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Bruce Hall: Oh goody...with the possible exception of Star Trek you won't find a franchise I am more familiar with, so getcha popcorn ready.

Bond's enduring popularity is obvious; each film in the series has grossed more than the last, and not one of them has made less than $270 million worldwide, adjusted for inflation. This is pretty significant when you consider that six very different men have (officially) played the lead, there are (unofficially) more bad Bond films than good ones, and that by as early as 1970 even Don Draper might have called the tone of the series "dated". But the carefree, rock 'em, sock 'em tenor of the franchise has always made for perfect escapist fun, and there's probably some truth to the slogan that every man wants to be him, and every woman wants to be WITH him.

As far as my personal views on the series I'll say that my favorite Bond films are, in order: From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Casino Royale, Goldfinger, Skyfall, The Spy Who Loved Me, Dr. No, and Live and Let Die (cheesy yes, but Roger Moore was VERY effective in his debut).

As far as my least favorites, I'd have to say it's a toss up between Die Another Day and Diamonds Are Forever. Diamonds is technically the worse film, but Die Another Day uses the same effing MacGuffin (and Madonna), which are two things I just can't abide. I also hate Moonraker, for reasons that should be obvious to any one who's seen it. The Man With the Golden Gun stakes its entire plot on the idea of a world famous secret agent whose face is known to everyone, which is beyond asinine. You Only Live Twice is almost a comedy, with Sean Connery traipsing around Japan "disguised" as a six foot three Asian man with pancake makeup and a Scottish accent. A View To A Kill made me want to put Roger Moore out of his geriatric, saggy titted misery. Tomorrow Never Dies is a two hour facepalm. And Octopussy?

Two words: Clown Bond.

My favorite Bond is Daniel Craig. He and Connery perhaps come closest to the Bond of the novels, but Craig is the better actor. Connery however, at his best, was obviously iconic. I disagree with those who say Lazenby was terrible. Yes, he had no previous acting experience and at times it shows, but I'd still say he was a diamond in the rough. Had he given himself time to grow into the role (he wasn't fired; he quit) things might have been different for him. He was more physical than Connery, yet had the same natural impudence about him. My first exposure to Bond was Roger Moore, so while he has a special place in my heart and I respect him as a person, his effete, prancing take on the character is, in retrospect, almost offensive. Timothy Dalton may have been miscast but may also be underrated - I find his glowering, dead serious take on Bond to be quite prescient, what with Daniel Craig still in high school at the time. I quite liked Brosnan in the role, but the mostly poor quality of his catalogue means that Entitled Frat Boy Bond probably won't stand the test of time.

I think the character is currently in good hands, and despite the uneven nature of the series and its performances, we wouldn't be where we are today without them all. It's been a great ride, and I look forward to the next 50 years.

And yes, I do plan to live that long.

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