Bonding to Bond

Olga Kurylenko stars in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure “Quantum of Solace.”

Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure “Quantum of Solace.”

Daniel Craig stars in the newest James Bond flick, “Quantum of Solace,” opening Friday in theaters.

Daniel Craig and Olga Kurylenko star in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure “Quantum of Solace.”

Daniel Craig stars as James Bond in Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Pictures/Columbia Pictures/EON Productions’ action adventure “Quantum of Solace.”

Why is it that 46 years after James Bond first appeared on the silver screen in “Dr. No,” the British spy still captivates audiences worldwide? Why is the latest Bond installment, “Quantum of Solace,” an almost guaranteed box office hit?

It’s because men, even across the pond in Clark County, want to be Bond and women want the success and glamour he represents, says Pavithra Narayanan, assistant professor in the English department at Washington State University Vancouver.

Even in the Northwest, where we tend to renounce the formality Anglophiles crave, the fact that Bond is British is a bonus. We feel less silly enjoying a mindless action flick if it has the air of sophistication a British accent confers, Narayanan said.

Narayanan, who specializes in film and women’s studies, is teaching a popular culture course in the spring where she’ll examine what gives Bond, as well as characters such as Jason Bourne, Rocky Balboa and Indiana Jones, such enduring appeal.

Bond differs from Bourne, Ethan Hunt and other franchise protagonists because he doesn’t really evolve, Narayanan said. That predictability doesn’t seem to bother fans, though.

The Bond franchise has been able to successfully make basically the same movie over and over, Narayanan said.

The details and supporting characters vary, but the formula remains the same: a secret service agent is sent on a mission of global importance, and he succeeds. Along the way he encounters beautiful women, fast cars and nifty gadgets.

Sexism, imperialism and xenophobia run throughout the Bond movies, but people don’t have to agree with the spy’s politics to enjoy the escapist pleasure the films offer, Narayanan said.

Most Bond movies stick to surface-level entertainment, but recently “Casino Royale” revealed a Bond audiences could relate to on a deeper level.

Throughout the series Bond has eschewed monogamy, bedding and leaving a litany of women. In “Casino Royale,” we see a softer side of Bond.

Bond falls for a fellow agent, Vesper, but later learns she’s a double agent; the treachery costs her her life.

“Casino Royale,” which came out in 2006 and starred Daniel Craig, was the 21st official Bond movie, but it was based on Ian Fleming’s first novel. So chronologically, that movie introduced audiences to Bond and helped explain why he is unable to form meaningful attachments to women, Narayanan said.

After Vesper’s betrayal, it’s easier to understand why Bond wouldn’t embrace monogamy, she added.

“Quantum of Solace” picks up right where “Casino Royale” left off, with Bond gunning for the organization he blames for Vesper’s death.

Narayanan’s point about the universal allure of Bond resonates even with the casual fan at WSUV.

“Every guy wants to be Bond,” says Blake Hunter, a senior and business administration major from Vancouver. “Not only is he this special agent that has the cool gadgets and takes down the bad guy, but he gets the girl at the same time.”

Hunter’s favorite Bond movies are “GoldenEye” and the Sean Connery installments, but “Casino Royale” helped put them in perspective.

“Casino Royale” has “connected more dots for me between that and the later movies,” Hunter said. “It showed how he started in the whole business, why he’s so into being a special agent, his motivation for going after the bad guy and putting his life at risk.”

In “Quantum of Solace” Bond’s mission is personal, which could bring added intensity to the film.

“It’s not just this good guy out to save the world,” Hunter said. “He has a personal vendetta.”

Hunter looks forward to seeing how “Quantum of Solace” follows “Casino Royale’s” more probing treatment of Bond and advances the franchise.

“I hope it is what it can be,” Hunter said. “I hope it sticks with the tradition and has plenty of action.”

— “Quantum of Solace” is the 22nd official James Bond movie in the EON Productions franchise. It’s the second to star Daniel Craig as Bond.

— The theme song for “Quantum of Solace,” “Another Way to Die,” is the first time two artists have performed a Bond movie title song as a duet. It’s sung by Jack White and Alicia Keys.

— “Quantum of Solace’s” release coincides with the centenary of the birth of James Bond creator Ian Fleming.

— “Quantum of Solace” gets its title from an Ian Fleming short story.

— “Quantum of Solace” marks the first time since “You Only Live Twice” (1967) that Bond doesn’t introduce himself with the catchphrase “Bond, James Bond.”

— With a running time of 106 minutes, “Quantum of Solace” is the shortest James Bond movie in the EON Productions’ official series.