Post by Isapop on Aug 27, 2021 22:29:02 GMT
Fantasy: although some Bond films involved the Cold War- most were fantasy stories of bigger than life villains who headed secret cabals. This was pure escapism- as in Star Wars
Science Fiction: technology was a centerpiece of films with new weapons, toys, gadgets, etc. It was fantastic but believable- credibility allowed the viewer to plausibly imagine themselves with these toys- which increased audience identification. The laser satellite on Diamonds are Forever is the ancestor of the Death Star.
Super Hero: With technology, Bond became something of a super hero- Iron Man is just Bond with more gadgets.
Action: Bond films were high energy affairs that had carefully choreographed fights, stunts, explosions, etc. Action scenes were filmed in imaginative ways to maximize viewer impact (instead of people just fighting in a bar using traditional angles and punches- as in most Westerns of the time).
High Stakes: the Bond films were about saving the world or a sizable prize at least. The stage was very, vary, big.
Massed Forces: The enemy was usually a large organization run by a villain, it had worldwide reach- Spector easily transforms into The Empire (Star Wars) or Hydra (Avengers). headquarters had to be invaded etc.
Big Budget: Bond films were given first class FX, stunts, props, etc. These were not cheap Flash Gordon serials, people knew they would see spectacle at a high level.
Serialization: Bond films became a franchise and a reliable cash cow. Star Wars, Jurassic park, Iron Man would all follow suit.
All of these elements existed individually in some films, but the Bond films were the first to put this combination together into a magic formula that now characterizes the major movies released today. Star Wars was created not long after Diamonds are Forever and showed how powerful this combination could be in box office draw. After the success of James Bond, the world of film changed entirely.
They didn't become "big budget" films until the fourth film. After the low budget Dr. No, the purse strings loosened gradually, but it wasn't until Bond had already become an international film phenomenon with Goldfinger did the series go big budget with Thunderball.
There wasn't any real serialization. Apart from a possible off-hand reference to something in an earlier film, the films all really stand alone.
To your list of elements we must add sex. Bond films raised the ante for sexuality in mainstream movies.
And an element that was critical to the success of those films was star Sean Connery. He was magnetic as Bond. Not only great looking, sexy, and gracefully athletic, he had real heroic presence (a quality not easy to find). You believed he could do those things that Bond does.