Goldfinger

Details

The Bank of England suspects that someone is smuggling and stockpiling huge quantities of gold. Their prime suspect is international bullion dealer Auric Goldfinger, and they request that James Bond be assigned to investigate his activities and discover how he is moving gold out of the country.

Felix Leiter introduces Bond to Goldfinger while he is playing a card game in Miami. Bond soon realises that Goldfinger's impressive winning streak is hardly down to skill. Instead, his assistant Jill Masterson is secretly relaying information from the hotel room above using binoculars and a radio. Bond puts an end to the cheating, but soon witnesses Goldfinger's darker side when he exacts revenge by covering Jill in gold paint, causing her death by asphyxiation.

Bond later traces Goldfinger to a factory in Geneva where he uncovers the villain's ingenious gold-smuggling operation - and hints of a much more sinister plan. Captured by Goldfinger after the now-famous laser scene, Bond is taken to the United States where he finally learns the full extent of the plot: Goldfinger intends to detonate a nuclear device inside Fort Knox, irradiating the world's largest gold reserve and dramatically increasing the value of his own supply.

Picture & Sound

Although the film is now over thirty years old, the picture quality remains bright and sharp with an above-average bit-rate, although it does occasionally suffer from the odd film "whisker". Unlike the previous disc, the colour definition is much stronger with a noticeably higher level of detail. The soundtrack remains in mono - stereo would not arrive for Bond for another twenty years - but the dialogue is clear and perfectly serviceable.

Menu & Extras

Once again MGM have come up trumps with a large collection of useful and interesting extras. With each new Bond release the standard of supplementary material seems to improve, making it increasingly difficult to imagine how MGM can top the next one. Compared to the static menus and token extras offered by many other studios, this package puts them firmly to shame.

Overall

Classic Bond, classic villains, classic music and one of the most memorable lines ever delivered in a Bond film. Sean Connery is superb here, perfectly capturing the charm and cool confidence that defined the early Bond era, while the gadgets are just beginning to become a trademark part of the series.

Even though it was still relatively early in the franchise, Goldfinger remains one of the finest Bond films ever made. The larger-than-life villain, the unforgettable henchman Oddjob and that legendary theme song all combine to create a film that still feels iconic today. If you are even remotely a Bond fan, this is an essential addition to your collection. Just go and buy the disc!

Special features

• Audio Commentary Featuring Director Guy Hamilton
• Audio Commentary by Cast and Crew
• "Making of Goldfinger" Documentary
• "The Goldfinger Phenomenon" Documentary
• Behind-the-scenes Stills Gallery
• Original Publicity Featurette
• Original Radio Interviews with Sean Connery
• Collectable "Making-of" Booklet
• Original Theatrical Trailer
• Television and Radio spots