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Studio:Twentieth Century Fox

Amazon.co.uk Review

We still find ourselves waiting for the bulk of the James Bond back catalogue to enjoy a Blu-ray upgrade. It’s all the more frustrating given the high quality of the discs that have been released thus far, which have whetted the appetite for more releases. It seems we might be waiting some time. In the meantime, at least there are discs of the quality of Goldfinger to get our teeth into, a Blu-ray that demonstrates just how a high definition transfer can enhance an older film.

Goldfinger is, of course, the third film in the official James Bond movie series. It finds Sean Connery as 007, this time pitted against Auric Goldfinger. Of course, things aren’t straightforward, not helped by the presence of Oddjob and Pussy Galore, and the film isn’t shy of terrific sequences, memorable Bond moments and Connery on tip-top form in the lead role. What’s particularly satisfying about the Blu-ray is just how complete it is. The picture quality is a very pleasant surprise, delivering sharp visuals in spite of the age of the film. The audio is limited by today’s standards--it certainly struggles to stand toe-to-toe next to something like Quantum Of Solace in that regard--but it’s still the best the film has sounded in the home. And then there’s the excellent, thoughtful extra features package. A lot of it you’ve seen before on the DVD releases, but there has been some welcome HD improvement work undertaken too. Something that’s overlooked on many catalogue Blu-ray releases.

Ultimately, Goldfinger is a vintage James Bond film, that makes the most of its high definition upgrade. Now roll on the rest of the movies… --Jon Foster

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