The Spy Who Turned Monogamous

No Time To Die was postponed so many times that it felt like an old movie upon release. I tried watching it a second time and there will not be a third. If Diamonds Are Forever comes on- weak as it is- I watch.

Ken Adam designed some great sets and the theme song is better than the film. The henchmen are weak and Sean Connery looks older at forty than he did in his seventies.

What makes the Bond films great? There are many factors. Locations, opening credits, music, cars and what makes individual films better than others- the performances of actresses.

Pierce Brosnan's films did not age as well as others. He did not hit his stride in the third film. Goldfinger, The Spy Who Loved Me and Skyfall are three of the best films in the franchise.

Timothy Dalton was denied a third film for reasons beyond his control. Most actors who play Batman don't make it to a third movie because they feel anyone can play the role. The actors in that lead role remain individual.

Before contemplating James Bond's Gotham Adventure and how Christopher Nolan would be ideal to direct a Batman/James Bond crossover- the budget would probably be no more bloated than the two most recent films. The power of the Bond films is in the female characters.

Ursula Andress popping out of the sea is the most iconic scene from Doctor No except for the lead character's introduction. Pussy Galore is another strength of Goldfinger.

Honor Blackman was older than Sean Connery. They worked well together. It seems strange that Helen Mirren was never in a Bond film. Many other actresses made their roles worthwhile. Some women are attractive in the background.

The strongest films have James Bond working with an equal. That is another reason Thunderball fell short. Many Bond films start out well and fall apart.

Britt Ekland did well in The Man With The Golden Gun. Until she didn't. It wasn't enough to put her in a bikini, she had to bump into the panic button with her posterior.

That film also fell apart in the second half. A View To a Kill is best viewed if you turn it off when San Francisco comes into view. Grace Jones was an effective henchmen. Tanya Roberts yelled "James!".

There has not been an effective henchman in years. Another story, another article. Michelle Yeoh enhanced Tomorrow Never Dies. It seems like that film would have been more effective if it were released in the Fox News era.

Miss Moneypenny always made the most of her scene or two. Lois Maxwell played well off Sean Connery and Roger Moore. Timothy Dalton's Moneypenny was inconsequential. Samantha Bond brought it back in the Pierce Brosnan years.

Die Another Day has flaws well documented elsewhere. Their attempt at CGI looked so bad they never used it again. Rosamund Pike in her screen debut and Halle Berry cover some sins.

American Bond women are usually weaker than their international counterparts. Fields in Quantum of Solace was more memorable than the lead woman who was red.

That planted the seeds of James Bond's asexuality. There should always be a little romance at the end of the film. Daniel Craig decided it was a new era. Don't women like playing the game?

Not in No Time To Die. Lea Seydoux was not a great Bond woman. There is a lady on this site who has used the headline "The Ultimate Bond Girl." We are not connected and she wouldn't hide behind impostor syndrome.

That member is a more effective Bond woman than Madeline Swann. James Bond needs sacrifice. He gets the girl and does not keep her indefinitely. On Her Majesty's Secret Service has a love story. It is effective.

So was the one in Casino Royale. It's not like he learned lessons from early in his career and corrected mistakes in later relationships. The writers tried connecting too much.

This isn't Star Wars where everyone is related. The moral compass of the Bond films since 1995 has been Judi Dench. Having a female M- there is no reason a woman could not run that department.

She appeared in more scenes than the usual setup after the opening credits. It was a wise decision to have her continue the role in the Daniel Craig years. She raised all boats.

After Skyfall there was a void. There are different actors. Ralph Fiennes does well in the role. At least they did not make him an evil M as was the original plan. They would have to find another M after the rogue M was killed. There is a new Moneypenny and no banter.

Madeline Swann was no Vesper Lynd. Settling for her- I was hoping she would reveal herself as a fembot like in the second Austin Powers movie. Pierce Brosnan had the dumb luck of appearing in a new adventure every time there was an Austin Powers movie.

God only knows when or if there will be another James Bond movie. The character needs to be reborn and women need to play stronger roles. They don't even have models in silhouette during the opening credits. That fell away after Maurice Binder passed away.

It created a look and a style to the franchise. There are countless improvements they can make to return the series to relevance. There needs to be two women. One sacrificial lamb and another who helps James Bond resolve the issue of the film.

Why mess with successful parts of the formula? I am not asking for a return of 007 smacking women on the behind. That was almost sixty years ago. The female lead can make or break the film. Don't believe me? Revisit The World is Not Enough.

Since Denise Richards was reminiscent of Brooke Shields- why didn't the producers approach Brooke Shields? She was more age appropriate to play a doctor. It takes more than looking good to be an effective Bond character.

What was the best part of No Time To Die? The scene with Ana De Armas. There was no chance for a romantic tryst. In a movie unnecessarily long, her scene was too short. Giving James Bond a ball and chain is not the conclusion anyone wanted.

Moving forward- give us strong female roles and intrigue. if the next Bond film begins with the protagonist admitting he faked his death to get away from a relationship that lasted too long- that would be a step in the right direction. The next film should be released between the World Cup and Los Angeles Olympics. Can't they at least make Bond 26 futuristic if we have to wait years and years? EON Productions went from "Everything or Nothing" to the wait time between films.