Shaken Not Stirred:

The Best James Bond Parodies

Article By: Dan Clark

Our look into Bond continues but this time it’s with a little twist. They say you only make fun of the ones you love, and if that is the case many people love James Bond.  When something has such a prestigious legacy like James Bond it becomes instant material for parody. With so many motifs and common themes it provides a near endless amount of comedic material. The parodies started shortly after Bond debuted and continue to this day.  Some have been great while others have been rather forgettable.  I sifted through them all to pick out the best, most unique, and some you may find rather interesting. This list isn’t meant to be in any type of order, but I did try to save what I feel is the best for last.

Chip ‘n Dale Rescue Rangers

A big part of my childhood was The Disney Afternoon that had such classics as Gummi Bears, Duck Tale, Talespin, and of course Chip n’ Dale Rescue Rangers. If you are anything like me I guarantee you are singing the theme song right now in your head, or perhaps you are a real player and you are singing it out loud at the top of your lungs.  Don’t be ashamed it’s something to be proud of.  Anyways one episode that stuck out in my mind was “Double O’Chipmunk”. In the episode Dale became a James Bond like character armed with his own gadgets. At the time when I first watched it I had no idea it was a parody of James Bond, but now looking back as an adult I can appreciate what they were doing on another level.  There are those certain properties that are so popular you often are exposed to their parodies far before you can experience the original. That certainly is  the case with James Bond as this list proves.

The Man Called Flintstone

This year I came down with James Bond fever and tried to consume as much knowledge about the character as possible. One piece that completely shocked me was this film. I was unaware that The Flintstones even released a feature length film in the 60’s, and even more unaware it was a parody of James Bond. It was like finding a diamond inside a gold mine. On paper this mash up seems a bit odd. I never would have pegged Fred Flintstone as the James Bond type, but I guess Wilma does have the makings for a perfect Bond girl.

Johnny English

I kind of hate to admit this but I saw this film in theaters long before I saw an actual James Bond movie in theaters. If you are wondering what that cold breeze is it’s the accumulation of the force created by the mass amount of shaking heads I just caused.  Rowan Atkinson stars as Johnny English, a MI7 agent who makes Roger Moore look like Clint Eastwood on a bad day. I was unaware of how big of a hit this series actually was. While it never hit home with American audiences it did gang busters overseas.  So maybe I’m not alone in my shame.

Myth Busters

Bond has been tested time and time again in a number of different ways. Although none of those tests were quite like the Myth Busters. They reviewed the validity of a number of different iconic Bond moments to see if in fact they could happen. If you ever wondered if it was possible to flip a car over simply by using an ejector seat they answered that questions for you. Personally I was surprised to see what turned out to be fact and what was a complete myth. It showed Bond is always full of surprises.

Saturday Night Live

When you have two properties like James Bond and Saturday Night Live the chances are they will meet on occasion. There have been a number of James Bond inspired sketches on SNL, some of course are better than others.  You have everything from a parody of the poker scene in Casino Royale, to James Franco playing Agent 420, to the immortal Steve Martin showing us what happens when James Bond loses his expense account. Daniel Craig even hosted SNL earlier this year.

Metal Gear 

If you crossed Solid Snake and James Bond what do you get? Well Metal Gear Solid almost gave us an answer. If you play  the game on a third playthrough Sold Snake actually wears a James Bond like tuxedo.  In addition the song in Metal Gear Solid 3: Sneak Eater is heavily influenced by classic James Bond themes. Bond tends to show its head in this series again and again.

Archer

Though James Bond has turned 50 it has not slowed down the number of parodies. The current FX show Archer is a spy spoof that plays out a number of common Bond tropes. While Bond provided the framing device or Archer it also  touches on a number of different topics that make it raunchily hilarious.

Inspector Gadget

Similar to Rescue Rangers,  Inspector Gadget was a Bond spoof that I did not pick up on at time. I wouldn’t consider Inspector Gadget himself a spoof of James Bond, more so an acclimation of all the crazy Q gadgets. The obvious influence comes in the raspy Dr. Claw. The white cat and hidden face is an obvious reference to the classic Bond villain Blofeld. I’m not sure what it is but petting a cat slowly in your lap is the definition of evil.

Danger Mouse

Before Rescue Rangers and Inspector Gadget there was Danger Mouse. Personally Danger Mouse was not a big part of my childhood and I didn’t really become aware of him until later in life. Danger Mouse is set to be the world’s greatest secret agent. So secret in fact his codename has a codename. His boss is named Colonel K similar to M for Bond, and his arch nemesis has a white harry caterpillar similar to Blofeld’s cat. Danger Mouse is one of the earliest and best cartoons to use the Bond influence.

The Muppets/Muppet Babies

When writing this portion all I can think of  is what a travesty it is that The Muppet Babies isn’t on DVD. It just seems wrong. Similar to Saturday Night Live when you have something that has been as relevant as long as The Muppets and James Bond they are bound to cross paths. Roger Moore once appeared on The Muppet Show back when he was the current James Bond, and Shirley Bassey even sang “Goldfinger” on one episode. The Muppet Babies also referenced Bond on a few occasions.  One moment included Baby Piggy playing the role of a Bond like vixen named Octopiggy. Though I think Miss Piggy is better suited for a Bond villain than a Bond Girl. Baby Gonzo also got into the act playing Dr. Nose, a take on the classic Bond villain Dr. No.

Mad Magazine

If something is popular Mad Magazine has spoofed  it at one time. People often forget just how influential Mad Magazine was at one time. It is doubtful it could ever garner that attention again, but you have to give it credit for creating some of the best Bond spoofs and parodies of all time.

Spy Hard

Spy Hard is not Leslie Nielsen’s finest hour. The glamour of Airplane! and The Naked Gun series were all but gone when this was released, and this film didn’t do much to change that fact. While I agree that Spy Hard is not a good movie there are a couple of moments that have stuck with me. It does feel like a failed opportunity. Leslie Nielsen playing James Bond should be comedy gold, but it never lives up to its potential.

Robot Chicken

Robot Chicken has parodied everything in geek culture so of course it would include James Bond on its list of targets. One of the better moments was in the segment titled “Never Say Goy!”. In that segment we see what James Bond would be like if he was Jewish.  It even included a Star of David like gun barrel sequence.  Another notable segment was ‘Christmas Break’ that parodies the film The World is Not Enough.

West Wing

This is one of my personal favorites. West Wing is one favorite television shows of all time, and one of the last places I would expect a James Bond homage. This one is a little different as President Jed Barlet questions why James Bond really orders his classic drink. Ever since I’ve watched this episode I’ve look at the line, “Shaken Not Stirred”, a little bit differently.

OSS 117

Director Michel Hazanavicius and actor Jean Dujardin made a name for themselves in America last year with the Best Picture winner The Artist. Much of the world was already aware of their existence due to the 0SS 117 series. If you watch the older James Bond films you will notice how racially insensitive and sexist they were. You become to realize just how different the world was back then.  This series defiantly takes notice as agent 0SS 117 is still stuck in that time period with the same mindset. Both films in the series are currently streaming on Netflix so I advise you give them a shot. (Well if you don’t mind subtitles)

The Simpsons

Name something, anything, go head do it. I almost guarantee The Simpsons has made fun of it in some brilliant way.  One of the all time best Bond parodies was watching Homer Simpson work for a James Bond like villain. It classic Simpsons style the moment was brief and amazing. The Simpsons has lost a lot of its good will in the last few years, but its moments like this that remind you how great it once was.

James Pond

James Pond was a platform video game series that was first released around 1990. The success of the game was so large it spawned two sequels and one spin-off game. Many of the games levels are spoofs of classic Bond films, like “License to Bubble”, “A View to a Spill”, and “Lead and Let Die”. The main villain of the game was Doctor Maybe, an obvious spoof of Dr. No. I hope Weird Al will do a novelty song based on this game called, “Doctor ‘Call Me’ Maybe”.  (I can feel the virtual tomatoes being thrown at me right now for that horrific pun)

Weird Al Yankovic : “Spy Hard”

Speaking of Weird Al he did the title song for the film Spy Hard that I mentioned earlier. The song was orginaly released on the B-side of the “Gump” single. For those who don’t know what a B-side is…I hate you and all your youngness.  It was later re-released as its own single. The music video parodies a classic  James Bond title sequence.

Austin Powers

Perhaps the most successful James Bond parody would be the Austin Powers trilogy. It also spawned an endless amount of Austin Powers impersonators, which it can never be forgiven for. Almost all the classic James Bond characters were touched upon in some way. Some were so spot on you can no longer separate it from the real incarnation. That is a sign of a great parody. When it becomes bigger than what it parodied.

Get Smart

While Austin Powers may be the most successful Bond spoof the easy winner for the best is the uproarious entertaining Get Smart television series. Don Adams as Maxwell Smart is one best television characters of all time. The running jokes and visual gags still hold up all these years later. It was meant to mesh the worlds of a James Bond film and Mel Brooks comedy, and that oddball combination work perfectly in tandem. When this premiered in 1965 doing a James Bond parody was common place. There is a reason why this stood out and so many others have been forgotten. All you need to do is watch an episode to figure out why.