Line #32 YMMV/JamesBond


1	!!Pages for individual works:
2	[[index]]
3	* ''YMMV/DrNo''
4	* ''YMMV/FromRussiaWithLove''
5	* ''YMMV/{{Goldfinger}}''
6	* ''YMMV/{{Thunderball}}''
7	* ''YMMV/YouOnlyLiveTwice''
8	* ''YMMV/OnHerMajestysSecretService''
9	* ''YMMV/DiamondsAreForever''
10	* ''YMMV/LiveAndLetDie''
11	* ''YMMV/TheManWithTheGoldenGun''
12	* ''YMMV/TheSpyWhoLovedMe''
13	* ''YMMV/{{Moonraker}}''
14	* ''YMMV/ForYourEyesOnly''
15	* ''YMMV/{{Octopussy}}''
16	* ''YMMV/NeverSayNeverAgain''
17	* ''YMMV/AViewToAKill''
18	* ''YMMV/TheLivingDaylights''
19	* ''YMMV/LicenceToKill''
20	* ''YMMV/GoldenEye''
21	* ''YMMV/TomorrowNeverDies''
22	* ''YMMV/TheWorldIsNotEnough''
23	* ''YMMV/DieAnotherDay''
24	* ''YMMV/CasinoRoyale2006''
25	* ''YMMV/QuantumOfSolace''
26	* ''YMMV/{{Skyfall}}''
27	* ''YMMV/{{Spectre}}''
28	* ''YMMV/NoTimeToDie''
29	[[/index]]
30
31	!!YMMV items with their own subpage
32	* [[Monster/JamesBond Complete Monster]]
33	* [[Fanon/JamesBond Fanon]]
34	* [[MagnificentBastard/JamesBond Magnificent Bastard]]
35
36	!!The film series as a whole contains examples of:
37	* AdaptationDisplacement: It's ironic considering that the novels are some of the best selling books in history yet they are still less well known than the films.
38	* AlternateCharacterInterpretation:
39	** Is Bond a suave, sweet-talking super agent, or is he a {{Jerkass}} OvertOperative who solves problems by blowing them up? Is he truly loyal to England, or is he just MarriedToTheJob? Is he a misogynist, or does he go through Bond girls like tissue paper because his attempts at real romance blew up in his face? The debate goes on, and each actor brings a slightly different interpretation to the table as well.
40	*** Related to that, Bond creator Barbara Broccoli declared in an interview that "that's the whole point of the guy. He can't have a family", regarding the decision to [[spoiler: kill Bond at the end of ''No Time To Die'' rather than have him go off with his wife and daughter]]. Is that because he's supposed to be an insouciant womanizer or because his family would always be in danger given the nature of his job?
41	** Animator Creator/ChuckJones once made a tongue in cheek in theory in his autobiography that James Bond was in fact an egotistical bumbler, but comes out of each situation looking so suave and hyper competent because he is placed against an [[StrawLoser even more buffoonish]] and GenreBlind RoguesGallery.
42	* AluminiumChristmasTrees: In the books, SMERSH sounds like just another NebulousEvilOrganisation of the kind that the series helped popularise, with the introduction of SPECTRE coming about just to give it a less silly-sounding name for the films. It is therefore a surprise to many when they discover that [[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SMERSH SMERSH was a very real group]], and that while its portrayal in the books was highly fictionalised its backstory is reasonably accurate to the real thing.
43	* AndYouThoughtItWouldFail:
44	** Creator/AlbertRBroccoli first attempted to obtain the rights to the books in the late fifties for his production company Warwick Films and managed to secure a meeting with Creator/IanFleming. His then-partner Irving Allen didn't share Cubby's enthusiasm and told Fleming to his face that he didn't think the novels were good enough for television.
45	** Creator/RodTaylor recalls being offered the role of Bond:
46	---> I thought it was beneath me. I didn't think Bond would be successful in the movies. That was one of the greatest mistakes of my career! Every time a new Bond picture became a smash hit, I tore out my hair. Cubby and I have laughed about it ever since.
47	** Creator/GeorgeLazenby left the series after a single film, having been told by his agent that spy movies were on the way out. It's ''still'' running today, and is as popular as ever.
48	* AudienceAlienatingEra: Just like fellow British cultural treasure ''Series/DoctorWho'', this franchise has run for over fifty years, so everyone has their own AudienceAlienatingEra. Unfortunately, this is precisely where the aforementioned BrokenBase comes in.
49	** To many, Bond's Dork Age is the DenserAndWackier instalments: ''Film/DiamondsAreForever'' for Connery; ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'', ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun'', ''Film/{{Moonraker}}'', ''Film/{{Octopussy}}'' and ''Film/AViewToAKill'' for Moore; ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'' and ''Film/DieAnotherDay'' for Brosnan. For these fans, these films go against everything that the Ian Fleming's books and early films were, and are a disgrace to the franchise.
50	** Then you have the other way around (though more subdued): the people who think the series' low points are when it takes itself [[SeriousBusiness too seriously]] and forgets to be fun in the process, like the Creator/TimothyDalton and Creator/DanielCraig installments.
51	* AwardSnub:
52	** ''None'' of Music/JohnBarry's scores received UsefulNotes/AcademyAward nominations. The films that did receive nominations - ''The Spy Who Loved Me'' and ''Skyfall'' - weren't scored by him.
53	** For that matter, Music/DavidArnold, widely considered to be Barry's worthy successor, was also snubbed for his work.
54	** The only time production designer Creator/KenAdam received an Oscar Nomination was for ''The Spy Who Loved Me''.
55	** "Goldfinger", widely regarded to be the number one Bond song, was not nominated for Best Original Song for either the Oscars or UsefulNotes/{{Golden Globe}}s.
56	* BrokenBase:
57	** The films from TheSeventies and TheEighties are ''very'' divisive, because of how silly the last Connery film and the Moore films are and how serious the Dalton films are. The only film that most people can agree on from this period is ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe'', which most fans consider to be great.
58	** The Brosnan era. Most fans agree that ''Film/GoldenEye'' is his best movie, but opinions on ''Film/TomorrowNeverDies'' and ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'' vary wildly from boring to mediocre to almost as good as ''[=GoldenEye=]''. Then there's ''Film/DieAnotherDay'' - is it silly but entertaining, or one of the worst in the series?
59	** After all, are the best James Bond movies the most serious and realistic, like the early Connery-era movies, and the whole Lazenby, Dalton, and Craig eras? Or the movies that embrace fantasy and comedy, like the later Connery-era movies and the majority of the Moore and Brosnan eras?
60	** Also, not including the iconic Bond theme riff that debuted in ''Film/DrNo'' and has been heard in every film ever since, which film had the best theme? Common contenders for the title are usually "Film/{{Goldfinger}}", [[Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService "We Have All the Time in the World"]], "Film/LiveAndLetDie", [[Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe "Nobody Does it Better"]], [[Film/CasinoRoyale2006 "You Know My Name"]], and "Film/{{Skyfall}}".
61	** Craig, when first revealed was James Bond, was a source of skepticism and divisiveness (mostly in part of his Blond hair) but people's fears were assuaged when ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'' ended up being a terrific film that is still beloved to this day. The problem was that the rest of his ternure were marked by a very inconsistent quality, with ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' being heavily affected by the Writer's Strike of 2008, Film/{{Skyfall}} managing to regain some of the goodwill, but promptily losing a lot of it again with the particulary negative reception of ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' and it's plot twists (such as one negatively compared to Film/AustinPowers), ending it all on a mixed bag that was ''Film/NoTimeToDie''. Film quality aside, there is still the issue of those who enjoyed his DarkerAndEdgier take on the character as fresh when compared to Roger Moore and ''Film/DieAnotherDay'', to those who claim that Craig's Bond was a dour, humourless, InNameOnly version of Bond.
62	* CantUnHearIt:
63	** Good luck reading one of the original novels and not imagining Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/GeorgeLazenby, Creator/RogerMoore, Creator/TimothyDalton, Creator/PierceBrosnan, or Creator/DanielCraig as Bond. Especially Connery (for being the first Bond) or Dalton and Craig (for being [[DarkerAndEdgier grittier]] Bonds in the style of the novels) for some. In fact, Creator/IanFleming was so won over by Connery that he gave the character Scottish ancestry, which was made canon in the films.
64	** Or, if you've listened to the very faithfully adapted [=BBC4=] radio dramas, Creator/TobyStephens.
65	** The original M, Creator/BernardLee, is exactly what you'd imagine 007's boss would sound like.
66	* CharacterPerceptionEvolution: Creator/TimothyDalton's portrayal of Bond in ''Film/TheLivingDaylights'' and ''Film/LicenceToKill'' had gained greater appreciation thanks to the passage of time. At the time, Dalton was stepping in as Bond after 12 years of Creator/RogerMoore, and his DarkerAndEdgier portrayal, which was more in line with how Ian Fleming depicted Bond in the original novels, was shocking to audiences who'd grown accustomed to Moore's LighterAndSofter portrayal. It didn't help that LTK was almost a FranchiseKiller that sent the series into 6 years of DevelopmentHell (to date, the longest gap between Bond films), ensuring that Dalton didn't play Bond again. However, thanks to Creator/DanielCraig's similarly dark portrayal of Bond, audiences have started seeing that Dalton's portrayal was ahead of its time, and [[https://www.theguardian.com/film/2020/aug/10/sean-connery-voted-best-bond-with-timothy-dalton-and-pierce-brosnan-runners-up a 2020 survey about who was the best Bond]] had Dalton finishing second behind Creator/SeanConnery.
67	* EnsembleDarkhorse:
68	** Felix Leiter, Bond's CIA counterpart, was deliberately cast with different actors in every movie he appeared in to prevent him becoming this. Broccoli etc. didn't want him to somehow outshine Bond, especially among Americans. The exception is ''Film/LicenceToKill'' for plot/emotional reasons, despite a brand new Leiter debuting in [[Film/TheLivingDaylights the previous film]]. With the rebooted Craig continuity, the actor has stayed the same.
69	** Among [[TheDragon the henchmen]], [[Film/GoldFinger Oddjob]] (noted as Creator/PierceBrosnan's favourite character), [[Film/FromRussiaWithLove Red Grant]], [[Film/LiveAndLetDie Baron Samedi]], [[Film/MoonRaker Jaws]] (so much that people in the cinemas cheered when he ultimately survived in ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe'') and [[Film/AViewToAKill May Day]] are among the most popular. They would all later get guest roles in various Bond video games.
70	** Q. Creator/DesmondLlewelyn's version for the fantastic (occasionally ludicrous) gadgets and his SnarkToSnarkCombat with Bond, Creator/BenWhishaw's for being a NerdsAreSexy MrFanservice. And TheComicallySerious Creator/JohnCleese as well.
71	** The Creator/JudiDench take on M is easily the most memorable version of the character and has received gradually more screen time as her time in the role has continued. That she was kept as M despite the ContinuityReboot is a testament to how good she was.
72	** Of all the main Bond Girls, [[Film/TomorrowNeverDies Wai Lin]] (played by Creator/MichelleYeoh) has her own fanbase. [[WhatCouldHaveBeen The producers were even considering her return in]] ''Film/DieAnotherDay''.
73	* EscapistCharacter: The movies had undergone SerialEscalation as the producers tried to outdo themselves with increasingly over-the-top quips, cars, gadgets, and Bond Girls. The Creator/DanielCraig incarnation shows him being much more flawed.
74	* FandomHeresy: [[LegacyCharacter "The Codename Theory,"]] which states that "James Bond" is a cover identity given to whatever agent currently holds the rank of 007 (and thus each actor to portray Bond has been playing a "different" character) is very divisive. Some like the idea a lot, while others hate the fact that it tries to take [[ComicbookTime Bond continuity]] ''far'' more seriously than Creator/EonProductions ever has, and even that it turns {{Call Back}}s into plotholes (why do people remember Bond and know him by name from before he was an agent? Why were souvenirs from the [[Creator/SeanConnery Connery]] Bond's missions on [[Creator/GeorgeLazenby Lazenby]] Bond's desk? Why would [[Creator/RogerMoore Moore's]] Bond pay respects to his predecessor's dead wife? Why is the dead wife actually named Bond on her gravestone too? Why does Leiter recognize [[Creator/TimothyDalton Dalton's]] Bond? Why would [=MI6=] bother with such a pointless masquerade?) and veers into over-the-top parody territory in similar fashion to the infamous 1967 ''Film/{{Casino Royale\|1967}}'' that wasn't produced by Eon. Lee Tamahori, director of ''Film/DieAnotherDay'', is a supporter of this theory and reportedly planned to canonize it by having Creator/SeanConnery cameo as the now-elderly "First" Bond, endearing him either more or less to a lot of fans. It was actively {{Jossed}} by ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'', as Bond visits his parents' graves and their names are "Bond". However, since Creator/DanielCraig's Bond is an explicit ContinuityReboot, the theory persists that the first five Bonds were agents using code names. Others just go the extra mile and explain it all with TheMultiverse.
75	* FandomRivalry:
76	** There are passionate arguments between fans of the ''Film/MissionImpossibleFilmSeries'' and ''James Bond'' fans about which is the best SpyFiction film series of the current era, essentially between the ''M:I'' movies since ''Film/MissionImpossibleIII'' and Creator/DanielCraig's Bond films.
77	** Fans would usually butt heads on each other regarding who is the best James Bond actor. In every discussion, there would always be fans who love either Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/GeorgeLazenby, Creator/RogerMoore, Creator/TimothyDalton, Creator/PierceBrosnan, or Creator/DanielCraig. There's also the debate on which actor plays the best M, Q, or Moneypenny.
78	* FanPreferredCouple: It's pretty rare to find a fanfic where James is paired with one of the women from his adventures, unless it's [[Film/CasinoRoyale2006 Vesper]] or [[Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService Tracy]]. Het fans tend to like [[UnresolvedSexualTension James/Moneypenny]], and [[YaoiFangirl slash fans]] James/[[Film/GoldenEye Alec]]. The most popular pairing on [=AO3=] is James/Q, with almost tenfold the second-most popular pairing, James/M(Dench).
79	* FranchiseOriginalSin:
80	** Everything that went wrong with the series pre-[[ContinuityReboot reboot]] (absurd plots, megalomaniac villains, over-focus on gadgets, jokes undermining the seriousness of the situation) was in evidence in mild form as early as ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}''. This is "original sin" in more than one sense, as all those things were ''inherent'' to the series' character pre-reboot -- enough so that the films with Creator/DanielCraig simply don't feel like ''Film/JamesBond'' films to some viewers. It runs the other way as well, though not as drastically -- ''Film/DrNo'' and ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'' feels closer to ''Film/QuantumOfSolace'' than ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'' in some respects.
81	** A recurring complaint in the franchise is when Bond Girls are useless in the plot and need to be saved frequently by Bond. These people seem to forget that Honey Ryder, the Bond Girl from the first movie ''Film/DrNo'', already had this problem. If you look closely, you will find that she adds nothing to the plot and does not help Bond at any time, having to be rescued by him at the climax. Honey could have been taken from the movie and the events would have happened the same way. The difference is that the character is still friendly and charismatic, something other Bond Girls would not be in the future. Also, this problem could easily be forgiven for being just the first movie in the franchise.
82	** Fans who complain about the seriousness and violence of the Craig era, to the point that their films don't look like a James Bond movie, probably don't know or have forgotten that those elements already existed in the Timothy Dalton movies. The big difference is that Dalton Era movies are still utilizing these elements within the established franchise formula, unlike Craig Era.
83	* HomegrownHero: ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun'' gives it a double whammy by including an American comic relief from the previous film, Sheriff JW Pepper, as a tourist in Thailand.
84	* MyRealDaddy:
85	** Creator/TerenceYoung, the director of three of the first four films in the series, is seen by many as the unsung hero of the development of the film series, with even Creator/SeanConnery himself admitting that he'd have been completely lost in portraying Bond as a suave-but-tough hero if not for Young's influence.
86	** Peter R. Hunt, who edited the first five films and directed the sixth, is often argued to be just as important as Young in the development of the series, with his structuring of the films' plot and action sequences often seen as defining not just for these films, but action films in general during the 1960s. Tellingly, the initial cut of ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'' -- the first film in which Hunt (initially, at least) didn't have any role in editing -- was such a complete disaster that the producers had to bring him back to completely re-edit the film from scratch.
87	** Played with as far as the title sequences for the films go. The title sequence for ''Film/DrNo'' was designed by series veteran Maurice Binder, but didn't really resemble the title sequences for the latter films at all, coming across more as a take-off on Saul Bass' style. For ''Film/FromRussiaWithLove'' and ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'', Robert Brownjohn took over from Binder, and his work more resembled the signature Bond title sequences, but only in a very basic manner, projecting the credits and/or imagery from the film onto the womens' bodies. Binder then returned for ''Film/{{Thunderball}}'' and absolutely nailed what Brownjohn had started, solidifying the traditional title sequences for these films.
88	* {{Narm}}: Occasionally the [[TitleDrop Title Drops]]. Those that are based after characters (like ''Film/{{Goldfinger}}'') or weapons (like ''Film/GoldenEye'') work. But those that are based after random quotes can come across as more or less forced. ''Film/AViewToAKill'' is especially bad.
89	-->'''Mayday''': Wow! What a view!\
90	'''Zorin''': To a kill!
91	** A lot of the villian deaths come off as massively Narmtastic, as [[https://youtu.be/xqHeus6_Kyg this Youtube video will attest to]].
92	* OneSceneWonder: M, Q, and Miss Moneypenny in the first 20 films pre-reboot, especially with Creator/BernardLee as M, Creator/DesmondLlewelyn as Q, and Creator/LoisMaxwell as Moneypenny. They rarely had much screentime (sometimes it was no more than one scene per film), yet to fans they were an indispensable part of the series.
93	* QuestionableCasting: Daniel Craig's portrayal of James Bond has been criticized due to him being blond and considered too short, whereas his predecessors were [[TallDarkAndHandsome dark-haired and 6 ft or taller]]. Fortunately, his portrayal, and the well-done ''Casino Royale'', helped get most fans on board.
94	* ReplacementScrappy: Creator/BernardLee and Creator/LoisMaxwell's replacements as M and Miss Moneypenny, Robert Brown and Caroline Bliss, are generally seen as inferior replacements (though no fault of the actors). Brown was seen as too amiable and avuncular for the role and the fact that he was friends with Creator/RogerMoore made them seem more like work friends than superior and subordinate. While he worked better against Creator/TimothyDalton, his antagonistic portrayal in ''Film/LicenceToKill'' didn't help. Bliss' Moneypenny didn't make much of an impression (Dalton's tenure being cut short didn't help) and instead of the flirty banter, we have someone having a schoolgirl crush. Both their replacements, Creator/JudiDench and Creator/SamanthaBond, were much more well-received (also helps that they lasted longer in the role).
95	* TheScrappy: Something inevitable in a franchise with more than fifty years of existence and 25 films, but some characters really stand out in the dislike they receive from fans.
96	** Sheriff JW Pepper from ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'' and ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun'', a stereotypical racist sheriff. Not only are his racist quips bloody awful now (and they weren't even funny then), he has the most annoying, chippy voice in the entire world. Think Jar Jar Binks crossed with the villains from ''Film/{{Deliverance}}''. It's a rare character that can set one's teeth on edge simply by speaking.
97	** Mary Goodnight from ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun'', due to Creator/BrittEkland's DullSurprise acting, and the character constantly coming across as both TheLoad, a DamselInDistress and a bad comic relief, despite supposedly being a trained secret agent. It also doesn't help that Andrea Anders, the secondary Bond Girl played by Creator/MaudAdams (who would return as the main Bond Girl in ''Film/{{Octopussy}}''), is widely considered to be much better-acted and a more interesting character, [[spoiler:only to be unceremoniously killed off halfway through the film.]]
98	** Stacey Sutton from ''Film/AViewToAKill'' screams at the slightest provocation, gets captured at the most inconvenient times and forces Bond to rescue her, fails to notice Zorin sneaking up on her in a ''zeppelin'', and [[spoiler:survives over the much interesting May Day]].
99	** Dr. Christmas Jones from ''Film/TheWorldIsNotEnough'', is hated for generally existing only so that Bond has a backup girl when the infinitely-more-interesting primary love interest, Elektra King, [[spoiler: turns out to be evil]]. Not to mention the [[QuestionableCasting casting of Denise Richards as a brilliant nuclear physicist]].
100	* StarTrekMovieCurse:
101	** The quality of the individual films have been bumpy with no clear odd/even pattern, even for the same actor. Some films criticized at the time of release have been VindicatedByHistory since. But the Creator/DanielCraig era has the [[Film/CasinoRoyale2006 odd]]-[[Film/{{Skyfall}} numbered]] [[Film/NoTimeToDie films]] receiving critical acclaim, while the [[Film/QuantumOfSolace even]]-[[Film/{{Spectre}} numbered]] films got ok-to-mixed reception.
102	** An example with the Bond ''actors'' themselves: The odd-numbered actors (Connery, Moore and Brosnan) are generally humorous portrayals with over-the-top gimmick [[ShoePhone gadgets]], while the even-numbered ones (Lazenby, Dalton and Craig) have generally portrayed the character with more pathos, angst and seriousness and less emphasis on gadgets. The first set has next to no introspection while the second set is soaked in it.
103	* StrangledByTheRedString: Several films in the franchise are accused of this by the fact that Bond and the respective Bond Girl have few romantic interactions before becoming a couple in the end. The two main exceptions (although not the only ones) are ''Film/OnHerMajestysSecretService'' and ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006''.
104	* TheyChangedItNowItSucks:
105	** Although many have praised the Creator/DanielCraig ''Bond'' films for being grittier and more realistic than the sometimes-campy ''Bond'' films of previous years, there are a significant number of fans who 'miss' the implausible gadgets, girls with suggestive names, and over-the-top villains and wish them to return. At a more general level, these fans often feel like the Craig films aren't really ''Bond'' films at all, having a lot more in common with ''Film/TheBourneSeries'' than with previous ''Bond'' films. Another aspect of this is Bond's personality; the Craig-era Bond is the only one (with Creator/TimothyDalton to some degree) who seems to hate his job, while the one thing the others all seemed to share was a genuine joy at living life as a secret agent.
106	** Conversely, those who like the more realistic tone of the Craig-era films have expressed disappointment with ''Film/{{Spectre}}'' for its inclusion of more over-the-top elements.
107	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: Many fans like R, Q's replacement for ''The World is Not Enough'' and ''Die Another Day''. The fact that he was played by John Cleese obviously helps. Unfortunately, the franchise had a reboot after ''Die Another Day'', and many fans regret that because of that, he only appeared in two films of the franchise.
108	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot: ''You Only Live Twice'', ''Diamonds Are Forever'' (something of a passion project for Fleming who was very interested in diamond smuggling, see his book, ''The Diamond Smugglers'') and the first four movies of the Moore era discarded Ian Fleming's interesting and intricate plots from the books that gave them their titles in favour of formulaic and often campy affairs.[[note]]Except perhaps ''The Spy Who Loved Me''; in between the book's controversial (even for Bond standards) views on women, the fact that it was told from the Bond Girl's point of view, and that Bond himself doesn't even appear until the last third of the story, it would've hardly been made into a film. Fleming in fact personally felt that it was his worst book, and regretted it so much that he only allowed its title to be used for future works, not allowing its plot to be adapted.[[/note]] ''You Only Live Twice'' in particular, discarded the revenge plot for something of lesser stature, a mistake the producers clearly regretted as they [[Film/LicenceToKill tried]] [[Film/QuantumOfSolace twice]] to create the perfect ''Bond'' revenge film.
109	* TooGoodToLast: Creator/TimothyDalton's run on the series ([[BrokenBase for his fans at least]]).
110	* ToughActToFollow:
111	** The Sixties films to some. Not only is Creator/SeanConnery widely regarded as the definitive Bond, but the first six had arguably the strongest run the series has ever seen.
112	** ''Film/TheSpyWhoLovedMe,'' ''Film/GoldenEye,'' ''Film/{{Casino Royale\|2006}}'', and ''Film/{{Skyfall}}'' were warmly received entries that had less well received follow-ups.
113	* ValuesDissonance:
114	** Instead of wasting about a week of our time here, let's just say "Early Bond" + "Women" (note that the books have other value issues as well, but the women are most prominent). Creator/RogerMoore couldn't hide his discomfort attempting to imitate such demeanour in ''Film/TheManWithTheGoldenGun''.
115	** "Early Bond" + "Race" wasn't the best combination, either. ''Film/DrNo'' and ''Film/YouOnlyLiveTwice'' are very uncomfortable to watch today, and it can be argued quite convincingly that ''Film/LiveAndLetDie'' has a fundamentally racist subtext.
116	* ValuesResonance: After the UsefulNotes/ColdWar ended, there was some speculation that James Bond had no place in popular culture. However, with 9/11 and UsefulNotes/TheWarOnTerror coming into the fold, some have decided that a spy who battles multinational terrorist groups might still be relevant after all.
117	* TheWoobie: James Bond, in the Daniel Craig era, is pretty much this to a T. He has several emotional issues, [[ParentalAbandonment is orphaned at an early age]], has a penchant for revenge, [[PerpetualFrowner generally looks unhappy even when he smiles]], [[KnightInSourArmor has a grim outlook on his job]] and [[ByronicHero still regrets over losing his loved ones]], especially Vesper Lynd in ''Film/CasinoRoyale2006'', and M in ''Film/{{Skyfall}}''. In ''Film/{{Spectre}}'', it's even revealed that [[BigBad Franz Oberhauser's]] father adopted him after Bond loses his own parents, but [[DrivenByEnvy Franz kills him out of jealousy]]. Franz even [[TheReasonYouSuckSpeech mocks him]], [[GreaterScopeVillain telling how he was behind all of Bond's miseries over the years.]] At the end of ''Spectre'', Bond's frantic efforts to rescue [[DamselInDistress Madeline]]--especially the way he [[SayMyName cries out her name]] as he races through the old [=MI6=] building while searching for her--are downright wrenching. One gets the feeling that he is ''absolutely fed up'' with losing people that he cares about and is [[{{Determinator}} determined]] that it will not happen this time. Then, after successfully rescuing her, the [[Film/NoTimeToDie next film]] starts with them breaking up due to his mistaken belief that she's betrayed him and not until ''five years later'' does he learn that not only did she not, she [[spoiler:''had his daughter.'' To top all that off, the three of them get less than a day to be a happy family before all hell breaks loose, culminating in him ''[[TheHeroDies dying]]'' [[HeroicSacrifice to ensure their safety]].]] Given [[DarkAndTroubledPast what he has been]] [[TraumaCongaLine through over the years]], and [[MarriedToTheJob with little of a life he has outside of MI6]], it's quite sad to say that he does really need a big hug.
118
119	!!The novel series contains examples of:
120
121	* FirstInstallmentWins: You only need to count the examples on this very page to see that the Ian Fleming books are held in considerably higher regard than anything that came afterwards. Both FanonDiscontinuity and BrokenBase are also in effect as a consequence of this. A good way to start an argument online is to suggest that your preferred author is someone else other than its father.
122	* HomegrownHero: Bond usually departs on entirely international adventures and would not grow even a bit less British through any of it.
123	* HoYay: Oh, there's quite a bit. In as much as Fleming seemed to dislike homosexuals, he places a lot of emphasis on naked men and their muscles. Possibly intended as [[MrFanservice fanservice for female readers]].
124	* MemeticMutation: [[TrademarkFavoriteFood James Bond loves eggs]].
125	* {{Narm}}: The ValuesDissonance will come across as this. Fleming was ''very'' much a man of his time.
126	* OnlyTheCreatorDoesItRight: Most of the novels written after Fleming's death aren't as famous or well-regarded, although ''Literature/ColonelSun'' stands out for being as well-regarded as the originals. It helps that it was written by Kingsley Amis, who was friends with Fleming and (according to some) helped clean up ''Golden Gun'' for publication.
127	* TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodCharacter: In the short story "Blast from the Past", Bond finally meets his son James Suzuki, whom he fathered in ''You Only Live Twice''. After three decades of non-existence, what is he used for? [[spoiler:As a corpse in a revenge plot against Bond]], who is brushed aside so that Bond can finish his business with [[spoiler:Irma Bunt, the accomplice in the death of his wife Tracy]].
128	* TrappedByMountainLions: As a part of Creator/IanFleming's apparent obsession with food and high-class living, many of the books take detours from Bond investigating a world-spanning conspiracy to describe him having lunch in great detail.
129	* ValuesDissonance: Oh God, where should we start...
130	** In ''Literature/CasinoRoyale'', when [[spoiler:Vesper is kidnapped]], Bond gets annoyed and says women should StayInTheKitchen and let men do the work. This is [[DeliberateValuesDissonance intentional]], as Bond's misogyny leads to him being easily manipulated and suffering the first major loss of the series.
131	** In ''Literature/LiveAndLetDie'', Bond makes horrible comments about black people. Also, many black characters talk like something out of ''Amos and Andy.''
132	** In ''Literature/FromRussiaWithLove'', Bond laughs when Kerim Bey tells the story of how he kidnapped and abused a woman.
133	** All of Bond's thoughts about gay people in ''Literature/{{Goldfinger}}'' are horrendous. Let's just say that there is a moment when Bond says it's all the consequence of the equal vote between men and women.
134	** During Fleming's run, Bond likes but patronizes Blacks, hates Koreans for some reason but loves the Japanese and thinks "sex equality" has fostered bisexual misfits.
135	** Though outright rape is still portrayed negatively, Fleming was known for his love of BDSM and often incorporates mentions of rough sex, spankings as punishment, and the psychological effects of torture in ways that come off as...easy to misinterpret.

Context YMMV / JamesBond