There are a number of James Bond movies that take advantage of other media to boost their own success. The franchise is one of the longest-running film franchises of all time, and its sheer popularity is not the only reason for this. The producers have had some additional tricks up their sleeves since the early days of the franchise.
The 007 series has always managed to stay relevant throughout time, from 1962 when Bond first came onto screens with Dr. No, to the present day with No Time To Die. The franchise has changed and evolved over time, and it’s done so effectively. Some Bond films have been better than others, of course, but the producers have always utilized the right tactics to ensure the series stays relevant and interesting.
11 From Russia With Love (North By Northwest)
North By Northwest was Hitchcock’s James Bond movie in many ways. Indeed, Cary Grant was offered the role of 007, but he turned it down as he felt he was too old and only wanted to do one film. From Russia With Love very much feels like a Hitchcock film with its suspense and espionage-charged adventure. There is a long section of the film set on a train, which is reminiscent of a number of Hitchcock stories, but most notably the scene where Bond is trying to evade a helicopter strongly hearkens back to the famous scene in North By Northwest where Grant is trying to evade a plane.
10 Live And Let Die (Blaxploitation Cinema)
Roger Moore’s first outing as James Bond sees himself up against an array of villains, such as Whisper, Mr. Big, Baron Samedi, and Dr. Kananga. They are all strong Black men in a position of undeniable power, indeed fundamentally influencing the plot of the film, dominant in their position in society to undergo their drug smuggling crime operation. In the early 70s there were many films that encapsulated this movement, namely Shaft, Superfly, and Coffy. Live and Let Die ended up being a legitimate blaxploitation movie in its own right.
9 The Man With The Golden Gun (Martial Arts Cinema)
Another cinematic trend that exploded during the early 70s was martial arts cinema. Bruce Lee was a huge influence in film throughout the early 1970s, with films such as The Big Boss, Fist of Fury, The Way of the Dragon, and Enter the Dragon taking the world by storm. Lee passed away in May 1973, and The Man with the Golden Gun, perhaps as a way of paying respects to the late Bruce Lee, was heavily peppered with martial arts to associate itself with the kung fu craze.
8 The Spy Who Loved Me (Jaws)
Roger Moore’s third outing is both subtle and obvious in its association with Spielberg’s blockbuster classic Jaws. Released two years prior to The Spy Who Loved Me, Jaws was considered the first true summer blockbuster and became the first film to earn $100 million at the box office. The Spy Who Loved Me is largely centered around water, and the film’s villain’s henchman, Jaws, has become one of the most beloved characters in all of Bond. Jaws was red-hot at the time, and the 007 series, at this point, needed all the help it could get as Moore’s third entry was considered a make-or-break entry for the franchise.
7 Moonraker (Star Wars)
Arguably the most obvious connection of any Bond film with other media is Moonraker’s thematic connection to science-fiction, specifically Star Wars, almost to the point of imitation, for the final quarter of the film at least. Bond goes into outer space, and the sequence with Bond and Goodhead in space engaging in a laser gun and spaceship battle with other enemy ships practically mimics Star Wars’ finale with Luke Skywalker blowing up the Death Star. The film intended to be the follow-up entry to The Spy Who Loved Me was For Your Eyes Only, but Star Wars made the Bond producers change plans entirely.
6 For Your Eyes Only (Olympic Games)
Only a very small number of Bond movies have featured Bond in a ski chase, and For Your Eyes Only is one of them. The location used for filming this ski and bobsleigh chase, Cortina d’Ampezzo Ski Resort, consisted of five of the venues used for the 1956 Olympic Winter Games, and indeed the ramp Bond skis down to leap off had the Olympics symbol of colored rings on the side, visible in the film. Additionally, the score by American composer William Conti had a distinct disco-like, energetic, sporty feel to it, helping increase the film’s conscious link to the Winter Olympic Games.
5 License To Kill (Lethal Weapon & Miami Vice)
License to Kill was more violent than ever, still standing as the only Bond movie to be released with a 15 certificate (equivalent to an R-rating in the United States.) Centering around drug lord Franz Sanchez, and Bond’s rogue attempts to take him down, the film very much feels like Miami Vice and Lethal Weapon, both of which deal with crime, drug cartels, and violence. The composer for License to Kill was Michael Kamen who also scored Lethal Weapon and Die Hard, which was no coincidence. Associating itself with the likes of these shows and films allowed the Bond franchise to remain relevant within these very American styles of the 1980s.
4 GoldenEye (Fall Of The Berlin Wall)
The first Bond movie to be released since the fall of the Berlin Wall was GoldenEye, which came after a hiatus following Timothy Dalton’s last outing as 007 in License to Kill. Bond producers knew they needed to address recent culturally significant events in the world, namely the end of the Cold War when the Berlin Wall fell on November 9, 1989. GoldenEye addressed this with great aplomb as James Bond crashes through a wall in a tank, hot on the tail of Ourumov and his captive Natalya. The film also deals heavily with the Cold War and World War II, indeed fueling much of Trevelyan’s plot.
3 Tomorrow Never Dies (Video Games)
The video game industry was booming throughout the mid-90s, with highly successful games such as Super Mario Kart, Super Mario 64, and the timeless GoldenEye 007 game, released in 1997 just three and a half months prior to Tomorrow Never Dies. One sequence stands out in Tomorrow Never Dies as a deliberate nod to video games. The car chase in the multi-story car park where James Bond is sitting in the backseat and driving the car with his phone, which had been repurposed as a remote control for the car, exudes a distinct video game vibe, helping to make Tomorrow Never Dies the first modern James Bond film.
2 Casino Royale (Parkour)
Parkour has been common in action movies ever since Jackie Chan popularized it in Hong Kong cinema from the 1970s onward. The focus on dangerous stunts, acrobatics, and action on the roofs of buildings continued in the 1990s and 2000s through films, documentaries, video games, and advertisements. During the early 2000s, particularly after the birth of YouTube in early 2005, parkour really started hitting its peak and reaching new heights. Casino Royale capitalized on this with its terrific opening action sequence after the titles, where Bond chases down an assailant through a construction site. Witnessing Bond performing serious parkour like this was captivating for audiences at the time.
1 Quantum Of Solace (Bourne Trilogy)
A frequent criticism of Quantum of Solace is that it has too much action and not enough dialogue. Considering the infamous Hollywood writers’ strike at the time of production, this is perhaps understandable. But what Quantum lacks in the screenplay it makes up for in its action set-pieces, much of which resemble the realistic brutality of the Bourne films. Sharing the very same initials as 007, Jason Bourne saved James Bond in many ways, proving to be an undeniable influence for the James Bond series, transforming 007 from a man of witty quips to a gruff and anguished agent troubled by the violence inherent in his work.
