"This is a stick up, don't anybody move!"

With the recent news that the 23^rd Bond film is going to be put on hold due to a prosaic lack of funding, its timely to take  an in-depth look at this genre-defining and blockbusting franchise; examining what exactly keeps audiences coming back for more and how it has managed to remain credible, viable and relevant.

First off we must never forget that the Bond series is MGM’s most profitable franchise and that according to Box Office Mojo it is the third most successful franchise ever (according to other sources it is actually the second most successful), while the recent Daniel Craig films both broke box office records. On that side of things people will keep making these films until the audiences stop coming and the well finally runs dry because it’s just too valuable to let go.

But onto other more interesting subjects. What attracts us to the Bond films? Culturally speaking you could say that buried underneath the aversion to union jacks and jingoism –tainted by the BNP and other right-wing extremists- lies a belief that Britain is still pretty much up there in the world. Even if it is no longer the colonial superpower it once was, which is also incidentally part of Bond’s appeal. They allow us to indulge in the fantasy that Britain is still a major force to be reckoned with its slick and deadly efficient secret service fighting evil megalomaniacal Johnny Foreigners, whether Russian, Korean or French (of course Bond also likes to sleep and work with Johnny Foreigners so any accusations of xenophobia can also be quickly countered).

The films also allow a display not only of British power but British design and talent with its fleet of Aston Martins, immaculate Saville Row suits and host of celebrated British thespians from Donald Pleasence to Judi Dench, John Cleese, Robert Carlyle, Sean Bean and Daniel Craig. As well as  showcasing key behind-the-scenes talents such as production designer Ken Adams. These films then largely show Britain’s good side to the world, it’s exportable

The original, sure. But the best?

qualities.

The franchise has also been able to remain popular by constantly and assiduously re-inventing itself. Now everyone likes Sean Connery as Bond but could we really bear now to see Bond dismissing a woman with the words “Run along now, man talk� before slapping her arse, as he does in Goldfinger? As Pierce Brosnan put it on his more compassionate Bond: “I cannot do, nor do I want to do, what Connery did. Nor do I wish to do that kind of character who smacks women around and smacks them in the mouth.�

Even the enduring image of Bond as international playboy hopping into the beds of various beauties-an aspect that was maintained in all the Bond films up till Casino Royale-is something that was subverted in the latest Bond film, Quantum of Solace, where he has a one night stand with only one British agent and fails to even shag the lead played by the beautiful Olga Kurylenko. However, it was a change which many complained took the fun out of Bond, showing that we still like our Bond to be a little un-P.C in both personal and professional capacities, regardless of changing attitudes.

Bond has then also emotionally developed over the series from the rough, carefree and brazen Bond played by Connery, through to the light-hearted witty playboy played by Moore up to Craig’s  more vulnerable Bond, and thereby exposing what lies beneath the tough exterior and giving the character more depth and motivation. As Craig says himself about what drew him to this Bond: “He makes mistakes. He’s vulnerable and falls in love. He’s everything Bond isn’t supposed to be. It appealed to me, showing him screwing up, bleeding and getting hurtâ€?. The producers of Casino Royale also knew that their Bond had to get with the times and compete with troubled modern icons such as Jack Bauer and Jason Bourne.

For the one of first time then audiences were able to engage with Bond not just as a lean mean killing machine but as  a human with feelings and the ability to be hurt both mentally and physically-who can forget the grueling torture scene where Craig has his genitals whipped? In Craig’s Bond (particularly in the brilliant Casino Royale) we see how Bond’s past has turned him into a survivor who shields himself with emotional barriers but also how these barriers can be broken.

Pierce Brosnan appears nonchalant as he realises he's locked himself out

The last two films also got rid of the gadgetry that was turning the series into a joke (who could forget the absurd invisible car or laser harnessing the power of diamonds in Die Another Day). Though there are hints that gadgets could be brought back in the next film, albeit in a more integrated way. The fact is Bond had to get more realistic in order to avoid becoming a parody of itself and remain relevant to contemporary audiences. So we see the use of real locations which are not always in exotic, in Quantum of Solace many locations were in fact run-down and shabby.

Even the modern villains are a bit more realistic, for example, terrorist banker Le Chiffre in it just for the money and not for world domination. While Dominic Green works under the guise of an environmentally friendly organization and has the more modest goal of securing control of Bolivia’s water supply.

Of course you can’t completely reinvent Bond and this is why Casino Royale worked so well, as well adding new more realistic and dramatically interesting elements, it also retained key Bond motifs such as the one-liners, frenetic action sequences and glamorous and sassy women (in this case Eva Green’s delightfully caustic but vulnerable Vesper).  So keeping just the right mix to please die-hard fans and also keep audiences intrigued.

Ultimately going to see a Bond movie has become a ritual in itself and audiences do remain curious as to how each new film will top or overcome the last film. What layers will they add to Bond’s character? What villains will he fight? Will he have hi-tech gadgets? What action sequences will they possibly come up with to compete with the last ones? Which destinations will he end up in? All these questions and more keep audiences coming back for more. So there’s no doubt that when the next Bond film does eventually come out it will still make money. The question is whether they can get the balance right and not become too reliant on blowing things up and generally destroying things, as they were in the Bourne-indebted Quantum Of Solace. Here’s hoping then that Craig actually gets to do some more acting (fingers crossed for Sam Mendes). Oh and some decent editing where we could actually see what was going on would also be helpful.

By Priscilla Eyles