After a recent rewatch of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, I can safely say that while George Lazenby wasn’t the best actor to portray James Bond (not by a long shot), he certainly played the most fashion-forward version of the character.

Recently Played: 007 Legends (2012)

Comfort food. That's the best way to describe 007 Legends, at least in terms of gameplay. It won't win any awards for innovation--it shamelessly rips off the ultra-linear, set piece-driven Call of Duty formula--but it's simple and familiar enough to serve its purpose.

That purpose is to guide players through slightly condensed re-tellings of five of James Bond's most famous adventures (one for each pre-Craig performer, though Craig is treated as the sole 007 here)--in commemoration, one assumes, of the fiftieth anniversary of the franchise's big screen debut.

I qualify the above statement only because--initially, at least--the Mission Select screen left me questioning the developers' cinematic tastes. Generally speaking, there's a certain logic behind the material they chose to adapt. It's hard to argue with Goldfinger, a perennial fan favorite and codifier of many of the series' rules and conventions (I personally prefer From Russia with Love, but that already inspired a disappointing video game). What Lazenby's turn as the suave super-spy may have lacked in quantity, it more than makes up for in quality; no tribute to Bond's career would be complete without the tragic On Her Majesty's Secret Service--if for nothing else, then for its inclusion of arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld (evoking both Donald Pleasence and Telly Savalas in this particular incarnation) at his most diabolical. I even understand the reasoning behind Die Another Day: it's the only Brosnan film that never made the leap to a home console (the beloved Goldeneye 64 was even recently remade for the current generation). But Moonraker? Why not The Spy Who Loved Me, which is widely considered Moore's least obnoxious outing? Dr. No's fiftieth anniversary only rolls around once; don't waste this opportunity on a movie that's only slightly more dignified than A View to a Kill! And Licence to Kill? I know Dalton's sophomore effort has its supporters, but its limited budget makes it look like a Cannon Production; wouldn't The Living Daylights better fit the interactive medium?

As the narrative began to unfold, however, the pieces gradually fell into place. The game opens with the recent Skyfall trailer's most striking moment: Bond, accidentally shot by an ally, plunges into an icy blue abyss. As he slowly sinks, frigid water filling his lungs, his life flashes before his eyes--a life defined by trauma, regret, failure. The very first image players see upon gaining control is the gold-painted corpse of Jill Masterson, slain for her association with 007. As in the original version of the tale, this sets the tone for the ensuing action: "This time, it's personal." Following Goldfinger with the one-two punch of OHMSS (the death of Tracy) and Licence to Kill (the maiming of Felix Leiter) only reinforces the themes of loss and revenge. "So," I said to myself, "they're re-examining the mythos, finding the deeper emotional truths that make these stories resonate."

And then the developers wrap up the experience with Die Another Day and Moonraker, two silly, embarrassing romps that feel no less silly or embarrassing when you're the one steering the action. There is no greater significance to be discovered here, no hidden meaning that  will cause longtime Bond enthusiasts to view their hero in a new light. The previous character development is abandoned in favor of poorly-designed car chases and frustrating zero-gravity combat, leaving behind little more than yet another generic shooter liberally seasoned with nostalgia that will only appeal to the most diehard 007 fanatics.

Pure comfort food.

[My third post celebrating Movie Bond's fiftieth birthday.]

Post 1: My Top 5 Bond Films

Post 2: Dr. No (Novel)

My Top Five 007 Adventures

5. Goldfinger

There's a good reason so many fans call the franchise's third entry their all-time favorite: director Guy Hamilton dragged the series in an exciting new direction, and in the process single-handedly established the Bond Formula. The humorous banter between 007 and the long-suffering Quartermaster (played by the incomparable Desmond Llewellyn) sets the tone for many meetings to come. Jaws (The Spy Who Loved Me), Tee Hee (Live and Let Die), and Mr. Stamper (Tomorrow Never Dies) all owe their existence to the taciturn Oddjob and his razor-edged hat. And, most importantly, Goldfinger's agonizingly-slow Laser of Doom begins a proud tradition of needlessly-elaborate death traps--though in this case, our hero has to bluff his way to freedom. And while I personally find Pussy Galore's character arc a bit... problematic, I simply cannot resist the magnetic pull of such a perfectly-structured story.

4. Goldeneye

"I think you're a sexist, misogynist dinosaur. A relic of the Cold War."

In her debut as the new, no-nonsense M, Dame Judi Dench voices the question on every viewer's mind: Once he's divorced from the historical context which spawned him, can James Bond still be relevant? His swaggering, hard-drinking, Playboy-style brand of espionage is undeniably a product of the '50s and '60s; does it have a place in a world in which the Iron Curtain has fallen? The film's one real weakness is that, after a certain point, director Martin Campbell abandons his revisionist premise and gets back to business as usual.

3. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

"We have all the time in the world."

One bullet, one heartbreaking line of dialogue--one hell of a cruel ending. But the shocking death of Bond's new bride isn't all that makes this sixth cinematic outing one of the most memorable; its grounded approach is a refreshing antidote to the excesses of You Only Live Twice (volcano lairs, ninja armies, etc). Only narrative context prevents it from climbing higher on the list. Fleming's novel finds 007 still mourning the tragic death of Vesper Lynd (Casino Royale), lending his relationship with Teresa di Vicenzo real emotional weight. No matter how faithfully director Peter Hunt tries to adapt the tale, its awkward placement in the Eon series' continuity diminishes this compelling sense of inner-pain and vulnerability.

2. From Russia with Love

Like the book it's based on, the second Bond movie devotes a healthy chunk of screen time to stacking the odds against our hero, introducing one formidable foe after another: soulless assassin Red Grant, cold and cunning Rosa Klebb, and stunning (but unwitting) femme fatale Tatiana Romanova. The filmmakers even manage to somehow improve upon Fleming's plot by making it more convoluted: shrewd, cat-stroking puppet master Ernst Stavro Bolfeld, here making his first appearance, plans to manipulate both the British and the Russians, shame and eliminate the meddlesome 007, and walk away with the highly-coveted Lektor device. The result is a suspenseful, sprawling, and thoroughly entertaining roller coaster ride through the world of counterintelligence.

1. Casino Royale

"But you are so wrong! Even after I slaughter you and your little girlfriend, your people will still welcome me with open arms, because they need what I know."

Thus the sadistic Le Chiffre, gleefully finishing the work that Goldfinger started way back in '64, rubs salt in a defiant 007's crippling wounds. Here is a loyal agent who bottled up his anger and aggression (glimpsed in the explosive opening action sequence), who stared into the eyes of a remorseless terrorist banker and resisted the urge to put a bullet right between them, who valiantly refused to break under torture--and all of that suffering could very well amount to nothing, because his superiors consider the possibility of an enemy's cooperation more important. That is the hard truth Bond must face in this excellent series reboot--that his life is worth less than a fingernail clipping from Her Majesty's pinky.

[A special post celebrating James Bond's 50th Birthday.]