James Bond DVD collection review #3. Terence Young took a break and handed the 007 reins to Guy Hamilton. Goldfinger became the quintessential Bond film, and definitely one of best in the series. Bond though, hardly breaks a sweat here, as he gets lucky (in more than one sense) breaks all throughout the story.

Goldfinger (1964) - Guy Hamilton
The Plot
Multibillionaire businessman with affinity for gold wants a lot more gold, so he plans to break into Fort Knox. But its much more ingenious, ambitious and complicated than that. Yes, the Red Chinese are involved.
Grade: A

Locales
Miami, Geneva, Kentucky.
Grade: B

The Man
Sean Connery. Seems to be enjoying himself immensely.
Grade: A

The Villain(s)
Auric Goldfinger (Gert Frobe) - Another megalomaniac, this time a businessman and a thief. But if he's so smart, why does he have to cheat at cards? Answer: because he hates to lose. Blame his parents.

Oddjob (Harold Sakata ) - mute aide-de-camp to Goldfinger. Wears the infamous metal-slicing (frisbee-style) bowler hat.

Where the hell did all those Asian soldier bees come from? Was illegal immigration already a trend in 1964?
Grade: A-

The Girl(s)
Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) - beats Honey Ryder by a mile on name-recall (and spawns a thousand jokes). Goldfinger's personal pilot and trainer of the Piper chick pilots who gas Fort Knox. Does a 180-degree turnaround after a (literal) roll in the hay with Bond. Blackman was already riding high as Dr Cathy Gale in the Avengers before being drafted as Pussy.

Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton) - after Bond steals her from Goldfinger, ends up fingerpainted in gold (a very short role yet immortalized in movie posters). Which starts this whole cat-and-mouse game, and involves ...

Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet) - sister of Jill who plans to avenge her death but is a lousy shooter. Got boinked by ... Oddjob's hat.

Mei-Lei (Mai Ling) - since we're doing the Asian connection, why not have a petite Asian stewardess? Hooo-haaa!!
Grade: A-

Gadgets
The highlight would be the classic Aston Martin DB5, souped up as usual by Q. Revolving license plates, radar tracking, machine guns, tire slashers, oil dispenser, and missiles. Oh yes, and that ejector seat. Too bad he had to crash the wheels.
Grade: B+

Bond Moments
About to be sliced in half by Goldfinger's laser, Bond feebly bluffs his way out and is kept alive. Rrrrrright.

Fools Goldfinger in their golf game with some deft sleight-of-hand switching. Wins 5,000 pounds.

Pussy, originally written as a lesbian, finally succumbs to the Bond charm after wrestling in the hay (score!!!). Even better, she betrays Goldfinger in the end.
Grade: A-

One Liners
Bond: Do you expect me to talk?
Goldfinger: No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!

Bond: Ejector seat? You must be joking!
Q (withering stare): I never joke about my work, 007!

Bond (turning around to see who upended him): ... Pussy ...!
Grade: A

Overall
Solidifies the Bond mythos, although it seemed everything was too easy for Bond (who would have thought Galore was a pussy at heart? *lol*). Hamilton does a superb job.
Grade: A-


"No lame ass jokes about my name, or else ..."