Goldfinger - is it really one of the best? I think not
Jarvio
EnglandPosts: 4,241MI6 Agent
Does anyone agree with me that GF is one of the weaker Bond films?
I know that this will get me beat up, tortured, and eventually murdered by most fellow Bond fans lol {:)
But to me, GF is one of my least favourite Bond films.
Now don't get me wrong - it's a good film, very decent and watchable, but I just feel that in comparison to the rest, it's one of my least favourites. On my list, all it beats is TWINE, TND, MR, DAD, and TB.
First of all, parts of it I think are a bit boring. To me it seems to drag in places. I don't know why I think it drags though, but it just seems to if you ask me.
Secondly, I actually think Bond is slightly out of character. He seems more vulnerable in this one. He was basically killed by GF until he got out of it by mentioning grand slam. He struggled to dismantle the atomic bomb. He seemed to struggle at his job in this film IMO. Another example is that Auric Goldfinger was killed in an accident - it wasn't really down to Bond, it was an accident he died in.
This leads me onto the villains. I don't even think the villains were that great. Ok, Auric Goldfinger has some classic lines (infact, the dialogue in GF is one of the strongest in the entire series). But as a villain, I found him a bit dull, he just seemed like a stereotypical money-hungry fat man. Oddjob on the other hand was good I thought, but could have done with some lines. Mutes don't do it for me. Solo and Ling or whatever they're called were just plain rubbish.
The plot was ok. But I just didn't like the climax, as stated above.
Don't get me wrong - I love this film. But the fact that it seems to be the most popular Bond film by the masses has urged me to make this post. I just think it's a bit overrated that's all.
I know that this will get me beat up, tortured, and eventually murdered by most fellow Bond fans lol {:)
But to me, GF is one of my least favourite Bond films.
Now don't get me wrong - it's a good film, very decent and watchable, but I just feel that in comparison to the rest, it's one of my least favourites. On my list, all it beats is TWINE, TND, MR, DAD, and TB.
First of all, parts of it I think are a bit boring. To me it seems to drag in places. I don't know why I think it drags though, but it just seems to if you ask me.
Secondly, I actually think Bond is slightly out of character. He seems more vulnerable in this one. He was basically killed by GF until he got out of it by mentioning grand slam. He struggled to dismantle the atomic bomb. He seemed to struggle at his job in this film IMO. Another example is that Auric Goldfinger was killed in an accident - it wasn't really down to Bond, it was an accident he died in.
This leads me onto the villains. I don't even think the villains were that great. Ok, Auric Goldfinger has some classic lines (infact, the dialogue in GF is one of the strongest in the entire series). But as a villain, I found him a bit dull, he just seemed like a stereotypical money-hungry fat man. Oddjob on the other hand was good I thought, but could have done with some lines. Mutes don't do it for me. Solo and Ling or whatever they're called were just plain rubbish.
The plot was ok. But I just didn't like the climax, as stated above.
Don't get me wrong - I love this film. But the fact that it seems to be the most popular Bond film by the masses has urged me to make this post. I just think it's a bit overrated that's all.
1 - LALD, 2 - AVTAK, 3 - LTK, 4 - OP, 5 - NTTD, 6 - FYEO, 7 - SF, 8 - DN, 9 - DAF, 10 - TSWLM, 11 - OHMSS, 12 - TMWTGG, 13 - GE, 14 - MR, 15 - TLD, 16 - YOLT, 17 - GF, 18 - DAD, 19 - TWINE, 20 - SP, 21 - TND, 22 - FRWL, 23 - TB, 24 - CR, 25 - QOS
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
Comments
Yep, strap him down to a metal table and let the laser commence..
See my point above.
Yep, he cant escape by brawn so he has to use brains. Good scripting by Maibaum here. Also, Bond is lighter in this one. After three films he has to be. Most people cite GF as the start of his superhuman phase.
No he died in an opportunity exploited by Bond. He let his guard down and Bond jumped in.
But at this stage after only three film the capitalist madman intent on upping his own wealth was fresh. His motivation all the way through is enlarging his store of the metal that he loves. His mania is about gold which is almost fetish like. A man who paints a woman gold is dull?
How could he have had more lines? He was mute..
Reappraisal is a good thing. Each generation comes along and looks at a film differently. After all if the video age hadn't turned around OHMSS its reputation amongst the general public would still be weak.
But judging a film on 2007 criteria doesnt work. Dr No looks positively prehistoric in places but if you take that it in context its a charming little British film with a streak of sadism set on Caribbean beaches.
GF was really where the team were getting into their stride. They seemed to be learning as they went along. Its a crowdpleaser with cast, acting, script, production design, humour and music all at the top of their game.
Plus...theres Honor Blackman..
However, I don't find all the 60's films boring and slow - I love DN, OHMSS, and YOLT, and FRWL is good too. It's only GF and TB that I find boring and slow.
Also, I cannot stand DAD, or The Matrix for that matter.
I agree about GF painting the woman gold though, that was a great moment.
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
-Roger Moore
I, personally, love GF. It is one of the stronger of the series, however, I do think that AVTAK is a better film and not as much of a "rip-off". In fact, if people want to call it that, it improved a lot of things.
Those slow parts you're talking about is called story development.
Jarvio I strongly recommend that you go back and read the book of Goldfinger.
Fleming had a knack of fleshing out his villains, explaining their dastardly foibles reasonably, explaining why they are the way they are. He did it with the girls and henchman too. Its one of the more accessible books and you will get more out of the film and its characters once you know their backgrounds and motivations better.
And, yes, AVTAK was a remake of GF. Unforunately microchips arent as sexy as gold.
The villians are brilliant. Surprisingly for some my favourite part is the golf scenes which I can watch over and over again. BTW I hated Hamilton's other bond films (DAF + LALD).
Come on what other bond films have quotes like
" Do you expect me to talk, No Mr Bond I expect you to die"
"Ejector seat your joking?, I never joke about my work 007"
"My name is Pussy Galore, I must be dreaming"
I rest my case {[]
Yeah, I'm for that. Great cast (Connery at his 60s best of course, but Gert Frobe is superb and Honor Blackman :x ), terrific plot, and top-notch music. Sure it's been copied, remade (hello JFF!), and stolen from umpteen times over the years- but that only goes to show how good it is.
Possibly controversial point- GF is maybe the only Bond film where the changes made by Maibaum & Co enhance Fleming's ideas, rather than weaken them? But that's another topic...
Bond is pretty inactive and only really contributes one thing to Goldfinger's downfall in the shape of seducing Pussy, but I don't think that that's necessarily a bad thing, more just the story it's telling; although it does redefine the idea of a hero slightly!
All in all I think it's great, but I can see where you're coming from.
Now we are all entitled to our opinion and if you didn't like then you didn't like it, no harm done.-{
To those I'll add:
"Shocking, positively shocking."
"Now hear this Goldfinger, your luck has just changed."
and my personal favorite:
"You're a woman of many parts, Pussy."
I don't think Goldfinger drags. The thing that is strong about Goldfinger and Tomorrow Never Dies is that their plots are explained simply and clearly in just under two hours. Many Bond films suffer from plot holes, are confusing, and take more than two hours to end because they drag too much.
Although that bit is uncomfortably like rape! I'm not sure that kissing a girl until she likes it is a tactic that anyone should try in real life!
Although it is unlikely that any film (or book) is perfect, however one measures perfection, IMO GF is as perfect as one can get. I honestly do not believe that it has any flaws. Jarvio, I'll respond to your original post very shortly, but let me just say in the meantime, that you chose the wrong film to mess with!
P.S. I'm a little flattered that just as with JFF and AVTAK, everybody knows that when GF is being threatened, I'm never too far behind.
I like it, but it's a bit different to all the others, not just cos it doesn't have Spectre, unique for a 60s film.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
Every film since, be it EON, or Bond-copy, has rippped GF off in one way or another. It truly is the golden film.
You must be dreaming.
I can feel it... MORE... MORE POWER!!! :v
Roger Moore 1927-2017
You may as well come clean, Sylvia Honey. Favorite movie: LA Confidential
Favorite Bond: Daniel Craig.
Work in Los Angeles.
It's your typical style: you can't resist giving people a hard time for things you don't "understand" and you you've provided responses to questions that are totally off subject. Plus your Connery dislike is shining through to me and other people here.
So CTrent49 here, LJones at MI6.co.uk and Lady Sylvia at commanderbond.net are all the same Fish1941. Better luck next time, Lady Lavonia.
Ooh, I do love a bit of intrigue B-)
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Good try. Any reason you have your PM function turned off?
I thought there was something seriously wrong with this chick. Now I can rest peacefully.