Review: 007: Goldfinger (1964)
'No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.'
★★★★
A man who every man and boy would like to be. A man who women would love to be with. That man is none other than Bond. James Bond. A hero, a charmer, a spy with the coolest gadgets, and a man known for seducing everyone he encounters. Mr. Bond is played by the late Sean Connery, who, in my opinion, is the best James Bond actor, even though not all of his films were great. I am happy to say, however, that this is easily his best, with "From Russia With Love" (1963) being a close second. With a 7.7/10 on IMDb, a 99% Critic score, and an 89% audience score on Rotten Tomatoes, this is easily a fan favorite.
"Goldfinger" is the perfect example of how a Bond film should be made. Other than being the best Bond film, it's also the best film of Connery's time as Bond, as I graciously mentioned earlier. Even if the movie isn't perfect, it's still a lot of fun to see and has every component of the Bond formula that makes it successful time and time again. With the direction of Guy Hamilton, Ted Moore's cinematography, John Barry's musical score, Ian Fleming's direct input, Sean Connery as Mr. Bond, Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore, and Gert Fröbe as Auric Goldfinger, the film was in great hands.
The plot of this film has James Bond, the British secret agent 007, investigating the activities of the wealthy and nefarious gold magnate Auric Goldfinger. Bond uncovers a plot involving the fortification of Goldfinger's gold supply and a plan to raid Fort Knox, which could have disastrous economic consequences. Along the way, Bond encounters various obstacles, including Goldfinger's loyal henchman Oddjob and the alluring pilot Pussy Galore, while utilizing his wit and gadgets to thwart Goldfinger's schemes.
Connery possessed the sophisticated confidence required for the part, along with a talent for deadpan double entendres. But he possessed something else that none of the others could match, possibly with the exception of Dalton: steely tenacity. You could tell when the playing was over and the carnage was going to start when his eyes narrowed and his body stiffened. Connery is what Mr. Bond is described as in Ian Fleming's novels. Originally, Fleming wasn't keen on having Connery portray his British spy, as he thought Connery was too "muscular." However, once he saw his performance, he loved it. In fact, he loved Connery's performance so much that he even made James Bond have Scottish ancestry.
"Goldfinger" is a classic Bond film that ranks among the best. If I were to pick out each Bond actor's best Bond film, here's what I would pick: "Goldfinger" as Sean Connery's, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" as George Lazenby's (as it's the only one he'd done), "The Spy Who Loved Me" as Roger Moore's, "The Living Daylights" as Timothy Dalton's, "Goldeneye" as Pierce Brosnan's, and "Casino Royale" as Daniel Craig's. Feel free to tell me what I'm wrong.
Overall, "Goldfinger" is a classic that can be enjoyed on a Sunday afternoon with a beer on a sunny day.