Goldfinger (1964) -
This is the second Bond film I've seen (the first one being
Skyfall). While the Bond franchise hasn't been given much focus on my watchlist so far, this film made me more eager to check out a few others (I'll probably watch them in order). That's not to say I loved this film per se, but that I enjoyed the sum of its parts well enough. The goofy spy action vibes might not appeal to everyone, but I think the film found the right balance to make them work. As a result, the various spy gadgets on Bond's car, the hidden areas and trap doors in Goldfinger's stud farm, Oddjob's extreme strength, and even the occasional cheesy effects impressed me quite a bit. The action in the first half hour, particularly the car chase, was a lot of fun due to all the spy gadgets utilized throughout it (the smokescreen, the slippery gel (not sure what it's actually called), the ejector seat, the mounted machine guns). Unfortunately though, this charm dissipated after the first act as the remainder of the film did away with these gadgets. The rest of the action, by comparison, was more standard and less exciting. The final shootout, for instance, which mainly involved some sub-par gun and fistfights left me rather cold. I did, however, enjoy some of the violence surrounding Bond quite a lot due to how unexpectedly cruel those scenes were (the iconic gold paint scene, in particular, is terrific). I also love how ineffective Bond was. He spent most of the film being captured and had several failed escape attempts. This was an unexpected change from how I thought he was going to be portrayed. Though yeah, that whole rape scene was rather problematic, especially when you realize it set Bond's plan to save the day in motion. Issues aside, I enjoyed this film and I hope the other Bond films I watch will tap more into its potential.
Next Up: A Moment of Innocence