There's a certain distinction to being a James Bond movie. No other action series has proved so successful, and the films of 007 have become the longest running movie franchise with a whopping 23 films. The latest, Skyfall, will be released on November 9, 2012.
British secret agent James Bond, codenamed 007, works for international spy organization MI6. He fights for Queen and Country on Her Majesty's Secret Service, and holds a License to Kill against anyone who threatens the security of the world. Taking his orders from MI6 leader M, James Bond has traveled the globe, and has saved it on numerous occasions.
For me, Roger Moore was the most influential during my childhood. His comedic, light-hearted style made me fall in love with the British secret agent. In recent years, I've grown to appreciate Sean Connery and Daniel Craig more and more. But, my personal favorite remains Pierce Brosnan. No other actor has managed to singularly deliver all the aspects of James Bond so perfectly- whether it is his deadliness, his cunning, his comedy, or his secretive nature. Brosnan embodied Bond, and truly looks and acts like the character.
But there's more to the 007 franchise than simply the character of James Bond. Each film contains several items that define it as a Bond movie. The beautiful and alluring Bond Girls provide 007 with an equal, whether it be the infamous bikini-clad Honey Ryder, the Russian secret agent Major Anya Amasova, or NSA's Jinx. Each movie contains a different Bond girl, another woman for James Bond to fall in love with, another one for him to risk his life saving. His flirtatious interactions with MI6 secretary Miss. Moneypenny provide the only recurring Bond girl (with the exception of Sylvia Trench, who appeared in both Dr. No and From Russia with Love).
It was Tracy di Vicenzo, the only woman James Bond ever married, who truly stole his heart, and made him the person he is today. Their relationship, while at first competitive, eventually grew to one Bond had never before experienced. He married Tracy at the end of On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and they began their honeymoon driving down the highway. But a quick stop ended in quickly fired bullets, directly from Bond's arch-nemesis, Ernest Stavro Blofeld, and his henchman, Irma Bunt. Within seconds, James Bond's world had ended, his one chance for a normal life terminated. Tracy was dead, with several machine gun shots fired directly into her skull.On Her Majesty's Secret Service ended the way no other 007 film could: Bond lost, and for this, he can never truly love or put other's in harm's way again. After this horrible end, James Bond is no longer willing to put the women he loves in harm's way. He keeps a distance no other person can, and as such, remains the greatest secret agent imaginable.
The Bond villains are a collection of domineering figures that threaten the security of the world. Oftentimes, they are outcasted misfits, sometimes combining their evil goals against MI6. The nefarious SPECTRE organization, which included such villains as Dr. No, Emilio Largo, and Ernest Stavro Blofeld, stood against 007 throughout several of the films. James Bond's first mission was Dr. No, which pitted him against the titular megalomaniac. Dr. No's plot to stop the space program made him a terrifying enemy, and a standard by which to measure all subsequent villains after him. The fact that he doesn't appear until more than halfway through the film makes him all the more evil when he first appears. With a torturous tarantula, and mechanical hands, no one had any hope of stopping him- except for James Bond 007, who ended the Dr.'s reign in a vat of nuclear waste. New organizations, such as Quantum, have emerged in recent films, pitting James Bond against enemies beyond the times of the Cold War.But more than just organizations tried to foil 007; others, including hit man Francisco Scaramanga and disgruntled former MI6 agent Alec Trevelyan, made it their personal mission to terminate him themselves. James Bonds biggest threats came from women, many of whom betrayed him, like Rosa Klebb and Miranda Frost. But they never learned that anyone who stands against James Bond will lose, and lose in a big way. One thing remains certain: whenever the world is in danger, James Bond will be there, ready and able as ever.
During each of the opening credits, a famous pop artist sings the film's theme song. Singers have included Shirley Bassey, Paul McCartney, Carly Simon, Duran Duran, Tina Turner, Madonna, and, most recently, Adele. Each of the songs are geared towards the individuals themes and plots. "The World is Not Enough", performed for The World is Not Enough by Garbage, features a narrative story, sung by Shirley Manson from the perspective of villain Elektra King.
Later this year, on November 9, 2012, Daniel Craig will return to play James Bond on the silver screen in Sam Mende's Skyfall. When MI6 is breached and several agents are killed, 007 becomes the agency's last hope to stop terrorist Raoul Silva. New Bond Girls include Naomie Harris as Eve, and Judi Dench returns as M. No one could have imagined 50 years ago that the character of 007 would become such a legendary figure in the film canon. No other person is as perfect, as powerful, and as influential. James Bond is the perfect man: he protects those he loves, he will never lose in a fight, and he stands for everything that the world holds true.
When James Bond captivated me those many years ago, I never thought he'd be as important to me as he is now. He's the person I aspire to be, the one I know I can always turn to when I need a hero. 007 will always be here for me and for the world, ready to come in at any moment and save us in even the darkest of times. Go ahead, take "a vodka martini, shaken not stirred". You deserve it.
Happy Birthday, James Bond!
No comments:
Post a Comment