James Bond Retrospective: GoldenEye (1995)
Gadgets 
Until 1995 Bond had always been linked to British sports cars made by Aston Martin and Lotus, despite this, GoldenEye marked the beginning of a three film deal with German car manufacturer BMW allowing them to showcase their latest models over the course of the next three movies. Bonds car of choice in GoldenEye is the BMW Z3 convertible featuring stinger missiles behind the headlights, ejector seat, emergency parachute and a self-destruct system however none of the cars special features are ever used and the car only appears on screen for a very short time. According to director Martin Campbell, the deal with BMW was made during the later stages of the films production so there was little time or budget to include the car in any major sequences. After Bonds visit to Q branch he is equipped with an explosive Parker pen with a four second fuse armed by clicking the pen three times and another three clicks to disarm it. This gadget plays an integral role in the films final scenes when it is confiscated from Bond and ends up in the nervous hands of computer programmer Boris Grischenko, played by Alan Cumming. Grischenko inadvertently clicks the pen too many times detonating the explosive device which in turn leads to the destruction of Trevelyans secret satellite facility. 
Until 1995 Bond had always been linked to British sports cars made by Aston Martin and Lotus, despite this, GoldenEye marked the beginning of a three film deal with German car manufacturer BMW allowing them to showcase their latest models over the course of the next three movies. Bonds car of choice in GoldenEye is the BMW Z3 convertible featuring stinger missiles behind the headlights, ejector seat, emergency parachute and a self-destruct system however none of the cars special features are ever used and the car only appears on screen for a very short time. According to director Martin Campbell, the deal with BMW was made during the later stages of the films production so there was little time or budget to include the car in any major sequences. After Bonds visit to Q branch he is equipped with an explosive Parker pen with a four second fuse armed by clicking the pen three times and another three clicks to disarm it. This gadget plays an integral role in the films final scenes when it is confiscated from Bond and ends up in the nervous hands of computer programmer Boris Grischenko, played by Alan Cumming. Grischenko inadvertently clicks the pen too many times detonating the explosive device which in turn leads to the destruction of Trevelyans secret satellite facility. Other gadgets used during the film include Bonds Omega watch with a laser capable of cutting through steel, a belt with a 75 foot long high-tensile cord and grappling hook and during the opening bungee jump sequence Bond uses a grapple and laser gun to gain access to the enemy weapons factory. James Bond Will Return.. The six year break between films seemed to revive interest in Bond as GoldenEye went on to huge success at the worldwide box-office taking over $350 million with a mostly positive reaction from critics as well. The film proved that there was most definitely life left in the character even in a post Cold War world. Following the films success, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson were placed under immense pressure by MGM to fast-track the next film in the series capitalising on the success of GoldenEye. However with the health of the series guiding hand Albert R. Broccoli becoming a major concern, the franchise would have to suffer through personal tragedy on the journey to the next Bond adventure.. To catch up on previous installments of the James Bond Retrospective click here: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majestys Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever, Live And Let Die, The Man With The Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View To A Kill, The Living Daylights, Licence To KillClassic Line
James Bond: They always said the pen was mightier than the sword.
Q: Thanks to me they were right.