Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson , based on child development research. How do we rate?
age 13+
One of the better Bonds; lots of cartoonish violence.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
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Drinking, Drugs & Smoking
some
Most characters seem to drink in this movie. Bond has his usual vodka martini ("shaken, not stirred"), and M keeps a bottle of bourbon in her desk (she shares a glass with Bond). But one of the bad guys appears to have a drinking problem. He takes manic swigs from a flask during tense moments, and this is shown several times.
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Sex, Romance & Nudity
some
As always with Bond movies, the title sequence here is sexually suggestive with (apparently) naked women shown in silhouette. Bond flirts with two women and passionately kisses one of them. The Onnatop character seems to equate sex and violence, going into ecstasy whenever struggling with a man. Otherwise, there's lots of sexual innuendo, both direct and indirect.
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Violence & Scariness
some
The violence here is very cartoonish. Many characters die, but it's with little impact, and very little blood is shown. During a fight, one character has a bloody nose and mouth. A dead body is shown with a creepy grin on its face. There's some fighting and punching. A female character, Onnatop, seems to enjoy rough sexual foreplay and goes into ecstasy when fighting with men. The rougher the fighting gets, the more she seems to enjoy it. The bad guy forcibly kisses the female hero.
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Products & Purchases
a little
During a chase scene, Bond crashes into a prominently displayed Perrier truck, crashing thousands of bottles to the pavement. And, as in the other Bond movies, this one shows off very fancy watches and cars; at the time, there were ad campaigns wherein consumers could buy the watch brand (Omega) from the movie.
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Language
a little
Language is fairly light and includes occasional uses of "ass," "bitch," and "damn."
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Positive Messages
very little
Bond's license to kill allows him to dispatch bad guys without much of a second thought.
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Positive Role Models
very little
Bond remains a mixed character, skillful, tough, smart, and resourceful but also subject to drinking, seducing women (and never settling down), killing without consequences, and general destruction of property. He explains to the female lead in one scene that he can't open himself up emotionally without risking his life. The women in this movie are a bit smarter and tougher than usual; they can keep up with Bond and possess their own skills.
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Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that GoldenEye is the 17th James Bond adventure and the first to feature Pierce Brosnan; it's one of the most successful and critically acclaimed of the series. It features lots of killing, which is largely bloodless. Sex is more of an issue, with naked silhouettes during the title sequence, kissing, foreplay, and strong innuendo. Language, though infrequent, includes words such as "ass" and "bitch." Of course, drinking is also an issue. Bond has his martinis, and other characters drink, but one bad guy in particular appears to have a drinking problem, habitually swigging from a flask during tense situations. The movie advertises Perrier and a fancy watch but nothing that teens should be interested in buying. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails.
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
GoldenEye
- Parents say (3)
- Kids say (31)
age 13+
Based on 3 parent reviews
silwuttke Parent of 5, 10 and 10-year-old
March 21, 2020
age 14+
GOLDENEYE
ONE OF THE BEST JAMES BONDS!!!!!!!!
[emailprotected] Adult
September 29, 2018
age 14+
Not suitable for under 14s
Very sexually violent, but a good plot and soundtrack. Best of the Brosnan era. Not suitable for under 14s.
Rate movie
See all 3 parent reviews
What's the Story?
In a flashback, James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) and his fellow double-O agent Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) attempt to blow up a Soviet weapons plant, but Alec is caught in the explosion. Years later, Bond is assigned to investigate the evil Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen). It turns out she's involved with an evil villain code-named Janus, who plans to use a satellite to create an electromagnetic pulse that will knock out computers and allow easy access to the Bank of London. Bond gets a little help from a beautiful, scrappy Russian computer programmer (Izabella Scorupco) and from a loudmouth American agent (Joe Don Baker). But time is running out, and our heroes must find the secret location of a satellite dish before it's too late.
Is It Any Good?
Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (31):
After the longest dry spell in the James Bond movie franchise (six years), director Martin Campbell and star Pierce Brosnan provided a highly successful reboot with GoldenEye (1995). Where the series had grown lethargic through the 1980s, Campbell injected into it a fresh dose of sprightly fun. (It doesn't try to be "darker" like the Daniel Craig entries.) Brosnan turned out to be the Bond many fans were waiting for: He was suave and tough but also funny and with an electric screen presence.
Likewise, many of the supporting characters in this particular entry are unusually vivid and memorable. Notably, the movie introduced a new, female M (Judi Dench) and was the first of the series not to be based on the works of Ian Fleming. The original screenplay is satisfyingly complex but allows for plenty of exciting chases, fights, and escapes. Indeed, though it does contain a few silly moments, the entire movie crystallizes nicely. Even Tina Turner's title song is terrific.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about GoldenEye's violence. Does the movie seem less violent if many characters die but very little blood is shown?
What does Bond's license to kill mean? Would it be easy to have such a thing?
What is the appeal of Bond's vices such as sex and drinking? Can he be a hero or a good role model in spite of these things?
Does this movie have strong female characters, or are they stereotypes? How do they compare to women in other Bond movies?
Movie Details
- In theaters: November 17, 1995
- On DVD or streaming: October 22, 2002
- Cast: Famke Janssen, Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean
- Director: Martin Campbell
- Inclusion Information: Female actors
- Studios: MGM/UA, United Artists
- Genre: Action/Adventure
- Run time: 130 minutes
- MPAA rating: PG-13
- MPAA explanation: a number of sequences of action/violence, and for some sexuality
- Last updated: October 5, 2023
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GoldenEye
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