ThomasHayden

This is the Bond movie which originally established what Bond fans call "the formula": that is, a fast-paced,exhilarating( though slightly unbelievable) action story, completed with lots of beautiful women , sexual innuendo and witty one-liners. Though From Russia With Love was a realistic and suspenseful thriller, the producers took a new direction with Goldfinger. From this movie on, Bond films were set in a kind of fictionalized " real world" where the most incredible gadgets and far-fetched , action-packed story lines seemed completely normal for the characters involved. Realism was gone, but it is trough all these elements that the Bond series achieved the enormous popular success which has made it the most enduring series in cinema history.

Goldfinger features all of the elements described above, but what makes it an unforgettable and distinctive entry is the way they are put together. There are the usual lovelies, but they are in the story for a reason. There is a power-driven, psychotic villain, but he is charismatic as well. Of course, he has a mute and ( almost) invincible henchman, who enjoys killing people in a particularly bizarre ( though lethal) way. And the villain's devilish scheme is, to the very least, brilliant( even Bond has to concede it).

An especial mention should go to Maibaum and Dehn's screenplay, which proves that there was talent involved in the writing department of EON productions. Though the storyline is , in fact, rather thin,( Bond initially follows a trail, then he leaves it, only to find out what the villain is up to thanks to hearing these words " Operation Grand Slam") the individual sequences and set pieces are so cool that they easily conceal some plot holes.And a dry sense of humor permeates the film. The golf match scene is superb,but the film's highlight is the final confrontation between Bond and Goldfinger's deathly servant, Oddjob. But there is plenty of memorable images here, too. The girl painted in gold, and the figure of the hit-man reflected on Bond'd lover eye in the teaser are worth noting.

It goes without a saying that the cast is terrific this time. Even the main girl has personality and thinks by herself, instead of instantly falling into the clutches of 007.

This is just a general review. Goldfinger has much more to offer. Buy the DVD and enjoy.

Heavily underrated, I think A View to a Kill is a highly enjoyable and very entertaining Bond film. It was Moore's last outing as 007, and, despite being 57 by the time the film was shot, he was able to give a charismatic and witty portrayal as Her Majesty's finest agent. He is as comfortable with the humorous parts of the story as he is with the serious segments. I had a smile on my face all of the time he was at Zorin's palace in France pretending to be an aristocrat interested in horses, with Patrick McNee ( most known for his role in the TV series The Avengers) as his reluctant( and hilarious) servant. Nobody but Roger could deliver lines such as " May I escort you to the chopper" ( when he is chattering with Miss Sutton) and make them sound good.

As for the serious parts, Bond really shows his aversion towards the villain, instead of smiling and making ingenious remarks. Zorin is to be taken seriously; the result of a genetic experiment by a Nazi doctor, he has grown up to be an extremely intelligent, but unbalanced computer tycoon. Driven by a lust for absolute power, he will stop at nothing to make his evil plans come true...even if they mean killing thousands of people. Christopher Walken delivers an outstanding performance. Zorin is cold-blooded and deathly calm for the most part, manipulating even his girlfriend Mayday, but his mental illness is hinted at in some scenes, such as the shoot-out inside the mine, when he laughs hysterically when killing the disarmed miners.

A View to a Kill is also a magnificent action spectacle. The ski chase that opens the film is stunning, but the rest of the movie features equally impressive, well edited action sequences. The real highpoint of the film is the scene where Bond confronts Zorin on the top of the Golden Gate. Though the pace is sometimes slow and the entire KGB subplot simply doesn't make sense, I think the positives clearly overcome the negatives.Bond movies are not meant to be thrillers, they are just escapist entertainment. And in that sense, most of them are excellent.

The main concern many people have with A View to a Kill is the fact that it bears a strong resemblance with Goldfinger. There is no denying that the two movies are in similar lines: both are concerned with a leading industrialist who has masterminded a plan which will grant him enormous profit, while at the same time damaging an strategic economic activity( gold has been replaced by microchips this time). In both movies Bond discovers the villain's plan by coincidence. There is a blonde female lead here , too. But it has to be said that every Bond movie borrows heavily from the rest, and the basic structure, style of dialogue and characters have remained (basically) the same for 40 years. There's nothing wrong with that, and it's what Bond fans like me expect from every new Bond outing.

Despite the sometimes slow pace, a dull Bond girl( why the heck was Tanya Roberts cast?) and the usual plot holes every Bond movie has, A View to a Kill is a recommended viewing for Bond fans.The perfect way to spend two hours in a Saturday afternoon

I perhaps despise Thunderball so much because I had great expectations when I watched it. Considering it is the highest-grossing Bond film of all time, I expected it to be at least on the same level as Goldfinger. But it wasn't. As a matter of fact ,it is rather mediocre. The problem is not that silliness that plagued so many Moore's flicks( many of them were nevertheless enjoyable), but a horrible, ill-conceived screenplay and a technical work which seems amateurish.

As I have stated many times, Bond films( From Russia with Love aside) are not espionage movies. They are action-adventure flicks, dealing with exhilarating chases and fights ,death-defying stunts and a bevy of beautiful women. Therefore the real problem a Bond movie can face is not a thin ( even nonsensical ) plot, or cardboard characters, but a plodding, non action pace. And Thunderball is slow, painfully slow. For the most part , it is an exotic intrigue which would be OK if there was any mystery to solve. But there isn't. Everyone is a step ahead of Bond. Just imagine how boring is to watch "Death on the Nile" once somebody has told you who the murderer is.

When Bond is not spending his time flirting with the gorgeous Fiona Volpe or the dull Domino, he just does some diving to find out where the bombs are. He is indeed having a good "holiday", but a 120 minute film simply cannot afford to spend 25 minutes with underwater sequences which add nothing to the plot. As for the technical flaws, they are particularly noticeable in the final scene when Bond confronts Largo on board the Disco Volante. Using fast motion back projection to give the impression the yacht is moving fast makes Thunderball feel like a B movie instead of the $9 million budget picture it is.

I could go on with a lot of minor flaws, but it's up to you to watch this and decide. Thunderball is strictly for fans.