I have been seeing Bond movies for many years now and have been fascinated by this fictitious character created by Ian Flemming of an international spy trotting the globe taking the battle to the enemy around the world ; working with advanced technological gadgets on one side and fist fights on the other. Bond has fascinated the world and I have played Bond on stage some times. The 007 theme music adds charm to the entire movie and every one around the world I presume must have seen at least one Bond movie.
I have seen Sean Connery ; Roger Moore ; Timothy Dalton ; Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig play Bond...and I also read from some quarters about some dispute among rival companies that own the intellectual property rights of Bond. Presently Bond has a female Boss and women must be happy.
David Niven was the earliest personality to don this character possibly much before it became an icon ..David Niven can also be seen in the movie "Guns of Navrone".
Let me see if I can remember names of some Bond movies I have seen..Gold Finger ; The man with the Golden Gun ; Moonraker; The spy who loved me; Live and let die;Thunder Ball; Never say never again; Living Daylights ; Casino Royale; Golden Eye; Die another Day....There are many arguments who is the better Bond among various actors who have donned this role. I have liked Roger Moore and has given his best performance in 'The man with a Golden Gun" opposite Christopher Lee. What should Bond look like? largely a slim and tall person in his mid or late forties with keen intellect and agility..comfortable with women and a crafty approach dwelling on technology. Of late the makers of these movies have veered away sometimes from this description of Bond. One of better of the fist fights unfurled by any Bond in my view is the one in " The man with the Golden Gun" by Roger Moore in the first few minutes of the movie.
Of late I evince great concern in the way Bond is visualized and the nature of his general activities. Possibly Bond is forced to change with the times. Both in Golden Eye and in the recent remake of Casino Royale I see Bond running with the fury of an athlete eager to touch the finish line and I believe is deviant from the general persona of Bond. The last thing that Bonds' must do is be part of a run-chase. Maybe various kinds of audience research is pointing to such an activity being taken well by the audience. It is pernicious to deviate from the fundamental persona and character of Bond for the very enigma of the name Bond must be preserved at all costs..come what may..and this is the essentials of any Bond movie and largely determines how a Bond movie is different from other movies. many bond ladies have contributed in good measure to the success of these movies..some of them part of a deceitful, plot eventually to switch sides and align with the charming Bond.
The growth of Television and the Internet in some large measure has changed the entertainment industry around the globe and movie makers must be finding it difficult to bring an audience to the theater in adequate measure to make a movie a success but possibly Bond is the only character that has stood the test of audience and romped in sizable revenues for the promoters for every single movie. Bond movies are today dubbed into local languages and also the concept finding its place in vernacular movies around the world.
What is the future of Bond? bleak in my view if some fundamental changes are not incorporated. Firstly there must be no large scale deviation from the fundamental description of Bond as a personality and his characteristics. Secondly a clearly identified villain must also be given an exposure almost equivalent to that of Bond. Thirdly there must be acharacter who constantly creates humour of some form , fourthly the Bond lady must largely be a part of the plot..fifthly the Casino is an important part of any Bond movie and must f
ind a place and I can go on ..and ..on. Iam largely perturbed when I see a Bond movie which is deviant from the ethos of Bond and today note that "the world is enough"....incorporating the language and culture of various communities may the next Bond movie be not just the thriller it used to be and also one which would rejuvenate the glorified spy of yester years into a strong character for the world.
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