Glamorized Spy Film
A type of spy film, epitomized by Ian Fleming's famous James Bond series of the early ‘60s. Made exclusively for escapist entertainment, these films focus on a suave, skilled and unbeatable superspy protagonist, always male (though The Long Kiss Goodnight offered a feminist rebuttal), hero battling super villains in exotic locations. Until the end of the Cold War, these villains were often communists threatening to take over or blow up the world, and since then badguys have varied from terrorists, to religious zealots to technology-obsessed criminals. The hero, however, has remained the same since the first Bond film, Dr. No, set the formula in stone. He is witty, very intelligent, athletic and handsome, works without a partner, and is never too busy stopping master criminals to pause and have a brief affair with a sexy leading lady. His cause is usually helped by an assortment of technological gadgets, weapons, and vehicles that he'll use during an explosive, stunt-filled action setpiece during the film (usually during the climax when he faces off against the supervillain). The superspy always defeats the villain, restoring temporary peace to the world. His reward, of course, is that he always gets the girl. Straight examples of this model are Danger: Diabolik, Eye of the Needle and True Lies. More entertaining, however, are the numerous pictures and television series that emerged to spoof the conventions, cliches and stereotypes of these silly superspy films. Among them: James Coburn's Our Man Flint series, the Get Smart TV series, Top Secret!, Austin Powers: International Man of Mystery and the specific James Bond parody, Casino Royale.
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