Daniel Craig plays Bond in ‘Spectre.’
James Bond might be back on the silver screen, but he’s not necessarily better than ever.
Spectre—the 24th installation in the film series—has generated a slew of mixed reviews, failing to impress many critics including Forbes’ Scott Mendelson, who outright called it “the worst 007 movie in 30 years.”
“Poorly mixing nostalgia and newfangled ‘it’s all connected!’ franchise world-building, the stitched-together Spectre will bore the living daylights out of you while threatening to render James Bond a culturally irrelevant relic of the past,” he wrote. “Pretty much everything [the movie] has to offer amounts to something that a previous Bond movie did better.”
Mark Hughes was far more kind, deeming the reel “another solid action-spectacle in the modern Bond era.” ”If you’re looking for high-quality action spectacle with a brain, then you will be pleased to know Spectre delivers the goods while taking time to allow the characters to talk and express ideas about the violent world they inhabit,” he said.
Regardless of the reviews, the film, which generated $5.25 million in ticket sales on its U.S. opening night, will likely continue to perform well at the box office—though not nearly as spectacularly as Skyfall, which drew in an unprecedented $1.1 billion internationally. “Let’s try not to go nuts if Spectre only earns $250 million domestically and/or only $800 million worldwide,” Mendelson asserted. “I think James Bond will return regardless, and I believe you know that too.”
Who will portray the master spy next is the real question. Daniel Craig—who has acted the part in the last four films—recently expressed a desire to quit the role, so a new Bond face appears to be on the horizon. In response, Hughes offered his top 10 picks for Craig’s replacement—a colorful roundup that includes two actresses and several African-American actors.
Could Emily Blunt be the next Bond?
“The point of this list is to provide a broad collection of options for all kinds of potential outcomes,” he explained. “The studios have considered people of color and women for the role of James Bond in the past, and that could happen in the future, so let’s try to be constructive in the discussion, okay?” (That said his top choice—Michael Fassbender—wholly reflects 007’s traditional look.)
A number of Forbes contributors posted articles inspired by the new-movie hype. Fans who appreciate the Bond films primarily due to the cool gadgetry can check out Ree Hines’ compilation of the seven best—and stupidest—pre-Spectre gizmos (ranging from a jetpack to a fake nipple), while watch enthusiasts can read up on Craig’s recent visit to Omega’s factory in Switzerland (where he witnessed the production of 007’s newest timepiece), and discover the backstory behind Bond’s past and present Seamasters (as told by the watch brand’s president Stephen Urquhart).
To boot, auto aficionados can enjoy Jim Gorzelany’s lineup of the most iconic 007 cars and Karl Brauer’s review of the Aston Martin DB10 from Spectre.
Other 007 stories include an intimate peek at James Bond’s 14-film love affair with Bollinger Champagne; a list of the top five most underrated Bond movies; and a behind-the-scenes look at the series’ emblematic title sequences.
Last but not least, Abram Brown’s “for-your-eyes-only financial ranking” of the 10 richest Bond villains—complete with net worth estimates determined by analyzing real-life comparable fortunes and companies—is a treat for any 007 fan. (Moonraker‘s Hugo Drax topped the list with a net worth of $7.6 billion, while Dr. No rounded it out with a reported $110 million fortune.)
Brown joked, “Final valuations are calculated with a grain of salt—in this case, shaken—and a willingness to break our own rules.”
