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  1. I am perpetually amused and flabbergasted by how similar we are in so many ways, and how very opposite when it comes to Bond. Thirty years ago, during the Dalton era, I was all for a more grounded Bond, but these days I’ve come to realize that I actually prefer a more escapist and admittedly more cartoonish one. Especially these days, when the world is what it is and so many of our entertainment franchises are trying so desperately hard to be taken SERIOUSLY.

    It’s not that I dislike Craig, or even have much criticism of his films.They’re well made, for the most part (although I LOATHE Bond and Blofeld having any sort of familial connection whatsoever, and I still can’t tell you what Quantum of Solace was actually about, or what Saffin’s goal actually was). But I’ve just never warmed to this cycle of Bond films, as much as I’ve wanted to. I think a big issue for me isn’t that Craig’s Bond yearns for a normal life, it’s that he never seemed to NOT want a normal life. As you point out, he was always chafing against the job. So… why did he take it in the first place? And how is it interesting for the viewer to keep watching a dude who doesn’t want to be there (much like Craig himself, it sometimes seemed). I think if we’d had just ONE regular Bond mission film, Craig at his Bondian peak so to speak, then I would’ve bought an arc toward being fed up with it all. But we never got that. I consider that a flaw in the storytelling across these five films. I also think the Craig cycle was heavily informed by the popularity of the Bourne films and the drubbing Die Another Day took from the critics; the reboot always felt reactionary to me, like Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson were blindsided and kind of desperately reaching for… something.

    I don’t know… if I was in charge of things, the franchise would probably be in trouble, because it’s more clear to me all the time that my personal tastes are no longer in line with the rest of the public’s. But I can say this: I just don’t enjoy the Craig films that much, and the only ones I feel likely to view again are Casino and Skyfall. I have no compulsion to add NTTD to my collection, which is startling to me because I have ALL the others.

    As for where the franchise goes next, I think it’s highly unlikely to be a period piece, and somewhat less unlikely to be a woman or person of color as Bond. I don’t see them going with the “James Bond is just a title” angle either; too much potential confusion, too meta for all but the hardcore Bond fans. I could see them continuing on as if Bond didn’t die in this one, just kind of skipping that bit. But honestly, I think another full-blown reboot is most likely. Maybe not back to the origin story, but a new actor, a new tone, a new thematic emphasis, and a storyline that doesn’t reference the Craig films. Whether the franchise will return to the more lighthearted and episodic flavor will be interesting to see. But I think either way, the Craig cycle is going to stand as a singularity in the franchise.

    My two cents, for what they’re worth.

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