursues Ourumov through St Petersburg to Janus’ armoured train, where he kills Ourumov as Trevelyan escapes, locking Bond in the train with Simonova. As the train’s self-destruct countdown begins, Bond cuts through the floor with a laser watch while Simonova locates Grishenko’s satellite dish in Cuba using a computer. The two escape just before the train explodes.

In Cuba, Bond and Simonova fly a plane over the jungle before they are shot down. As they stumble out of the wreckage, Onatopp rappels down from a helicopter and attacks Bond, who resists and kills her. Minutes later, he and Simonova watch a lake being drained of its water, uncovering the dish. They infiltrate the control station, where Bond is captured. Trevelyan reveals his plan to steal money from the Bank of England before erasing all of its financial records with the remaining GoldenEye, concealing the theft and destroying Britain’s economy.

Meanwhile, Simonova programs the satellite to initiate atmospheric reentry and destroy itself. As Trevelyan captures Simonova and orders Grishenko to save the satellite, Bond triggers an explosion with his Parker Jotter pen grenade provided by Q, and escapes to the antenna cradle. Bond sabotages the antenna, preventing Grishenko from regaining control of the satellite, before turning and facing Trevelyan.

Bond pushes Trevelyan off the antenna and into the dish before escaping aboard a helicopter commandeered by Simonova. The cradle collapses, crushing Trevelyan and rupturing liquid nitrogen tanks that freeze Grishenko. Meanwhile on the surface, Bond and Simonova are rescued by Wade and a platoon of US Marines.

See also:

• GoldenEye: Film - Cast
• GoldenEye: Film - Crew
• GoldenEye: Film - Goofups
• GoldenEye: Film - Locations
• GoldenEye: Film - Soundtrack
• GoldenEye: Film - Trivia