The problem came with the writers starting with Goldeneye. Bond went from a behind the scenes, cool collected SPY, and became an action hero that drives tanks through cities destroying everything in his path with a one-liner thrown in here or there. I actually quite despise the “blunt instrument” premise the writers created in this film series, Bond was always subtle about his missions, and used intelligence and wit to solve the case not brute force. The writers made the character a common action hero, rather than the collected subtle character he used to be.

To address Casino Royale, all in all was a very good Bond movie (excluding the scene where he blew up the embassy, and the skyfleet jet). This follows the book pretty close, but again he was way too blunt, and temperamental to really represent the book or the original Bond.

It’s a good thing Bond 23 and Daniel Craig have been benched. The whole Bond thing was becoming a confused mess. One couldn’t tell if the movie was a prequel or a sequel.

The Cubby Broccoli movies were a mirror to the times, the 1960′s, 70′s, 80′s and even Pierce Brosnan and the Brioni tuxed 1990′s.

After Brosnan- undoubtebly the best Bond since Sean Connery- Bond movies took a left turn into irrelevancy. Bond producers could not figure out a way to make the character Bond, his mission relevant to the 2000′s and the war on terrorism, the rebirth of the Cold War, Industrial Espionage by the Chinese and environmental disasters.

Craig was too brutish a Bond- lacking panache, savois fair.

Should James Bond return- I hope that the writers, director, producers will find a way to make 007 relevant again to the times. Here’s a clue. Today’s Bond would be reading Maxim, drinking Red Bull, talking on an encrypted Blackberry which the Saudi’s detest, the music will be songs like Can’t Speak French by Girls Aloud.

Until then …..Orbis non sufficit.

Kilburn Hall
Author of James Bond novel Red Indians.

How about a little payback for over 20 years of loyal patrons?

As for the financial woes… anyone with a fat wallet and half a brain should back the making of the next Bond movie since it will make it all back plus more. Or get the Hobbit trilogy made since they’ll make tons of money, easy.