Goldfinger (1964)

Released (US): January 9, 1965
Genre: Action/Adventure
Length: 110 Min.
Director: Guy Hamilton
Writer: Richard Maibaum & Paul Dehn
Major Cast Members:
       Sean Connery – James Bond
       Honor Blackman – Pussy Galore
       Gert Fröbe – Auric Goldfinger
       Harold Sakata – Oddjob
       Bernard Lee – M
Awards:
       Academy Award – Best Effects, Sound Effects
       Golden Laurel – Best Action Drama
       Golden Laurel – Best Action Performance (Sean Connery)
Budget: $3,000,000
Box Office: $124,900,000

Plot Overview: When he finds one of his ‘girls’ dead in a hotel room, James Bond is sent to investigate Auric Goldfinger. His investigation leads him to the discovery of operation Grand Slam, which calls for Goldfinger to attack Fort Knox. In order to save the world economy, Bond will need all of his skills and saavy to prevent Goldfinger from achieving his goal.

Did you know?: Despite the setting being in the US, Connery never entered the country. All of his scenes shot ‘in America’ were actually filmed at Pinewood Studios in London.

Review: Noticing a trend? I have a goal to see all of the Bond movies before I move on to other films, so get ready for a heavy dosage of 007. Now, onto the third installment, Goldfinger.

What can I say? When you have three characters named Goldfinger, Oddjob, and Pussy Galore all in the same movie, how can it possibly be bad? Throw in a little Bond and some hot Bond girls and you have yourself one heckuva cast.

Goldfinger offers a lot of what the previous two movies already had: good acting. Once again, Connery is excellent in his role as 007, Goldfinger (played by Fröbe) and Oddjob (played by Harold Sakata) are superb as the villains, and the rest of the crew lives up to the expectations.

While we are on the subject of the crew, let me just say that Goldfinger has the best Bond Girls of the first three movies. Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman), Jill Masterson (Shirley Eaton), and Tilly Masterson (Tania Mallet) are all stunning (too bad two of them have to die). Once again, it seems like the third time is the charm!

As far as the plot is concerned, this is definitely the best of the first three installments of the Bond series. There is suspense, good action, and the plotline is interesting and well written. Goldfinger is the first time that Bond gets to use some real gadgets, starting with the Aston Martin DB5 he gets to use in this film. While many other of the episodes in this long running series feature gadgets as well, they are oftentimes slightly ridiculous and can actually take over the entire film. These simple, yet cool accessories available to Bond in Goldfinger serve only to be the silver lining while Bond still does a majority of the work.

In the end, this is quintessential Bond. Not only a must see for the Bond fanatic, but a must see for any movie lover in general. Goldfinger has it all, and is not to be missed by anyone.

Final Grade: A-

Other Reviews:
DVDTown: “These Bond capers were the prototypes and set the gold standard for dozens of fantasy thrillers that followed.”

Reel Views: “… history has shown Goldfinger to be among the series’ most enduring entries.”

DVD Verdict: “An absolutely classic Bond film, Goldfinger still holds its own against modern big-budget, special effects blockbusters…”

Filmcritic.com: “The iconic James Bond movie, this third entry into the franchise is rightly heralded for offering the perfect blend of action, adventure, gunplay, fisticuffs, gadgetry (that Aston Martin!), romance, derring-do, and just about everything else.”

Movie Vault: “As Shirley Bassey sings in the title song, “He’s the man, the man with the Midas touch.” Not just of Goldfinger, but also of Bond, James Bond.”

EFilm Critic: “Goldfinger is probably the film that cemented Bond’s status with a gold stamp. A few years down the line, the theme song of another Bond film was ‘Nobody Does It Better’. How true, and he was never done better than in Goldfinger.”

TVGuide: “Probably the best of the gadget-filled 007 extravaganzas, GOLDFINGER represents the consolidation of the wildly profitable Bond formula.”

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From Russia With Love (1963)

Released (US): May 27, 1964
Genre: Action/Adventure
Length: 110 Min.
Director: Terence Young
Writer: Richard Maibaum
Major Cast Members:
       Sean Connery – James Bond
       Daniela Bianchi – Tatiana Romanova
       Pedro Armendáriz – Ali Kerim Bey
       Lotte Lenya – Rosa Klebb
       Bernard Lee – M
Awards:
       None
Budget: $2,000,000
Box Office: $78,900,000 (worldwide)

Plot Overview: In this second installment of the James Bond series, Bond is sent to Istanbul to get a cypher machine (referred to as a Lektor in the film) from a Russian agent. However, the Russian government has no knowledge of such a deal, as it is all an elaborate set up by SPECTRE, trying to get revenge on Bond for killing their agent Dr. No (from the movie, Dr. No). Using his simple gadgets and some guts, Bond needs to sniff out the trap and save himself.

Did you know?: Sean Connery was almost killed in this movie, as the helicopter crew in the movie flew much to close to him during the scene.

Review: Sean Connery is back for another round of the Bond series in From Russia With Love, where he co-stars with Daniela Bianchi (Tatiana) to create a solid spy movie.

Like Dr. No, Connery is again the quintessential Bond. Smooth, cunning, and tough, Connery impressed yet again with another good performance. For the most part, the acting was well done across the board. Bianchi did a good job in her role as Tatiana Romanova, and Lotte Lenya (played Rosa Klebb) was solid as well. She looked and sounded evil, which is always good in your villains.

Unfortunately, the script and plot were not quite as good as Dr. No. The plot seemed to take longer to develop, and, despite the introduction of the trademark gadgets (although they are very sinplistic), the action didn’t seem to be as exciting. While not terrible, there was definitely room for improvement.

Despite the slow plot, it is still a solid overall spy thriller. It is still a must see for those who are into the Bond series and the whole spy genre in general, but From Russia With Love does not rank amongst the most memorable of the Bond films.

Final Grade: B-

Other Reviews:
DVDTown: “…the older movie provides probably more outright suspense and excitement than any of the newer concoctions.”

Reel Reviews: “Standing at the pinnacle of the series, From Russia with Love shows how good a Bond film can be when all the ingredients mesh. This movie isn’t just a fun popcorn-munching action adventure flick; it’s a good motion picture by any standards.”

DVDVerdict: “The gadgets and witty wordplay are held to a minimum with the movie instead relying on a plot that is tight as a snare drum, great performances across the board and some truly beautiful Bond women.”

FilmCritic.com: “…maybe the one Bond movie in which the spy and the world for which he was created are perfectly in sync.”

EFilmCritic: “…if ‘Dr. No’ was a sterling, if low-key, thriller then ‘From Russia With Love’ expanded on that to become much more muscular and confident whilst still retaining a high degree of intelligence.”

TVGuide: “One of the best of the Bond films…”

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Dr. No (1962)

Released (US): May 8, 1963
Genre: Action/Adventure
Length: 110 Min.
Director: Terence Young
Writer: Richard Maibum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather
Major Cast Members:
       Sean Connery – James Bond
       Ursula Andress – Honey Ryder
       Joseph Wiseman – Dr. No
       Jack Lord – Felix Leiter
       Bernard Lee – M
Awards: 
       Golden Globe – Most Promising Newcomer (Ursula Andress)
Budget: $1.1 million
Box Office: $59,600,000 (worldwide)

Plot Overview: The first in what was to become one of the most successful film franchises of all time, Dr. No is the world’s first look at James Bond 007. Featuring Sean Connery as Bond and Joseph Wiseman as the evil Dr. No, the first Bond film is set primarily in Jamaica. When a fellow MI6 agent is killed, Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate. While in Jamaica, Bond meets up with a friendly CIA agent named Felix Leiter (played by Jack Lord) and some of the natives of the island. While investigating the death of his fellow agent, Bond uncovers something even more sinister at the hands of Dr. No and SPECTRE. Bond then must stop Dr. No before the evil scientist takes over the world…

Did you know?: Ursula Andress (Honey Ryder) wasn’t offered the part until only a few short weeks prior to the beginning of the filming when the producers saw a photo of her in a wet T-shirt competition.

Review: My first review…cool. Can you honestly think of a better movie than this to be the first? I can’t, so here it goes…

I watched this movie for the first time a couple days ago, and I must say, I was impressed. While not as flashy or action packed as some of the more recent Bond flicks, Dr. No still provided enough entertainment to keep me hooked.

Based on the novel by Ian Flemming, we meet James Bond for the first time. Sean Connery does an excellent job playing Bond, as there is the perfect mixture of the tough spy, suave gentleman, and funny guy to make him extremely likeable. In short, Connery is Bond.

Other strong performances from Ursula Andress (Honey Ryder), Joseph Wiseman (Dr. No), and Jack Lord (Felix Leiter) are present throughout the film. These aren’t the only good actors, however, as most of the actors throughout the film do a very good job.

The movie itself is very good. While the breakneck action that is present in many of the latest Bond movies may not be present in this one, that does not mean that Dr. No is a dud. In fact, it is just the opposite. When there are fight scenes and action sequences, they are well done and exciting. Unlike many movies that I have seen, even when there is no action, the movie still moves along nicely and there are no parts that I would classify as ‘boring.’ Despite the lack of gadgets and gizmos present throughout the other installations of this series, Bond manages just find with his handgun and his own hand to hand fighting skills.

Additionally, there is a certain element of charm and class that is prevalent throughout the movie. This is not always present in the other Bond films, so this aspect was certainly welcome.

In the end, this is a very good production, despite the lack of flash. Well written, acted, and produced, Dr. No was a great way to kick off the Bond franchise.

If you are looking for an intense movie filled with fight scenes, hardcore action and fancy gadgets, Dr. No is not the movie for you. However, if you’re a Bond fanatic, or someone looking for a good all around movie that seems to have all its bases covered, then Dr. No is for you. A must see, especially if you are into the whole Bond series.

Final Grade: B+

Other Reviews:
TVGuide: “The first entry in what was to become the most profitable movie series of all time is a solid, surprisingly modest spy thriller.”

FilmCritic.com: “Still, essential viewing for any Bond fanatic.”

Reel Views: “While it may appear tame by the standards of the later productions, it’s an entertaining look back in movie history at a project that developed into a worldwide phenomenon.”

DVDTown: “Script, director, performers, style, atmosphere, and locale wonderfully merged to produce exactly the right milieu for the picture…”

DVD Verdict: “Because of the efforts of Young, editor Peter Hunt, composer Monty Norman and production designer Ken Adam Dr. No is an exercise in masculine and muscular style. Together the group, including producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman, gave the world a film that is timeless in the best sense of the word, while also serving as a templet for what has turned into a multimillion dollar industry.”

EFilmCritic: “Dr. No‘ is a superior Bond entry.”

Movie Vault: “Dr. No is worth it for the Bond fans but not all that grabbing for the spy thriller fans.”

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