Over the years, I have had the opportunity to see all the films, and with the recent release of "Quantum of Solace," I began thinking about how each actor interpreted the character of James Bond 007. The following is a summation of my thoughts on the subject.

In his one role as the most famous spy, George Lazenby was dull and flat, and lacked screen charisma.

Sean Connery was the quintessensial Bond. Although his portrayal was the most chauvinistic of them all, he brought a debonair sophistication to the role and laced it with sarcastic humor.

Roger Moore was good. He was more centered than the rest; he took his job seriously, but he also knew how to have fun.

Timothy Dalton. What can I say about him? There was a cold arrogance in his portrayal, and in order for one to view James Bond as a hero there has to be some sort of redemptive quality in him, which was missing in Dalton's interpretation.

Pierce Brosnan. Ah....what a fine specimen. As you can tell, he is my second favorite. He brought a manly sensitivity to the role. He was in touch with his feelings, and get this, he actually cared about his female counterparts, and treated them like equals (well, as much as a man can).

Finally, there's Daniel Craig. I know many people have referred to him as the best Bond ever, but I'm not feeling him. He's too short, too blond, and I don't find him attractive. Sexy maybe, but not attractive. His portrayal is rough, and lacks the witticism true fans have come to expect from James Bond.

As for "Quantum of Solace," I was disappointed. The scenes were so action-packed that I couldn't tell what was going on, except that someone was getting beat up and would eventually be killed. And where was Miss Moneypenny? And how can it be classified as a Bond film without the introduction of the latest spy gadgets from Q? Desmond Llewelyn had a predecessor, so what happened to him? There were just too many missing staples; it just seemed like a regular action film with the James Bond 007 logo attached to it.

Ever since the success of the James Bond series in the sixties, movies have been produced that spoofed the entire spy genre. Having the right mix of action, adventure and humor is the key to a good spy spoof movie regardless of the weak plot that so many of these movies seem to have. Here is a list of my top five Spy Spoof Movies.

Real Men

James Belushi is prototypical CIA super spy Nick Pirandello on a top secret mission. The mission? Bring a glass of water to Alien visitors in exchange for a secret formula to help clean the Earth before the Russians can get to them first and acquire the Big Gun. There is only one problem. The Aliens are expecting Nick's partner to deliver the glass of water and he was just bumped off. No biggie! Nick finds a look-a-like replacement in suburbanite wimp Bob Wilson played by John Ritter. Together they learn from each other another side of them they never knew existed. This movie works because it does not rely on reference gags to any other spy movies nor do the characters pretend to be funny. Watching how calm and collected the over-confident Nick Pirandello is compared to the ever-paranoid Bob Wilson makes this movie fun to watch. The plot is silly, but not to the extent where it is stupid. Ok, maybe it is stupid, but in a funny sort of way. Real Men is just your average super spy and average Joe out to save the fate of the world. After all, saving the world is what real men do.

Best Line: “They're trying to kill me. They know I can't afford a loss like that.” - Nick Pirandello

Spies Like Us

With Ghostbusters being Dan Akroyd's best work, Spies Like Us would certainly follow right behind it on the list. It seams Akroyd is at his best when teamed with another comedic actor. And with Chevy Chase playing his usual bumbling and confused character, it creates a perfect sidekick for Akroyd's nerdy and intellectual personality. After they both stumble through the Spy Aptitude Test, they are recruited for a top secret mission. What they don't know is that they are the decoys for the real spies assigned to the case. Austin Millbarge (Dan Akroyd) and Emmett Fitz-Hume (Chevy Chase) get tangled up in hilarious situations and eventually meet up with the real spies. With their assistance, World War III is averted. Akroyd and Chase work off of each other brilliantly to make Spies Like Us a classic comedy from two of the top comedy actors of the 80s.

Best Line:

Russian Interrogator: “Every minute you don't tell us why you are here, I cut off a finger.”

Emmett Fitz-Hume: “Mine or yours?”

The Man Called Flintstone

Flintstone. Fred Flintstone. Ok, so we are talking about Fred Flintstone here. But this is not your average stone-age family. This movie starts out brilliantly with a Bond-like opening scene and a great title song. Fred is recruited to substitute for real spy Rock Slag when Slag becomes injured and unable to continue his mission. Fred seems like the perfect replacement because he looks like Slag. He thwarts henchmen and foils the Green Goose all while keeping his mission a secret from Wilma. The movie drags a bit when the Flintstone and Rubble family are featured, but there is enough action and adventure to keep the movie interesting. In the end, just when all looks hopeless for our stone-aged hero, Flintstone devises a plot that outsmarts and outmaneuvers the Green Goose once and for all. It's Fred at his cartoon best and a spy spoof that really rocks. (Sorry, I couldn't resist!)

Best Line: “Is that a real, genuine imitation diamond necklace?” - Fred Flintstone, aka Rock Slag.

The Nude Bomb

The original Get Smart movie. While I agree that Steve Carell was a great choice to play the bumbling Maxwell Smart, Secret Agent 86 of Control, the Nude Bomb had one thing that the 2008 movie did not: Don Adams! Nothing will compare to the brilliance of the TV series, and this movie still didn't come close, but with Don Adams in the role he was born to play, The Nude Bomb was enjoyable to watch. Recruited by a new organization, PITS, Smart must stop a madman bent on destroying all fabrics on earth to monopolize the clothing industry with his own fashion brand. Many of the action scenes are flawlessly and hilariously delivered by Adams, such as the chase scene with his Desk mobile and the Agent 22 rescue scene as Nino Salvatori Sebastiani's lair is being destroyed. Let's also not forget the comic genius of Bill Dana who helped write the script and delivered a truly Get Smart-like scene playing Jonathan Levinson Seigle. While this movie may have disappointed many loyal Get Smart fans, it still displays the incomparable Don Adams as Maxwell Smart, Secret Agent 86 of Control.

Best Line: “Just our luck, we gotta run into a poisonous Achtung.” - Maxwell Smart

The Man Who Knew Too Little

Wallace Ritchie, played by Bill Murray, is just your average Blockbuster Video clerk who gets himself tangled up in international espionage while visiting his brother in Europe. Wallace thinks he is just playing a part in a reality TV show. But the bullets are real and so is Boris “The Butcher” Blavasky, who is sent to kill him. Murray plays the ultimate unwitting character who everyone believes is an American Super Spy sent to foil the bad guys' plans to assassinate a European diplomat. Murray is at his comedic best as he continues to thwart all attempts at stopping him on his mission. This movie has a good plot with good characters and keeps you interested through to the very end. While it relies heavily on Murray's aloof style of acting, he plays the part perfectly with each new member of the assignment. If I had known any better, I would have thought they planned on that! The Man Who Knew Too Little is just too much.

Best Line: “You said kill Spenser, kill girl and get letters. You said nothing about American Super Man.” - Boris “The Butcher” Blavasky

This series is based (loosely) on the books by Robert Ludlum. They retain they basic theme although many other elements that I wish they had also retained were sacrificed to maintain an action pacing.

What about the “PG-13” Rating?

I have been critical of the action sequences in the past. They are over edited, either for style or to cover up the fact that Matt Damon isn't Jet Li or Jackie Chan. Other than that there's no nudity or excess violence. There are only fight scenes, one depicting a guy being strangled.

One of the themes of the film is the extent some people go to in order to play the spy game. Some people get caught up in the game and use their patriotism as an excuse to be barbaric. To me all the violence is justified by one scene, where Bourne doesn't kill the assassin sent after him, because he remembers the torture it took to turn him into a killer, and he realizes that it can all change. The assassin chases him down to ask him why and with very little dialogue we see a man learn about identity.

Larger Story

The main theme of these books captivates my attention. Super assassin Jason Bourne becomes involved in an accident that gives him amnesia. It echoes Socrates idea that we knew everything before we were born and then forgot it upon entering the world, only to spend our lives rediscovering knowledge and wisdom. Only in the Bourne series the suspense comes from the question, “is Jason Bourne a better man without his assassin identity?” In the first movie, “the Bourne Identity,” Jason discovers that his amnesia might have less to do with his accident than with an attack of conscience which won't let him be who he has become.

There are two possible larger story themes here. First, how much of our past must we deal with after conversion? When we make a change to who we are doesn't our past line up to steal that positive move away from us?

The second theme that I like better is this. Bourne was obviously something incredible, but he lives in a fallen state. While he's tempted to believe that his knew ignorance could be a blessing he finds himself unable to move on with life until he discovers who he really is. The truth is that who he really is, lays deeper than the identity he can't remember. This resonates with me. I think I was designed for more than I've become in this world. Before accepting the reality of the world I've been born into, there is everything God designed me to be. Like Jason Bourne, I'm on a life-long quest to rediscover the deeper truer things about me.