James Bond, the spy with a license to kill is back with his effortless charm and worldly vices. As an anachronistic spy, operating on intuition, trashing costly tech and discarding useful intel: James Bond is dead on arrival. Running blindly into the field is something that no spy worth his money would do.

I remember reading an opinion piece somewhere that James Bond is obsolete. That there is no scope for a semi-comic and semi-serious spy movie. That the Austin Powers and Bourne series had excelled in both those areas respectively. I mostly agree with it.

The movie consistently maintains some of the trademark Bond movie tropes: the Vodka Martini, the gizmo loaded car that is trashed recklessly, the brute who is thrown off the train, the Bond girl and lots of things that are blown up.

Ian Fleming’s character managed to capture a huge audience in the 20th century; however it is fast becoming a relic to the newer audience who wants a more thought out and practical approach to a spy. The newer Bond movie’s have tried to cater to this need, but have been mostly incomplete in their attempts. Don’t get me wrong, this Bond movie is still an excellent way to get your fill of adrenaline fuelled action, but it still leaves something to be desired from one of the world’s best spies.

JAMES BOND IS OBSOLETE

One can draw an obvious parallel between the movie’s plot and the James Bond in the actual world. The MI6 and its double-O program face obsoletion in the information age. Similarly in the real world, the James Bond series is having trouble keeping itself relevant. An age where computer software and surveillance are fast replacing physical people.

On the other hand, some of the desert scenes may make for a good wallpaper:

In the end, this is just another forgettable action flick, unlike a few of the classic Bond movies. However, I might actually go and read one of those books in the hope that they’re better written than the movies.

Rating: ★★★☆☆ (Average)