The villain is Auric Goldfinger, a man who is obsessed with the precious shiny metal and, more importantly, the value of it. As Bond soon discovers, he's planning a scheme that will alter both the balance of gold reserves and the economies of the Western world. The only way for Bond to get at Goldfinger is to tease him out. It's a dangerous game, but as we all know, villains consistently underestimate Bond, and Connery always delights with his playful, but lethal charm.
A lovely witty streak permeates the movie as Bond and Goldfinger size each other up, with the latter so ably assisted by Pussy Galore and Oddjob. As the stakes increase, so does the wicked tinge of humour to Bond's moments of peril. Mixed in with some tough action and the introduction of such memorable gadgets as Bond's Aston Martin car, there's never a dull moment and the film flies by. It's a list of ingredients that became standard for the movies that followed, with different directors varying the amount of each element (humour, gadgets, action, and girls).
Where the film does not fare so well is through the heavy use of rear-projection (used to avoid shooting abroad with the actors). It dates the movie in an annoying fashion, but the superb art design and cracking pace do compensate, along with a battery of deliciously evil villains.
7/10
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