From bungee jumping in “Golden Eye” to a boat chase on the Thames in “And the Whole world is not Enough” — James Bond performed by Pierce Brosnan got into an exciting adventure.
After the Golden Eye earned the best reviews for the James Bond franchise in recent years, the next few films of Pierce Brosnan as Agent 007 — “Tomorrow will never Die”, “And the Whole World is not enough” and “Die, but not now” — were met with an increasingly gloomy reaction from critics. But in each of Brosnan’s Bond films (even those that were sharply criticized) there were several memorable action scenes.
Starting with the first bungee jump in “Golden Eye” and ending with a high-speed boat chase on the Thames in “And the whole world is not enough” and a fencing sword fight in “Die, but not Now”, Brosnan’s Bond has been involved in quite exciting actions over the years.
10. Bungee jumping in GoldenEye
The opening scene of “Golden Eye,” Brosnan’s first Bond film, began his work as Agent 007 with one of the most breathtaking stunts ever filmed: bungee jumping from the Contra Dam.
As it turned out, this mind—blowing bungee jump is just the beginning of what turns out to be an amazing cold discovery. This sets the stage for the film’s main conflict with the alleged death of 006 Agent Sean Bean.
9-Death from the printing press in tomorrow will never die
When Bond escapes from Elliot Carver’s headquarters in Tomorrow Never Dies, he throws a henchman into a printing press. This thug is crushed to death when the Carver-manipulated headlines are pressed against his corpse.
This murder is the perfect visual metaphor for the film’s despotic but surprisingly prophetic satire on the media and “fake news,” as a Rupert Murdoch-style media mogul plots to start World War III for the sole purpose of exclusive press coverage.
8-Escape from a North Korean prison camp in the film “Die, but not now”
Brosnan’s latest Bond film, Die, But Not Now, ended the actor’s career as Agent 007 not with an explosion, but with a whimper. In the finale, he floats on a computer-generated tidal wave before a decisive clash with a villain who has changed his DNA to reflect a different nationality.
But the sequence before the title begins with the explosive style of the film, when Bond escapes from a North Korean prison camp. It’s anything but a kitchen sink.
7-Ksenia Onatopp’s fight in GoldenEye
GoldenEye Famke Janssen “Bond Girl” Ksenia Onatopp is literally a femme fatale. She lures her male targets into bed and then crushes them to death with her hips during sex. Luckily, Bond catches her perverted M.O. just in time.
Onatopp engages in a brutal melee with Bond. After failing to kill him with sex, she makes an impressive attempt to kill 007 the old-fashioned way before he incapacitates her in the boiling waters of the Jacuzzi.
6-Bond’s final fight with Renard is not enough in the world
Renard, played by Robert Carlyle, is a truly unique Bond villain with a genuine superpower. One of the most wanted terrorists in the world, Renard’s greatest strength is that he does not feel pain. This superhuman ability adds uniqueness to the climactic battle on a nuclear submarine.
5-The motorcycle chase tomorrow will never die
Wai Lin, played by Michelle Yeoh, avoids all the traps of the “Bond girl” archetype in “Tomorrow will Never Die.” She’s not overly sexualized and not a damsel in distress. She’s as cool a secret agent as Bond himself; she’s just a woman.
4-Chasing a tank in GoldenEye
Between the thrilling cold start and the action-packed finale, Bond films need a big scene in the middle of the act to keep viewers on their toes. The dazzling chase of GoldenEye on tanks through the streets of St. Petersburg is a vivid example of this.
3-Fencing with Gustav Graves in the film “Die, but not now”
Gustav Graves from Die, But Not Now is one of the most ridiculous Bond villains of all time. Part of his diabolical plan is to change his own DNA so that he becomes a North Korean.
At least Graves is featured in one great action movie. He’s an unmemorable character with almost imperceptible scenes, but his sword fight with Agent 007 in his own extravagant mansion is a highlight.
2-Chasing the Thames is not enough in the world
Before “No Time to Die” came out with its cumbersome prologue, “And the Whole World is Not Enough” was the longest cold opening in the history of Bond films. While the Bond series is known for its adventures in different parts of the world, this discovery takes place in his hometown of London.
After the murder of oil tycoon Sir Robert King at MI6 headquarters, Bond chases the killer across the Thames in a Q-powered speedboat.
1-The decisive battle with the satellite antenna in GoldenEye
As a former Agent 00, whose staged death Bond mourns throughout the film, Alec Trevelyan from GoldenEye is one of the most compelling villains in the history of the series. Like all the best deaths of Bond villains, Trevelyan is ironically killed by the enormity of his evil plan.
