No Time To Die (Bond 25)

[Old Nehamkin]

I rewatched Goldfinger on Prime video just now. It's incredibly entertaining, obviously, although every time I watch it I tend to get a little sleepy during the stretch between the start of the Fort Knox heist and Bond's final showdown with Oddjob. But then, is it really a proper Bond film if there isn't a stretch that makes you feel a bit sleepy?

Anyway, one aspect of the plot I've never quite got my head around is why Goldfinger actually wants to irradiate the Fort Knox gold supply. It's explained that doing so will massively drive up the value of his own gold, which would be a fair enough motive if he was only interested in money. But surely his whole thing is that he has a monomaniacal obsession with gold itself and his top priority is to gain possession of more of it? ("I welcome any enterprise that will increase my stock" etc.) He's not called Moneyfinger. I just don't really get how it's going to be any easier for him to get new gold. I mean, all the remaining gold in the world will also rise proportionally in value, right? (Ps I don't really know about economics)

[Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth]

Isn't it that he wants to do the best crime ever? I vaguely remember him giving a big speech about it during that long boring stretch at the horse ranch.

[Old Nehamkin]

Isn't it that he wants to do the best crime ever? I vaguely remember him giving a big speech about it during that long boring stretch at the horse ranch.

Yeah, he says something about how mankind has fulfilled its potential in every field of achievement except for that of crime. Which is a cute enough line but it's a little bit on the abstract side as a motive compared to his seemingly much more visceral interest in acquiring gold, which I just would've assumed would be baked into this plan of his that also happens to revolve around gold.

I mean the film doesn't start with Shirley Bassey singing about how much this guy loves the general concept of doing really elaborate crimes, does it.

[machotrouts]

Shirley Bassey also seems to think Goldfinger is a barely resistible master of seduction whose web of sin we need to be specifically warned off entering, so I'm not sure she's really got the measure of him.

[dissolute ocelot]

Maybe he just doesn't care about radioactivity and wants to roll round naked in the irradiated gold till he glows like a second sun?

In the book I think he just tries to steal the gold.

[Magnum Valentino]

In the book, he's described as having a perfectly round head (like a pound).

Seem to remember a scene where Bond fakes being constipated to escape Goldfinger's house after getting caught looking at his porno collection.

[Bad Ambassador]

Maybe he just doesn't care about radioactivity and wants to roll round naked in the irradiated gold till he glows like a second sun?

In the book I think he just tries to steal the gold.

The problem being the absurd logisitics in trying to steal that much gold at once. As Bond points out in the film:

Fifteen billion dollars in gold bullion weighs ten thousand, five hundred tons. Sixty men would take twelve days to load it onto two hundred trucks. Now, at the most, you're going to have two hours before the army, navy, air force and marines move in and make you put it back.

[Replies From View]

because poker is cool and Mads Mikkelsen is a cool villain

To be honest I always felt he was out of his depth when he moved on from presenting Mastermind.

Stick to what you know, Mads.

[Norton Canes]

Saw the last hour and a half or so of this on ITV the other night

Might as well come out with the biggest problem - the emotional conclusion was way too protracted. That sort of thing has to happen quickly and be a real shock, not drawn out until we're praying it winds up. Poisoned-missiles-DEAD in five minutes max, for it to have the requisite impact. Horrible. Yes, the wake scene was beyond risible. The use of We Have All the Time in the World was inexcusable too - OHMSS used it to devastating effect, you're not gonna top that lads.

On the plus side I liked the SUV/bike/copter chase through the woods as it curiously eschewed the use of guns. Best bit though was in the base at the end, the little nod to the classic pre-credits gun barrel sequence with Bond firing from the end of a tunnel. Nice.

Daniel Craig's been great. Sad that James Bond will no longer be the same age as me. 

[Norton Canes]

I thought Rami Malek was supposed to be Doctor No? I was waiting for his arms to get ripped off (okay Bond does have a good try)

[idunnosomename]

It's kind of a conundrum, just because the gold is dangerously radioactive for decades, means it's not got a market value? The US gold reserves dont physically move do they?

[dissolute ocelot]

It's kind of a conundrum, just because the gold is dangerously radioactive for decades, means it's not got a market value? The US gold reserves dont physically move do they?

Yes. Even if it's useless for decades, financiers invest in futures of all kinds of things. Governments have sold bonds that don't mature for 100 years. It's of less use if you can't use it to make payments but it still has value.