Movie Review - Goldfinger (1964)

If you've ever seen any of the Austin Powers movies, you know how ridiculously extravagant and over-the-top they are. Goldfinger is the first James Bond movie to really go above-and-beyond anyone's perception of reality.

Goldfinger was the third movie in the James Bond series, released a year after From Russia With Love, which came out in 1963. Like I said, this is a movie that marks a starting point for many of the James Bond traditions and stereotypes that exist all the way through today. There are more outrageous plot schemes, inappropriately-named girls (just watch the movie and see), diabolical villains, trademarked henchmen, exotic locations, neat little gadgets, and a whole lot more.

The movie centers around our hero, James Bond, trying to take down a millionaire (or billionaire, maybe) who plans to take over Fort Knox in Kentucky and irradiate the gold supply there, making it useless. Such an act would cripple the world economy and boost the value of his own personal gold supply by millions.

This villain comes equipped with a ranch/lair, a giant laser that almost puts and end to a major part of who James Bond is, a fleet of crop-duster-turned-nerve gas-spreader planes piloted by a crew of good-looking women, and a very strong, mute henchman with a bowler hat that can decapitate marble statues among many other things. James Bond, however, is not alone. Mi6, the secret service agency for whom he works, provides him with an Aston Martin with missiles, a machine gun, an ejector seat, interchangeable revolving license plates; and a tracking device in his shoe so they can keep an eye on him. Along the way, James Bond meets three different girls and uses his libido to get any information he might need--all to his gain, of course.

This movie is replete with action scenes, an epic soundtrack, and a gripping ending, as well as all the other things above that defined who James Bond was. If there's a movie you want to see that really captures this essence and is a pretty good movie for its time, go for Goldfinger.