Bond Turns 50: 'Goldfinger' still stands out as best

[Blowfeld]

Over the next month Fox 411 Movies will be kicking back some martinis – shaken, not stirred, of course – and celebrating the 50th anniversary of James Bond (the first Bond film premiered )October 12, 1962) by taking a look back at the best of the 007 franchise in anticipation of the release of "Bond 50: The Complete 22 Film Collection."

We raise our first glass to “Goldfinger,” the third, and arguably best, film based on Ian Fleming’s 007 series. Fast cars, double-crossing women, slick gadgets and outrageous megalomaniacs spell Bond, James Bond and “Goldfinger” is the most essential, most quintessential of all Bond films.

Dodging bullets, hats and an army of beautiful women,007 -- with a license to kill -- races to stop international criminal Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe), the man with the Midas touch, from infiltrating Fort Knox and destroying all its gold, thus making his own stash of treasure rise significantly in value.
[spoil]Just as exciting, smart and sexy as when it premiered 48 years ago, “Goldfinger,” more than any other Bond film, is a cinematic icon; From Robert Brownjohn’s archetypal opening credits with images projected over a scantily clad Margaret Nolan, to Bond’s signature Aston Martin DB5, to Shirley Eaton’s naked, gold-painted body, to henchman Oddjob’s weapon-of-choice: his hat, to Shirley Bassey’s propulsive and legendary opening title song, “Goldfinger” remains a staple in movie history.

Sean Connery’s indelible performance as 007 is still unrivaled, though his successors have each brought their own unique identity to the brand. Connery, though, is completely unmatched as the suave playboy super spy. Unlike Roger Moore, or even as recent as Pierce Brosnan, Connery’s Bond is timeless. As the saying goes: Women want him. Men want to be him.

Bond films are silkily laced with sexual innuendo, none more apparent than the names of the female characters. Honor Blackman is the most iconic of the Bond women as Pussy Galore. Clever and sharp, bristling with sexual ferocity, Blackman’s Pussy Galore is still Bond’s greatest match and one of cinema’s best female roles.

“Goldfinger” is also important because it introduces Bond’s gadget quartermaster, Q, played by the inestimable Desmond Llewelyn. Llewelyn’s tough love as Q has been a constant through all the Bond roster changes up through Pierce Brosnan. Where would 007 be without Q telling him to grow up?

John Barry’s score ushered in a new style of swinging action music, taking Monty Norman’s famous James Bond theme to iconic new levels. Barry breathed an entirely new sound and style into movies and truly gave the entire Bond franchise its soul and musical identity. There’s no denying the impact Barry’s opening title song, performed by Shirley Bassey, has had on the future, of not only the Bond franchise, but music for the movies overall. The song, with lyrics by Leslie Bricusse and Anthony Newly, was number 8 on Billboard’s Hot 100 for 13 weeks, shooting Bassey and Barry to instant recognition and fame.

Before we finish our martini, let’s not forget Bond’s perfect knack for knowing just what to say and when to say it. Who can forget the opening scene when 007 electrocutes a thug in a bathtub then nonchalantly quips, “Shocking. Positively shocking.” But nothing says Bond like this punchy and inimitable exchange:

Bond: “Do you expect me to talk?

Goldfinger: “No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.”

"Bond 50: The Complete 22 Film Collection" will be available on Blu-ray on Sept. 25.

Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/entertainment/20 ... -007-bunch[/spoil]

[Dr. No]

Love that dvd cover!

Goldfinger is good but I feel some of the other early ones like Dr. No and From Russia were superior in some ways.

[The Saint 007]

Goldfinger was always one of my favourite Bond films even as a kid. It has some of the most memorable characters and iconic moments, and it really set the template for the James Bond films.

[Dr. No]

It is a wonderful film the very definition of iconic IMO. I just think that they took more time crafting Dr No and FRWL. Maybe setting it in America was less exciting for me.

[The Saint 007]

It is a wonderful film the very definition of iconic IMO. I just think that they took more time crafting Dr No and FRWL. Maybe setting it in America was less exciting for me.

While I personally think that Goldfinger was a little more refined, I still like Dr. No and From Russia With Love. I agree that the American setting in Goldfinger seemed a bit bland in comparison to the first two films, especially Dr.No, I love the tropical setting. I also liked how they kept Dr.No so mysterious, as well as the dinner conversation between Bond and Dr.No. I always loved it when Bond dined or engaged in some friendly sport with the villain, and they would exchange some witty dialog.

Yeah, they don't make Bond films like they used to. From the music, characters, gadgets, stunts, one-liners, etc., these rebooted Bond films feel so primitive in comparison to the classics in pretty much every way. Some people may disagree with that, but that's just how I feel.

[Count_Lippe]

I've always considered Goldfinger to be a bit over-rated among the early Bonds.

I think it was more the spectacular content that made it such a huge success in the 60s, and not that it was the best Bond film.

The pre-credits sequence with 007 wearing a dinner jacket underneath his scuba suit, a nude Shirley Eaton painted in gold, the Aston Martin car chase, the laser beam, the larger-than-life villains, etc.

Some also say the Bond formula was at it's peak here, and maybe that is correct.

But both Dr No and FRWL really were more interesting, and had more suspense and true Bondian feel, thanks to the direction of Terence Young.

I also agree the locations in GF were less colorful, perhaps not beacause it was America, but because those particular locations were simply boring.

In fact the first part of GF is much better than the second part when they arrive in Kentucky.

The scenes at Goldfinger's ranch and the raid on Fort Knox could have been handled a lot better, they haven't aged very well and are rather unexciting.

Goldfinger is classic James Bond and was a real phenomenon when it came, in 1964 only The Beatles was as big as 007.

But in retrospect it's far from the best Bond movie of all time.