The next James Bond film, No Time To Die, is due to be released next April.
Its trailer was released this week. You could be forgiven for thinking you’ve seen it before.
At first I thought it was a compilation of clips from Daniel Craig’s four previous Bond films.
His Aston Martin is chased by a motorbike. Then he drives another vehicle as it’s pursued by a helicopter.
There’s also a motorbike chase, Bond jumping off a bridge, a big explosion.
Bond in a sun-baked city. Bond in snow. Beautiful women. Baddies.
I thought “This is so predictable! Bond is always in car chases and jumping off bridges and having encounters with beautiful women and fights with baddies.”
Then I realised that this attitude is a little unfair.
I mean, what does anyone expect from a James Bond film other than car chases and seduction? Complaining about that is like complaining that the sea is wet.
But Bond is always subject to claims that he should change.
Accusations of sexism have seen stronger female characters in recent films, with the promise of more along these lines in No Time To Die.
Yet the insistence that Bond should modernise continues.
This is probably asking a bit too much.
The first Bond film, Dr No, came out in 1962.
Let’s say Bond was 35 years old at the time. That would make him 92 now.
Is it realistic to expect him to suddenly start embracing veganism and gender-neutral pronouns?
But if the critics have their way, future films will reveal a more sensitive side to Bond.
He’ll use his surveillance skills to identify and track down the evil genius who has been placing recycling in the wrong compartments.
“This fiend has been putting plastic and glass in the wrong places!”
For maximum effect, imagine the words “plastic”, “glass” and “places” being said by Sean Connery’s Bond.
Maybe previous films will be remade to make them more palatable for a politically correct and sensitive 21st-century audience.
Dr Yes.
Live and Let Live.
Diamonds are Forever: What A Fine Example of Environmental Sustainability.
Other fictional characters generally avoid the demand to change which always greets Bond.
I haven’t heard anyone suggest that the next Paddington film should see the marmalade-loving bear develop a taste for bacon sarnies and ditch his duffle coat for a leather jacket.
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