43 replies to this topic

[DaveBond21]

This morning on Channel 9 Australia's Today Show, the Goldeneye Tank Chase was presented as the best 007 chase scene ever, in a segment to celebrate the 100th anniversary of Ian Fleming's birth.

After they showed a good 60 seconds of the chase, host Karl Stefanovic commented "It doesn't get any better than that! Look at him, not a hair out of place in that tank!"

[dinovelvet]

The chase scene is rubbish. It represents what the Brosnan era was all about - big, ugly action scenes that serve no purpose other than to smash a lot of stuff up. All the participants in this pointless chase come out unharmed, and all the scene does is move everybody from a gun battle at Point A to Point B so we can have another gun battle there instead.

[DaveBond21]

Just goes to show the different opinions people have on what makes a good chase.

As for me, it's not the best chase scene, but it's great fun.

[MajorB]

I thought it was fun to a degree, but my big problem was that Bond had, well, the bigger gun, in effect. It gave him so much of an advantage that there was no sense of jeopardy. If the tank had been chasing him instead, I would have found it way more exciting. Oh, and if they'd avoided the awful cliche of the villain trying to get rapidly drunk because he's in trouble. It was out of character for Oroumov and terribly unimaginative.

[Qwerty]

To me, it's a rather fun scene. It's meant to serve as a way to blow things up and smash things apart and it does it with that cheeky mischieviousness that is sometimes apart of the Pierce Brosnan Bonds.

[Odd Job]

Bond driving a tank through the streets of St Petersburg, smashing through walls and knocking over statues - what's not to love?

[sharpshooter]

It is a fun memorable scene, but I wouldn't go as far as calling it the best.

[DaveBond21]

It is a fun memorable scene, but I wouldn't go as far as calling it the best.

Me neither, but it was the best according to the team at the Today show.

[sharpshooter]

It is a fun memorable scene, but I wouldn't go as far as calling it the best.

Me neither, but it was the best according to the team at the Today show.

I am aware of that.

[jaguar007]

While a good scene, it cannot touch the boat chase from LALD, or the ski chases from OHMSS or TSWLM. I even found the freerunning scene from CR more exciting.

[DaveBond21]

While a good scene, it cannot touch the boat chase from LALD, or the ski chases from OHMSS or TSWLM. I even found the freerunning scene from CR more exciting.

The problem with the LALD boat chase is that it goes on too long and has Sheriff Pepper comedy interrupting it. At some points you forget it's a James Bond movie. Although I loved it as a kid.

The TWINE boat chase is best. I also love the free running from CR, ski chases in OHMSS, TSWLM, FYEO and TLD, the TLD PTS, and the car and bike chases in TND.

[hilly]

I like the Lotus/ helicopter chase in TSWLM, the multi-storey car park sequence in TND and the ski chases in vitually all of the films with the exception of the parahawk chase in TWINE which I have always found to be a bit dull.

I'd probably have to go with the TWINE boat chase as my favourite though.

[DaveBond21]

I'd probably have to go with the TWINE boat chase as my favourite though.

Me too.

I've got high hopes for one or two exciting chase scenes in QoS too.

[Professor Dent]

While a good scene, it cannot touch the boat chase from LALD, or the ski chases from OHMSS or TSWLM. I even found the freerunning scene from CR more exciting.

The problem with the LALD boat chase is that it goes on too long and has Sheriff Pepper comedy interrupting it. At some points you forget it's a James Bond movie. Although I loved it as a kid.

The thing that always bugs me about the Live and Let Die boat chase is the lack of music. I can live with everything else in it.

For the GoldenEye tank chase, definitely a fun scene. Not the best but definitely fun.

[DaveBond21]

The thing that always bugs me about the Live and Let Die boat chase is the lack of music

Yes, that's right. There are some good parts to the chase, but the lack of music and urgency are the things that bring it down.

[Aris007]

While a good scene, it cannot touch the boat chase from LALD, or the ski chases from OHMSS or TSWLM. I even found the freerunning scene from CR more exciting.

I agree. The scene in OHMSS is far better than this. It's great fun though!

[Peckinpah1976]

I could think of a dozen better "chase scenes" in the series personally, including the above mentioned ones from OHMSS and CR. Also, I think the boat chase from TWINE is damn good but let down by being over-long and by moments of unnecessary silliness (which is pretty much how I feel about that film overall!).

[DR76]

The chase scene is rubbish. It represents what the Brosnan era was all about - big, ugly action scenes that serve no purpose other than to smash a lot of stuff up. All the participants in this pointless chase come out unharmed, and all the scene does is move everybody from a gun battle at Point A to Point B so we can have another gun battle there instead.

Actually, I've seen better chase sequences during the Brosnan era . . . namely the motorbike/helicopter chase in "TND".

[agentjamesbond007]

The chase scene is rubbish... All the participants in this pointless chase come out unharmed, and all the scene does is move everybody from a gun battle at Point A to Point B so we can have another gun battle there instead.

Such as the part in Tomorrow Never Dies when Bond crashes his car into an A.I.S. store. In licenced To Kill when Bond blew up his own car. He could have parked it in a safe area instead.

[dodge]

The single worst scene in the movie for me. And the shattering disruption of the lovely Sera score by the Bond theme here and now is a crud reveal, imo, of the filmmaker's compromised values. As if to say: hey, yeah, we've got a new Bond...a new visual style...a new director...new this and new that...but we're no dummies, here it is: generic tank chase with crowd-pleasing
Muzak!

[marktmurphy]

It's great- excellent celebration of Bond as a character- he thinks laterally and grabs any opportunity he sees, whether it's a tank or not. And the fact that he chooses to destroy half the city to save a girl he's only just met is rather wonderful. Plus on top of that, it's bloody funny. I was surprised because when I saw it in the cinema the first time (and obviously I knew it was coming- I'd seen trailers and clips etc.) I wasn't expecting it to be funny, but I was laughing out loud. It's so crazy and ridiculous, it's hilarious. And the OTT Bond theme helped immensely.

That said, I don't think it's the best chase. Technically I'd say the chases in FYEO (car + ski) are more exciting and have superior stunt stuff; the OHMSS ski chase is much tenser and is properly thrilling; the TND car chase is a short slice of perfection; and the CR foot chase is damned high up the list too. They're all crackers, though.

[Unit II]

I'm a big fan of the OHMSS ski chase. Beautiful down hill shots. I'm glad the chase continued down into the village and turned into a sort of hide and seek with regard to the innocent public.

[dodge]

I'm a big fan of the OHMSS ski chase. Beautiful down hill shots. I'm glad the chase continued down into the village and turned into a sort of hide and seek with regard to the innocent public.

I'm with you 100%--and, to think, they didn't need a tank or the Bond theme!

[JimmyBond]

The single worst scene in the movie for me. And the shattering disruption of the lovely Sera score by the Bond theme here and now is a crud reveal, imo, of the filmmaker's compromised values. As if to say: hey, yeah, we've got a new Bond...a new visual style...a new director...new this and new that...but we're no dummies, here it is: generic tank chase with crowd-pleasing
Muzak!

I agree about tossing out Serra's beautiful arrangement for this sequence. Do you suppose it would play better for you if they had retained Serra's composition?

[baerrtt]

It's great- excellent celebration of Bond as a character- he thinks laterally and grabs any opportunity he sees, whether it's a tank or not. And the fact that he chooses to destroy half the city to save a girl he's only just met is rather wonderful. Plus on top of that, it's bloody funny. I was surprised because when I saw it in the cinema the first time (and obviously I knew it was coming- I'd seen trailers and clips etc.) I wasn't expecting it to be funny, but I was laughing out loud. It's so crazy and ridiculous, it's hilarious. And the OTT Bond theme helped immensely.

That said, I don't think it's the best chase. Technically I'd say the chases in FYEO (car + ski) are more exciting and have superior stunt stuff; the OHMSS ski chase is much tenser and is properly thrilling; the TND car chase is a short slice of perfection; and the CR foot chase is damned high up the list too. They're all crackers, though.

I agree with you. The audience I saw this with in '95 reacted more positively to this entire sequence than anything else in the movie (even the jump from the dam). Yes the fact that Bond is technically putting innocent people (and the police) in danger in a scene that is mostly played for laughs irritates some fans and I can understand why but after Dalton's tenure (like it or not) this scene perhaps more than any other in the film symbolised the return of the James Bond the GENERAL public(irrespective of country) had watched for so many years either at the cinema or tv played by Connery/Moore. Bond vs bad guys with an ever so OTT edge displayed.

Echoing your above thoughts the ski/car/foot chase(s) in OHMSS are the best simply because you fear for Bond on those occasions moreso than at any time of the franchise IMHO.

[broadshoulder]

Its never worked for me.Ouromov swigging whisky from the rear seat is a crass piece of characterisation worthy of a Burt Reynolds movie. The whole thing is so OTT to be unbelievable and appeals to people who think "Call that a knife. This is a knife" is hilarious..

Much better chases

OHMSS - ski run
YOLT - helicopter
TSWLM - Lotus
FYEO - citreon CV
FYEo - ski run

[dodge]

The single worst scene in the movie for me. And the shattering disruption of the lovely Sera score by the Bond theme here and now is a crud reveal, imo, of the filmmaker's compromised values. As if to say: hey, yeah, we've got a new Bond...a new visual style...a new director...new this and new that...but we're no dummies, here it is: generic tank chase with crowd-pleasing
Muzak!

I agree about tossing out Serra's beautiful arrangement for this sequence. Do you suppose it would play better for you if they had retained Serra's composition?

You know, Jimmy, it may have played better. The chase seemed over-long to me and, most likely, it was padded to accomodate the theme song. Yea, come to think of it, if the tank chase had been lean and mean--like the bulldozer scene in CR--it might have captivated me.

[Harmsway]

I think the GOLDENEYE tank chase is a bit dull, to be honest. It's just rather slow, with the standard "silly stunts" fare. And it's also damned inappropriate in the film itself, which until that point has been rather dark... even gritty, and then it spins out into Roger Moore mode for a few minutes.

[JimmyBond]

The single worst scene in the movie for me. And the shattering disruption of the lovely Sera score by the Bond theme here and now is a crud reveal, imo, of the filmmaker's compromised values. As if to say: hey, yeah, we've got a new Bond...a new visual style...a new director...new this and new that...but we're no dummies, here it is: generic tank chase with crowd-pleasing
Muzak!

I agree about tossing out Serra's beautiful arrangement for this sequence. Do you suppose it would play better for you if they had retained Serra's composition?

You know, Jimmy, it may have played better. The chase seemed over-long to me and, most likely, it was padded to accomodate the theme song. Yea, come to think of it, if the tank chase had been lean and mean--like the bulldozer scene in CR--it might have captivated me.

Agree about the length, it's always been a scene that's always moved a tad slow, I think it has to do with the music, to bring this back up. The arrangement of the Bond theme that they gives us is a rather generic (and slow) version of the Bond theme, that probably went a long way to slow the whole affair down.

Could have done without Bond adjusting his tie bit as well

[Mr. Blofeld]

I think if it had had a more up-tempo arrangement, similar to the one on the Casino Royale track "The Name's Bond... James Bond", the chase would have felt bang-on smooth.