Starring:	Pierce Brosnan	125min
	Sean Bean
	Izabella Scorupco	1995
	Famke Jansen
	Joe Don Baker
Screenplay:	Jeffrey Caine &	Action
	Bruce Feirstein
Director:	Martin Campbell	Colour

Region	2	Studio:	MGM
Format	Single Sided, Single Layer	Subtitles	English
			English Closed Captions
Aspect ratio	2.35:1
Anamorphic	Yes
Soundtracks	Dolby Digital 5.1	Extra Features	Film makers' commentary
			8 page booklet
Case type	Amaray		Theatrical Trailer
			MGM DVD Trailer

The DVD * * * *		The Movie * * * * *
MGM have done a grand job with this, one of the two Bond films launched as part of their first region 2 releases. Image quality is excellent - a bit of grain and extremely minor blocking on close inspection but, honestly, nothing that would worry anybody. The sound is less impressive, sadly. Although the surrounds have plenty to do, the dub itself is (as Q says of Bond) a relic of an earlier age. I've heard some of these exact same explosion effects in Hammer films - compared to the sophistication, dynamics and LF oomph of Das Boot, for example, this sounds distinctly second rate. A side by side with the 2 channel widescreen VHS soundtrack reveals that, overall, this version is just slightly bass-light. But, there again, the positional information is infinitely better, and you can make out the faces in the picture, don't forget. One other comparison - the DVD has a few extra on-screen titles, such as the first scene, where we are told that we are in a USSR weapons establishment. The commentary is a very welcome European exclusive, featuring director Martin Campbell and producer Michael G Wilson. They bounce off each other enthusiastically, and there's stacks of tidbits to please and surprise Bond fans - it's an entertaining listen. This is exactly the kind of thing that makes a movie worth owning - once you've seen the picture, you can keep going back and getting more out of it. The overall presentation is a bit lacklustre though - graphic design is poor, and the menus on hold for barely 5 minutes before firing the film into life. Extremely unnecessary and annoying. Minor niggles aside, this is a solid disc, and an essential region 2 purchase that certainly won't disappoint Bond fans.		Oh lawks, what a riot. Let's take away all the tedious raging about whether or not the 90's James Bond is too PC, not PC enough, obsolete, blah, blah, blah, and ask the only question worth asking - is it fun? The answer - yes. Yes, yes, yes, yes, YES!!!. Bond is back with an almighty great multitude of bangs. Following a suitably daring escape from a Russian military base nine years ago, Bond is on the trail of the GoldenEye - a key to a terrific nuclear type space weapon, which destroys all earthly electric circuits or something. There you go - what more do you want? The plot is interesting enough to hang the various stunts and set pieces together, and whereas they may lack the high-tech finesse of the great pretender True Lies, they more than compensate in pure adrenaline audaciousness - what a tank chase. Brosnan makes the best Bond in years, apparently slipping into the role as easily as the immaculate suit, Scorupco is a splendid looking and - hey! - decent acting Bond girl and the baddies are all up to the job. Interestingly, Joe Don Baker turns up as Bond's CIA helper - whereas it was only eight years ago he popped his clogs as Chief Bad Guy in The Living Daylights. You'd think Timothy Dalton would have tipped Brosnan off. Even above Peirce, however, director Martin Campbell must take main credit for rejuvenating the ancient series (if Bond was 30 in Dr No, he'd be 62 now - very well preserved). The film takes it's time - tearing through the action at a rate of knots but also allowing a bit of space and silence when needed - something the like of peers Drudge Jedd and Batman Forever forgot. The screenplay too is surprisingly good - well structured, and a number of pure dialogue scenes that excel. Oh, and Judi Dench is splendid as M. And Desmond Llewellan has is funniest line yet as Q. And Robbie Coltrane is an excellent Ruskie. And... oh, just see it. It is, of course, a blast.