Mission Summary

The Bank of England has noticed that someone is stockpiling large supplies of gold around the world, and it suspects international bullion smuggler Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe) is behind it. MI6 sends James Bond (Sean Connery) to investigate, believing that Goldfinger is planning to manipulate the price of gold worldwide. It turns out Goldfinger does have a plan to make his own supply of gold more valuable, by making all of the gold in Fort Knox radioactive.

Analysis

Rank: 2

Surprised this movie doesn't hold the top spot? I would imagine most people would. "Goldfinger" enjoys the most notoriety of all the Bond films, perhaps as much as all the others combined. There are numerous classic and iconic moments and characters that helped launch this franchise to international prominence, yet that doesn't mean it is the best film in the series. I can appreciate that this film is probably the reason the Bond movies survived and continue to be made today, but the movie comes off as a little too campy at times, even considering how ridiculous the series has been at times. Nevertheless, the memorable characters, plot and one-liners highlight the quintessential Bond movie.

I would guess anyone who bothers to read these reviews knows about "Operation Grand Slam," Goldfinger's elaborate scheme to increase the value of his gold by making the supply at the U.S. Depository at Ft. Knox unusable and cause economic disaster in the west. It is a unique idea on bringing a country to its knees, as well as the added bonus of being a more elaborate plan than simply stealing the gold. The scene where Goldfinger explains the plan to the room full of mobsters from around the country is cheesy yet informative at the same time. And it wouldn't be a Bond movie without 007 victimizing the token inept guard, seen here for the first time.

While this film doesn't offer the wall-to-wall action of the newer movies, the few action sequences are worth waiting for. This movie marks the first time where Bond is involved in a car chase and he has the benefit of having Q Branch outfit his car with all the handy gadgets. The DB5 is one of the biggest stars to come out of this film, and the chase through the forest and Goldfinger's factory cemented it in Bond lore. Bond and Goldfinger have their famous round of golf early in the film, and, although important to the plot, really slows down the film and seems overly drawn out. The battle at Ft. Knox is fantastic and the fight with Oddjob (Harold Sakata) on the vault floor is one of the better hand-to-hand battles in the series.

What helped make this movie stand out from the others is the memorable cast of characters that rival Bond for top billing. Without a doubt, Oddjob is the most memorable henchman in the series, thanks to his signature razor-brimmed hat. He manages to leave a considerable impression without uttering a word; his intimidating presence is more than capable to challenge Bond's one-liners. This film also has the fortune of having the most famous pair of Bond girls in the series: Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) and Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton). While the former has endured as one of the most remembered women in the series for obvious reasons, the latter is probably unknown by her character's name. However, she is the unfortunate victim of murder by gold paint. Fröbe isn't quite imposing enough to be a successful villain, and comes off looking buffoonish at times. Connery had hit his stride by this film, almost to a fault, seeming smug the entire film.

Much has been written about the international phenomenon that "Goldfinger" created, including ridiculous statistics that nearly 75 percent of people around the world have seen this movie at least once. But it is hard to ignore the culture impact this film had and the impact it had not only on future films in the Bond series, but as well as all action movies as well as popular culture as a whole. The release of the movie in late 1964 caused quite a stir, thanks in lWhile "Goldfinger" may be the prototypical Bond movie, it doesn't make it the best. It endures thanks for larger-than-life characters that cement the film's legacy. The action leaves something to be desired, but Bond is in fine form with his one-liners. The movie is still a lot of fun and still leaves an impact today.