# James Bond parodies, pastiches and rip-offs in the movies **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Tags:** movies\ **Created:** [May 16, 2021, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241 "2021-05-16T21:24:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/21 "2021-05-18T03:03:52Z")
> [@Dropo](#): > > _The Liquidator_ (1965) may qualify as well, but it definitely has the best fake-Bond theme. [Well, it’s in the top two.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F7KMMxAQp8I) ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 12:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/22 "2021-05-18T12:17:52Z")
In the 2002 movie xXx, Vin Diesel is playing the title character, some type of superspy infiltrating a Russian mob or something. He’s at a party hosted by the bad guys, and another spy who was either meant to be the actual James Bond or a James Bond ‘type’ shows up in a tuxedo, sticking out like a sore thumb in the ‘modern’ party crowd, and is immediately killed. The implication was clear-- James Bond is yesterday’s spy; xXx is the spy for the 21st century. ---
**Author:** ![Cardigan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardigan/32/187_2.png) [@Cardigan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cardigan)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/23 "2021-05-18T12:28:55Z")
I bet the very first parody would be the Flint movies starring James Coburn back in the 60’s ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/24 "2021-05-18T15:02:43Z")
> [@Czarcasm](#): > > The title character is based on the “Boysie Oakes” stories by John Gardner Well, Boysie Oakes was created by Gardner as the sort-of “anti-Bond”. Despite being Licensed to Kill, oakes is the opposite of Bond in so many ways. Which made it interesting that they hired Gardner to carry one the Bond novels with _License Renewed_ in 1981, and continued on for a total of sixteen (one a year). I think he’s written more James Bond novels than anyone else, Ian Fleming included. ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/25 "2021-05-18T15:50:30Z")
> [@solost](#): > > In the 2002 movie xXx, Vin Diesel is playing the title character, some type of superspy infiltrating a Russian mob or something. He’s at a party hosted by the bad guys, and another spy who was either meant to be the actual James Bond or a James Bond ‘type’ shows up in a tuxedo, sticking out like a sore thumb in the ‘modern’ party crowd, and is immediately killed. The implication was clear-- James Bond is yesterday’s spy; xXx is the spy for the 21st century. Nitpick, but that’s not _quite_ right. The “James Bond” spy is killed in the prologue, before “xXx” is recruited. It’s his failure to navigate the culture of the new wave of super-villains that provides the impetus for recruiting a new wave of super-spies, such as xXx. ---
**Author:** ![Gatopescado](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gatopescado/32/5711_2.png) [@Gatopescado](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gatopescado)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/26 "2021-05-18T16:01:14Z")
Nevermind Never Again Sorry. ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 4:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/27 "2021-05-18T16:01:43Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > Nitpick, but that’s not _quite_ right. The “James Bond” spy is killed in the prologue, Yeah, I was going by memory of a so-so movie from 2002, but that’s right, the James Bond guy was killed right away. Sounds like I did have the basic premise correct, that it was meant to be a symbolic transition from the old-school Bond type to xXx, the cool new, ‘extreme’ type of spy. ---
**Author:** ![Slithy\_Tove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slithy_tove/32/18248_2.png) [@Slithy\_Tove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slithy_Tove)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/28 "2021-05-18T16:28:08Z")
Too bad the OP mandates only theatrical films. A lot of kids’ animated TV, as well as _Lancelot Link_ to overlook. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/29 "2021-05-18T16:29:34Z")
Perhaps the OP is contemplating starting another thread on that…unless someone ninjas him, of course? 😁 ---
**Author:** ![gdave](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gdave/32/3683_2.png) [@gdave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gdave)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/30 "2021-05-18T16:32:07Z")
Yes, absolutely. Since it was an American intelligence operation, I don’t Tuxedo Guy was supposed to be James Bond specifically, but he was definitely a James Bond pastiche. His character’s death was both in-universe proof that James Bond-style super-spies were out of date for contemporary (2002) intelligence operations, and a meta-commentary that James Bond movies were out of date for contemporary movie audiences. (As to that last, _xXx_ got one sequel with a different lead that seemed to be only vaguely related to the first movie and was a box office bomb, then a direct sequel 15 years later which ignored the second movie, and played a _lot_ more like Vin Diesel’s _far_ more successful _Fast & Furious_ franchise than the original _xXx_. In that same time frame, we got Pierce Bronsnan’s last James Bond movie, then four more sequels with Daniel Craig, all box office successes, and a fifth in COVID limbo. Although I think it’s reasonable to see the Daniel Craig series as adapting James Bond to a xXx world, so maybe Tuxedo Guy shouldn’t have been killed, merely wounded, rehabbed, got plastic surgery, and come back with a new face and a new attitude…) ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/31 "2021-05-18T16:32:43Z")
> [@Cardigan](#): > > I bet the very first parody would be the Flint movies starring James Coburn back in the 60’s The _Carry On_ movie mentioned above beat Flint by a couple of years. > **[Carry On Spying | Production](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carry_On_Spying#Production)** > > Albert R. Broccoli, the producer of the James Bond film series, objected to the character name "James Bind agent 006½" (intended for Charles Hawtrey) and threatened legal action. Hence, producer Peter Rogers changed the name to Charlie and the agent's code number to double 0 – ooh! Poster artist Tom Chantrell also had to modify the film poster when similar complaints were voiced that the artwork was too similar to Renato Fratini's From Russia with Love poster. > The film pokes fun at various spy f... ---
**Author:** ![solost](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/solost/32/11776_2.png) [@solost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/solost)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 4:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/32 "2021-05-18T16:37:26Z")
Just like Goldfinger, et al, the xXx franchise found out that Bond was harder to kill than they thought. ---
**Author:** ![Czarcasm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/czarcasm/32/4050_2.png) [@Czarcasm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Czarcasm)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/33 "2021-05-18T16:44:24Z")
> [@gdave](#): > > As to that last, _xXx_ got one sequel with a different lead that seemed to be only vaguely related to the first movie and was a box office bomb, then a direct sequel 15 years later which ignored the second movie Not totally ignored-The character from the second movie shows up at the end to help save the day. ---
**Author:** ![Dropo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ce7236/32.png) [@Dropo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dropo)\ **Post date:** [May 18, 2021, 6:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/34 "2021-05-18T18:41:38Z")
_The Poppy is Also a Flower_ (1966) was an all-star, anti-drug TV movie sponsored by Xerox, introduced by Her Serene Highness Grace (Kelly) and featuring a number of Bond connections. The story - attempts to track (irradiated) heroin to bust the network supplying it - was written by Ian Fleming (he died before he could write the script); the film was directed by Terence Young – he helmed 3 of the first 5 Bond films – and it co-starred Harold “Oddjob” Sakata. Irish-born Stephen Boyd played an American narcotics agent working for the U.N. who is very Bond-like. Befitting a more real-world approach than the Bond films, Boyd ends up getting the shit beaten out of him before being murdered about 5-10 minutes into the film. Trevor Howard played another such agent. It appeared to me he was trying ape Ian Fleming in look (e.g., dapper clothes, long cigarette holder), possibly in manner as well. Echoes of the Bond films are strewn about (e.g., international locations, 2 hand-to-hand train fights, lots of babeage, etc.) perhaps qualifying it as a (semi-)pastiche. Despite its terrible reputation, I recall it being pretty entertaining. ---
**Author:** ![TreacherousCretin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/treacherouscretin/32/476_2.png) [@TreacherousCretin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TreacherousCretin)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 1:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/35 "2021-05-19T01:51:23Z")
**What’s Up, Tiger Lily?** featuring the Bondian Phil Moscowitz (“Lovable Rogue, Amiable Zany”) ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [May 19, 2021, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241/36 "2021-05-19T02:00:21Z")
> [@CalMeacham](#): > > > [@Czarcasm](#): > > > > The title character is based on the “Boysie Oakes” stories by John Gardner > > Well, Boysie Oakes was created by Gardner as the sort-of “anti-Bond”. Despite being Licensed to Kill, oakes is the opposite of Bond in so many ways. Out of curiosity, does anyone know if William Buckley named his spy character, Blackford Oakes, as an homage to Gardner’s character? [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/james-bond-parodies-pastiches-and-rip-offs-in-the-movies/942241.md?page=1)