In Goldfinger, all the elements that made the Bond movies so successful came together in a way that they have never done since. Goldfinger is not only a great film; it captures the spirit of what is often referred to as “the swinging sixties.” There is even a reference in the film to the Beatles, who were taking the world by storm when the movie came out. If you only ever see one Bond film, this should be the one. Goldfinger was a huge success and led to a wave of spy movies and TV series, as well as various Bond toys and games.
The film opens with Bond convalescing on Miami Beach after a recent mission. He is introduced to the enigmatic and wealthy Mr. Goldfinger who amuses himself by cheating at cards. Of course, Bond discovers how Goldfinger is cheating and steals his girlfriend at the same time. Bond and Goldfinger meet again on the golf course – playing for a bar of gold bullion – as Bond tries to find out just how Goldfinger is smuggling huge amounts of gold between countries.
Bond tails Goldfinger to his headquarters in Switzerland where he is discovered spying on Goldfinger. Goldfinger decides to keep Bond alive for fear he knows too much about his next major heist. The heist in question is to break into Fort Knox and contaminate all the gold, thus increasing the value of Goldfinger’s own gold supply. Needless to say, Bond manages to foil this operation too – and get the girl as well.
There are many highlights of the movie. At the beginning of the film, Bond is given his best gadget yet – an Aston Martin sports car, complete with various defense mechanisms such as machine guns and an ejector seat. Naturally, all these devices are used to great effect in an exciting car chase scene! Goldfinger’s assistant, Oddjob, is almost as evil and frightening as Goldfinger himself, wielding a deadly steel-rimmed bowler hat to decapitate people. The climactic fight between Bond and Oddjob amidst the towering piles of gold bullion in Fort Knox (a set so realistic that many thought it actually was filmed in Fort Knox) is one of the best in the entire series. And who can forget the scene where Bond, about to be killed by a laser beam slowly moving towards him, asks Goldfinger: “Do you expect me to talk?” Goldfinger replies casually: “No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!”