Reinvention of Bond It has been 50 years since the first James Bond film, Dr. No , hit the movie screens, and since then the series has become one of the most successful and iconic franchises in movie history. The image of the franchise has changed over time, constantly reinventing itself through different actors and themes. Today, we no longer see the cheesy aesthetics of the Bond films, where Bond never appears to be injured; we are now presented with a cold, emotionally broken lead character, frequently presented as harmed and in danger. With Skyfall , the film itself makes this change in style known, characters mentioning on several occasions that the old way of doing things (exploding pens certainly jump out as an example) are obsolete, replaced by a darker, marginally more realistic tone. Nevertheless, the heart of the older films is still inherent within the recent additions. Nor does the theme of reinvention appear to be stopping any time soon. Events within Skyfall make clear that the rebirth of Bond is only just beginning, and that the films to come will continue to adapt to the changing nature of films and audience desires. Perhaps this is what makes Bond so popular. The constant synthesis of new creative input combined with traditional elements of the franchise enable it to stand out as modern and fresh, yet iconic before it has even hit screens. Skyfall has already begun breaking records, and will most probably break a few more before its