Goldfinger - James Bond

Little did my father know that when he asked me if I would be interested in watching this James Bond film known as Goldfinger, that he had launched me into permanent fandon for the spy genre. Since I was fourteen, I have been a massive fan of all things spy related, from the Saint to the Bourne series.

When I look back on everything, though, I have to say that Goldfinger still is dear to my heart. Sean Connery was and still is James Bond and every man wants to be James Bond.

This movie showed my dream car, an Aston Martin DB5. To this day I still hope to own one even if it didn’t come with the famed ejector seat.

I think I love this film because it set a classic formula. From the Shirley Bassey theme to a woman killed by gold paint, it had everything. From the beginning sequence of Bond blowing up a facility and exiting the water with a tuxedo under a wetsuit this movie grabs you. The villain himself was not only a genius, but had the most amazing twist. The man didn’t want to steal, but just make everyone else's money useless and therefore enhancing the worth of his own.

The whole scheme centers on rendering Fort Knox useless as well as its gold. I still find that an incredibly different take on the usually two-dimensional villains. Speaking of which, there is not much depth to Oddjob, but you have to love the guy!

This film is corny, I will admit, but what a wonderful springboard into the genre. Screaming horns, Cars with machine guns and ejector seats! Beautiful women, evil masterminds, A high powered laser and the smoothest spy around!

Even to this day, if I run across this film on a marathon I instantly stop. I just never tire of it, though I wish I could say the same about my wife!

-Greg C