VHS : Goldfinger [1964]

Rating: - No way is this the best Bond movie, no way
Gimmicky, disjionted, over reliant on this new gadgetry which was suddenly very appealing to a fast growing consumerist society, it has far less of the essence of James Bond as in the Flemming novels than previous Bond movies. It has things in it that make it memorable, but its biggest fault was to take us down the 'wealthy mad man with a fiendish weapon of mass destruction tucked away in a holed out volcano, with a couple of hundred uniformed henchmen-cum-mercenaries happily working for him' storyline, the kind of stuff which gave Mike Myers so much material with which to ridicule the formula. It is only Pussy Galore that stops me giving this movie the dreaded one star treatment. Really, this was not the path to take our beloved 007 down. You want a proper Bond movie? Look no further than the grown up From Russia With Love.

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Rating: - Best Bond Film Ever
There's nothing to add to what most of the other reviewers have said. Great movie, fast moving.
Watch out for the opening credits with the gold painted girl. Most people think it was Shirley Eaton, but in fact it was Margaret Nolan from all the Carry On movies. Honor Blackman at her gorgeous best as well.
Buy and enjoy.

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Rating: - A 24 CARAT CLASSIC
What is there to say about Goldfinger that hasn't already been said thousands of times over again? There remains little doubt that it is the definitive James Bond film, and that it set the tone for every other one made since, as well as partially or strongly influencing virtually every action film ever made since. Goldfinger was an instant classic from the moment Bond rises from the sea with a fake duck disguise on top of his head to seducing his latest flame under a parachute at the close.

Goldfinger introduced all the necessary elements for what we now know as a 'Bond film', which has practically been granted it's own genre: an outlandish, fantasy-oriented plot; a devious, fiendish and truly evil villain; a slew of beautiful women, all of whom just happen to fall for 007; lots of action setpieces; and most importantly of all, an overall sense of infectious fun which helps the Bond films rise above the rest of the films in their genres. We don't care if the villain's plot is so unbelievable it couldn't possibly work, or how unlikely it is that the hero can continue to survive over and over again, because the execution, never straying far from the initial formula is so enjoyable. And it was Goldfinger who introduced this formula, and set the bar for decades of entertainment after.

And perhaps the reason that Goldfinger to this day, rises above pretty much every other action film made, is because not only was it the first film to introduce this now standard formula, but it also demonstrates how to successfully pull it off. Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe)'s master plan, to set off an atomic bomb inside Fort Knox to irradiate the gold depository, so that his own personal supply of gold will multiply in value, is outlandish enough, but there's something about it which demonstrates a subtle genius. Goldfinger himself is no common thief, he proves far too classy for such futile pursuits. His plan is outlandish, yes, but it is so unexpectedly elegant, you can't help but foster some belief that it could actually work. Bond's womanizing also really comes into play here, with him seducing belly dancer Bonita, (Nadja Rejin) Goldfinger's call girl Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton) and later, her sister Tilly, (Tania Mallet) and finally, the aptly named Pussy Galore,(Honor Blackman) one of author Ian Fleming's less subtle fantasies. Again, we could have interpreted the character of Bond as a slimy little bugger, but Sean Connery's immense charisma leads us into viewing Bond as the quintessential hero character, which has held since.

Despite being dubbed, German actor Gert Fröbe brings considerable class and menace to the role of the title character, setting standards for villainy for years to come. Not only does Fröbe exactly match the character description from the novel, but he proves to be one of the most iconic villains of all time, as one of the first "billionaire madmen". It is he who gets most of the best lines of the film (see his speech about crime through the ages, and, of course, the timeless "Do you expect me to talk?" "No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!") However, it's his sidekick, the burly, yet immaculately dressed, razor edged bowler hat tossing Oddjob (Harold Sakata) who proves to be just as, if not more iconic. Not only did this introduce the concept of a sidekick, but also paved the way for some pretty imaginative weapons.

Speaking of weapons, it should be mentioned that Goldfinger featured the debut of MI6 major Boothroyd as the beloved Q (Desmond Llewellyn) his deadpan sense of wry humor, and Bond's first really satisfying gadget: the Aston Martin, laden with smokescreen, oil slick, bulletproof mirrors, revolving license plate and ejector seat. And as the 'Bond girls' of the show, Shirley Eaton and Tania Mallet are certainly good looking enough, and even turn out half decent performances, unlike most of the Playboy rejects populating later Bond films. But it's Honor Blackman who really stands out, as the strong willed (and very suggestively named) Pussy Galore. Perhaps it's because she is one of the only women Bond has ever crossed who has managed to resist him until the very end of the movie, but Blackman adds a note of class to the film, proving a much more competent actress than most to follow.

So for any who have yet to understand the Bond hype, this is the film to watch. It set the bar for virtually ever action film following it to date, in terms of truly evil villains; beautiful women; daring, death-defying stunts and gadgets; showcasing Sean Connery at his most suave and charismatic, proving to be the definitive James Bond. The definitive Bond in the definitive Bond film - if you haven't seen this movie yet, now you have a reason to do so.

Thank you for reading mt review.

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Rating: - The Best Gets Better
There cannot be many who would argue that Goldfinger and possible Thunderball were the best of the Bond series.

Made 42yrs ago when film budgets were still under control,the plot of Goldfinger is so far fetched that it adds to the enjoyment.

This special edition series is indeed special,with the first class commentaries and insights into how the film was made.

Most people have seen the film more times than they can remember but how many realised that Gert Frobe spoke hardly any English,so little infact that every scene he is in which is most of the film was cleverly dubbed.If you watch carefully you realise his lips are moving quite quickly,this was so that the voice over looked more realistic.

This version has also undergone picture enhancement which really shows and listening to the superb commentaries makes what was an excellent movie into a classic.

Profiles are given on most of the main characters and by now Sean Connery was recognised as BOND,and remains to most the best of those who played the role.

As i have already said the budget for Goldfinger even though it was then a considerable sum paled into insignificance compared to the later films but Goldfinger remains the best because everyone in the film played their part so well,especially Harold Tanaka who played OddJob.

Alongside Richard Kiels Jaws character OddJob is the most recognised of all Bond characters because his role of Goldfingers baddie was played to perfection.

If you want to revisit the Bond movies all this series have superb extras and commentaries but Goldfinger still towers above the rest for being the most successful in the long running series.

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Rating: - Is it really as good as people say...??
YES! Of course it is - one of the finest Bond films ever made. It's slick, stylish, and action packed. It also contains the most famous car in the world - the Aston Martin DB5!

For starters, Sean Connery is probably at the top of his game in this Bond film, really filling up the Bond shoes, and name. He smoothes over the sometimes silly plot, with all his usual grace and charm.

The plot, about wanting to radiation poison Fort Knox, is not very credible - but does it have to be? You could mark this film out as when the Bond plots started to go a bit silly, but the fun part is in getting there, not what actually happens.

So we get many action scenes, that are just perfect to watch. Best of which is the car chase, which utilises the ASton Martin well. The gadgets are superb, and it all holds up really well today.

Honor Blackman is incredibly memorable as Pussy Galore, and Goldfinger, not a very evil Bond baddie, but effective all the same, has the most famous line ever: "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to DIE!"

This time, because Goldfinger is one of the more successful Bonds, we get a feaurette on its success. It's mildly interesting, but is just a big backslap feature for the filmmakers. More interesting is the making of documentary, however, this is a shorter doc than has appeared on other Bond films, and doesn't go into as much detail. It feels like a missed opportunity. There are also nearly 30 minutes of trailers from the time, and the 1964 featuretter is too poor quality to be truly enjoyable. A decent set of extras, but they really should have been as good as the film is.