James Bond Essay, Research Paper

?And this I am Especially Proud of?

- Q

Introduction – Throughout the years, the weapons and gadgets that have come from the hands of the Q Branch, has never turned James Bond down, they are the coolest and are the best in spy paraphernalia.

I.Bond?s choice of equipment

A.Walther PPK

B.Aston Martin DB5

C.Watches

II.Comparison to some spy gadgets of the army

A.Bond?s popular equipment

B.Military?s popular equipment

III.As technology continues to grow

A.Weapons will get better

1.Equipment from newer movies

a.Goldeneye

b.Tomorrow Never Dies

B.Gadgets of the older movies

C.Other items of Q?s Lab

IV.What do we expect of Bond

A.More high tech weapons and gadgets

B.A new head for the Q Branch

C.A lot more excitement

Conclusion – Finally, the weapons and gadgets of James Bond will still continue to astonish the entire world, and it will still do so as many more films are produced in the near future.

?And this I am Especially Proud of?

- Q

?I think we?ve met.? These were the words of James Bond as he stepped into his talking BMW 750IL during the movie Tomorrow Never Dies. Throughout the years, the weapons and gadgets that have come from the hands of the Q Branch, has never turned James Bond down, they are the coolest and are the best in spy paraphernalia. If someone would try to compare Bond?s gadgets to gadgets of the military, Bond would win ten to one.

Of course, as technology changed and time passed, the Q Branch developed better equipment, but many of the classic gadgets are still obsolete in a technology driven world we live in today. For example, Bond?s old Aston Martin DB5 can out run a Ferrari 355 F1 Spider that was demonstrated in the movie Goldeneye. (Ultimate James Bond Page http:jmsbond.tripod.com) As the James Bond story continues, the better and better the gadgets will get. The best thing about the gadgets of the Q Branch is that they will always be unique.

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Probably the only weapon James Bond will never forget is his trusty handgun. His Walther PPK has stayed by his side since

he was injured when his old berretta jammed during a mission. The PPK stands for Polizei Pistole Kriminal and was made by Waffenfabric Walther of Zella Mehlis. (Blair and Tarassuk 379) It used a 7.2-millimeter bullet and the gun has also been called the Walther PP7. It is enclosed in a strong steel casing and packs a punch like a brick being thrown at a window. Another reason why it is a choice for James Bond is that it can be fitted with a silencer that reduces the noise of the gun for those really discreet missions.

Next, if you are the world?s most sophisticated secret agent, then you better drive like it. That is why Bond drives an Aston Martin. (The Complete James Bond Interactive Dossier) This England based company that is owned by Jaguar Motor Company has been making very fast and luxurious sports cars for the past century. This beautiful gold DB5 is the first car that he was received in the movie ?Goldfinger?. (The Complete James Bond Interactive Dossier) It had a bullet proof screen in the rear, tire shredders that came out of the wheel, machine guns in the headlights, and a passenger ejection seat that was controlled by a hidden button in the gear shift knob. Bond has also driven other cars such as his Lotus Espirit, that could turn into a

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submarine, machine guns in the license plate, and a self destruct for all car burglars. The Aston Martin Volante was another famous vehicle Bond used. (Ultimate James Bond Page http://jmsbond.tripod.com) It had a police signal scanner, rocket boosters for those tense moments, cutting lasers in the wheels, and could be converted to a snow mobile which the flick of a button. Now to the cars of the future, starting with the BMW Z3, that was driven in the movie ?Goldeneye?. It had a beautiful Atlantic Blue color that was completely mesmerizing. (Internet BMWUSA) It also had a self-destruct mode and stinger missiles in the headlights, but they were not used. The second edition to Bond?s BMW collection was his fully armed and armored BMW 750IL in the ?Tomorrow Never Dies?. (BMW USA www.bmwusa.com) This car had spikes hidden inside the rear bumper, missiles in the sunroof, bulletproof glass, wire cutter in the BMW emblem. To top all of this off, Bond had the luxury of leather and wood grain in the interior to put the final touches of this popular automobile. Currently in the movie ?The World is not enough,? Bond sports the new BMW Z8 roadster that is about to be released as a production car in the U.S. in the upcoming month. (BMW USA www.bmwusa.com)

Secondly, if you are a top class secret agent you need to dress like one too. That is why you do not see just anything on

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Bond?s wrist, only the best. One famous watch was Bond?s Rolex that was modified by the Q Branch. It contained a very powerful magnet that could deflect a bullet and also had a bezel that spun around very fast, so it could be used as saw. (The Ultimate James Bond Page http://jmsbond.tripod.com) In later missions, the Q Branch began to cut back in fine equipment, because of one reason. Bond never brought the item back in one piece! His second watch was a Seiko. It was able to receive messages and printed out on a small thin piece of paper. Bond?s second Seiko watch had a plastic explosive built right inside of it, so that it could be easily used when things got desperate. Then all of a sudden, the Q Branch started to use top class equipment. It was as if they had won the lotto. In the movie ?Goldeneye?, Bond received an Omega watch that is just loaded with dozens of toys. It could detonate mines, contained a cutting laser, and a tiny explosive that could be used to break windows or other glass items. The best thing about this watch was that Bond actually brought it back, and it was still on his wrist.

One unique thing about a group of Bond?s equipment is that they are simple and are completely ingenious. Some examples from this group was a manta ray cover that could be used under water so that he wouldn?t be detected by radar. Another gadget Q produced, were two cast like mechanisms that could be lethal

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weapon when used. One was a cast of a leg that was a rocket, and a cast of an arm the split in half, smashing anything on the side of it. Finally, a classic gadget was the alligator submarine. This full size alligator transported Bond across rivers during the movie ?Octo*censored*?.

Now many people believe that the army and other organizations of the U.S. also have these spy gadgets like Bond, but that may not be completely true. Currently, most of the top equipment of the army are compact night vision glasses that are being produced for missions in the night. As you can see, Bond is way passed the stage of night vision. He has gadgets ranging from a rifle in a ski pole to an X-Ray safe cracker. For example, plastic explosives can come in many forms, but in a tube of Dentonite toothpaste and is detonated by a pack of cigarettes. Of course like Q said, ?Use Sparingly,? this toothpaste will blow the teeth out of anyone who gets in its way. No one else would like to take pictures than James Bond with his new Hasselblad wide format camera/sniper rifle. The viewfinder was used as a scope and the barrel was attached to the lens that guaranteed a Kodak moment every time. For all writers, a nice Parker pen that was also a class three grenade, guaranteed to give that person a writers block for a long time. All it took was three simple clicks to arm and another two to

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disarm. Just don?t catch yourself writing without an arm! For those times Bond has been captive, nothing has been better than a Mont Blanc fine writing instrument. People always get angry when ink squirts out of fountain pens, but what if it is a highly corrosive acid? Finally, for those daring escapes, Bond is equipped with a rappelling belt that has a special high tech wire that is no thinner that a piece of yarn and can hold the weight of two people.

As time passes so does technology, and in a world we live in today technology changes everyday. As more Bond films are made the better equipment there will be also. If you compared the gadgets from the first movie ?Goldfinger?, to the newest ?The World is not enough? you can see a major step in technology, but one thing will never change. The perfect craftsmanship that Q and the Q Branch puts on every piece of equipment that comes to their lab. You will also soon be seeing a new Q. The current Q died in a tragic accident in London just a month ago right after the release of ?The World is not enough.? Another thing you will never miss in Bond films is the excitement, and that will always stay true. Finally, the weapons and gadgets of James Bond will still continue to astonish the entire world, and it will still do so as many more films are produced in the near future.

Blair, Cluade and Tarassuk Leonid. ?The Complete Encyclopedia of Arms and Weapon?

Crown Publisher 1929: 379

The Complete James Bond Interactive Dossier ?Gadgets Section? (CD-Rom) 1996

The Complete James Bond Interactive Dossier ?Vehicles Section? (CD-Rom) 1996

The Ultimate James Bond Site. ?Quotes and Gadgets? Online.Internet. 14 March 2000 available Http://www.007.com

BMW USA ?Build Your BMW, Z3? Online.Internet. 1 March 2000

Available Http://www.bmwusa.com

?Tomorrow Never Dies.? Movie. MGM Studios and United Artists 1997

?Goldeneye.? Movie. MGM Studios and United Artists 1994

007-The Ultimate James Bond Page. ?Quotes and Q Branch? Online.Internet. 1 March 2000 Available Http://jmsbond.tripod.com