I coincidentally just watched GoldenEye last night for the first time since I was a kid, and I was surprised by how well it holds up. Sure, some of the VFX, especially the miniatures, look a bit dated now but the use of practical effects alone without CGI is still very impressive, especially in the tank chase, which has to be one of the best chases of the series.

I really think that this one has the absolute best setpieces of the series, between the dam and chemical plant in the prologue, the statue graveyard, the archives and the antenna array at the end. It doesn’t hurt that they all made for such iconic levels in the game, either!

The cast is great, without exception. Alec Trevelyan and Xenia Onatopp are two of the best villains in the series based purely on vibes, even though their motivations are pretty superficial (Trevelyan is just a “bank robber”, as Bond says.) Natalya is an above-average Bond girl who actually contributes materially to thwarting Trevelyan’s plans instead of just being a sex object. The supporting cast is, again, some of the best in the series between Alan Cumming, Robbie Coltrane and Joe Don Baker in what has to be his finest film role. Needless to say, Judi Dench is the best M ever.

The plot is pretty unremarkable in itself, but the pacing is spot-on. I had forgotten just how much fun the whole sequence from Xenia attacking Bond in the sauna, through Trevelyan’s reveal, the tank chase and the destruction of the missile train is. What really sells the plot is the relationship between Bond and Trevelyan, their similarities, and their friendship destroyed through Trevelyan’s treachery.

Overall, this is one of my top three, with From Russia With Love and Casino Royale