Craig is Back...But What Then?

Okay, good news is we have Daniel Craig back as 007 in 2019. The bad news, there may be a possibility that the franchise will start in a totally new direction afterwards. This I am a tad worried about. Yes, the franchise rebooted in 2006 with the introduction of Craig as Bond; however there were some connections as it still had Judi Dench as M. We finally get Moneypenny and Q after  a two film absence in Skyfall; everything is finally starting. We don't need another reboot. Please just continue the same roles with the same actors and just get a new James Bond. It's what they've done in the past. When Connery left the part, M Q and Moneypenny were the same actors. Why change it around yet again.

That being said, I understand the direction movies are changing and it's more about television shows or live streaming. You can't just have 007 pop up every 2 or 4 years. During the 60s, the spy craze was in. You had shows like Get Smart and I, Spy. It was popular and would keep you entertained while you'd wait to go to the cinema to see the new Bond film. Now, things are so in the now, if something isn't really talked about, then it's just forgotten outside of the fan base.

End of rant.

I did, however realize that the new film is currently looking for a distributor as Sony's contract ended with Spectre in 2015. As of recently, the runners up are Apple, Amazon and Warner Bros. I had read that Warner. Bros is in a closer lead to getting it, but this was a while ago.

DO YOU THINK THE FRANCHISE SHOULD REBOOT AGAIN AFTER CRAIG LEAVES?

Bond and his Aston Martin

There have been several Aston Martins in the James Bond film series, the most notable of course being the one that started it all in Goldfinger, the 1964 DB5. Now, that was a car to do some damage on the road! I loved it!



For today's entry, I'm going to take a moment and look back at all the Aston Martin's driven by 007 and which ones stand out to me and which ones stand out less.


SEAN CONNERY

In Connery's third outing as 007, Q gives 007 his very first Aston Martin which then turns out to be his own personal car in future films. This is a revolutionary car in that we've never seen a car with such amazing gadgets before. In the previous film, Bond's Bentley merely has a phone connected to the car, which for 1963 was never done before, but in today's standards, is hardly outstanding. When Bond asks Q where his Bentley is in Goldfinger, Q responds, "Oh, it's had it's day I'm afraid." Bond replies, "Well it's never let me down before." "M's orders 007. You'll be driving this new Aston Martin DB5 with modifications." This is when Bond meets his match in British automobiles for decades to come.

Aston Martin DB5 with modifications.

The car is not only gorgeous and sleek, but it also comes with a handful of gadgets such as:

Q's modified gadgets

An ejector seat; a rear oil slick; two front end machine guns behind the turn signals; bulletproof glass;  a rear shield to stop gunfire and more. The car for 1964 is a beauty and I'm sure the world over wanted to be like James Bond and get in one of these.

Tire slashing wheels

GPS mounted on dashboard...ingenious!

As mentioned before, the car was so renowned with 007 that in following films we see it yet again. She is featured the most even if she isn't in all the scenes or the main car of the film.

Goldfinger
Thunderball
GoldenEye
Tomorrow Never Dies
Casino Royale
Skyfall
SPECTRE

Used mainly as Bond's personal car, after it's use on the field Bond has a soft spot for the vehicle and uses it throughout the decades. In Skyfall, although the car is clearly damaged after the events of the film, Q fixes her up to be used by the end of SPECTRE. Mainly a 60's car, this car holds the routes for 007 and his adventures and different incarnations in Connery, Brosnan and Craig.




GEORGE LAZENBY

In 1969, the world saw a new Bond in Australian actor George Lazenby. With a new Bond came a new Aston Martin. This time, as a 1968 DBS. Now, although not as memorable in design or as gadget laden as the DB5, this is certainly a gorgeous looking car and is worth mentioning as it is still a part of the Bond Legacy.

1968 Aston Martin DBS 

When we first see the sleek design in the beginning of the film, Bond is driving down near a beach giving chase to whom we later discover to be his future wife, the fateful Tracey de Vincenzo.

As mentioned before, there were no gadgets in this car, other then a compartment for his telescope built into the head of his gun. It is detachable as you can see. He uses this to take a more...personal look of Tracy come to find out she attempts to commit suicide.

Compartment for Bond's shotgun and telescope built into one of the ends.

If only the car was bulletproof like the DB5 or else Tracy would have survived. Instead she gets killed by Blofeld. At the same time...this car is also memorable for the fact that this is where he loses his wife.

Funny note, but during the following film, Diamonds Are Forever, you can see the same car being repaired in Q's workshop while 007 talks to him on the phone. 

 

Aston Martin DBS spotting in Q's workshop in Diamonds Are Forever

TIMOTHY DALTON

In 1987, James Bond and Aston Martin finally reunite after nearly 20 years. Timothy Dalton makes his debut (my personal favorite 007) and along comes the 1986 Aston Martin V8 Vantage/Voltane supplied by Q. Why do I list two cars? Well, we get two different types here but I'm going to focus on the hardtop version of the car, which is the Vantage and this is when we see the car most in action.

Bond's Aston Martin V8 Vantage

The model of the car was in service from 1977 to 1989, a great time for Aston Martin and there is a bit of a Ford Mustang flare to the front of the car. You can still see similarities from the DB5 and DBS but there is a major upgrade in terms of sophistication and suspension as well as style. It does retain it's roots but adds more to it.

The car is laden with a bunch of new gadgets from Q-Branch. They range from bulletproof windows; tire spikes for traction; retractable skies for driving on ice and other terrain; a self-destruct mechanism so as not to fall into enemy hands; target seeking missiles and even a jet engine for fast propulsion. It's everything one could ask for in a Bond car.

Rocket propulsion in motion.

THE END OF PART I. STAY TUNED FOR PART II! I'll get that one done asap.

OUT OF THESE, WHICH ONE IS YOUR FAVORITE? THANKS FOR READING AND JAMES BOND WILL RETURN!








SOURCES:

Aston Martin DB5 Gadgets:

• GIF of Aston Martin courtesy of GIPHY.COM

• Images of DB5 gadgets courtesy of dailymail.com

James Bond's 1965 Aston Martin DB5 complete with machine guns and revolving number plates is offered for sale for £3m 

Aston Martin DBS:

• Images of Aston Martin courtesy of IMCDb.org

Aston Martin V8 Vontane/Vontage:

• Image of Aston Martin in Vienna courtesy of IMCDb.org
• Image of rear courtesy of Paste Magazine

Die Another Day Review/Retrospective

An invisible car? A ring that can cut through glass? A palace made of ice? These are one of the many aspects that made the James Bond film Die Another Day a disaster for so many fans. Well, I'm going to talk about my personal aspect on this film and how I think there are some good and some bad aspects to the final film starring Pierce Brosnan as James Bond.

It all started when I was in 10th grade. My fandom for James Bond was at it's peak, and I was finally going to see a Bond film in the theater for the first time! It was going to be with my favorite actor to play the role, and my friend James and I were constantly checking up on what the title was going to be and who was going to sing the main song. Low and behold, it came out and the title for the film was Die Another Day. A pretty straight forward title, catchy, nothing special really. But we were still excited. Since the song was released a few months before the movie came out, I remember hating it with a passion. I have no problem with Madonna, but the song was just full of distortions and pauses and it was a lot of electronica that I couldn't stand. Over time, however, it grew on me and I began to enjoy it.

Now, for those of you who have not seen the movie, I suggest you stop reading now or continue at your own risk. Here we go...

James Bond escaping in a hovercraft in North Korea

James Bond is on a secret mission to North Korea to infiltrate an arms dealer who has enough weapons and tanks to run a small war. It is up to Bond to stop him and complete his mission. When Bond arrives, he captures and steels the identity of a man sent to ship African conflict diamonds to the dealer, Colonel Tan Sun Moon. Bond hijacks the helicopter, puts a package of C4 under the tray of diamonds, and then heads over to make the trade. Hoping that Moon would open the case, Moon's assistant Zao takes the case from 007 and then has someone inspect it. After doing so, Zao get's a message from an unknown sender that has Bond's cover blown and outs his entire mission. With nothing left to do, James Bond then triggers the diamonds to blow with Zao caught the middle of it and a major chase ensues. This is a spectacular chase and how the makers were able to use hovercraft

was amazing! Those things are hard to steer and are exactly made for their ability to float over minefields, rather than escape and getaway. Anyway, by the end of the chase, James Bond manages to fight Colonel Moon and then has him fall to his death...or so we think. After the battle is over, Bond, with his cover blown, is captured and tortured in North Korea for a year and a half! Brilliant story-telling! We've never seen Bond captured let alone tortured brutally ever in the series! He always manages to get away in the skin of his teeth and hurry back to jolly old England. But not this time.

Now, this opening of the movie is utterly entertaining. I loved it! After James Bond is freed in a prisoner exchange with Zao-who was captured in England during Bond's imprisonment-he is taken back to his superiors but not welcomed back. Injected with a sedate he passes out and is then on a ship for an analysis on the condition of his body. M comes in and asks that Bond's status as a secret agent is revoked (nod to Licence to Kill) and that James Bond no longer has his freedom and was only taken out so no more secrets or leaks would be revealed to the Koreans, believing him to have cracked under torture. The way Brosnan portrays the character is so dark and serious and you believe that he is a man who has gone through a lot. This being the forth movie, Pierce has mastered the character and has made it his own. Bond, being Bond of course, managers to slow down his heart rate, which is possible for some people to do, though not entirely sure if that's accurate, and then manages to escape the ship he's on. Not in England, Bond is actually in Hong Kong and he swims to get to the main land. Now, mind you, James Bond has been tortured for quite some time and has a full beard, so when he checks in to his usual Hotel in Hong Kong, he is not recognized at first. But right away, Mr. Chang, the manager of the hotel, knows who he is. Chang comments, "Mr. Bond! It's been a long time!" Now, after this, Bond shaves and is back to his usual self. Now, some say this is when the story begins to slow down, and I can agree with that aspect.

Tracking Zao, Bond discovers he is in a clinic in Havana, Cuba. When he arrives, somehow Zao is undergoing gene therapy to alter his appearance to look like a German. Bond interrupts this procedure and has a fight with him, who still has diamonds stuck to his face after the case exploded back in Korea. Now, Bond meets up with CIA agent Jinx Johnson played by Halle Berry. Her character is very generic and does not bring anything new to this movie. After Zao manages to escape, Jinx then jumps off a cliff in a very poorly done CGI shot to her contact waiting for her on a boat. James Bond then managers to grab one of the diamonds that Zao has onto his face. What was Zao doing in a gene therapy center? Now, there's an awesome character here by the name of Raoul that Bond meets up with and it's a shame we don't see much of him. He tells 007 where those diamonds and upon closer inspection, tells Bond they belong to the Graves Corporation in Iceland.

One of the best fight scenes in the entire series

Bond arrives in England, and eventually tracks down Gustav Graves: a man who has just discovered diamonds in Iceland a year or so ago and has become a major millionaire. Hidden behind the cameras of a press conference at Buckingham Palace, Gustave graves arrives after him in a ridiculous publicity stunt in a parachute and says, "What a wonderful day to be come a knight." Which is quite clever and you can tell that his persona and look upon life is pompous and careless. Now, this is where the story gets me thrown off a little. This man, Gustav Graves, whom nobody's heard of until a year ago, manages to get knighted by the queen? Come on! I can understand he discovered the diamonds in Iceland, but shouldn't 007 be knighted if anyone should be? Let's continue. Now, here we go with the cameo of Madonna as a lesbian fencing instructor. Now, I see how people think her acting is lame, but I didn't have much of a problem with it. She has a student by the name of Miranda Frost (Rosemon Pike), who acts cold, and sometimes rude to 007. There's a line where James meets Gustav and they ask if she wants to place a bet on the winner, to which she replies, "No thanks. I don't like cock fights." Classic Bond. Anyway, this innocent fencing fight begins to escalate to the most memorable and awesome scene again never before seen in a James Bond movie. Bond is having a sword fight! It is so cool! I loved this fight and Bond and Graves literally tare this club apart and then it escalates to outside. Now, this is one of the most overlooked scenes in the entire movie and it should be recognized for that. After Bond wins, naturally, Gustav asks him to join him to Iceland over the weekend for a celebration of something. Something called Icarus...

James Bond's new ride equipped with all the usual refinements

Arriving in Iceland, James Bond is equipped with his new Aston Martin V12 Vanquish, that is invisible...but it is explained and the idea is not all that far fetched. Tiny cameras on all sides of the car act as a reflection that is bounced back on the opposite side rendering the car practically invisible to the casual eye. Long story short, it's a cool car and I love it. But, it does take away some of the realism in this film from earlier. The car is also well-equipped and just like with the previous Aston Martin used by Sean Connery, it has an ejector seat! The car is also gorgeous and probably is my favorite Aston Martin used in the entire series of films. A close second would be the one used by Timothy Dalton in The Living Daylights.

Gustav Graves' Ice Palace in Iceland

The Ice Palace...yes...a ridiculously spectacular mansion that is made solely for the demonstration. James Bond then meets up again with Jinx, and they both watch together as Gustav Graves enters the podium to demonstrate his new satellite, Icarus. Icarus is made from diamonds and the official reason for this invention is to help solve the world's crop and global warming issues. Why would a man who found a diamond mine all of a sudden get knighted, in addition to having the ability to create his own satellite?

After the demonstration, 007 takes a look around and bumps into Miranda Frost, and discovers that she is an MI6 agent after all. Bond comments, "Ah, that's why you tried so hard not to be interested in me." Ensuring that 007 is not screwing up with the mission at hand, Miranda and James go into a bedroom to "keep up the facade of being lovers." Good one, James! After Bond and Frost get it on, he then gets ready to do some more spying and check out the nuts and bolts of this palace and what Graves really has up his sleeve. Returning to a location he was in earlier, Bond is waiting for Graves and discovers that he is indeed Colonel Moon! Bond says, "So you live to die another day, Colonel?" "At last, I was beginning to think you'd never guess." As 007 is about to alert Miranda that Graves is indeed the man he thought he killed a year and a half ago, a twist of events occur. Miranda is not only working for Graves, she was the one that blew Bond's cover a year ago! Now it all makes sense why Zao was getting a gene change and Moon invited Bond for this demonstration.

Bond escaping in Grave's ice-dragster

CRINGE TIME

Now, sad to say this is probably the worst scene in 007 history. Stealing an ice-dragster, 007 escapes the wrath of the outed Graves and his henchmen. When Graves uses the Icarus satellite to pin point Bond's location, there is a beam of light that melts the ice and nearly reaches 007. When Bond's snow vehicle gets to the end of the cliff and a tsunami is about to hit, what more is James Bond to do? Has he finally met his match? No...he uses the parachutes as sails and the hood of the vehicle as a surf board. The scene is very poorly executed and just is in no way plausible. I remember watching this with my dad and hearing him say, "Oh, come on!" I mean, it's one thing to suspense disbelief...but it's a totally other thing to go too far. The producers did the latter. The James Bond films are known for their stunts being done for-real. This was just a major factor of poor CGI and one of the main reasons why the majority of people hate this film.

When Bond returns to the Ice Palace to get Jinx, an awesome chase ensues with his Aston and Zao's Jaguar XKR. This is a pretty neat sequence and my second-favorite of the movie. Now, the stunts here are done for real and there really is racing on ice. The producers had several models of the Aston Martin just in case it should sink or fall under the ice. In one case, it almost did and they managed to get it out. The ice had to be just right in order for them to have cars driving on it. It worked and the result for the movie good! Christian Wagner, the editor for the film, chopped it up here and there to make it more "hip" and it really didn't need to be. He sped up some parts of the movie and slowed down others. It was a bit distracting like with the Madonna theme song for this film. Anyway, afterward, Bond and Zao enter the palace and a pretty good death scene happens when Bond shoots one of the chandeliers, killing Zao instantly.

Ice Chase!

Then, after leaving Iceland, James and Jinx go to a military bunker to meet up with M and the rest of MI6, while she deals with her superior Damien Falco of the NSA. They infiltrate Grave's plane, and find out that the real reason for Icarus is to clear a mine path for his troops in North Korea. It's a bit convoluted but you get the idea. James Bond then manages to kill Graves and then the plane is destroyed, along with Miranda Frost. The films ends with Jinx and James enjoying some vacation time in Korea until they go back to their lives. The End.

Pierce Brosnan's forth and final outing as Agent 007

Now, I enjoyed this film for the most part. It is in no way my favorite James Bond film, nor my favorite film starring Pierce Brosnan. I don't despise it as much as other people do, but I can see their reasoning as to why they dislike it. I'd watch it over Octopussy or For Your Eyes Only, but that is just my opinion and I'm sure many of you will disagree with me on that. It is, just as worthy of being a Bond film as any other and even though it could have been better, it certainly could have been a lot worse. The first half of the film was brilliant, as I said countless times. It just took a turn for the worst and got very far fetched in the end. The movie was made in 2002 and was in the #1 spot in America for quite some time. It was also a hit financially, if not critically. After this film was released, James Bond was out of the picture until 2006 when Daniel Craig stepped in and started making his mark on the series. After the first Jason Bourne film came out in 2002, the producers wanted to take a more realistic approach and bring James Bond back to his routes as a spy. Daniel Craig is certainly a good actor to play the part, however not so much as a spy. But that's a whole other discussion for another time. Thanks for reading!!!

JINX WAS GOING TO HAVE HER OWN SPIN-OFF SERIES BUT LUCKILY THAT DIDN'T HAPPEN...

 

The Sean Connery Era

"Bond, James Bond." One of the most famous lines in cinematic history. The first man to utter these words? Sir Sean Connery! Yes, folks! In case you didn't know, this man was the first actor to portray James Bond on the big screen! Starring in seven films over the course of 20 years, Connery himself, a household name known throughout the world, was the man everyone wanted to be.

Now, Sean wasn't always destined to be James Bond. Born in Edinburgh, Scottland in 1930, Sean left school at age 15, Connery did many oddjobs...no pun intended. Starting off as a coffin polisher, Connery later joined Manchester United. After a few years, Connery was a Mr. Universe winning at second place!

After doing a few early film, his first recognized role in the Disney film Darby O'Gill and the a Little People. From here, future James Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli saw his man to play the British agent. When the first movie was a go, Mr. Broccoli had Connery on board to the resentment of James Bond author and creator, Ian Fleming. Fleming didn't want a big, rugged, burly man playing the part of his sophisticated British agent;  he was Scottish!

Sean made his first appearance as James Bond in Dr. No. Now this film was void of the cars and gadgets we all came to know and love. It was really more of a detective story. James Bond is sent to Jamaica when a fellow British agent is killed when investigating a mysterious island run by Dr. No off of Crab Key. Bond is nearly killed himself numerous times when getting closer to the source of the danger. Arriving off the coast, Bond teams up with Honey Rider (Ursula Andress) to stop and infiltrate the evil Dr. No from disrupting the U.S. space program in Cape Canaveral by sending it's rockets off course. Bond defeats the Doctor and rescues Honey as credits roll. This was the end of the beginning for Sean Connery. More films are yet to come!

Sean Connery's debut as James Bond in Dr. No (1962).

In Connery's second outing, we finally see the first Bond film with the pre-titles sequence. For those unaware of what the pre-titles sequence is, it's a Bond tradition to have a small action sequence that sometimes is a standalone mini-movie before the actual main story line begins. After the credits, we then get started on our movie. Sometimes a pre-title sequence can have something to do with the rest of the story, and sometimes it can have nothing to do with it. Either way, it is a way to get the audience pulled-in to the movie and tell us, we are in for a wild ride and it will only get better as we watch the entire movie. Dealing with SPECTRE, the Special Executive for Counterintelligence Revenge and Extortion, James Bond is sent to Istanbul to uncover a Lektor decoding machine in order for it not to fall into the hands of SPECTRE.

Connery's return as 007 in From Russia With Love (1963).

Now, we get to what is probably the most popular James Bond film in cinema history. This is the one that made James Bond a household name. I'm talking about Goldfinger! Now that Sean Connery is settled in as the infamous James Bond, you know this is going to be a wild ride! While on a vacation in Miami Beach, James Bond is sent to investigate Auric Goldfinger, a millionaire who has a soft spot for gold and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. His ultimate goal is to raid Fort Knox, Kentucky and contaminate the gold there for the next 50 years. As Bond and Goldfinger first meet during a game of golf, Bond wins the game to the chagrin of Goldfinger. Warning him to stay away and leave it be, Goldfinger has a edge on 007. Before Bond's assignment, he is sent to Q-Branch-the military and equipment division of MI6-where he is given the most famous car in movie history: the Aston Martin DB5. Now, this car is equipped with the coolest of gadgets for his mission. Who wouldn't want a car with bullet proof windows, an ejector seat, revolving license plates and left and right machine guns hidden behind the turn signals? I certainly would! In any event, this movie also featured probably the most famous henchman in cinema history: Oddjob. Oddjob was played by Hawaiian actor Harold Sakata, who intern was playing a North Korean. Having a the ability to kill with a hat was a ridiculous and unique way for being a henchman. The end fight with Sean Connery and Harold in the Fort Knox gold vault is one for the ages.

What made James Bond a household name: Goldfinger (1964).

Sean's forth outing as James Bond, Thunderball, was meant to be the first Bond film, but due to a legal dispute between co-author Kevin McClory and Ian Fleming, the film wasn't made until 1965. In 1958, Fleming, McClory and a fellow by the name of Jack Whittingham, created a screenplay which was intended to be a movie. All of a sudden, in 1960, Ian Fleming decided to pull the idea of making a screenplay and turn it into a book taking all the credit as author. This, obviously, infuriated McClory. How on Earth could a good friend ask me for help on a movie only to disband the idea and take all the credit? When Kevin McClory sent out to sue Mr. Fleming, he was offered 2 million pounds to pay him off. This did not end well. Now, Fleming had an issue on his hands. So, by the time Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman created the first Bond film, Dr. No, in 1962, Mr. Fleming was dealing with the High Courts in England to get this situation settled. In the end, Fleming lost the case and Kevin McClory was given the rights to SPECTRE and the Blofeld character. In 10 years time, he could then make his own 007 movie with the character. By 1965, the only way for the Bond producers to make the film Thunderball, was if they could somehow get Kevin McClory involved. After making a deal, McClory was the sole producer of the film. Now, to clear the water, Ian Fleming was indeed the creater of James Bond. Kevin McClory was the creater of his arch nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld. So, after the success of Thunderball on the big screen, Kevin McClory could then have the ultimate revenge on Ian Fleming and have his own James Bond film. But, this movie could only be based on the Thunderball screenplay and nothing else.

The Bond film with the most controversy: Thunderball (1965).

Now, by the time of Sean Connery's fifth outing as James Bond, You Only Live Twice, in 1967, you can see the actor is the only one not having the best time in the performance. Filming in Japan, which was a drastic change of the norm for the James Bond producers, was found to be quite a bit of a pain for Mr. Connery. At one point, Connery was taking a break from shooting and was in the bathroom when a crazed fan came up to him and started harassing him. This, along with other incidents during the filming, drove him mad. He was unable to enjoy his time on set when there were so many onlookers and crazed fans and photographers around. At one point, Connery was seen a big haggard and not looking as spiffy as Mr. Bond would look with baggy shorts and flip flops when someone came up to him questioning him if he was really James Bond. Connery replied, "Fuck off." This upset several of the people in Japan. While filming was in production, Sean said that it was time to move on from James Bond. The stories have become to fantastical with a lack of "character development." Announcing his departure from the role, EON Productions was now in search for a new 007.

Connery goes to Japan in You Only Live Twice (1967).

Three years later, in 1971, Sean Connery was lured back to play Agent 007 in Diamonds Are Forever. The only way to get him to come back and resume playing James Bond, was for the then-unheard of sum of 1.25 millions dollars specifically for the Scottish Educational Trust. Connery was given a deal by United Artists for a two-picture deal. One for the 007 film and the other for any film of his choice, whether it be 007 or something else. Even though Connery was onkly 41 years old, he looked quite a bit out of shape, even more so than he did three years earlier in You Only Live Twice. After his final film as James Bond, Sean Connery publicly announced that he would "never again" play James Bond. Or would he?

Sean enters the 70s in Diamonds Are Forever (1971).

Come 12 years later, during the years of Sir Roger Moore as James Bond, Sean Connery came back for one more go around as 007. In 1983, the co-author of the novel Thunderball finally was able to use the rights to his character Blofeld and SPECTRE and come back with a remake of Thunderball. This rival 007 film could not use any of the Bond elements that made James Bond famous. Under no circumstances could he use the iconic James Bond theme, gun barrel or the 007 logo. The only real selling point for the film was that they got Sean Connery to return in a tuxedo. Kevin McClory was finally about to make his rival James Bond film, and this was also Sean Connery's final turn at playing James Bond. James Bond swore he would never again play James Bond after filming wrapped in Diamonds Are Forever. Now, credit must be due to his wife Micheline for coming up with the title. Even though Connery is about 53 in this movie, he looks in the best of shape, especially compared to how he looked in his previous two outings. This is a Bond who is in shape. As I had mentioned before, Kevin McClory was not allowed to make a totally original film. It had to be one that followed the Thunderball scipt he wrote. Yet, in all honesty, this movie paces better than Thunderball and it has it's own touches that make it stand our from it. This is why I consider this to be as worth of a Bond film as any other.

Sean Connery's seventh and final shot as James Bond in Never Say Never Again (1983).

Well, there you have it folks! All seven films starring the one and only Sean Connery as James Bond 007! Indeed, Sean Connery would return once more as the voice of 007 in the 2005 PlayStation 2 game From Russia With Love. I've never played it myself, but you know as they say...never say never again.

50 Years of James Bond 007!

Gosh, can you believe it? Who would have thought a film with a minimum budget of just $1 million in 1962 would have started an ongoing phenomenon that is alive and well to this day?! Bond, James Bond. The world's most famous fictional British secret agent is celebrating it's 50th anniversary! With 23 features in all (plus 2 independent films which I still consider legitimate Bond films), seven very different actors, and decades of adventures, the Bond films are here to say and very much a part of our modern culture.

Now, the first James Bond, played by Sir Sean Connery, is the one to compare all the following Bonds to. Mr. Connery did seven films in all during a span of 21 years. Starting with his first film in 1962, Dr. No, Connery brought charm, charisma, action and sly wit with his portrayal of 007. He was humorous when he needed to be and said all the right lines that only he could deliver. But being the first, he had no one to compare to. Remember, up to that point, the James Bond character had not been seen outside Ian Fleming's novels and what was portrayed in the novels was a cold killer assassin and less charm. Well, there is one exception. In 1953, Fleming's first novel, "Casino Royale" was on a special on CBS called Climax! It was just an hour and the character of James Bond was played by American actor Barry Nelson. Due to his character being American, he was known as Jimmy Bond. The episode did not do the book justice in that it changed many things. Anyway, back to Sean Connery. The way he played the role made him one of the most popular men the world over! His next film, From Russia With Love, hit theaters a year later. This would be Ian Fleming's last Bond film before his death in 1964. Connery was fresh in the part during his second time as 007 and it would not be until the next film, Goldfinger, when the Bond films would finally take off and be a worldwide hit the world over. The third Bond movie is really what made it and after that success, more and more people the world over loved the Bond movies and thus would continue onto today.

After the success of Goldfinger, Thunderball came out a year later and it was hyped as "The Biggest Bond of All!" This indeed was the case as the budget certainly went up with each picture and now anyone in show business would kill to be in a Bond film, no pun intended. Now, during this time, as the films got more and more unrealistic in terms of plot and circumstances, and with the wide popularity of the character portrayed by Conney, rather than Connery himself, he got a bit bored of the job. So, two years after Thunderball, Connery played Bond one last time in 1967 for You Only Live Twice. Now, this Bond film was to be shot entirely in Japan. Now, the Bond films were just as popular in Japan as they were in Britain and the United States. One day, while walking the streets of Japan, Connery was seen in sandals and baggy pants with an unbuttoned shirt. A fan walked up to him and said in surprise, "Mr. Bond?" Connery replied, "I'm Sean Connery. Fuck off!" This in turn not only turned away a fan but also made Connery respect the role of James Bond even less. Toys and merchandise hit the stores full blast with Connery's face on it and each item on the packaging said, "This man IS James Bond." Now, Connery felt typecast and said he wanted to focus on other things. Connery also seemed to start getting out of shape but we will go into all that later. Following Connery's last Bond film, another film was in the works but the producers were without a James Bond! So, now that he was unwilling to play the part again, the producers found a little known Australian model/commercial actor called George Lazenby. He was going to be the new James Bond. Lazenby had no acting experience and is considered by many to be the worst James Bond...ever. In 1969, at the heyday of the spy genre, this spy would be replaced by another. Now, once Lazenby was cast, the crew did all that was possible to give him similar looks to Connery. His hair was cut the same way, he used a few suits that were tailored for Connery and even said some of the things Connery would say. Since Lazenby did only one Bond film, he did not have the chance to make the character his own. And remember, there were only five Bond films that came before this one and Sean was in all of them. So, not only did they want to make him seem like another Sean, he also had no acting experience which made it twice as hard for them. Now, Lazenby was not bad as Bond, however on the set he was a pain to work with and after production, his agent recommend that he never do another Bond film again. Feeling that he was big stuff, and that once he was Bond his career would soar, Lazenby agreed and left the role as James Bond. The man was even originally signed on for a seven picture deal, but declined. And not only did his career end after that, he would never do anything except adult entertainment movies and children videos. Poor George...

Now, Bond entered the 1970s...Now, you ask, How could a spy still exist in the 70s? What was the point? The 60's were over and the spy scene was done. Who needs a gentleman agent in this decade? Well, none other but the return of Sean Connery made it possible. He was the man that really revised this view and the producers knew that once he was lured back, people would be flushing to the cinemas all over the world to see the made who made Bond what it was. The year is 1971. George Lazenby had done On Her Majesty's Secret Service in 1969 and left the part. The producers had no James Bond. Looking for some Americans to play the part of Bond, they had their eye on many including Adam West and Burt Reynolds. I am so glad that did not happen. James Bond is meant to be played by one who is British. That is what makes the character so unique! In any case, when the producers contacted Connery, they bribed him into playing the part one last time for a large sum of money to be donated to the Scottish Educational Trust. Connery agreed to play the part and Bond was Back! Sadly, the film wasn't a hit in terms of reviews but financially the movie was a big success!!! This time...Connery was gone for good...Right?

In 1973, the man who claimed to have been offered the part of James Bond back in 1962 but could not get it due to a contract, finally got the part: Sir Roger Moore. Now, he was certainly a different James Bond 007. In no way was he planning on mimicking Connery or Lazenby. He was going to make the part of 007 his own. And that he did. Roger Moore, a British actor who had been famous in television with The Saint and The Persuaders, took the reigns from Connery's last film, and took on a 12 year ride as James Bond. Now, in 1973, when he did his first movie, Moore would enter the world of Blaxploitation films. This film did not deal with a European madman trying to take over the world, or Blofeld and his white cat, no, this film entered the world of drugs and African American villains. In order to bring a spy in the current times, Bond was brought into the world of Shaft and Coffey. Now, Moore was the best to play the part at the time because the world needed humor in it. And Moore is certainly the man with the charm. Less action, suspense and seriousness that Sean brought to the part, and more wit, charm and sly humor. During Moore's run as Bond, he always kept his cool and was for the ladies first and the mission second. Yes, of course he was still Bond, but the way Moore made the part, it seemed like it wasn't even Bond anymore but more episodes of The Saint. Now, I respect Moore, even though he is my least favorite James Bond. But again, each Bond is different. Finally leaving the part in 1985, at the age of 58, it was time for Moore to hang up his gun. Now, believe it or not...during the run of Moore's Bond, Sean Connery made yet ANOTHER comeback 12 years after his last appearance in Diamond Are Forever in 1971. This 1983 rival Bond film was known as Never Say Never Again. In fact, the title itself was indirectly created by his wife at the time, in response to Sean Connery saying that he would never play the role of James Bond again. I suppose it's poetic justice. In any even, the return of Connery was a great sigh of relief to the fans who were tired of Moore. Now, this WAS Sean Connery's last portrayal of the part. Now that he is 83, I sincerely doubt he is going to come back. But hey, it would be nice to see him in a tux and do a photo shoot as Bond! But it was nice to see Sean Connery complete seven films. The year is now 1986, and Sir Roger Moore stepped down from the role a year ago. Now, a classically trained Shakespearean British actor is taking over the role as the new James Bond. Timothy Dalton. By far probably the most underrated James Bond, Dalton stepped in with his new film The Living Daylights in 1987. Dalton read all the Ian Fleming books and loved all of the Sean Connery pictures, especially the first three films. He really based his portrayal of the character from what he read in the books and wanted to bring the written James Bond to the big screen.

Perhaps the reason as to why Dalton taking over the reigns wasn't a good idea for some or most people, is because there was too much of a contrast between himself and Moore in the way they portrayed the characters. As mentioned before, Moore was the charmer and put the romance and witticisms first, while Dalton's Bond had far less time for the ladies and more time for the mission and taking care of his own problems and instincts before losing himself to the girl. The humor was Dalton's shortcomings if he had a fault at anything. But again, where Moore's Bond chilled and sat behind the scenes, this Bond was all up in the action. Timothy Dalton wanted the audience to see a character you could relate to. Someone you could believe existed yet at the same time keep the fantasy alive. Most of the actions sequences were done by Dalton himself in his movies. He wanted it to be flawless so the audience wouldn't know if it was a double or Timothy doing the stunts. Sadly, Dalton would do just one more 007 film before the Bond series took a 6 year hiatus in order to settle a long and daunting dispute with MGM and another company distributing the Bond films without the permission of the Bond family. Anyway, I don't want to bore you with this. You can find the information regarding the delay between Bond films here: In any case, with this last Bond film that Dalton did, it was in 1989 and again, as Roger Moore's first Bond film dealt with Blaxploitation, this also dealt with the way most movies were heading in the 1980s, drug smuggling in South America. This film was written perfectly for Dalton in that it highlighted all his strong suits for his interpretation as 007. After six years since the last James Bond film, Timothy Dalton finally hung up his Walther PPK due to the constant delay in production of the next film. There is a misconception that Dalton's last Bond film killed the franchise. That is not at all the case. This lawsuit took so long that Dalton just wanted to move on. Who took is place? None other than the great Pierce Brosnan! Now, this is the Bond I grew up with so I am naturally biased towards this 007. Even to this day, he is my favorite.

Now, here is a Bond who was not only his own, but was also a mix between the charm of Roger Moore and the danger and strength of Sean Connery. In addition, there were also hints of Timothy Dalton as well. But what made Pierce Brosnan so great was his sophistication. He had it all. He had a little bit of everything and then some. The cool thing about him was that he could kick ass without even looking it. The first time I saw James Bond was a commercial for GoldenEye back in 1995. I was thinking to myself, Whoa, who is this guy? I never ended up seeing it in theaters but Brosnan was still Bond when I saw my first 007 film, Die Another Day. Brosnan's first film really brought James Bond into the 90s and it was the Bond that most enjoyed. Heck, he was the Bond I grew up with, as I said before so of course there is going to be some bias. Although Brosnan was signed on for three films with an option for a fourth, he was still quite popular among fans even though he was approaching his 50s. In either case, he wasn't too old to play Bond, unlike Moore who started aging after his third film. After four feature films as Bond, the producers felt they wanted to reboot the franchise and give the reigns to my second least favorite 007: Daniel Craig.

In 2006, Craig's first film Casino Royale hit theaters. It was an instant hit despite what people felt about the choice of him as 007. To be honest, the new film he did was quite enjoyable. I remember seeing it opening day and not only did it bring Bond back to it's routes, but it also focused more on the plot and less on the gadgets. The one thing I felt was wrong with Brosnan's last film, was the excessive use of gadgets and CGI. Now, this has nothing to do with Brosnan as Bond, but it has to do with the director. I felt that Brosnan's films were all wonder in terms of how he portrayed the character, but the last one he did seemed to push it to the limit in terms of what they could and could not do. So bringing Bond back to basics was cool. The difference with Daniel Craig as James Bond, is that he is far more psychical than any of the other James Bond actors. These films don't really feel all that much like Bond films of the past, but again, things change of course and so do the movies. Craig played Bond more like a Jason Bourne-like character. He's the kind of man that would kill first then ask questions second. Craig is a real paranoid kind of Bond and doesn't trust anyone; which is like an agent should be, but remember, this is James Bond. Even Dalton trusted people. But, like Dalton, he has far less time for the ladies even though he does form a romantic relationship in one of the films, just as Dalton did in The Living Daylights. Craig is essentially the Dalton of the 21st century. With the release of Skyfall, Craig's third film, the James Bond films will certainly getting back to basics and take us on adventures in the next few years. Well, to wrap this up, whichever direction the James Bond films go, here's to 50 years and may the future bring more adventure and excitement with each new film to come! JAMES BOND WILL RETURN

*Credit for James Bond artwork titles goes to my friend  SWFan1977on deviantART.com. Enjoy!