Quantum of Solace, the new James Bond movie, is being released today. In honor of that, I’ve put together a list of the silliest James Bond gadgets from past movies — to remind you all of how much better the movies are when you concentrate on what Bond is doing than the gadgets. They come in two categories — he’s had so many over-the-top cars and other vehicles that they deserve their own listing:
- Lotus Esprit turns into a submarine with surface-to-air missiles (The Spy Who Loved Me)
- Aston Martin with machine guns, oil slicks, and ejector seats (Goldfinger)
- Different Aston Martin with lasers, missile launchers, retractable skis, and tire spikes (The Living Daylights)
- Motorboat disguised as crocodile (Octopussy)
- Personal jetpack (Thunderball)
- BMW that turns invisible (Die Another Day)
But then again, Bond got a whole bunch of other cool stuff over his multi-actor career, too:
- Steel-melting laser built in to wristwatch (Goldeneye, Never Say Never Again)
- Camera embedded in ring (A View to a Kill)
- Radioactive Lint (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service)
- Remote control for BMW 750 in cellular phone (Tomorrow Never Dies)
- 35mm Camera that converts to rifle (License to Kill)
- Laser gun in Polaroid camera (License to Kill)
- Flame thrower in cigarette lighter (License to Kill)
- Bullet embedded in cigarette (You Only Live Twice)
- Fake Nipple (The Man With the Golden Gun)
- Bagpipes with flamethrower and machine gun (The World Is Not Enough)
- Rocket-firing boom box (The Living Daylights)
- Dagger-in-the-shoe (From Russia With Love)
- Slot machine jackpot cheat ring (Diamonds Are Forever)
- Grenade in pen (Goldeneye)
- Bullet-deflecting magnet built in to wristwatch (Live and Let Die)
- Exploding Bola Balls (Moonraker)
Casino Royale was really fun because it was gritty, action-packed, and most of all, credible. The gadgets were fun, but htey were really silly. I’m planning on talking The Wife into seeing Quantum of Solace tonight, and hopefully it will follow suit, and rather than have any equivalent to these devices, it rely on existing and commonplace technology and have an emphasis on story, action, and sex. Mainly action. Review to follow.
