Spy Action Adventure

James Bond is the grandfather of spy movies. And considering how many women he gets with, he might be the grandfather of a lot of little spies, too.

The third film in the franchise, Goldfinger solidifies the Bond formula. We open with Bond shooting us in the face. We see a quick little adventure with an explosion or two, introducing us to Bond and getting our adrenaline pumping. Then we meet the villain and get a glimpse of his nefarious henchman. And none of it would be completely without girls, gadgets, gadgets, and girls.

Like a cellphone network, Goldfinger is a blazing fast 4G experience.

Goldfinger goes big on all fronts, featuring three beautiful women in supporting parts—Jill and Tilly Masterson and Pussy Galore—and more gadgets than you can shake an industrial strength gold-slicing laser at, like grappling hooks, ejector seats, that laser, and a hat that can kill.

Bond defined the spy genre, and dozens of later films would follow the formula. Without Bond, we wouldn't have The Bourne Anything or Mission: Impossible. Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, even when it's parody—and Goldfinger appears to welcome parody, even parodying itself at points. Bond is such a strong character, that by only this third film, audiences knew to expect lines like "Shaken, not stirred" and "Bond, James Bond."

Goldfinger also heavily influenced straight-up parodies Mike Meyers' Austin Powers films, and echoes of Bond remain in other comedies, like the TV show Get Smart and Melissa McCarthy's Spy.