The James Bond films aren't actually spy films are they?...

JimmyBond0129

My brother thinks, The Bourne Identity was more of a spy film than the whole Bond franchise put together. Because Mr. Bond didn't do any "spy-ish" things. But that's my brother's opinion, it's not mine.

Dmitri Mishkin

The original movies were definitely more spy-oriented. I'd say presently the movies are more about gaining intelligence and assassination. It seems very rare for Bond to gain any information without making some contact with the counter agents, so spying doesn't seem as appropriate a term. As for Bourne he fights and kills just as many or more people than Craig's Bond, and personally I can't get my head into the Bourne series. As soon as the movie is over I forget 90% of what happened, thus they have little staying power for me. Either way 007 is my number one Spy.

Loeffelholz

Kingsley Amis said it best back in the 1960s, in his book of critical analysis of the Ian Fleming novels, The James Bond Dossier: "What Bond is, obviously enough, is a secret agent."

Still and all, I think many of us would like to see Bond do more intelligence-gathering.

JimmyBond0129

I think Bond did a little intelligence-gathering in Quantum of Solace, and he even told the Canadian spy, "Have your superiors check their seals, tell them they have a leak." But apparently my brother didn't notice or remember that, he said all he cared about was the witty dialogue.

JADE66

The Bond of Ian Fleming's novels was a secret agent who often did the leg work of a spy. In FRWL he is sent to retrieve the SPEKTOR decoder. In YOLT he was assigned to secure the MAGIC 44 device from the Japanese by diplomatic means. This is the sort of work a spy does. The Bond of the films is more of an under cover commando. A spy works in secret. He or she often leads a drab non-existence which may become dangerous if he or she is discovered by the enemy. Bond's existence is anything but drab.
If anything Bond is a superspy. I'm not talking about a Hollywood hyped super hero with a gun but an intelligence agent whose work is above and far beyond that of the normal espionage officer. Bond is more Navy SEAL/SAS commando/case officer than run-of-the-mill spy.
A spy could be assigned for years to a single case. He may spend his entire career in South America or Germany or Russia, buying information, carefully stealing secrets, providing safe houses for other agents, seducing, inciting, black mailing locals.
A spy will convince disgruntled natives to betray their country. A spy will arrange for the assassination of a politician or enemy agent. A spy will not drive a gadget loaded Aston Martin, start a firefight in the middle of a foreign embassy, abseil off the side of building in broad daylight with a beautiful woman in his arms or recover stolen nuclear weapons.

While Bond does some spying from time to time I would not call him a spy nor would I call the Bond films spy films. The Bond films are action films, thrillers with a "spy" background. Bond is an action hero. And that's just fine with me. -{