THE FACTS ABOUT JAMES BOND

 THE FACTS ABOUT JAMES BOND

This is the time to reconnect yourself with James Bond, or if you're new to the series, to take your first steps into the world of 007. The latest Bond film, No Time to Die (also known as Bond 25), will be released in theatres in just a few days. It'll be the final outing for Daniel Craig as the super-spy from MI6, wrapping up a five-film series that reinvigorated the long-running franchise.

 

There's a lot to ponder. The James Bond film franchise is a pop cultural institution, featuring one of cinema's most iconic characters. We've seen the escapades of a sophisticated, elegant secret agent and been amazed by amazing stunts and stunning places in the two dozen films featuring 007 — starring six different actors, from Craig all the way back to Sean Connery. Even if you've never watched a Bond film, you're definitely familiar with 007: the iconic posture (guy in tux, pistol in hand), the signature cocktail ("vodka martini, shaken not stirred"), and the diabolical Blofeld as Dr. Evil.

 

But where do you even begin? Connery's first Bond film, Dr. No, was released in 1962, and it's a vibrant adventure from a bygone era of filmmaking. There have been serious and stupid Bonds over the years, and Pierce Brosnan is a vastly different Bond than Sean Connery, Daniel Craig, or Roger Moore. Fans have strong opinions on who played Bond the best (and worst). Soon, we'll all be on the lookout for who'll be tapped to step into the role as the next James Bond.

 

I started viewing in the Sean Connery period, so I'm inextricably linked to those films. However, for modern audiences, I have a different suggestion regarding which Bond film to watch first and where to proceed from there.

Daniel Craig's debut excursion as James Bond is, simply put, a fantastic spy/action film. It's that intensely thrilling. But Casino Royale (2006) did something no other Bond film had done before: it entirely relaunched the series, blowing up a template that many considered as worn out, with far-fetched gimmicks and over-the-top jokes, all while maintaining a constant box office pull. It's based on Ian Fleming's first Bond novel and depicts Bond as he first appeared in the world. It stays true to that original story in many essential ways (not a hallmark of Bond movies in general) while at the same time updating it for modern audiences attuned to the Jason Bourne and Mission: Impossible movies.

 

Craig gives the character all the muscle and menace he deserves, in keeping with Fleming's representations and in comparison to Connery, who is still the gold standard by which all other Bonds are evaluated. There's nothing smarmy about this Bond, and even if he does look good in a tuxedo, you know there's a brute within ready to fight the bad guys. You'll learn how he got his double-0 (license to kill) rating right away, and then it's on to a stunning chase and firefight. That's only in the first 18 minutes of the movie.

 

High marks also go to Mads Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre as a terrible adversary, Judi Dench as Bond's no-nonsense supervisor M, and Eva Green as Bond's female opposite.

 

Casino Royale also heralds the start of a solid franchise that includes Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012), and Specter (2015), with No Time to Die in the wings. There's more to this story than action: there's an arc that takes us further into Bond's background and how it influences him now.

 

Connery started the whole franchise, so you can't go wrong with him as a starting point. But, for the time being, let's ignore the first film, Dr. No. Not that there's anything wrong with it, but the two films that came after it are more definite — they're frequently ranked first and second on lists of the finest Bond films. Choose one of these and you'll get top-notch Connery, the man who defined Bond and was at the centre of the franchise when it became a phenomenon.