You're right, though they're what you'd call stingers, like the weird flutter-tonguing trombones when Bond is hit by grenades under the Disco Volante in TB. They're there, but no where near as prominent compared to how Arnold underlines every action and gesture. I remember John Barry said in an interview that he disliked that approach to scoring, of providing a hit for ever action or sound effect, but in most cases he was told to do so by the director.
Well we both hate David Arnold so we can agree there.
I didn't know Barry felt that way about some his scores, still I do find it effective. Maybe a better example would be a bit John Barry scored when Bond is slipping towards unconsciousness in THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS after he drank his Martini laced with Chloral Hydrate. This isn't the stuff that was in Serra's score, it was detacthed from the film.
I'll say only one or two things were out of place (the ladies first driving scene for example) but the rest got it perfectly. It still stands up now, and gives Goldeneye a distinctive identity, that most modern Bond films lack.
I think the score has a heavy hand in dating the film by years. Whenever I watch GOLDENEYE and TOMORROW NEVER DIES back to back it's like there is like 10 year gap in terms of production value.
What I'm saying is that the score gives it a complexity that the scene lacks, which is a good thing in my opinion. It doesn't detract from anything and meshes pretty well with the tone of the performances and direction. Romantic is the best way to describe it.
I found it more dreary then romantic and I disagree that music needed to add any complexity. I think the dialogue needed desperately to fixed as well as the music.
