This never happened to the other fellow

I'm a fan of the James Bond movies. I've seen the 22 official ones about 2 or 3 times each. I say official because I've yet to see Never Say Never Again or get through all of Casino Royale 1967. You know, the "unofficial" ones. But yes, I've seen the 22 official films about 2 or 3 times each, and some more than the others. And yes I did see the Climax! episode that adapted Casino Royale into a one hour affair. It was... somethin' else.

I figured I should take a break from sounding like a pompous ass by writing about something that still feels genuine and human. My affinity for film. Particularly, the James Bond series. I say this because part of me still grins when a suave secret agent saves the world through a series of impossible and exciting though sometimes laughable events (Die Another Day). Now, these movies appeal to a part of me that refuses to die (in the same way that the Star Wars movies, and various other "boy stuff" as someone once put it): the child in me who still has some influence over the decisions I make as someone who is some distance away from his teen years and the years of puberty. Mainly the decisions that lead me to do things like laugh and crack jokes and generally find some sort of joy in life.

Growing up really sucks. There's so much you look forward to when you're a little kid and when you finally reach "that age", you really become crestfallen. As such, watching some dude named James Bond beat up the bad guys, save the world, and get the girl rekindles some part of me that still has some sort of hope for the world.

Yes, that still sounds pompous so I'll say it another way.

James Bond represents a niche form of entertainment and sophistication. There's something for everyone. For the guys, there's a man who can get any woman he wants. For the adventure enthusiasts, there's a guy who does damn near impossible things (I refer to the free running chase that opens Casino Royale 2006). For the ladies, is this strong confident handsome male that still retains his humanity. For the kids, it's a classic tale of good vs evil where the good guy wins time and time again. Therein lies the entertainment and some degree of sophistication. The rest of the sophistication lies in a deeper analysis of the characters, the movies, and the way James Bond is portrayed by the different actors over the years. When I say deeper analysis, you should run a google search for theories about whether or not the 6 different actors are playing the same man or whether the name is a code name (it's not, though some still hang to that belief, and that's cool). Bond has been portrayed as a suave playboy to a flawed and burnt-out secret agent to the ideal man of the 1960's and will continue to both reflect and influence the present era in which he is found.

Evidence of this is found in film across the board across the years. After Dr. No was a big success, spy movies were taken a bit more seriously, if not only just for profit. Casino Royale 2006 made James Bond relevant again and reflected a trend in film-making that emphasized flawed characters that attempted to emulate some sort of realism, or just made subject matter more "gritty" and less superfluous.

The kid in me enjoys watching the guy beat up the bad guys and save the world. Current me is very much looking forward to Skyfall. Now, you're probably asking yourself: How did [I] watch these 22 movies 2 or 3 or more times, each? Well, I used to have a lot of time on my hands.