The James Bond franchise is once again in a period of transition. After a two-year release-date delay for Daniel Craig’s final appearance as 007 due to production setbacks and the impact of COVID-19, No Time To Die finally hit theaters after longtime franchise producer Barbra Broccoli refused to release the new film on a day-and-date streaming window. No Time To Die weathered through the odds and proved that six decades later, audiences were still interested in showing up to see their favorite MI6 agent. Craig’s swan song paved the way for an exciting new era for the franchise in which a new actor would be selected for the role, and Bond would have a new home as MGM sold to Amazon.
Craig, like all the Bonds that came before him, reinvented the role in a way that spoke to viewers of his generation. The franchise has existed for so long that it's been able to lampoon, improve, and examine its own archetypal elements many times over. Certain films in the series have become foundational texts in helping to redefine the era: Skyfall merged two eras of the series. Casino Royale gave Bond a proper origin story. Goldeneye brought Bond into the modern era. The Spy Who Loved Me is the ultimate Bond love story. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the original tragedy of the series. Meanwhile, two of the earliest Bond films starring the original 007, the late great Sean Connery, continue to stand out in the franchise. 1963’s From Russia With Love is a distinctive Cold War era thriller, and one that showed the mix of wit, romanticism, and brutality that made Bond such an interesting character. And, if From Russia With Love defined the character of Bond, it was the next film, Goldfinger, that set the precedent for the series itself. The 1964 third installment introduced several recurring elements of the series with its eccentric “big bad,” cool gadgets, clever puns, and extensive locations.
