James Bond Thrillers.

The James Bond Films are vast and many, here is a list of all current James Bond films in order of release:

Dr. No (1962)

From Russia With Love (1963)

Goldfinger (1964)

Thunderball (1965)

You Only Live Twice (1967)

On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Live And Let Die (1973)

The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Moonraker (1979)

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Never Say Never Again-add in (1983 - not EON)

Octopussy (1983)

A View To A Kill (1985)

The Living Daylights (1987)

Licence To Kill (1989)

GoldenEye (1995)

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Die Another Day (2002)

Casino Royale (2006)

Quantam of Solace (2008)

Skyfall (2012)

James Bond movies are classed as classic thrillers, each one is intrinsically the same, the only thing being altered being the Maguffin. Here are the key elements of a James Bond Movie:

The Rifle Barrel

Going all the way back to Bond’s first cinematic appearance in Dr. No, almost every film opens with the iconic rifle-barrel sequence. Connery wore a hat, Lazenby went down on one knee, and Brosnan got an updated CGI look, but it is this simple imagery that let you know a James Bond movie was starting.

The Pre-Titles Sequence


Early in the history of James Bond films, audiences became accustomed to seeing a cool opening sequence filled with action and stunts before the main titles rolled. Sometimes it was used to introduce the villain, like in From Russia with Love. Other times it had little or nothing to do with the plot and served as nothing more than a way to whet the audience’s whistle for the action yet to come, lithe one depicted;  the skydiving sequence in Moonraker.

The Song and Main Titles


While listening to Adele’s “Skyfall” on continuous loop until you see the film, think back to all the brilliant Bond themes. And while thinking of that, flash back to all the half-naked ladies in the title sequences, designed by the visionary Maurice Binder until the time of his death. Some songs are iconic – like Shirley Bassey’s “Goldfinger.” Others are epic fails – like Madonna’s “Die Another Day.”

However, they are all welcome additions to the Bond franchise.

The Bond Girls


Even if the filmmakers skimp on any of the other key elements on this list, they never leave this essential element out. Since Ursula Andress stepped out of the ocean like Venus being birthed from the sea, the sultry, sexy Bond girl was a staple to the series. Some may have been dopey characters without a brain in their heads, like Tanya Roberts from A View to a Kill or Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist in The World Is Not Enough, either way, the women are all portrayed rather misogynistically, which I do not aprecciate. The franchise even toned down the number of girls in The Living Daylights, but there was always some pretty face next to Bond’s.

The International Intrigue


Imagine how lame a Bond movie would be if the whole thing took place on the streets of London around the corner from the Universal Exports office? Let’s save those kind of adventures for the BBC. The multinational travel of a Bond film is part of what gives it such pizzazz. James Bond has literally traveled around the world. He’s even been to unsavory locations like Afghanistan (in The Living Daylights), Kazakhstan (in The World Is Not Enough), and North Korea (in Die Another Day).

The Colorful, Eccentric, possibly insane Villains.


Henchmen (and henchwomen) come and go, and they’re sometimes absent. The Bond villain stays. Count on the villains to be brilliant maniacal sociopaths bent on world domination. Sometimes that world domination includes controlling water or just stealing a boat-load of money, but they’re brilliant maniacal sociopaths nonetheless. Sometimes the Bond villain is overly cartoony, like Dr. No or Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Other times they are all too real, like La Chiffre.

I must say, I very much like Raoul Silva.

The Booze


If we’ve learned nothing in 23 movies over 50 years, it’s that James Bond is one of the most charming, likeable alcoholics on the planet. He’s known for his signature martini “shaken, not stirred,” though he has downed plenty of other spirits as well. He invents the Vesper in Casino Royale, and he has a taste for Dom Perignon and Bollinger champagnes.

The Slight Dash of Racism and Sexism


Now this is not necessarily a popular ingredient in today’s politically correct times, but you cannot appreciate the suave sophistication of the Bond movies without acknowledging a bit of racism and sexism in the 60s and 70s. From the nonsensical turning-Japanese surgery (aka, heavy eye make-up and a bad wig) that Connery’s Bond gets in You Only Live Twice to the ghetto treatment Moore’s jive-turkey Bond undergoes in Live and Let Die, the series has made some uncomfortable moves. As for the sexism angle… yeah, that’s still going on, but at least Bond’s just slapping women in the rear now instead of slapping them across the face.