The story is standard fare, mixing and matching cliches of the genre. The Russian mafia obtains a space- based weapons system called Goldeneye that works by exploding a nuclear device in orbit, then crippling a ground location with the resulting electromagnetic pulse. It's up to Bond to save London from a vengeance-crazed megalomaniac.

Along the way, he runs into such diverse characters as a beautiful computer programmer (Izabella Scorupco), a former partner (Sean Bean), a wisecracking CIA agent (Joe Don Baker), an ex-KGB officer with a score to settle (Robbie Coltrane), and a psychotic woman who likes squeezing men to death between her legs (Femke Janssen). Brosnan is supported by an interesting troupe of actors, but the spotlight is always on him.

Goldeneye keeps Bond's comic book-like stunts at an appropriately absurd level. Even given that we're in a reality where spies are more like Superman than Bernard Samson (Len Deighton's popular MI6 agent), suspension of disbelief occasionally becomes a challenge, especially with visual effects that could be charitably called "subpar."

Some such liabilities, however, can be forgiven in the name of fun. And, with its mixture of humor, interesting locales, high-speed chases, explosions, and action, Goldeneye possesses that quality. It is perhaps the best entry in the series since The Spy Who Loved Me, and, while that's not saying much, this updated Bond should be able to stand toe-to-toe with today's crop of heroes.

James Berardinelli