Goldfinger
With this third entry in the Bond series, the replacement of Terence Young at director by Guy Hamilton is quickly evident: the pacing is more brisk than ever before (or since) in a Bond film, as Young’s stodgy style that marred the first two films is now evidenced by Hamilton’s ability to keep the story going at a near breakneck momentum, added in with a sense of FUN to the proceedings at how over the top and bombastic the story is without resorting to cornball campiness. A lot of that is brought by perhaps the best villain two-set in franchise history: Gert Frobe’s Auric Goldfinger brings genuine menacing presence to his part, relishing in his nastiness as early on he murders a girl in one of the most perverse ways imaginable and continues to bring a larger than life vibe to the rest of the film (even though Mike Myers would attempt to spoof him later on in the third chapter of the Powers series, there really is no topping the real deal); then there is Harold Sakata as Oddjob, the true standard by which Bond henchmen are set by, and almost never topped (Jaws notwithstanding), with his trademark razor-lined hat and lack of dialogue (though his evil smirks are worth a thousand words), his hall of fame villain status comes in the final moments when he shows he is ready, willing, and able to give his life just to stop Bond from foiling his boss’s master plan. As for Connery, by this point he is now clearly Bond, seemingly able to play the role in his sleep by now from the opening sequence through to the end; The Bond Girls are also arguably the best they’ve ever been, starting with the gorgeous Shirley Eaton as the ill-fated lover of Bond, to the very cute Tania Mallet (in her only movie role) as her revenge-seeking sister, to finally Honor Blackman as the ironically named Pussy Galore, displaying overt lesbian tendencies (which were clearly spelled out in Ian Fleming’s original novel), but whom nonetheless finds herself overwhelmed by the masculine charms of 007. The film does stumble with the usual cliché of having Bond laid out dead to rights by his adversary (with the legendary laser scene), but getting his life spared regardless due to some fast-talking before getting the expected royal treatment by the opulent villain, but here at least the screenplay IS smart enough to give a valid reason for such behavior by the bad guy. Perhaps the most enjoyable thing here is watching and learning of what Goldfinger’s master plan ultimately is, a sick and twisted display of what one man with too much money and time on his hands can truly be capable of. The film is also notable for being the first with an opening credits sequence featuring a title song (which sets the mood perfectly) as well as the first appearance of Bond’s Aston Martin car (complete with gadgets). In the end, easily the best of the Connery Bonds, and arguably the best one in the entire series, ever…
9/10