TheJames Bondfranchise is one of the longest-running and most widely acclaimed movie series of all time, and it’s inspired countless other spy films and high-stakes thrillers since its conception.Every single James Bond movieoffers something new and exciting, with many different actors portraying the character throughout the years and bringing something new to the table. It’s a franchise that’s been able to constantly reinvent itself, which is arguably why it’s stuck around for so long.
There’s an argument to be made that every single spy movie of the past few decades was inspired by James Bond to some extent - or at least by Ian Fleming’s original novels, which popularized the genre for mainstream audiences. However, there are certain movies that wear their influences more proudly than others, directly referencing Bond through their fast-paced narratives and old-fashioned tropes. Whilethe future of James Bond is somewhat unclear, these films all prove that there will always be a place for this timeless hero.
Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol
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Mission: Impossible - Ghost Protocol follows Ethan Hunt and his team as they are disavowed after being falsely accused of bombing the Kremlin. In a race against time, they pursue a terrorist named Hendricks, who threatens global security with stolen Russian nuclear launch codes, leading them on a global chase.
While it’s fair to say that the entireMission: Impossiblefranchise was inspired by James Bond on some level,Ghost Protocolis arguably the most obvious example of this. The film marks the fourth entry in this beloved action franchise, taking protagonist Ethan Hunt on a dangerous mission through the Kremlin in search of the tools that will help them prevent a nuclear war.It’s one ofthe highest-stakes stories in this franchise, and Brad Bird’s fluid direction gives it an extremely unique visual style.
James Bond’s 10 Campest Movie Moments
Although the most recent James Bond movies have been dark and gritty, the 007 franchise has a long history of delightfully campy moments.
The filmborrows a lot of narrative tropes from the James Bond franchise, from its focus on secrets and espionage to the gradual revelation that Hunt is dealing with a force much larger and more complicated than he’s initially led to believe. This is something that happens in countless Bond stories, fromMoonrakertoSpectre,and it works brilliantly here too.
True Lies
In James Cameron’s 1994 action comedy True Lies, the spy Harry Tasker (Arnold Schwarzenegger) lives a double life as a mellow computer salesman and keeps his real job secret from his wife Helen (Jamie Lee Curtis). However, she joins him when he discovers a terrorist plot to destroy America.
True Liesis one of James Cameron’s best movies, and while it may not have the epic scope of something likeAvataror the monumental filmmaking ofTitanic, it displays an excellent command of storytelling on a smaller, more intimate level. The story follows Arnold Schwarzenegger’s protagonist, a secret agent in search of missing nuclear warheads, who quickly realizes that his dangerous lifestyle is pulling his marriage apart.
Jamie Lee Curtis gives one of thestrongest performances in any of Cameron’s moviesinTrue Lies, which helps ground the story in a more personal dimension instead of running away with the theatrics of the Bond-esque narrative. This is whereTrue Liesreally diverges from the macho storytelling of Ian Fleming’s classic hero, but it’s all the better for this slight subversion.
The Bourne Identity
After waking up at sea with no memory of who he once was, Jason Bourne travels the world to discover his identity while mysterious assassins try to kill him. Matt Damon stars as Jason Bourne, a character first appearing in Robert Ludlum’s 1980 spy novel The Bourne Identity. The film was followed by The Bourne Supremacy and The Bourne Ultimatum, both of which were also adaptations of Ludlum’s work.
The Bourne Identityis the first in this long-running franchise that soon became renowned for its similarities to James Bond, and it’s arguably the strongest in the series. Introducing Matt Damon as an undercover spy who’s lost his memories,The Bourne Identityfollows his character as he learns more about where he came from and the mission that he’s supposed to be undertaking.
What’s so interesting aboutThe Bourne Identityis how effortlessly it flips the spy genre on its head, dismissing the existing tropes where action heroes are totally in control of the story and always come out on top.
What’s so interesting aboutThe Bourne Identityis how effortlessly it flips the spy genre on its head, dismissing the existing tropes where action heroes are totally in control of the story and always come out on top. Jason Bourne is a very flawed character, and for the majority of this narrative, he doesn’t even know who he is.It’s this element of mystery that separatesThe Bourne Identityfrom the Bond movies that inspired it, and it’s a key reason that it remains one of thebestJason Bournemovies.
Furious 7
Furious 7, released in 2015, follows Dominic Toretto and his team as they face a new threat from Deckard Shaw, who seeks vengeance for his comatose brother. This installment blends action and emotion, with the crew tackling challenges across thrilling landscapes while maintaining their bond and pursuit of justice.
Furious 7is a very unique entry in theFast & Furiousfranchise, clearly marking the moment that the series took a bold U-turn and completely changed its existing style. Whereas the previous movies had been more grounded, personal stories about a group of criminals whose thirst for adventure constantly got them into trouble,Furious 7is much larger in scale and draws inspiration from the Bond movies to transition this franchise into one of explosive action and espionage.
Many audiences took issue withFast & Furious’dramatic change of style, arguing that it was no longer about cars and had betrayed the long-term fans that invested themselves in this franchise over a decade prior. While that’s a slight overreaction given the excellent storytelling and memorable set pieces inFurious 7, it certainly became true when the later sequels doubled down on this high-octane, forceful storytelling.
Johnny English
Johnny English: Johnny English stars Rowan Atkinson as a bumbling MI7 agent who is unexpectedly promoted to super spy. After a series of mishaps eliminate other agents, he must retrieve stolen Crown Jewels during a high-profile exhibition. The film marks a comedic foray into espionage, blending humor with adventure.
There were countless parodies of the James Bond movies throughout the ‘90s and early 2000s, butJohnny Englishis the one that best stood the test of time. The story follows the titular spy, a brash and confident member of British intelligence, who is assigned to protect the Crown Jewels after his colleagues are all killed in action. Ironically,the film is a more obvious parody of the originalMission: Impossible- which in turn was inspired by James Bond.
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Johnny English Strikes Again
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Johnny Englishleans into the comedic, satirical side of this genre by making fun of the Bond movies and their outdated, often misogynistic tropes. English has all the confidence and bravado of somebody like Bond, but none of the street smarts to make it seem anywhere near as suave. WhileDaniel Craig played a much darker version of James Bondat the time,Johnny Englishexisted to counteract that and remind audiences of how intrinsically goofy these stories could be.
Tenet
Armed with only one word—Tenet—and fighting for the survival of the entire world, a nameless Protagonist journeys through a twilight world of international espionage on a mission that will unfold in something beyond real time.
Christopher Nolan may not initially seem like the kind of director to wear his influences so brashly on his sleeve, but the references to James Bond were used all throughoutTenet’s marketing.The film is an experimental, boundary-pushing thriller that takes the cloak-and-dagger storytelling of James Bond and applies it to a much larger, ambitious world.
Timothy Dalton’s First James Bond Movie Was Almost A Prequel To Sean Connery’s Dr. No, Breaking 007’s Timeline
Timothy Dalton’s first James Bond movie was originally developed as a prequel to the very first film, Dr. No, that would fill in 007’s origin story.
AlthoughTenetwasn’t considered one ofChristopher Nolan’s best filmsupon its release in 2020, the film has aged particularly well in the years since. It features strong performances from John David Washington and Robert Pattinson, whose characters do a great job of explaining this complex world to the audience without making it feel too expository. Nolan’s writing is sharp as ever, and while the film requires a few watches to fully understand, it’s more than worth it.
Kingsman: The Secret Service
Based on the comic book series of the same name, Kingsman: The Secret Service tells the story of rebellious teen Eggsy (Taron Egerton) as he’s inducted into a top-secret spy agency by a man codenamed Galahad (Colin Firth). After learning that billionaire Richmond Valentine (Samuel L. Jackson) plans to destroy the world, Eggsy and Galahad set out to avert international disaster and uncover widespread corruption that threatens to consume the Kingsman agency itself.
Another movie that very confidently wears its James Bond influences on its sleeve,theKingsmanfranchise is arguably the most successful “parody”of this series that exists. The film uses the melodrama of characters like James Bond as a source of comedy, making its characters much less competent and more relatable as a result.
This first installment in theKingsmanseries follows Taron Egerton’s protagonist Eggsy as he’s recruited into a secret organization of British spies who work independently to keep the country safe from external threats. Eggsy’s first mission brings him face-to-face with Samuel L. Jackson’s global terrorist, who plans to wipe out humanity in order to prevent climate change. It’s a very intense and high-stakes story, but it’s always played in a similar way toJohnny English, which manages to poke fun at James Bond through its exaggerated action and witty dialogue.
Atomic Blonde
Based on a graphic novel, Atomic Blonde stars Charlize Theron as Lorraine Broughton, an MI6 agent who is attempting to locate a sensitive list of double agent spies before it is smuggled from East to West Germany, just before the collapse of the Berlin Wall. Theron is joined by a cast that includes James McAvoy, Sofia Boutella, and John Goodman.
Atomic Blonde’s connections to James Bond aren’t as obvious as some other movies, but it’s clearly inspired nonetheless. The film centers around an MI6 spy who is sent on a mission to Berlin shortly in the late ‘80s, where she finds herself searching for a list of mysterious names of global importance.
Atomic Blondehas a great endingthat excels at subverting the audience’s expectations, which is something that James Bond has always been great at doing. The journey there is also somewhat familiar: brutal fight sequences, covert operations of total secrecy, and a romantic subplot to tie everything together.It’s a modern twist on the Bond formula,and it works brilliantly,
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy
Based on the novel of the same name by John le Carré, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy tells the story of a search for Russian spy deep within the British intelligence service, at the height of the Cold War in the 1970s.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spyis an adaptation of John le Carré’s original novel - an author whose works have long been compared to those of Ian Fleming. The two authors had very similar styles, and while Fleming’s characters were often more sensationalized while Le Carre favored more grounded stories,Tinker Tailor Soldier Spymanaged to find the best of both worlds.
Tinker Tailor Soldier Spyreceived three Oscar nominations, including Best Actor for Gary Oldman.
The film tells the story of a retired spy who’s summoned by the government to help with a case pertaining to Russian spies inside the British intelligence system. It’s a very slow, methodical story that perfectly lays the framework for what’s to come in its final act, when the story explodes in a thrilling way that’s reminiscent of Bond’s most iconic villain showdowns.
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery
Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery is the first film in Mike Myers' James Bond parody series. Myers plays both Austin Powers and Dr. Evil, arch-enemies who are frozen in time and brought back in the ’90s. The film was followed by two sequels in 1999 and 2002, with a fourth film stuck in development hell.
TheAustin Powersmovies are filled with iconic quotesand memorable jokes - to the extent that it’s easy to forget just how innovative and subversive they were for the time.These movies were the leading voice in a “James Bond parody” subgenrethat became all-too-popular in the late ‘90s, but none of them captured the style quite as effectively asInternational Man of Mystery.
The film follows Austin Powers, a British spy from the 1960s who’s woken from cryogenic sleep in the 1990s, as he’s forced to battle his old nemesis Dr. Evil one more time. Every single aspect of the film draws from some stereotype of the oldJames Bondmovies, whether it’s the protagonist’s unrequited promiscuity or the hilarious simplicity of Dr. Evil’s comically fallible plots.
