Can 'Skyfall' Compare to 'Goldfinger'?

With the opening of the 23rd official James Bond movie, Skyfall, opening, I thought I would look back on some of the best Bond movies from each of the different Bond eras, which also happen to correlate with the different actors who have played the iconic British super-spy. 

As critics and audiences alike call this their favorite James Bond film, I guess I am not alone in thinking this is one of the best spy films ever made. There is very little wrong with Goldfinger and what is wrong is very easily overlooked because of the strong plot and even stronger characters. With many series, the filmmakers begin to wane and rest on their successes when number three (or so) comes along. But, this is the case where the third film truly is the charm. Number one in the series Dr. No and two (From Russia with Love) just seem like practice in order to get to this third installment in the Bond series. Not that those aren’t two good films…From Russia With Love is another one of my Connery favs.  But, after you watch the first two and then watch Goldfinger, you will get it.  Goldfinger is just a superior film and sets the bar for the next 20 Bond films which have subsequently followed. 

Bond creator and author Ian Fleming got the title Goldfinger from the villain’s name…a man who is obsessed with gold. Truly. And the actor who plays the man-in-gold (Gert Fröbe) fits the bill perfectly. Sean Connery’s Bond also comes into his own in this film. In Dr. No, he seemed a little unsure of himself and in From Russia with Love, it was the opposite…he seems TOO confident as the super-spy. Here, Connery shows the right tone of power, control and fear. And the plot is also one of the best ever in a Bond film…with Frobe’s Goldfinger trying to destroy the gold in Fort Knox so his mass amounts of gold increase considerably in value. But, for Bond films, plot always seems to take a back seat to the gadgets, romance and action. Here, at least, they made an attempt at a story...and did a great job in the process. No worries, though. There are lots of gadgets, action and romance. Promise.  Not, to mention the souped-up Aston Martin car that became synonymous with Bond after this film.