Correction appended.
No Time To Die has slowly become one of the highest grossing films of the year. Capping off Daniel Craig’s tenure of Bond with a brilliant send-off, while a sendup of the history of Bond. So, why the hype?
Simply put, Bond has maintained a brand across a nearly 70-year period through a consistent style. Bond has always been an example of a toxic masculinity and cultural products of a generation. Leading to problematic imagery Bond has recently attempted to make reprimands.
Bond is pastiche in a way that comes back in on itself. There is a value within his unlikeable character that draws audiences in. Pairing this with some of the best artists, actors, musicians and cinematographers to make a cultural milieu of a film.
Sean Connery's best Bond is his second film From Russia with Love. The story follows Bond as he works with a Russian defector to acquire a secret device. Establishing tropes of the Bond genre including the role of “Spectre,” “Q” and “train fights.” The best of Connery – though it has its faults – shows the beginning of the modern spy film.
George Lazenby’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service follows Bond as he attends a health spa on a mountain, which has sinister plans for world domination. Though not much of a standout and often forgotten, Lasenby's time on screen gave us a staple of the Bond franchise: Bond in the snow.
Roger Moore was next and his tenure of Bond brought a kind of levity to the character that has been maintained to Modern Bond. The best example of this being The Spy Who Loved Me. Following Bond as he works with the Russians to stop the villains plan. While Bond is followed by the unstoppable henchmen Jaws.
Ken Adam’s set designs are at their best in his career with Bond films, establishing the image of evil villain base. Though, Live and Let Die is a strong contender for its reaction to popular film Shaft, The Spy Who Loved Me feels like a true Bond film.
In the camp with Lazenby of sometimes forgotten Bonds is Timothy Dalton. Having two films under his belt, The Living Daylights is the best of the two, adapting sections of the short story of the same name.
It follows Bond around the world having duels with snipers and shootouts with arms dealers. While giving audiences a glimpse of the training for his 00 license. Carried in large part by Dalton’s stellar performance as Bond, it presented a new personality for Bond: a cold demeanor.
The short Dalton tenure was followed by Pierce Brosnan with Judi Dench taking the role of M. Though the Brosnan era quickly veered into spoof like the Moore era, he couldn’t have started stronger than with GoldenEye.
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, a militaristic sect of the Russian military attempt to take control of the satellite array Golden Eye. Having a brilliant title sequence that depicts the fall of the Soviet Union, a tank chase and creating one of the best FPS games of a generation, GoldenEye has cemented itself within the cultural zeitgeist.
Casino Royale is equal parts spy thriller and noir, making Casino Royale a modern classic. Following Bond as he attempts to catch Le Chiffre in a globe spanning game of cat an mouse. While, a thread of romance lines the plot as Bond falls in love with Vesper Lynd.
Casino Royale is Bond at it’s best with an amazing chase sequence, the best bond in Craig, a well-developed romance and a thrilling conclusion. Casino Royale shows what makes Bond great, and why Bond movies are sticking around as time marches onward.
Benjamin Ervin is a senior studying English literature and writing at Ohio University. Please note that the views and opinions of the columnists do not reflect those of The Post. Want to talk more about it? Let Benjamin know by emailing him be425014@ohio.edu.
Correction: A previous version of this article stated the incorrect spelling of Daniel Craig. This article has been updated to reflect the most accurate information.
