Goldfinger (1964)

The Gold Standard...
Sean Connery's third outing as James Bond in 1964's superb "Goldfinger" has the 007 franchise solidifying its primary thematic elements. Connerly is smoothly witty and deadly as the British Secret Service assassin. The exotic villain is one Auric Goldfinger, played by veteran German actor Gert Frobe, out to corner the world's gold supply. His evil henchman is Oddjob, a giant, mute Korean martial arts expert whose special touch is a bowler hat with a steel rim. The Bond girl of the moment is Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman), Goldfinger's pilot, who will fall for Bond, as they always do.

Bond's assignment is to infiltrate Goldfinger's organization, learn his plans, and stop them. Bond and Goldfinger will play an exciting game of cate and mouse, with Bond repeatedly surviving close calls to stay close to Goldfinger. The climax of the movie is Goldfinger's raid on Fort Knox, inside the vault of which Bond will have his final confrontation with the seemingly indestructable Oddjob.

Shirley Eaton figures in an iconic scene early in the movie as Jill Masterson, one of Goldfinger's assistants who is seduced by Bond. Goldfinger gets his revenge by having her body covered with gold paint, causing her death by suffocation. Bond's discovery of her body helps set him on a collision course with Goldfinger.

This movie is highly recommended as one of the best of the original Bond movies based on Ian Fleming's novels.

Goldfinga... have some pie won't you?
I just saw this movie last night on tv and I had seen pieces of it through the years... like the other James Bond stories but it's still over my head although for some reason it's still my favourite movie that may say a lot about me but may say more about you.

I'm ordering the DVD from Amazon here and can't wait at the price it's going for... I may just buy the whole bunch that is to say Bond, James 007 starring Sean Connery.

It's about this guy that gets an idea into his head and won't take no for an answer so he plans to rob the US for all of it's gold and then it gets a little beyond me but I'm sure somebody could get hurt nonetheless.

Great color and acting and stars and all that but even so it's just a movie and I think the staff did their job well to put out a product that satisfies the curious.

Translated by Won Won
Victoria BC

Bond reaches his peak in this film that is truly like owning a piece of gold
Dr. No was a wonderful start to the Bond franchise. From Russia With Love returned with even more. Now, Goldfinger has brought the series to the peak. The highest budget of the three has been granted to Goldfinger, thus creating impressive action sequences and shot in teriffic locations. But don't stop there. Goldfinger is packed with memorable moments that places this film in the category of ultimate classic Bond.

While SPECTRE was never referred to in this film, I never missed it or thought about it once. Auric Goldfinger and his henchman "Oddjob" went above and beyond as the villains of this film. Auric is obsessed with gold, and his ultimate plan is to destroy the gold supply of Fort Knox, so that his own supply can multiply ten times in value. Oddjob's business is to take care of 007, and takes great pleasure in attempting so, armed with a hat sharp as a knife and martial art skills that are no match for the double 0.

Goldfinger is a great feel good movie, highly entertainig - especially for its day. Every scene is wonderful, whether it is action, brilliant lines and moves by the villains, chemistry between Bond and Pussy Galore, or sneaky and intellgient games such as the Goldfinger/Bond scene on the golf course. But the showstopper is certainly the grand finale, operation "Grand Slam" where Auric and his men take over Fort Knox. Oddjob and Bond have a final showdown inside that is a terrific matchup that was accompanied without music, and worked out quite well.

The story to Goldfinger is smart and fun, but maybe not as in-depth as the previous From Russia With Love. But overall, this Bond film has it all and is possibly the most balanced Bond film ever made, giving us a complete film of entertainment that is unforgettable.

Acting - 4.5
Action - 4.5
Charcaters - 5
Story - 4.5
Overall - 5