Wick's Review
Created Jun 16, 2012 11:12AM PST • Edited Oct 12, 2020 05:18PM PST
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Quality
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Really Great 4.5
Goldfinger has everything we love about James Bond, other than a memorable Bond girl. It’s got Sean Connery driving his legendary Aston Martin, complete with ejector seat and machine guns. It’s got a great “Bond, James Bond” and “Shaken, not stirred.” Most valuably, Goldfinger himself is a terrific villain, while Oddjob remains “the most famous henchman” of the entire James Bond series.1 And it has perhaps the best certain-death scene in the entire series.
That last occurs with Bond strapped to a table, an industrial laser cutting up between his legs. This still thrills today and was truly wow stuff in 1964, when lasers were the highest of high technology.
“Do you expect me to talk?” Bond asks. Goldfinger’s gleeful reply: “No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!”
Oh yeah, there’s also a charming scene with Moneypenny, etc., etc. No wonder Wikipedia calls Goldfinger the quintessential Bond movie. Arguably Casino Royale tops it, but that’s like arguing about how many Bond girls can dance on top of a bar.
Oh yeah, one last thing: Shirley Bassey’s theme song is as iconic as they come. “GOLLDD-FINGER!!”
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Great 4.0
Sean Connery hit his Bond prime in Goldfinger, the third movie in the series. Unlike other Bonds, he manages to deliver quips with perfect comic touch while also being a man’s man.
Harold Sakata’s Oddjob makes as great a villain as the series has seen. Deadly, efficient, implacable and with a memorable weapon (the knife-edged Frisbee hat), he remains an icon half a century later.
As his boss, Gert Fröbe makes one of the better Bond supervillains. He wouldn’t score so high were it not for his “No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!” Perfect line, perfectly delivered.
The actresses fail the test of time, even Honor Blackman’s Pussy Galore. (Which first name is more curious, Honor or Pussy?) Only Margaret Nolan’s golden girl remains in the mind’s eye. Golden girl? Yep, that’s her golden derrière in the poster.
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Male Stars Perfect 5.0
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Female Stars Very Good 3.5
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Female Costars Very Good 3.5
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Male Costars Perfect 5.0
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Really Great 4.5
James Bond 3.0 perfected the program. High tech gadgetry, a highly produced pre-credits opening sequence, signature music and extensive badinage in the face of certain death were the hallmarks.
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Direction Really Great 4.5
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Play Really Great 4.5
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Music Perfect 5.0
Between the surf-rock James Bond theme and Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger title song, the music is perfect.
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Visuals Really Great 4.5
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Content
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Risqué 1.9
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Sex Titillating 2.4
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Violence Fierce 1.6
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Rudeness Salty 1.8
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Glib 1.9
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Circumstantial Surreal 2.3
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Biological Surreal 2.1
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Physical Glib 1.4
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Jun 20, 2012 10:58PM
MJ5K
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Regarding Wick’s Review I will say that the only reason it was made was because Kevin McClory had intended to make a Bond film with Ian Fleming starring Richard Burton in the role, but it was dropped and Fleming used their story as the basis for Thunderball. I heard that throughout the 90’s McClory tried to make the movie again but with Timothy Dalton in the role of an older Bond, but of course that never happened. |
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Jun 18, 2012 6:40AM
Wick
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Regarding Wick’s Review Ever see Never Say Never Again? Hidden gem. |
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Jun 18, 2012 1:28AM
MJ5K
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Regarding Wick’s Review |
- Wick
- 66 Trust Points
- 1180 Reviews
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