Search - Goldfinger [Blu-ray] on Blu-ray

K. K. (GAMER)
Reviewed on 5/6/2022...

Classic Sean Connery 007 Bond, James Bond! Shaken, not stired!

Wonderful HD presentation of the prototypical Bond flick

Matthew T. Weflen | Chicago, IL | 03/30/2009

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The film:

"Dr. No" and "From Russia With Love" are classics in their own rights, but "Goldfinger" really has it all. A good villain, Bond-babes galore, lush locales, and Sean Connery at his best. And it's all done at a brisk, entertaining pace which never feels bloated in the way "Thunderball" did.

The classic moments in this film are too numerous to mention. The babooshka-granny with the machine gun, death by gold paint, the tricked out Aston Martin, lasers to the groin, Odd Job and his odd haberdasheries... This film has been referenced and spoofed so many times by so many lesser movies and shows that you'll likely not be surprised even if it is your first time watching.

It's all pulled off with such panache and style, it doesn't feel cliched at all (plus, it pays to remember that it was all fresh and new when it premiered.) Goldfinger has the perfect mix of humor, violence, style, and cool. The mix went out of whack with most Bond films after it, and the franchise (arguably) probably hasn't returned to a good balance until "Casino Royale."

Anyway, it's pretty nearly a perfect Bond movie. Relentlessly entertaining, fun, exciting, and just darn good.

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The Blu-Ray:

This transfer really shines at times, with impressive detail on facial close-ups, mountain vistas, and clothing. There are some soft spots, but this is quite forgivable in a 45 year old film. Overall, the detail is very impressive, and tops that of the previous two films on Blu-Ray. I was surprised by how many little things I noticed when I just sat back and let it all soak in - wood grains, dandelions in a field, pebbles on the ground. Black levels are rock solid, color is very naturalistic and stable. Overall it's just a tremendous job by the MGM studio and Lowry Digital to not overdo it and let the natural film elements stand on their own merits. So many times studios feel the need to over-enhance their older films to have them "compete" with newer releases, which usually just ends up introducing new video noise, or ends up washing out actual detail in the image ("Dark City" and its waxen faces springs to mind.) "Goldfinger," by not going overboard, sets the bar very high for a catalog film restoration.

Special features also shine - several HD documentaries, a commentary with the cast and crew (including Connery), and some original period promotional pieces round out a really top-notch package of extras.

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For any Bond aficionado with a good HD setup, this is a no-brainer. This is pretty much the best Bond film of its era (although I am quite partial to "From Russia With Love," as well). The disc is a definite upgrade over a DVD. Action film fans and fans of 60's era thrillers will get a kick out of this, too.

I recommend buying "Dr. No," "From Russia," and "Goldfinger" on Blu-Ray. These three films will give you pure 60's Bond without any of the silliness of the later stuff. You can stop there, or maybe pick up the two latest flicks, too, as they are tremendous Blu-Ray presentations also."

007 Goldfinger

Brian L. Soncrant | MESA, AZ, US | 03/09/2010

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I own all 007 DVD's and have been switching to Blu-ray, so far I am inpressed with the results. The Blu-ray of Goldfinger is better then DVD."