007 Golden Jubilee: Introduction

If you're reading this, happy new year! Welcome to 2012: the 50th anniversary of the James Bond film franchise! It was 50 years ago, in 1962, that Dr. No first premiered in the United Kingdom. To commemorate this milestone, I will embark on a year-long challenge to review every James Bond film. Now, since I'm concerned with my previous film reviews being too long-winded, I'll do things a little differently this time around. Instead of boring you with a detailed plot synopsis dotted with critical commentary here and there, I'll instead focus on the elements that have shaped the franchise's identity. You'll still get quick plot summaries, but stuff like the Bond Girls, the villains, the gadgets, and the locations will get their own analyses.

Quick links to the reviews are available below:

• Dr. No (1962)
• From Russia With Love (1963)
• Goldfinger (1964)
• Thunderball (1965)
• You Only Live Twice (1967)
• On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
• Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
• Live And Let Die (1973)
• The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
• The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
• Moonraker (1979)
• For Your Eyes Only (1981)
• Octopussy (1983)
• Never Say Never Again (1983)
• A View To A Kill (1985)
• The Living Daylights (1987)
• Licence To Kill (1989)
• GoldenEye (1995)
• Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
• The World Is Not Enough (1999)
• Die Another Day (2002)
• Casino Royale (2006)
• Quantum Of Solace (2008)
• Skyfall (2012)