As Good As You Remember - GoldenEye (1995) || From Rewatch with Love Ep19

[@loadingreadyrun]

As you may have noticed if you're listening along, we record these several week's ahead, so we won't even be able to mention Sir Sean Connery's passing until the episode for Casino Royale.

[@struanrobertson7128]

understandable

[@futuremovieactor]

I hoped you guys’d address it in the comments or description since I figured this was recorded before it happened, so I was expecting it.

[@DemoniacDeath]

I didn't even know until I googled Highlander... 90 years...

[@Billis75]

@@DemoniacDeath Yeah, Roger Moore was older than Sean Connery. Replacing bond who was getting older with someone already older.

[@Chasmodius]

@@verona8144 I know it's opinion, so all I can say is that you and I have very different ones. I love _The Rock_ , and it's a great film, but it's a mad dash from start to finish with very little downtime and lots of insanity. _Goldeneye_ is paced better, and had much more incredible stunts, in my opinion. _Octopus-y_ is fun and all, but the characters and motivations never really made sense to me in it. And the titular character was a lot less interesting than they wanted her to be. But again, it's subjective, so I'm glad you found so much to like about those movies, I just wish you could see all of the things I love about this film the way I do.

[@Chyeld]

Judy Dench actually appearently got sufficiently hooked on D&D after Ridick that she now DM's campaigns for her grandchildren.

[@vitorafmonteiro]

Please, tell me that is not an apocryphal anecdote, I need this to be real.

[@mickeyveach3612]

@@vitorafmonteiro it's true:)

[@DodWilEcton]

Another read of the plot hole mentioned: Oromov and Trevellyan were in it together, but Oromov was acting outside his authority within the USSR. The execution was for the soldiers’ benefit, who would think it odd if a foreign operative were spared and then, presumably, disappeared.

[@silverharloe]

^this.

[@houseofshadow6380]

Oooh yeah, Omorov's soldiers would have thought it odd to spare an enemy and could have possibly turned on him if they had known. Good possible tie for the plot hole.

[@TheMrVengeance]

My assumption was that catching 006 was to lure Bond out of hiding, and that killing 006 was meant to trick Bond into making a rash move in revenge of his friend's death that would've made him easy to kill.

[@genghisg]

This is what I was gonna say.

[@KirbytronicWouldLiketoBattle]

Yeah. It also leans in with all the "Stop, stop, let's watch" Oromov does during the Bond chase. Which, while technically perfectly reasonable for him to do, there's not really any reason for them to fire at him down the runway. Bond being killed (with a body as proof) would have probably been great for Oromov's career. But, Bond's not the objective, he's the distraction until the bomb goes off covering Trevellyan's escape.

[@silverharloe]

Back on the theme of things set up and paid off well, around 2:03:30 Natalya *totally* pwns Boris. He has been completely dismissive of her, constantly pointing out that she's "only a second level programmer" and calling her stupid. Then, again trying to insult her, points out she "only works on the guidance system" ... only. the. guidance. system. On cue, they find out she has used the guidance system of the satellite to put it into re-entry. A slightly faster burn and it wouldn't matter if Boris could override her codes because the satellite would be ash before it could fire. As it is, she's put a very short timer on their plans - they have to act now or lose out entirely. She doesn't say it, and I don't remember if her face says it, but you know she's thinking "who's stupid now?" It's a great little bit of revenge for all the times he's dismissed her as useless.

[@Voidhawk42]

I love that bit. She's playing it down after they catch her, but when they realise what she's done she gets this lovely little smile; the smile of someone who's been underestimated in her favour. Then to top it off Boris proves all talk, being entirely unable to break her codes. The whole scheme was foiled the moment she hit the enter key, and everything after that point is just buying time, escaping, and killing Trevelyan.

[@scotthix2926]

That is a great line but not practical. As a fan of kerbal space program, it would take approx an hour from the initial retro-burn to burn up in atm.

[@wendigo2064ify]

I'll use my bizarre "first" to just say everyone involved with this podcast/series is killing it. Thank you all so much, it has been a joy to go through this series again and watch some silly movies. Next week the question is "Can Vincent Schiavelli steal an entire movie?"

[@loadingreadyrun]

He kinda can. At least he can steal a scene.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

He easily walked away with Ghost.

[@Cpt50Caliber]

TND is definitely a downgrade but god damn is it fun :P

[@piercebrosnan5985]

Hi, happy Sunday. Thanks for following my profile. Always stay safe!

[@Voidhawk42]

Vehicles that crash, explode, or otherwise break after Bond goes near them: 1 - A soviet motorcycle, twice. 2 - A plane, but he fixes it. 3 - A collection of bicycles, just by his passing. 4 - Jack Wade's car. 5 - The Tiger helicopter. 6 - All the police cars in St Petersburg. 7 - The tank. 8 - The train. 9 - Jack Wade's loaner plane. 10 - Another helicopter. I'm with Natalia on this one, I wouldn't go with him on anything larger than a skateboard.

[@erzherzogalbrecht8504]

* Chrack's through skateboard *

[@empath69]

I feel like Natalia and Q should meet, and commiserate over Bond's 'anti-green-thumb' for machinery and vehicles.

[@stvdagger8074]

One fun fact about the Sharpe series - In Sharpe's Eagle (1993), Sean Bean's character, Richard Sharpe, kills Lieutenant Barry, who is played by one Daniel Craig.

[@YayapLives]

An alternate explanation for the "plot hole" discussed at 1:31:16 is simply that the double cross wasn't known by the low ranking USSR gunmen and therefore the whole fake shooting was expected to filter back to England. It also explains why the general was so mad at the soldiers opening fire because the plan was for only him to shoot. and it also also explains how Sean Bean was planning around the 6 minute timer expecting to be perhaps on the ground for a bit and then sneak away. I generally don't expect the secret plan involving spies to be shared amongst the common rank soldiers. Edit: heck, it also explains why the general told his men to hold off when James Bond was escaping towards the plane because the story of Bean's death would be even more believed if James delivered it so it was a win-win that he could play off as not expecting bond to succeed. Especially if he still thought there were three minutes to get to and disarm the bomb.

[@sodaaddict2225]

In the last episode, it was joked that if Twitter had been around at the time there would have been a "Robert Daddy" hashtag. I posit that if Twitter had been around in 1995, there would have been a *lot* of people asking to be crushed between Xenia's thighs.

[@kuznickic1]

#crushedbyxeniasthighs lol

[@JLProPhoto]

This was my first Bond movie, and I'm really glad it still holds up. A few things: 1. In the pre-title, Ourumov was also creating a show for his soldiers to cover up his working with Trevelyan. Even if Bond died, Orumov and Trevelyan were working together in secret from both governments. 2. IIRC, In one of the official strategy guides for the game (or in one of the DVD extras), there was a description that one of the motives for the production creating such an extensive set for St. Petersburg chase scene at Pinewood was that their crew that went to Russia kept having equipment stolen and they couldn't afford to keep shooting there. It may be apocryphal. 3. I think the liquid nitrogen tanks in the Control Room would be for cooling whatever supercomputers they're using to run the scheme. As for the other liquid, it could be fuel for running generators or maybe hydraulic oil to raise and lower the dish, maybe. Edit: 4. As for the helicopter pilot, I think he made off like a king. He got a free helicopter.

[@piercebrosnan5985]

Hi Good morning. It seems this is your favourite movie?

[@LeviRamsey]

The really interesting thing chronologically around the nine years is that nine years before GoldenEye is the period between AVTAK and The Living Daylights (late '85 into '86). So you could almost retcon the changes in Dalton's portrayal as Bond's trauma over Trevelyan.

[@RoryGlynn]

I went down a huge TV tropes rathole on this. Basically if you prescribe to the Casino Royale theory of Bond identity then Bondsnan retired after Alec's death and only came back after Bondton had his license to kill revoked and a new M took over. Or if you like the Agent with a thousand faces idea then Bond was frustrated with being unable to pursue Ouramov because he was a too important to murk and that's why he went off like a rocket when poor ol' Feelix got the Box Network executive treatment.

[@deltoran11]

I recently got a job that involves an hour of me driving twice a day and I thought "Hey, I can watch podcasts in the car to pass the time!" But I still have to watch this one on youtube because Matt Griffiths editing gags are too good to miss.

[@Chasmodius]

The thing that struck me most on my last rewatch was just how much agency the female characters (finally!) had in this film outside of Bond. Other than the therapist (?), of course. Moneypenny finally has a life outside of MI6, M totally owns Bond, even though he was right and she was wrong. Xenia is in complete psychopathic control or every scene she's in (and may represent a dark reflection of Bond himself). And Natalya is absolutely vital to the plot, capable of subterfuge on her own (but is still vulnerable and human), and she is the one who initiates a sexual relationship with Bond, fully knowing his past. She even gets one over on Boris and destroys the satellite single-handed through the use of the guidance system he denigrated. It was a really welcome change, and I'd wished Natalya had stuck around for more Bond films, even if she was just in the background.

[@Yora21]

I didn't actively notice it when I saw it last time, but this plot summary really highlights how much stuff Natalya actually does. I wonder how well Wai Lin holds up to my memory.

[@Vyolynce]

This might be one of the greatest strengths of the Brosnan era in general: (most of) the women are aces. Even (...sigh...) Christmas Jones holds her own.

[@Chasmodius]

@@Vyolynce The villain in _The World is Not Enough_ is so great, she makes up for Christmas Jones being a little less than fully developed. Like, she did a great job in the pipeline, and they reestablished that Bond doesn't know how to defuse a nuclear weapon (either he's forgotten since the last time, or the technology just keeps changing). But in the submarine reactor fight, SHE should have been the one to reapply the hoses and stop the reactor meltdown. I mean, how did Bond know how Russian submarine reactors work? And she had literally nothing to do in that fight, except get knocked on the head and pass out. Sorry, I just watched it the other day, and that still bothers me.

[@koristi_]

I recall they were actually GOING to keep Natalya around for future movies, but for some reason didn't.

[@jumpbox3]

@@koristi_ wasn’t she an option for Paris Carver in TND?

[@Maxisoft25]

This podcast is a delight. I'm french, I love the Bond franchise since my childhood and I've learned so many things thanks to you guys. Thanks again. From Paris with love.

[@tehbeard]

1:01:00 re: EMP and explosions. Maybe not as "cinematically" as in the movie, but an EMP would induce large currents, particularly in power lines etc. It's feasible for that to cause a fire/explosion.

[@hfar_in_the_sky]

"DON'T TOUCH THAT! ...That's my lunch!" is by far my favorite line of any Bond movie ever. It made me laugh when I first watched it in the 90s and it's only gotten funnier to me with time. Desmond Llewelyn's posture and delivery during that moment was absolutely perfect and I will fight anyone who says this wasn't a great moment.

[@phialpha88]

might very well be the best Q branch meeting of all time

[@rossomac21]

Second only to "I think he's attempting re-entry sir" 😅

[@empath69]

The only catch is - it's only funny because of the build up of years of previous Q briefings where Q yells at Bond to not touch something because it's exceptionally dangerous. It's by far the best joke, but only as a subversion of the existing 'pattern' we expect.

[@hfar_in_the_sky]

@@empath69 I mean, this was the first Bond movie I ever watched and even back then I thought this joke was hilarious. Knowing past movies can help, but there's enough buildup in the scene itself that you don't actually need to have watched previous movies get it. So no, it's not the best "as a subversion." It's the best because it's just a really good joke

[@EricOrang]

I love Grahams shocked disbelief that "The Perfect Mate" could be season 5 of TNG.

[@empath69]

The commonly-held conceit is "The FIRST season of TNG was iffy as they tried to find their feet, and then the REST were ALL awesome" - it's not fun to have your easy beliefs picked apart.

[@lisuru5302]

I just wanted to say... RIP SEAN CONNERY :( he was a great bond.

[@piercebrosnan5985]

Hi, may his soul rest perfectly in peace. Stay safe!

[@RighteousBrother]

The Q scene with the exploding pen, I always assumed Bond was about to say "The pen is mightier than the the sword"

[@DanAvenell]

I reckon you're right.

[@mocliamtoh573]

He actually jokes about that right before Q demonstrates it. Bond: They always say the pen is mightier than the sword. Q: Thanks to me they're right.

[@RighteousBrother]

@@mocliamtoh573 damn it need to watch it again!

[@jumpbox3]

He was about to say and does say “The writings on the wall” which is that name of Sam Smith’s Bond song. Bond multiverse confirmed! Ooooh ahhhhh. 😂

[@joehahn9801]

The game had three (3!) missions dedicated just to the pre-title sequence: Dam, Facility, and Runway

[@rfactor1502]

I was going to mention that, but honestly, Runway was probably the most forgettable mission in the game. Which really says something about the quality of the game, as it wasn't a bad mission either.

[@philipgardner5171]

Literally just came here to point this out lol. Good call!

[@girlhunter2102]

Question: were there 2 or 3 bonus levels? I remember Aztec temple (spy who loved me) which featured baron samedi and the golden gun for some reason. And I remember the moon raker level, but I feel like there’s another one...

[@joehahn9801]

@@girlhunter2102 There were 2 bonus levels. Aztec was the Moonraker level, and Egyptian was the Spy Who Loved Me/Baron Samedi/Golden Gun level.

[@Xondar11223344]

@@joehahn9801 I remember watching Moonraker and being surprised at how much the Aztec level was actually from the movie.

[@KingOfDoma]

*raises hand* I CARE ABOUT EQUILIBRIUM, THAT MOVIE'S A HOOT

[@SuperMunchkin43]

saaaaame

[@wendigo2064ify]

I also care about equilibrium. Without it, how would I know that Christian Bale and Taye Diggs can do gun-katta with such precision while balancing their anti-corporate themes with their own work? Also, what's this about a movie?

[@houseofshadow6380]

That movie is so over-the-top Matrix hype cashgrab and Fahrenheit 451 meets 1984 plot. I love it. I watch it maybe once a year just to relish in the cheesiness of Sean Bean reading poetry and Christian Bale harboring puppies like they're asylum seekers. It's so bad its good.

[@lydiajohnson1318]

Yeah, it's nuts, but it's great.

[@ShawnMcNaughton]

Equilibrium is AMAZING. It might actually be my favorite movie. Explaining why Kung Fu works with gunfights? Yes.

[@gamesink4691]

I've waited months for this! My first Bond ^.^

[@Treblaine]

I think Joe Don Baker was cast in Goldeneye (despite being in Living Daylights) is because he had worked with Martin Campbell before in the TV miniseries Edge of Darkness, the Director seemed to really like the actor. His character in Edge of Darkness also had a "thing" with plants.

[@zachs3228]

I always took the theme song from Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) feeling like he was in Bond's shadow his entire life... seems pretty directly related to the movie imo

[@TurbosTantrums]

Fun fact - "Vokzal" is the Russian word for railway station. Because when a delegation from Tsarist Russia came on a fact-finding mission to see London's railways, they were taken to Vauxhall sttation and the name kind of stuck.

[@womble1981]

I just read an alternative explanation which is that the St Petersburg pleasure gardens were named after Vauxhall gardens and also happened to be the destination of the first Russian railway.

[@TurbosTantrums]

@@womble1981 That's also possible - the Russian name still comes form "Vauxhall" but with extra steps.

[@joehahn9801]

Pierce’s Bond was an almost perfect amalgamation of those who came before him.

[@Xondar11223344]

I think he's closest to Dalton's Bond.

[@ImYourHuckleberry_29]

@@Xondar11223344 youre joking. Please tell me you are.

[@outistynnanyt5153]

I love that, decades later (Dec 1 2020), the Arecibo Telescope was finally put out of commission by the suspended antenna collapsing into the dish and destroying the dish. Didn't explode, obviously, but it really did crumple into the dish!

[@LeviRamsey]

M as a lady (by extension a mother figure for Bond) actually works from a Fleming perspective, when you consider that he referred to his mother (in letters and such) as "M".

[@womble1981]

Doesn’t everyone do that?

[@futuremovieactor]

I like to imagine there were two movies we didn’t get to see that happened between Licence to Kill and GoldenEye that would’ve been in 1991 and 1993.

[@empath69]

pesky legal squabbles - robbing us of our continuity for the sake of their own wealth

[@kuznickic1]

Yes at least one of those would have been called Property of a Lady

[@empath69]

@@kuznickic11) already referenced in Octopussy, and 2) "at least one"? Your headcanon of multiple movies in the same property given identical titles sounds needlessly confusing.

[@KingTaltia]

"I love how underfunded the CIA is in these movies" Ah, I see, so the movies take place in an alternate universe where the CIA DIDN'T get into drug smuggling, got it.

[@empath69]

See, this is actually another indication of how the world is changing - the traditional "US-vs-USSR Cold War" has quieted down and there's a lot less interest in Russia so there's no NEED to spend massive budgets on agents stationed there, and this results in Jack Wade operating on a shoestring - he's got a quiet, backwater posting. Nothing interesting is going to happen in St. Petersburg for another...20ish years?

[@JankTank]

As a self-proclaimed vulture: I think it would be really interesting if you could release a supplement to this episode covering the video game and its relationship to the film. I'm not expecting anything near as long as the regular episodes, even a condensed 10 minute episode covering some of the more interesting bits would be fascinating to tune into, but please don't overwhelm yourselves with work!

[@sirkowski]

"So far Arecibo hasn't detected any alien life, but it's 2020, anything could happen." Arecibo broke down yesterday. lol

[@nitehunter91]

It isn't unrelated to the movie. The song can either describe Trevellyan's POV about Bond or Brosnan's longing for the role of James Bond.

[@aaronp6476]

You lads never fail to cheer me up on a Monday :)

[@Chulp_75]

I do love the payoff for Judi dench’s character in skyfall, during her trial in front of the defense ministry I believe.

[@DM-kv9kj]

Skyfall just seems worse and worse each time I rewatch it. Pretentious, often very boring, Bond seems like some Russian henchman, not 007, Q is an annoyingly overacted twerp with lame dialogue, Bardem's villain is surprisingly bland with a completely pointless affectation of false teeth, Bond takes advantage of a woman who he just learned was forced into prostitution from a young age (topped in the subsequent movie when Craig Bond blatantly r*pes a woman whose husband he just murdered) and YET AGAIN they were doing the whole "Ooh, he's not quite Bond yet... wait for it.. wait for it.. Ok, NOW he's Bond (at the end of the movie)". It's all just style over any substance and no fun at all. Sadly, since showing a lot of promise in Casino Royale, Craig's Bond has just become seriously tiresome and insanely repetitive. It's literally the exact same plot every movie too.

[@futuremovieactor]

Q’s response to Bond is pretty funny too: “Along with the rest of him!”

[@aether9461]

Compared to tomorrow never dies onwards it really does feel more like the missing third Dalton movie sometimes imo

[@LeviRamsey]

I've always said Brosnan was basically a pastiche of his predecessors.

[@hunterrose8019]

I think the growth and character arcs in Goldeneye were more focused on M and the MI-6 organization in the post cold war environment. Bond is a relic now and nobody knows how to use him. Goldeneye serves to show the 00 program still has relevance and M learns of just what Bond is capable.

[@SonofSethoitae]

Which would go on to be the plot of almost every Craig movie to varying degrees of success

[@awh79]

Love hearing you guys talking about Vauxhall. Not at all a glamorous place. I changed at Vauxhall on my morning commute every day for 4 years. The MI6 building looms over the train station. Whenever you're passing through Vauxhall on the train into London at the weekend, at least one person on the carriage is telling their kid 'that's where James Bond works'.

[@RooksGambit360]

Love these podcasts! The chemistry between you two is GOLD! Hope you move on to other cinema/tv because this has been great.

[@greendoodily]

This is the one I have been eagerly awaiting ever since you started this podcast, so glad it delivered! Also, you referenced it in this episode, but if you're looking for bonus/filler material, the Simpson's Hank Scorpio episode would be a hoot :-)

[@BradyKaynee]

BTW... in movie Mrs. Doubtfire where Robin Williams and Pierce Brosnan are in the film. There is a scene where Robin Williams impersonates James Bond... but he was impersonating Dalton's Bond because Pierce was not cast as Bond at the time of filming. Then two years later... GoldenEye is out.

[@Twilightavalon]

I was waiting for this week very excitedly as Goldeneye is one of the most compete James Bond films ever. Its no longer the "Best" Bond film but wow does it showcase everything that makes generations love this character. Next Week I cannot wait for the review of Tomorrow Never Dies, which I have always said to be one of the most underrated Bond films thanks to its villain and how the plot of his villainy is something that has becoming more and more hauntingly relevant as time has advanced, being the manipulation of media.

[@rfactor1502]

OK, despite this video being three years old now, I'ma toss a (very) brief bit on the game levels and how it compares story wise to the game. Something typical of every level is additional objectives on higher difficulty. The low difficulty will actually come somewhat closer to the movie, but there's divergence between the stories (in a good way). First off, we have the pre title sequence, which as another comment mentioned is three levels. Dam - Which is an infiltration mission across the upper portions of a Soviet dam, which ends with the big stunt at the very beginning. So right off we have an entire level before the first shot of the movie, particularly on harder difficulties that add objectives aside from doing the big jump. Facility - This is the chemical weapons facility 006 and 007 are blowing up, and it still starts in a bathroom vent. However instead of a few shots of the pair getting to the tanks, it's an entire level of fighting or sneaking (mostly fighting) your way there, hitting side objectives on the way through. Runway - This is a mostly forgettable level where Bond gets the plane to escape. The chase is somewhat different, being mostly on foot (no motorbikes) and the plane lacking a pilot. Again, side objectives (like disabling anti-air guns) on higher difficulties, and if you double back towards the facility in one corner... there's a tank just for fun. After that, instead of the opening sequence, we get another three stages that happen years after the first three stages/pre-title, but also years before the main events of the film Firstly with two stages of a mission investigating new bunker and it's outlying support structures in Severnaya (one stage outside, one inside) that takes place five years after the first sequence. And then two years later, investigating a missile silo that is launching a new satellite under the command of Ourumov. Surface (1) - The exterior of the bunker, where Bond sneaks (fights) his way into this unfinished bunker to collect information. Bunker (1) - The interior of the bunker, where Bond continues to sneak (fight) through the bunker, digging up information on this new rumored satellite, codename Goldeneye. Silo - In which Bond does his usual 'sneaking' through a missile silo preparing to launch a Goldeneye satellite, and puts a bit of a wrench in Ourumov's plans (but as the movie, there are two Goldeneyes in orbit). Notably, the mission was to stop unscheduled test firings, and gather information as needed. This likely stopped the launch of more Goldeneye sats. Then finally, we get to an event in the movie, namely where a Frigate has had a bit of a situation with someone stealing a helicopter, and into the rest of the movie. Frigate - This is the first level in the main part of the movie, but it differs by being a full blow hostage situation with the Janus organization having thugs on board. While the copter is still stole despite Bond's intervention, Bond is able to plant a homing device. Surface (2) - ...this leads to Bond finding that the stolen copter went to the bunker he investigated years ago, and instead of watching from afar with M like in the movie, heads in to follow the copter. Thus begins more 'sneaking' into a bunker that is aware of security flaws due to the last break in. Bunker (2) - And they learned it well enough to capture Bond. The level starts with Bond in a cell next to Natalya, where he uses his gadget watch (with the magnet from Live and Let Die) to steal keys and break them out. The two then fight out of the bunker, escaping before it is destroyed by the EMP from a Goldeneye satellite. Statue - The information from the last several missions leads to a similar conversation clearly happening between Valentine and Bond, as this level is in the same statue park as the one in the film. There is a lot more fighting of Janus thugs before the man himself, former 006,Trevelyan, is met. Instead of becoming a hostage directly, this leads into a bit of a chase, but still lands Bond and Natalya (who was waiting nearby) in the hands of the Soviet millitary. Archives - Same idea as the film, with escape being the main objective, and Natalya ending in the hands of Ourumov. Notably longer than the scene, but it's an entire stage for the game instead of a brief scene. Street - And here we have the tank chase, which mostly just involves minimizing civilian casualties, with higher difficulties narrowing the gap. Train - And after that chase scene, you have to fully fight your way through the train, rather than popping in the right car. Also breaking some of the train's equipment as side objectives. This ends with the information of the other control facility in Cuba, and a narrow escape with a laser watch. Jungle - Here you put down Xenia, but also fight through an entire jungle to get to the control facility. Notably it's a full firefight instead of Xenia being killed by her own helicopter crashing. Control - Break into and sabotage the Goldeneye, stopping Trevelyan's plan. This gets more complex with higher difficulties in the number of things needed to be stopped. Ends with Trevelyan fleeing up to the antenna to trigger it manually. Caverns - Hey look, an entire level between the last two scenes of the movies. These are all the service tunnels that would presumably be a part of this evil lair in the caverns this retractable array is held in. Chase Trevelyan up to the elevators to arrive at... Cradle - The cradle shaped antenna array is the final stage of the main game, with a full on firefight with Janus thugs, and a final brawl on a still absurdly tiny platform where Trevelyan gets booted off (or simply shot up). There are also the two bonus stages based around Moonraker (Aztec), and a mix of Live and Let Die and Man with the Golden Gun (Egyptian), but these have little to do with the story. So, what the game did was take the story, extend it, and make it a bit more Bond-centric by having him investigate some areas around the plot early instead of having this info being fully handed to him. It's decidedly an alternate universe take with him meeting some people early (Natasha and Boris namely), but it does give Bond even more of that character arc that was hinted at in the movie, with that pre-title mission coming up on further missions, be it through Ourumov, or through the actions of Janus. Unfortunately 90% of the plot is in mission briefings an a handfull of unvoiced lines, so you lack some of the real character moments. If a film adaptation of the game could somehow happen and actually work (probably not), it might well handle the character arc of Bond feeling somewhat sudden in places (which is mostly handwaved by that 9 year gap in the film).

[@benroberts2222]

PLEASE talk about the first Austin Powers movie now that there's room in the schedule

[@NCR5309]

Arguably a superior remake of YOLT than the other Lewis Gilbert movies..

[@ricardocantoral7672]

@@NCR5309 Um, no.

[@rmod42]

Oh yes, most definetly

[@VAB0L0]

Oh man, I wanna see them go through it now that you mention it

[@girlhunter2102]

I certainly would love to see this just because every scene is an homage (parody) to a Bond film.

[@empath69]

2:12:00 the supposed 'plot hole' of the antenna assembly exploding in a Hollywood gasoline explosion: Remember you said it was aligned and adjusted by a 'chain drive' (that Bond jammed)? How is that chain drive powered? That's right, gasoline motors.

[@dudleymq]

I always wondered how he actually disconnected his ankles from the bungee while holding onto the pistol connected to the concrete at the bottom of the dam. And how he then managed to get from the bottom of a dam to the top of a mountain.

[@PoBrien939]

This will still be my absolute favorite James Bond movie, and not just cause of the video game. Everything to bring this franchise back really knocked it out of the park.

[@GD-xh6fk]

This series is absolute gold, and you somehow combined my love of LRR, James Bond, and a subtle Trixie and Katya reference into one piece of content. Absolute chef's kiss to this whole thing!

[@sonofloki-wn3vj]

If you cross your eyes while looking at the screen w Graham and Matt, you see them overlayed and it's pretty crazy. Just not too long you'll smoosh your eyes up.

[@DeltaDemon1]

The beach scene was just the producers trying to say: "See, James Bond can evolve into the 90s". It was pretty much ignored in other subsequent movies as they found out nobody much cares. Those who love Bond don't care and those who don't never will like him no matter what you do.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

I think the audiences and Bond fans were willing to see a three dimensional Bond back then. The problem is the producers were terrified of actually taking Bond beyond two dimensions. The World is Not Enough was obviously an attempt to duplicate On Her Majesty's Secret Service but it was ultimately a half assed effort.

[@Optimist117]

I for one will say thank you for mentioning Sharpe

[@blofeld39]

Paul McGann lost the role from... I think, a horseback injury?

[@jvanyai]

Not gonna lie, been looking forward to this one from the very beginning.

[@MultiMal3]

So for the record, 2020 has not killed Aricebo Observatory, though a cable break in August put a nasty hole in the dish and between that and all the goddamn hurricanes this year the facility's closed pending repairs.

[@MultiMal3]

And now I have to correct myself: The National Science Foundation just announced that due to safety concerns the famous Aricebo radio telescope will be decommissioned. Fuck. This. Year. Dude.

[@caelmcleish1212]

And I hate to tell you, but 2020 did kill Arecibo Observatory. Collapsed yesterday. Fortunately, no Sean Beans were completely skewered in the collapse of this observatory

[@dtuk22]

I spent best part of a day waiting outside the Odean Leicester Square, London for the World Premiere. Saw the whole cast arrive....& The Royals. The hype for this one was off the chart.

[@davidjames579]

"Look! James Bond Is Back!! And It's Weird". Imagine that on the posters!

[@piercebrosnan5985]

🤗

[@Chasmodius]

Per the discussion at 1:30:00 ish, I've always assumed that Ouramov and Trevalian were stealing from the chemical weapons factory (to sell later), and covering it up with the 00 mission, and that the supposed headshot was more a show for the Russian soldiers than it was for Bond. He waited to get captured and kille Bond until after the bombs had been set, so it wouldn't be obvious that inventory was missing. That's why he needed the extra 3 minutes to escape the area without being spotted alive by Russian soldiers (some of whom had to make it out so that there were witnesses, and Ouromov wasn't punished too badly for his failure). Thus he and Ouromov got to make a lot of money while maintaining Ouromov's position within the Russian military to continue funneling weapons to the (newly formed) Janus syndicate. But that's entirely stuff I made up in my own head, that is only a justification for details that were left out of the original text.

[@TheXasti]

The Onatop lines completely flew over my head when I watched this for the first time a few weeks ago.

[@MuddBstrd]

The use of a Contact poster with Trixie and Katya is *chef's kiss*. Love it!

[@willbxtn]

Can't tell you how long I've been waiting for this one! Watched it again last night in preperation!

[@Happymali10]

"We'll work with hitler." "Not a good idea." As a German, I can confirm.

[@kuznickic1]

RIP Sir Sean Connery!! Been waiting for this one too...definitely remember the video game and the 8 on 8 death matches.

[@Xondar11223344]

1:49:53 Those circuit boards are modems! In the early 2000s, I once worked for an organization that provided internet access for homeless people in Vancouver, and we inherited all the old free-net servers (basically how people accessed the internet through local networks in the 90s), and they had racks of modems, which were big cards or circuit boards that looked a lot like what Boris is pulling out of his servers. Because Natalya is spiking him, he's severing the physical connection by pulling his modems.

[@girlhunter2102]

Definitely one of my favorite scenes in the film and you got the quote wrong Graham. (Don’t worry though 😉) Zukovsky: My knee aches...every single day! Twice as bad when it’s cold. Do you have any idea how long the winter lasts in this country? Tell him, Demetri. Demetri: Well it depends Zukovsky: silence!

[@davidjames579]

I love how Zukovsky expects a cool retort from his man, but poor Demetri takes the question too literally.

[@LeviRamsey]

Michael G. Wilson has cameos in most if not all of the films he worked on (e.g. he's on the tour boat in Octopussy), as well as being a soldier who falls to the ground in Goldfinger at Fort Knox.

[@kevingabel9908]

Matt Griffiths, your editing of these videos has been consistently great but never in my wildest imagination did I expect you to reference "UNHhhh" at 1:57:58! So giddily thrilled to see my two favourite KZbin series dovetailing in such an unpredictable way -- I absolutely Foster this kind of behaviour. Also, one thing I realized about Goldeneye on a recent rewatch is that Natalya is something of a co-protagonist for part of the movie, which I don't think ever happens elsewhere in the series. She doesn't share a scene with Bond until around halfway through the film and is the lead of her own parallel storyline until she meets up with him in the helicopter. This isn't to say that the female characters in other movies don't impact the plot or have a lot of screentime or appear in scenes without Bond (Tatiana, Anya, and Melina probably come the closest), but it's rare that a female character has so much of her on-screen story occur without Bond being around.

[@janosbornemisza1807]

The incredulous “Season 5??!!??!” from Graham is very *very* funny to me.

[@RothAnim]

Regarding the opening and the potential plot-hole, here's how I'd rationalized it: Plan A: Bond is killed. He works with the General to sell the supplies of chemical weapons. Plan B: Alex knows Bond is REALLY good at his job, and could still escape the trap, so faking his own death is insurance. Bond escapes, then Alex (alive) deactivates the bombs, and Plan A continues. Because Bond shortened the timers, Alex got up smugly after everyone was chasing Bond, walked to the timers, saw they were about to explode, crapped his pants, and booked it, getting cooked in the blast.

[@nibblitman]

This really fits for me. He knows how good Bond is so he has backup plans for his plans so that even if Bond does the in impossible escape (like he has a habit of doing) 006 is dead so he is still covered.

[@rmod42]

The one we've all been waiting for! Huzzah! My first bond... such a great film. Or at least that's how I remember it

[@Paul91-]

My favourite Bond film for a long time. Well done guys. Great review. Great to see you both give Goldeneye so much love. Graham's impression of the jarring Eric Serra score nearly killed me.

[@TheDougliestDoug]

So excited for this one! I've been anxiously waiting for it. Goldeneye was what made me a Bond fan for life.

[@Bahumot]

I have been looking forward to, and dreading this film coming up in your Rewatch. That fear, that a film you loved as a kid being seen with the critical eye of an adult. So I'm very happy for how you title this episode :) . I want to note two things about this film. It had a remix of the classic Bond theme early on that I did not care for, but when the tank burst through the wall, it did so to the classic Bond theme in all its glory, a wonderful added touch to a great scene. I also want to further point how good Judi Dench is, because when the Casino Royale - era games were being made, they did get Daniel Craig to voice Bond but it sounded like he phoned it in. Judi Dench's lines in the game, stood out because she did NOT phone it in, not even for a video game.

[@DuncanEllis]

I've been looking forward to this episode since you started the podcast, and I was not disappointed. I've been playing through the game again and the "Natalya is dead" bit just slew me.

[@maxberry9923]

We’re into the ones that are younger than me now!

[@piercebrosnan5985]

❤️❤️

[@rhvette]

I would love to hear your guys’ thoughts on some of the Bond video games that have come out over the years, but I also understand that would be a bit of a hellacious endeavor to make work on a podcast. Perhaps as a compromise of sorts, would you be interested in doing some streams of them, a la Talking Simulator?

[@OmegablueWolf]

At the very least maybe Everything or nothing given it's effectively Brosnan's Last bond movie ?

[@rhvette]

@@OmegablueWolf That I recall playing it repeatedly and finding it quite enjoyable is also a point in its favor for playing on stream. ...I should dig out my Gamecube.

[@MarsPhoenix63]

I would also like to see some bonus content of 007 video games.

[@Twilightavalon]

RIP Robbie Coltrane. Passed away 10/14/2022 at Age 72

[@MrDalevich]

Annoyingly, I've caught up to when they are released now so I'm going to have to wait another week for the next one. They're all great and the fact that the episodes are getting longer can only be a good thing.

[@LB1973]

Another Flash Gordon (re Dalton) reference is that Robbie Coltrane is actually in that movie too as 'man at airport' right at the start in his first film role. So with Topol thats three Bond actors in that movie.

[@KiroWhitefin]

I think Editor Matt has a wildly different movie in mind for "Contact" than the one Graham references.

[@hunter1848]

Bond and Natalya do "Get Help." It's super-effective.

[@Skyfox94]

1:58:15 Something unfortunately *did* happen to Arecebo. It collapsed a few days ago after one of the suspension cables failed.

[@jessie-buns839]

My explanation of why they “shot” Trevelyan, is that the capture was to get Bond to surrender, and when he didn’t, they “killed” him to try and get Bond angry and make a mistake.

[@vitriolUK]

Mine is that there are a lot of Russian soldiers there and Ourumov was concealing his links to Trevelyan from at least some of them as well as from Bond.

[@jessie-buns839]

@@vitriolUK That’s a good one!

[@rj78678]

Awesome video, peoples! I love the way the interactions between Boris and Natalya throughout the movie, their arcs and rivalry, mirrors the ones between Bond and 006. Boris and Natalya have such great (non romantic) chemistry on screen in the way she handles his smarm, the way they drive each other crazy, and how pissed she gets when she finds out he betrayed her. It's so satisfying how Natalya smirks at Boris as he fails to undo her hack job, loses all composure, and shrieks at her to help him. Like bond, she ultimately gets the win! It's such a great subplot in an already fantastic movie. :)

[@WooglieExe]

This is the first one that has made me go back and watch the film before listening to the podcast. I remember seeing this in the cinema.

[@RoryGlynn]

From the Cradle to the Grave- YOUR GRAVE, JAMES!

[@kcastle]

Arecibo Radio Telescope has been offline since a cable snapped in August and damaged the dish and it's still up for discussion if there will be funds to repair it. :( Being a radio telescope, the "dish" is actually a metal grille that's sparse enough to let light through to the plants growing underneath it, and would in *no way* hold water.

[@kcastle]

Update, another cable snapped and Arecibo is officially being decommissioned :(

[@CyberColossus]

One thing I wanted to add here is the music in the scene in the control room near the end is INCREDIBLY tense during that whole build up as well. I know alot of the music for this movie was pretty rough but in this scene before they deal with the antennae and before the pen explosion is excellent 👍🏿 This one was my first bond movie too so I'm glad you guys are now at bond movies I've seen all of now. Love you guys and your fans. Have a great week.

[@ricardocantoral7672]

Not bad but if there is any incredible music it's The Severnaya Suite and the variation played during the beach scene.

[@Yora21]

The real observatory in Puerto Rico is not made of concrete, but out of plastic sheets. You can walk under it and see the daylight shine through. It's actually quite fragile.

[@superkeaton9912]

Graham wrestling with the Perfect Mate revelation made me cackle

[@Tzen03]

The bit with the water running backwards is reminds me of Back to the Future: Part III, where there's a shot of the steam engine stopping right in front of the camera, which is on the track. If you look at the steam to the sides of the engine, you see the steam being sucked into the engine as it "stops".

[@Srock8994]

So far in the rewatch I think this is my favorite

[@michaelmeffert5722]

Honestly disappointed that Graham did not identify the plane in the pre title scene as a Pilatus PC-6 Porter ... internet movie plane database! 👍 great episode once more!

[@girlhunter2102]

The tank is also Soviet (the Wikipedia page has the exact model) and would’ve likely been “decommissioned” explaining why it’s at the archives. Surprised they didn’t mention that briefly.

[@ewhac]

34:16: Something that stood out for me in this scene when I first saw it was that _everything_ Xenia has matches. The gloves, the outfit, the lipstick, the car -- all the _exact_ same shade of red. 1:03:27: Surviving seven near-death experiences must have seemed cold comfort now that she's faced with walking off alone into the Siberian wilderness. 1:17:12: The Venture Bros. do a riff on this bit with the sandwich in the episode _Assassinanny 911_ during a flashback sequence with Brock Samson and Colonel Hunter Gathers. Gathers yells, _"Do not eat that; that's C4!"_ and the shot pulls out to reveal Brock is about to take a bite out of a large sub sandwich.

[@Simon-ow6td]

This is my favourite Bond movie. I guess Im a little influenced by nostalgia as it is the earliest I remember watching, but it is just so tight and well done. And hits my favourite blend between goofy and cute with serious, emotional and action packed!

[@antondevonlh]

On the question of how to describe Brosnan's Bond, I think that he is basically the true balance of Bond. Not the best in any one category, but he has all the charm and calm of Moore, all the wit and drive of Connery, and all the action of Dalton. He is sort of the "ideal", but not the "perfect" James Bond, which I think really helped Bond resurge after all that time off in a way I don't think Craig's Bond ever really did. There was a little of everything you liked from the last Bonds here, and none of the worst parts (it's not overly goofy, or tonally dissident, or randomly brutal) and it doesn't hurt that his support cast is a mix of bomb-rockin' actors. Sean Bean and Judi Dench are high-tier performers who bring a life to their roles that could otherwise have stymied the return, and Desmond Llewelyn treats Brosnan's Bond like an old friend, helping bring creditability to the hand-off. There is no "gear change" when you enter Brosnan's Era, no matter which one you were just watching. At least, that is my take on it.

[@antondevonlh]

Also, my justification for the betrayal is that Ourumov didn't want the RUSSIANS to know he was aiding a ex-00 turned criminal in escaping the British Intelligence. The first plan is the Ourumov pretends to shoot Alec (he knows his first round is a blank), then has his men legit shoot Bond, then they drag them both off to be searched and maybe have something done with them. Then, with their "bodies" taken care of, and the bombs removed, Ourumov gets Trevelyan out of the base, sets him up with Janus, and they start cashing in (presumably giving Ourumov a private KGB-style organization to let him knock around the failing Russian State and restart or potentially overheat the Cold War). However, that fails because Bond wastes a bunch of time using the barrels to escape outside. Panicked, Ourumov orders his men to give chase, leaving Alec to have to try to sneak away (because the bombs haven't been dealt with). However, he overestimates how long he has to get away, so he hides somewhere not too close, but not to far. Then the place blows up while he watches Bond escape, scarring him up and leading to him adopting the name Janus for spite as well as flavor.

[@Guvnorium]

My wife does lines from some of the Bond movies- the ones she watched over and over with her dad as a kid. This one she just sometimes quotes in everyday life. It's my number 2 of the Bond movies so far.

[@jdrobertson42]

No bond movie will ever be as great as this movie was to 16-year-old me.

[@DamienE11]

Same except I was about 8 when I first saw it. Gotta love Nana babysitting and not giving a single shit what we watched on tv. I think I wore out that vhs tape.

[@RighteousBrother]

That's how old I was when I saw The Living Daylights, so that holds a special place in my heart.

[@DamienE11]

@@RighteousBrother Incidentally that's my number two behind Goldeneye. I really loved Timothy Dalton's take on Bond

[@prish98]

My favorite Bond, Bond movie, and song! :D I still think “Beg your pardon, forgot to knock” is one of the best first lines from Bond. 🤣

[@simonbrunner3062]

2:23:07 This is exactly how I feel about GoldenEye, too. Knowing that I've always had a soft spot for that movie with it being the most recent one that existed when I first got into Bond as a kid, I always try to be extra objective when I watch it, and I'm always expecting a hard reality check for my childhood memories. But I always end up thinking: Yep, it is THAT good. Even just watching your podcast made me realise once again, this is not just a fun 90s action movie with great stunts, all our favourite Bond tropes and the tank chase. There is so much great stuff even in its quieter moments, like the scene in M's office or how the MI6 regulars are established. It's #1 on my list, too. Spoiler alert: For me it's gonna stay there even after ranking all the newer Brosnan and Craig movies. Although Casino Royale (2006) comes pretty close.