James Bond has been around for 46 years, and — because he’s only human, we think — he’s changed a lot over the decades. He’s had highs (Sean Connery), lows (George Lazenby) and in-betweens (Pierce Brosnan). He’s battled the Russians and terrorists, been brunette and blonde, slept around and fallen in love. But one thing has been immutable: 007 is the essence of cool.
Quantum of Solace, the 22nd installment of the iconic series and the second to star buff Daniel Craig, returns to a past style with an image that predecessor Casino Royale forewent: the classic white circle in which a tuxedoed man turns toward the camera and fires a shot. Casino Royale broke from tradition in more ways than one: it gave Bond a whole new look, delved further into his psychology and was the only complete restart of the series in its history. But it’s not the first time Bond producers have felt the need to reboot. Here, we take a look at James Bond through the years.
The Archetype: Thunderball (1965)
Almost every great Bond movie falls into this category, but Thunderball is quintessential Bond. Sean Connery’s fourth movie uses the perfect recipe for the franchise: a far-fetched plot that resonates enough with its Cold War audience to be believable and a villain that can be spotted from a mile away. Throw in an actor who many believe is the irreplaceable James Bond, and voila: 007 at his finest.
The Ridiculous: Moonraker (1979)
The sets found in Roger Moore’s installments feel like campy satires of the rest of the series, and Moonraker in particular seems to be a caricature of itself: it brings back singer Shirley Bassey for her third and least memorable theme song, rehires Richard Kiel for the only repeat performance of a henchman in the series and takes the trend of Bond girl name innuendos laughably too far (the movie’s female lead is named Holly Goodhead). The plot itself is an exact replica of its predecessor’s, The Spy Who Loved Me, but thrown into space to impress moviegoers with over-wrought action sequences.
The Reboot: License to Kill (1989)
Timothy Dalton’s two stabs at the sexy spy were attempts to create a more lifelike and realistic Bond; License to Kill comes closer than any previous incarnation. The action sequences are scaled-back, and the villain’s scheme of smuggling massive amounts of cocaine seems mundane when compared to, say, Moonraker’s attempt to destroy humanity from outer space and then repopulate the world with a super-race. But even License to Kill doesn’t mark the same kind of change in the series as Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace do — together, the two latest Bond films have taken the character for a whole new ride. But, thankfully, he’s still in his Aston Martin.
