I sheepishly admit that I previously had only watched a Bond movie accidentally. As in, "I accidentally passed out on the couch and when I woke up there was an old Bond flick on the tube and I was too tired to move." It's not that I don't like spies. I totally crush hard on them. Love the intrigue, the drama, the tension, all the naughty trouble they get into. Where's the downside? It's just that I expect a certain level of competency from my spies.
And herein lies my issue with Bond. Sure, he's smooth. But he's not dark. He trusts too much.
He drinks the COFFEE that the bad guys give him after he's captured. I mean, getting captured in the first place is at least a strike or two against you having a long career as a spy, anyhow. But, really? Must we also partake of the foodstuffs given to us by our captors? I realize that I am but a lowly layperson in the world of an International Man of Mystery, but I think it's pretty self-evident that the bad dudes probably put something sinister in the food. I mean, barring the real lethal stuff that burns a bloody hole through your body, chances are that at least one person spit in it. Really, Mr. Bond. Don't drink the coffee. What's that? You feel woozy?
Too trusting.
Also, too bumbling. Walking into traps, touching stuff that shouldn't be touched. Generally being clueless of his environment.
Now, maybe I just expect too much of my spies. Call me jaded.
Call me hard to impress.
Maybe I'm spoiled.
I can appreciate the shows from a historical point, even from a genre perspective. But old-Bond as lethal spy? Hardly believable. Jason Bourne would crush him. On his worst day, with one arm tied behind his back and while breaking code on his blackberry to boot. Craig's Bond might be more of a challenge... hard to say.
What do you think? How does Bond match up against your favorite spy?
4 comments:
I've only ever watched/liked the old school Bond - Sean Connery. Gotta love the kitschy '60's style of it all.
I swear though, the believability factor has gone way down on all movies these days (there I go in my old lady voice again today).
Who? James WHO?
Can't remember the last time I saw a movie in a theater.. sorry..
I have fond childhood memories of watching 007 movies on Sunday afternoons with my Dad. He loved all of them, and a lot of it was BECAUSE of the cheese factor in the movies. Especially in those late 70s/80s Roger Moore Bond movies -- they were chock full of ridiculous double entendre and one-liners.
I can get competent spying and action movies from Jason Bourne and elsewhere. I kind of liked the 007 formula, even if it's gotten kind of stale.
Cocotte -- I like a good bit of Suspension of Disbelief in a movie. Reality is a rather flexible thing. :)
Sombra -- I will have to take you out for a girls night to some chick flick sometime. What you think?
FTN -- I've only seen the Connery ones... I'll be moving onto Moore next, I guess. If I don't throw a shoe at the TV cursing Bond's gaffs, first, that is.
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