2012 was a very good year to be a James Bond fan. Celebrating 50 years of Bond as a cinematic character the year brought books, new home video releases, a brand new Bond movie, and a wonderful documentary that explored the entire 50+ year "career" of Bond, James Bond.
Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is the intensive doc that was long overdue. It's all here*: Bond's beginnings as the literary creation of Ian Fleming, the struggle to bring him to the silver screen, and the recasting that occurred when it was time for Bond actors to move on.
Every Bond actor is present to varying degrees. Original Bond, Sean Connery is mostly seen and heard via archival interview material, while the others seem to sit for brand new interviews. Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan all share stories about their time as Bond. It is wonderful to hear them all, but Brosnan might be the most satisfying. He tells of how he had and lost the role prior to Timothy Dalton and of the phone call that he took that ended his day's as Bond. The most welcome interview though is George Lazenby. The man who played Bond in only 1 film tells of his quest to play the character and the reasons that he didn't return. Daniel Craig is also present but beyond his blonde hair there isn't much said.
The other real treat in Everything or Nothing is the focus on the series original producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman.The portions that look at these two men and their involvement in the series make for some of the most interesting viewing. Current producers Barbara Broccoli and her half brother Michael G. Wilson are of course on hand to share their experiences, but the involvement of Harry Saltzman's children Hilary and Steven was a welcome surprise. The portion detailing Saltzman's exit from the franchise was fascinating to watch.
Far from a puff piece or promotional tool for the new movie, Everything or Nothing: The Untold Story of 007 is an excellent look at the remarkable history of James Bond.
Everything or Nothing:The Untold Story of 007 is now available to stream via Netflix.
* Although the unofficial Bond film Never Say Never Again and the "Playhouse 90" version of Casino Royale are mentioned there is no coverage of the 1967 spoof.
