Altered GoldenEye screen borrowed from this article: James Bond Movies | Ultimate Movie Rankings
While toppled in the 21st century from its place as the most successful franchise in film history, James Bond 007 remains the longest-running of the top performers. Many of we men across generations (plus our wives in some fortunate cases) grew up with one form or another of the unbeatable gentleman from the WWII-shaped imagination of a British intelligence operative who turned the world of espionage, a dangerous (and certainly unglamorous) realm hidden from the general public, into debonair adventure with a hefty dash of male fantasy fulfillment. The series would be known for its cultural portrayals, trend-setting action and, over the decades, media diversification and adaptation to changing times that made each entry a capsule of its era.
I have looked forward to writing about this topic for a while. This blog is not just chiefly about guns and games; books and movies are open subjects also. Though my dad was always a Bond fan, appreciating both the Connery and Moore portrayals, I was too young to get into it until late primary school when a phenomenon was released: GoldenEye 007 for N64. I doubt I can overstate how impactful that was: not only was that my start in the 007 franchise but its remarkable portrayal of real firearms clicked something in my mind that remains a passion to this day. For here and now I'll put it this way: I've known since 7th grade that someday I would own a Walther PPK; sure enough, once I earned enough of my own money a variant of that very model was my first firearm purchase.
All men have fantasies that drive passions and vice versa; I'll certainly own up to mine, emulating James Bond's choice of everyday carry as well as his gentlemanly demeanor covering for the capacity to spring into action at a moment's notice (all the while never ceasing to look dashing, to the delight of swooning women). Real life is harsh, so everyone needs escapism from time to time. This is the strong appeal of interactive games, often portraying places and events that are entirely fantastical or involving activity on part of players that would never pass in reality (at least not without facing death or prison); yet, before computers became powerful enough to give image to that imagination, novels and movies were it for a few hours at a time and, same as today, whomever captivated audiences with his/her imaginings found success.
I must confess first: I've yet to read any of the original Ian Fleming novels (though I have reviewed plot summaries of each) or their follow-ups post-Fleming. For me it has always been the movies and games, and the fact that both take place in their own separate canons apart from the novels is a conundrum of the franchise that will keep coming up every time I write about it. Bond is far from the only property the wheels of capitalism turned into a mess of timelines with contradictory details, but on the other hand, it presents recurring opportunity to re-portray favorites (i.e. how often do Jaws and Oddjob appear in the games despite having been killed several times over; could they, like Wolfenstein's Grosse family, have identical siblings in a family business of villainy?).
I won't bother trying to tie the disparate 007 releases together: it's impossible in totality and trying may detract from how they're meant to be enjoyed. Instead I'd like to overview the distinct movie and game eras regarding their impact from my own perspective. If nothing else, this can show my appreciation of things retro extend to that which was around long before I was born.
The Classic (Defining) Era: Dr. No (1962) to On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
"I admire your luck, Mister?" "Bond, James Bond." (queue James Bond theme song)
What distinguishes the 60s for 007 is two key factors: first is that Ian Fleming was still alive, writing, and available for consulting with the early films up to his death in 1964; second, the casting of Sean Connery as James Bond defined the character for a worldwide audience (to the point that, with some reluctance, Fleming adopted aspects of Connery into his Bond for the novels). Fleming always believed his novels would make great movies, even co-writing Thunderball with Kevin McClory originally as a screenplay for 007's film premiere (then once that fell through in 1960 Fleming finished Thunderball as his next novel, explaining why elements created for Thunderball, such as SPECTRE and Blofeld, were subject to legal disputes with the McClory estate not fully resolved until the 2010s). This was the only era in which the film adaptations had high consistency to Fleming's source material, tied into each other sequentially (at least in the 5-film SPECTRE arc), and was made to exist as its own small serial (an approach the franchise would not attempt again until the 21st century).
There's good reason that, in spite of backlash starting even back then (from the predecessors of today's woke crowd), this is the era by far most fondly-remembered (and Sean Connery as 007 with it). This was where all the tropes began: the exotic locales, the one-liners, the Bond girls, the gadgets, and the hero who is Jedi-like in the way he almost singlehandedly resolves international threats no one else can. 007 did not start the spy craze (Ian Fleming's was far from the only imagination tickled from having served in WWII then living in the backdrop of early Cold War intrigue) but, particularly after Goldfinger, the early films enabled it to take off like never before.
Dr. No (1962) is few's favorite, but still appreciated in light of the truth that every great phenomenon has to start smaller. From the start the film series distinguished itself as its own thing versus being a mere novel adaptation: a significant twist from the source material was making the villain part of SPECTRE, beginning the arc that defined the early film series. A pre-Hawaii Five-O Jack Lord rounds out the cast as the first of numerous actors to portray Bond's CIA colleague Felix Leiter.
There are many interesting facts surrounding From Russia With Love (1963) including that it was the final film seen by JFK before his assassination. This is the one that showed audiences what SPECTRE was all about, introduced the trope of the physically intimidating henchman (this one played by Robert Shaw, 12 years before Jaws), and has the original (and best) rendition of the 007 music track that backdropped action scenes for 4 following films. For the rest of the series this has remained the high mark producers of Bond films aspire to, and is rightfully considered most aligned with the classic Cold War spy genre.
Ian Fleming did not live to see the premiere of Goldfinger (1964) which became the first blockbuster of the film series. The sudden break from the SPECTRE arc (although strong rumor, and at least one game portrayal, have Goldfinger as a SPECTRE member, just with Operation Grand Slam being his own rogue undertaking) caused no negatives, with 007 attaining his first big convert from contemporary British spy culture: Honor Blackman leaving the side of John Steed in The Avengers for the role of Pussy Galore. A first for the series was a friendly force sweeping in to help Bond save the day from an enemy army, but that would not strike vibes over the years as much as the gadget-laden Aston Martin DB5 or the sharp-dressed henchman Oddjob.
Thunderball (1965) was only made possible striking a deal with Kevin McClory that gave him the reigns, obviously something Ian Fleming was no longer around to contest. They may have preferred otherwise, but series producers Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman still got a hit that brought SPECTRE to a whole new level of global villainy calling for global response, something that would continue since though the villain of the day got stopped the organization survived. Extensive underwater scenes (which included combat) showed the series, having now defined the action spy genre, was set to push it further.
The big confrontation with SPECTRE all the way to its head came in You Only Live Twice (1967), having Bond fake his own death to get closer to the source. The portrayal of supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld by Donald Pleasance is its own phenomenon, and Little Nellie had Desmond Llewelyn's Q brought into his greatest prominence yet by proving 007 can only do so much without the exclusive tools to back his mission up. While it had been shown in spots before, this was the first Bond film to delve deep into the local culture (in this case, Japanese) at a level that has not really been matched since.
It is impossible to talk about On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) without addressing the elephant in the room named George Lazenby. Fans will never stop being divided between whether he deserved to be a one-shot performance or if he's the most underrated James Bond, but in any case he seems to be the one who most appreciates 007 fans (because he is one himself). He was the first, but not the last, to portray a more human Bond in closer alignment to the original Fleming character; he never attempted to emulate Sean Connery, and that was the beginning of the discord. For the longest time Diana Rigg (another convert from The Avengers) had the exclusive honor of her Bond girl having married the man.
The Americentric (Trendy) Era: Diamonds Are Forever (1971) to Moonraker (1979)
"You are very suspicious, Mr. Bond."
"Well, I find I live much longer that way."
With the death of Ian Fleming and ending of his original 007 writings, it was now up to the film series to carry on as the franchise flagship. Throughout western civilization the world was changing, and when it came to popular media success was necessitated by growing acceptance into the American market. In the 70s 007 would practically become a different character (in some cases from one film to the next) as he left behind the classic spy genre he helped reform in order to become THE man of action fantasy, his adventures taking him in directions defined not by him anymore but by the world around him.
Whatever it took was considered worthwhile to get Sean Connery back one more time in Diamonds Are Forever (1971), yet watching the movie makes it seem like that made no real difference. While Blofeld was also brought back for a final full outing as main villain (remakes and reboots aside) he was different too and Bond, to put it mildly, got over his wife's death sooner and better than any loving man ever realistically could. As a self-contained movie it is still a great deal of fun and Connery still takes it home, but for the series as a whole this was the marked beginning of the drift away.
That drift accelerated for Roger Moore making his 007 debut in Live and Let Die (1973), first in the series to have a theme song that became a pop culture hit of its own. Blaxploitation was in its heyday, with a few veterans of that genre recruited for the cast. Moore made it no secret he neither wanted to follow Connery nor be constrained by the novel 007 but rather carve out his own path for the character, which worked quite well because of how frequently the series was changing to try to keep up with trends (here Bond gets to wield the S&W Model 29 that had just been made famous by Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry).
General consensus agrees the less said about The Man With the Golden Gun (1974) the better; it sure is understandable why this one usually ends up on the bottom of 007 "Best Of" lists. Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman were having a falling-out at this point and it shows, but Moore hardly helped by turning Bond into a (albeit gentlemanly) jerk who literally stuffs his secretary in the closet. And yet, this can still be worth a[n occasional] watch for upping the thrills in light of the OPEC-induced energy crisis, the hit performance of classic actor Christopher Lee (among those once considered for the role of Bond) as the villain, and the fact that this unique Golden Gun has prevailed to be wielded as a secret super weapon in most of the modern 007 video games.
It seems The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), the first helmed solo by Broccoli, is where Roger Moore found his footing with the character. This era in the series got weaker with Bond girl portrayals (to be fair, it is a tricky balance between traits of the strong 70s woman and one that is fitting for 007) but made up for it with thrilling plots, intense action with groundbreaking stunts, and such a heavy concentration of high tech gadgets that soon enough the series developers realized they had to tone it back. This is the film that debuted Richard Kiel's Jaws, a towering henchman who struck such a chord that he got the unique honor of a second appearance in the next entry and has since gone on to become more favored than Oddjob.
Moonraker (1979) was a point the franchise really threw in the towel, as the runaway success of Star Wars prompted a major shift towards science fiction which brought 007 literally out of this world. On its own it is a wonderfully-done picture, arguably without too much demand on the audience to suspend their disbelief, but following from The Spy Who Loved Me the plot will seem like a carbon copy (though this portrayal of Jaws is better than the last) which betrays how hastily it was thrown together. Roger Moore went back to being over-the-top, but this time was probably because stilly-at-times writing demanded it.
The Pragmatic (John Glen) Era: For Your Eyes Only (1981) to The Duel (1993)
"In my business you prepare for the unexpected."
"Oh, and what business is that?" "I help people with their problems." "Mmm, problem solver!"
"I am more of a problem ELIMINATOR."
Changing with the times gave James Bond new life but it also concerned everyone involved that he was trying to be everything and everyone else rather than the beloved 007 from days past. It so happened the western world was shifting again, the hard-boiled cynicism of the 70s giving way to the conservative resurgence of patriotism and thirst for strong heroes that would define 80s culture. By getting back to basics, 007 would be there and ready.
The five 007 films of the 1980s were all directed by John Glen, promoted from the editing department and who would leave his own signature characteristics in each of these. After a notable hiatus (save for the point British and Soviet intelligence allied to stop a common threat), the Cold War came back into focus, and Bond himself once again had to rely on his wits more than gadgets to succeed. Large-scale action and stunt work however did not abate, which was the right call since by far the now-classic films of the 80s were full of the kind of action that got testosterone going. For Your Eyes Only (1981) began with bringing Bond back to his roots to tie up its loose ends, honoring his late wife then getting to finish off a crippled Blofeld. His most recent supercar gets destroyed early in what was intended as a broadcast that the gadgets approach was backseated. The pacing returned to perfection, breaks timed right in between thrilling sequences keeping audiences on the edge of their seats. All in all this was classic 007 having a rebirth, and Roger Moore reportedly enjoyed it so much he wanted to end his tenure as the character on that high note.
That plan fell through, but a return to using Fleming's writings (more often his short stories now) as plot background helped elevate Octopussy (1983) over the sort of Cold War storyline that already started to get overused. Steven Berkoff apparently makes for a great Russian since he played the villainous Soviet officer here, then again two years later (different character, of course) in the second Rambo film. It may also be coincidental that India was the primary setting, likewise the following year for Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom.
A View to a Kill (1985) is strongly-criticized for Roger Moore staying as 007 too far past his prime. While this keeps it off favorites lists it is still a strong performer, having a relevant plot involving the computer industry and a strong supporting cast with Christopher Walken as the main villain, Grace Jones turning the usual trope upside-down as a powerful henchwoman, Patrick Macnee (who is ALLEGEDLY not John Steed of The Avengers fame) fighting alongside 007, and even the blink-and-you-miss-it debut of Dolph Lundgren as a KGB bodyguard. The title song by Duran Duran also became a hit of its own.
Timothy Dalton had been considered to replace Sean Connery as 007, but felt the time was finally right two decades later. He is known for portraying a much more hard-edged Bond, quite a jolt after 12 years of the lighter-hearted Moore, and not everyone accepted it well despite his express purpose of being more faithful to the original novel character. The new Bond aside The Living Daylights (1987) continued the John Glen traditions and could just as well have been a Moore film (or Dalton could have done fine in the previous few entries). But things got a lot more interesting for Licence to Kill (1989), the most defining of the Dalton 007 films for his character who is the most human and simultaneously superhuman while quitting MI6 to take on an unsanctioned revenge mission against a drug baron who maimed his friend Felix Leiter (while having done worse to Leiter's new bride). The command performance is Robert Davi as the classy villain, with a coldly brutal henchman played by a young Benicio Del Toro. This is one of my personal favorites since it shows the recurring characters so different from normal, with a resigned 007 more on edge than ever due to being cut off from his home country's support (with the key exception of Q, a different portrayal of that character as well that Desmond Llewelyn appeared to have good fun with). Even the beat of the opening gunbarrel sequence is stronger and more altered than ever before. Despite a strong on-screen performance of all involved, Licence to Kill was a box office disappointment and would ultimately lead to the first major series hiatus, including the premature departure of Timothy Dalton. James Bond was a pop culture phenomenon who won the affection of millions over 3 decades, yet there were obstacles of circumstance not even he could overcome. When the Cold War backdrop was forever ended by the collapse of the Soviet Union, many wondered whether there was a place for a 007 anymore.
Political conditions were not all 007 kept up with, but changing media as well. As the home computer revolution brought all kinds of games James Bond got his share, though the text adventures (written by official 007 author Raymond Benson) were probably stronger than the arcade-lite action titles expected of film tie-ins but typically low production quality. Near the end of the time the 007 gaming license was held by Domark Software (who would evolve into Eidos Interactive) they published the first original 007 video game, subtitled The Duel. It looked simple or much like its side-scrolling contemporaries, but as an objective-based platformer it had some depth to it and used the 007 license to strong effect with its boss fights against iconic villains of the film series: Jaws, Baron Samedi, May Day, and Oddjob. It was no standout game, but it was a new direction for the franchise with characteristics that would come into play in the future.
The New Order (Brosnan) Era: GoldenEye (1995) to From Russia With Love (2005)
"How can you act like this? How can you be so cold?"
"It's what keeps me alive."
James Bond was not destined for retirement after all, merely a refocus. Though at this point in history classic 007 was set to remain classic (thus relegated to the past), the character himself could still adapt and remain the superspy others strove to become, regardless of whether then set pieces involved were groundbreaking anymore. A greater breakout into genre diversification would not hurt either.
This era is defined by its own unique 007 played by Irishman Pierce Brosnan who, although he admired Sean Connery, once again opted to portray the character his own way. Yet when crossing media genres is taken into account, he was not the only Bond of this era; in fact the franchise would, by branching out into the video gaming realm, generate yet more on top of its already-several canon discrepancies. With focus exclusively on the films and games I will elaborate as best I can. Though the odds were against it GoldenEye (1995) overcame so well it singlehandedly reignited not just the 007 franchise but the whole action spy genre for its new turn that would form in the late 90s. A pre-credits sequence set during the closing years of the Cold War was another key broadcast of transition, this time keeping viable and relevant to the overall plot about a fellow 00 agent who bides his time until he can move to exact revenge against Queen & Country while teaching 007 a harsh lesson in trusting of friends. Gaining access to the now-open former Soviet Union helped drive home the Russian setting.
Once it became a hit GoldenEye was a natural choice to get the video game adaptation problem done right this time...and if anything it succeeded even better than its source material. While GoldenEye 007 (1997) is no espionage simulator that mattered not whatsoever in light of its improving conventions for the entire first-person shooter genre, particularly when it came to the multiplayer (to think that part of it was virtually an afterthought). Everyone knows of GoldenEye 007 by now since it re-released last year so there's little to say about it that others haven't already, but although it took significant liberties with the overall plot sequence that just gave it the opportunity to branch out into its own thing; if it had any significant weakness back in the day it's that its exclusivity to the N64 kept it from reaching as wide an audience as it could.
That same year saw silver screen 007 look entirely forward and not back forTomorrow Never Dies (1997) with a plot only possible in the modern world. But it was still a Bond film, and did not shy away from the tropes of a classy villain (played by a pre-Pirates of the Caribbean Jonathan Pryce) or power henchman (played by German strongman Götz Otto). Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin was such a strong portrayal she was almost slated for a return, but the actress has found her own major success in the years since.
The game adaptation of Tomorrow Never Dies (1999) is, like the film, a step back in hindsight. Trying to be fair, this was the starting point of Electronic Arts managing the 007 license and the end product was not what was originally envisioned (a sequel to the film rather than an adaptation). It's the first 007 third-person shooter and much was done to make it a cinematic experience (something GoldenEye 007 was weak on due to limitations of the N64), but critics agreed there was much room for improvement.
Punctuating the 20th century was The World is Not Enough (1999), titled after Bond's family motto. Old characters return and the villain is one with a unique (and probably unrealistic) condition that makes him especially menacing. The post-Cold War nuclear order and energy needs for the 21st century become central to the plot, but like the previous two films, it is probably more interesting as a game setting.
The World is Not Enough had the most game adaptations of a 007 work to date with 3: PlayStation, N64 and Game Boy Color. The first two (released in late 2000) were both first-person shooters this time; the PlayStation version was a cinematic experience as a successor to Tomorrow Never Dies (both titles had the same developer and appear to use the same engine), while for N64 it was a technical achievement over GoldenEye 007 while bringing back multiplayer. A side-scrolling action-adventure on handheld (launched 2001, late enough for packaging to advise its compatibility with Game Boy Advance) showed potential for adaptation to weaker hardware, something already occurring with other franchises such as Tom Clancy's Rainbow Six.
In the middle of this gaming focus came 007 Racing (2000), the first EA 007 game to be a fully storyline-independent (meaning different continuity) spinoff title with elements that shout out to the franchise as a whole. The idea was sound in theory, but mechanics having been stronger on other PlayStation titles relegated this one as more of a love offering to fans than something geared for mainstream success. It is not really a bad game, just a weaker one with limited appeal.
Concurrently, the launch of PlayStation 2 prompted development of a port of The World is Not Enough remade for the new 128-bit system. By the time production difficulties were overcome (it's no secret the PS2 was a challenging system to develop for) the film adaptation approach was dropped and existing game resources recycled into an original title. As a multiplatform release (all three major 6th generation consoles) with the now-signature same-screen multiplayer of 007 FPS games, Agent Under Fire (2001) became a sleeper hit, the first James Bond game since GoldenEye 007 to net mass appeal.
Not resting on its laurels, EA greenlit an improvement of mechanics coupled with a whole new plot with characters made from scratch (save a return of the Bond girl from Agent Under Fire) while expanding its diverse vehicle action sequences. Nightfire (2002) was an even greater success, prompting additional ports to Game Boy Advance (a rough FPS, like most on the system) and PC/Mac CD (though technically superior to the original console versions it reviewed poorly for its cut content and weakness relative to "real" games made for computer). Multiplayer bots based on characters from throughout the franchise rounded out the package, ranking Nightfire as one of the top 007 games fondly remembered today.
On the Nightfire disc was a preview of the newest film, featuring rising star Halle Berry making another stab at the Wai Lin formula as a Bond girl who is 007's action equal. Die Another Day (2002) compares strongly to Licence to Kill with how much it deviated from the tried-and-true formula and suffered at the box office for it, though as the film franchise's 40th anniversary release it includes many nice shout-outs of the previous entries. The relative failure of the film led to another hiatus on that media, but this time there was another means of carrying on.
Pierce Brosnan's final performance as Bond was, as a sign of changing times, in a video game. Named after the film production studio, Everything or Nothing (2003) released as an isometric shooter on Game Boy Advance before landing on 6th generation consoles the following year. Other actors (including the villain played by Willem Defoe) were digitized as well, resulting in the most movie-like 007 yet without actually making a movie. This formula, as well as the choice to return to the third-person shooter genre, would be tried again soon.
Amidst these successes came an entry that was controversial before its release. It probably is true the base name for GoldenEye: Rogue Agent (2004) was chosen in order to benefit from the fire of the N64 classic, which worked against it as soon as players realized the only element in common was that it was also a first-person shooter. Still, it was one's own choice to purchase or not, was another spinoff game full of franchise shout-outs, offered a whole new dynamic on the role of SPECTRE with the player as an enemy agent, and Christopher Lee returning to voice Francisco Scaramanga may be worth the price of admission alone (so long as it remains cheap on the secondhand market).
The last EA Bond game arrived like a tacit admission that they erred and wanted to appeal to 007 fans young and old the right way this time. None other than Sir Sean Connery returning for the third-person shooter retelling of From Russia With Love (2005) is the sort of thing appreciated by those who love the classics even if it is more fantastical than the original, far from the strongest performer in its genre, and somewhat stymied by the continuing McClory legal issues which disallowed use of the SPECTRE name. Like all the previous spinoffs it's a decent enough game, but really is meant for the fans. The Reboot (Daniel Craig) Era: Casino Royale (2006) to No Time to Die (2021)
"It doesn't bother you, killing those people?"
"I wouldn't be very good at my job if it did."
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery...at least until becomes strong enough to best your original performance. The 21st century saw the action spy genre become more dominated by alternatives such as Jason Bourne and Ethan Hunt (Mission: Impossible) and the struggle stay relevant was always on the minds of 007's production team. Yet it never escaped notice how fondly the classics were remembered (considering the success of their home video re-releases over the years), and it seemed to occur that Ian Fleming may have always had the winning formula that was now classic enough to stand apart from the rest.
Every 007 era went through plagues of doubt involving the future of the franchise, but this was probably the heaviest yet; even the actor chosen looked little like how people pictured James Bond. Once again it was do-or-die, so producers submitted direction of the new approach to Martin Campbell who before had succeeded with GoldenEye. Even though it had been tried before with mixed results, Daniel Craig made it his mission to portray Bond faithfully to the character in the novels, something that earned him accolades from the previous Bond actors.
Chances are the franchise would have been finished had Casino Royale (2006) been less than the smash hit it was. Despite the long running time that does not even finish with full plot resolution, it succeeded in being captivating for the whole journey. Those who derided Craig as the choice to play Bond had to shut up, and the direct sequel (a first for the series in a long while) was guaranteed.
Of this standalone duology Quantum of Solace (2008) proved weaker despite making a major effort to be the stronger, so fast-paced were the frequent action sequences that it was difficult to keep up. What pleased classic fans the most was doubtlessly the return of Bond's Walther PPK, put on sabbatical since Tomorrow Never Dies in favor of the more modern Walther P99 (which ironically has been discontinued while the PPK keeps going). It was, once again, a series of action sequences more suitable to a game.
Yet because of how development times fell Activision's Quantum of Solace (2008) had far more content from Casino Royale. That's not its big issue though: it's another retelling that carves out its own distinct continuity (in addition to the new film continuity launched by Casino Royale) due to major plot elements that deviate from both the contemporary and following movies. Activision's handling of the 007 license would not be remembered as fondly as EA's due to the failure of its games to distinguish themselves in any significant way from contemporary titles: case in point is Quantum of Solace earning due criticism as a Call of Duty clone, a charge that sticks because it was made by Treyarch on the same engine. Once again a gap in film releases prompted a filling by games, original stories featuring Daniel Craig as 007 this time. An issue with Quantum of Solace was, save for PlayStation 2 and handhelds, adaptation for the 7th generation consoles with their diversity of raw power, accessibility, and control schemes was minimal. Activision addressed that conundrum this time around with two separate games.
Nintendo's Wii, weakest in power but with the best control choices, got GoldenEye 007 (2010), a true remake of the N64 progenitor with a plotline brought to the present day (not like the big tease from EA in 2004). Utilizing Treyarch's adapted Call of Duty engine for the weaker console, its refinement above Wii Quantum of Solace (which unsuccessfully tried to port the full game experience directly to a console not powerful enough to make it work) was apparent while its shout-outs to both the original game and film were appreciated. A handheld companion was also made for Nintendo DS, a system not short of such showcases proving it capable of at least running a decent FPS (controlling it is a different matter).
The HD consoles of the generation got the newest (and presently last) 007 third-person shooter Blood Stone (2010), though Nintendo DS managed to get a port as well. Technically starting with Quantum of Solace but really setting the trend with GoldenEye 007, the Activision era of 007 is defined not by mere adaptations but actually full retellings of the films. As such Blood Stone stands as sole original story of the Daniel Craig era specific to the video game medium, putting it in the unique position of being able to fit in the film canon (still, it's more consistent to relegate it to the game timeline).
With release of the new film came also the franchise's 50th anniversary, thus Activision's swan song with the license would be a tribute to all the eras. The logical trend elaborated last paragraph reached a full conclusion with 007 Legends (2012), putting Daniel Craig in the shoes of Bond with many of the classic settings of decades past given the GoldenEye treatment of a modern makeover. It should've worked, but with the questionable choices of some of the films to include, inexcusable technical issues, and a product that turned out to be little more than another generic licensed FPS with the whole less than the sum of its parts, it crashed and burned so badly it was merely months before Activision abandoned the game itself along with the whole 007 license. At least the movie Skyfall (2012) was vastly superior to its game translation chapter in 007 Legends (but the different game timeline does at least offer a happier ending). Another entry that took the risky step toward portraying the characters vastly out of their usual element, yet this time it worked. This was in no small part to the superb talents of Daniel Craig as the most down-to-earth James Bond seen outside the novels, Judi Dench's M being forced to face the consequences of her decisions, and the menacing Javier Bardem as a former MI6 agent seeking retribution for being left for dead years prior. It could've ended there, but success refuses to wait even if it takes another while (along with some rethinking). Buoyed by how experimentation seemed to be paying off producers took Spectre (2015) in yet another different direction, but they may have overplayed their hand on this round. Not only was Bond granted another woman he could opt to settle down with (for real this time), but with the long-awaited acquiring of the classic plot rights held by the McClory estate, writers made a couple radical steps: 1) tying all the plots of the Daniel Craig films into a cohesive overarching serial (something that works better when it is planned for from the beginning rather than after the fact) along with 2) making the connection to the chief of SPECTRE a personal one from Bond's youth. It was nice to see old villains brought into the new canon, but in the end it needlessly convoluted things which kept it from being appreciated at any level similar to the classics. If it was kept at that it may have still ended on a good note; indeed, Bond having thrown his PPK into the Thames and driving off with his new lady indicated for a time that it really could have ben all. But what remained of SPECTRE refused to allow Bond to live and let die, leading him to abandon his new family just as it's beginning (he doesn't even stick around long enough to find out how far it's come along). Yet that is not the greatest tragedy surrounding No Time to Die (2021) since, as should be safe to say with what is common knowledge among fans now, the title is a total lie. Leading up to its initial planned release in 2020 there arose significant concerns that 007 was jumping on the woke bandwagon running amok that year; having now seen it I can report such concerns were unfounded (though, for the record, I'd believe you if you told me changes were made post-production to preempt the anticipated backlash), but the main problem with this picture remains.
Daniel Craig is a talented actor and made a superb 007; how unfortunate he didn't enjoy the role more, but that may not have been his fault! His era is what we are left with today (no new game has been released for 12 years, though one is reportedly in development) but it started with a bang and ended with a whimper, both figuratively and literally. On top of all this the woke mind virus has infected the present proprietors of Fleming's novels, a matter I implore readers to look up for themselves.
Which brings into focus why appreciation of classic works (the UNCENSORED originals, warts and all) is a thing and will remain so. It's been a spectacular 6-decade ride; perhaps that really is enough for one man's lifetime. I won't speak for anyone else, but for me a model gentlemen is more than one who can conduct himself with a show of class: he should be trained, equipped, willing and prepared to fight for that which he loves (whether family, country, or a better world); even when enjoying the rewards of his success he knows how to do so with class, and strives to be the one worthy of trust even though his awareness of the world causes him to withhold his own trust from others. As Ian Fleming quoted from a passage by American author Jack London (and is said again at the end of No Time to Die): The proper function of a man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time.