Couch Theater – February 11, 2021

#Middlebury #DVD #Movie

There’s something about a man of danger that gets the heart beating – expert marksman, insanely intelligent, catlike reflexes, trained in hand-to-hand combat, gadgets at the ready as he single-handedly repels the forces of evil. Superspy was certainly on my list of fantasy jobs, and I’m not alone. The notion of the government-sponsored high-tech hero is a popular one in books, TV series and films. But the really great agents, those who rise above the rest, are portrayed time after time. I present this list of five spy franchises to shake you and stir you.

Sean Connery in “Goldfinger” (MGM publicity photo)

James Bond: Six sexy leading men (Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton, Brosnan, Craig) have filled Agent 007’s shoes, in a whopping 26 films since his debut in 1962’s “Dr. No.” Author Ian Fleming’s slick British secret-agent archetype always gets the bad guy (and the girl), but the films also rake in the gold, and awards, to boot – with Oscars for sound editing, special effect and original songs.

Tom Clancy’s Jack Ryan – In our own backyard, we have the central character of Tom Clancy’s books: Jack Ryan, a CIA analyst who just can’t stay out of trouble. Over five films, led off by “The Hunt for Red October” in 1990, we’ve seen four actors as Ryan (Alec Baldwin, Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck and Chris Pine – that’s not counting John Krasinski in Amazon’s streaming series). They’ve collectively fought off the Russians, Irish terrorists, a drug cartel, the Russians again, and then also, the Russians.

“Mission: Impossible” (1996) – It all began (in movie land) when IMF agent Ethan Hunt (Tom Cruise) was framed for the murder of his team and a botched attempt to steal government secrets. Naturally, his only recourse is to band together with other disavowed agents (Jean Reno, Ving Rhames) to actually steal the secrets – an impossible feat – and flush out the real traitor. After agent Hunt redeemed himself, Tom Cruise went on to make seven-plus films grossing over $3.5 billion.

“The Bourne Identity” (2002) – Based on the books of Robert Ludlum, this franchise centers around Jason Bourne (Matt Damon), an expertly trained CIA sleeper agent. In the opening salvo, Bourne awakens on a boat with amnesia and launches a desperate search to unlock his past. But his path turns violent when the agency attempts to snuff him out. Spoiler alert: They do not succeed. Five films (and talks for a sixth) later, the Bourne future is going strong.

“Kingsman: The Secret Service” – Taron Egerton is Eggsy, an underprivileged British youth brought into an esteemed organization of gentlemen who, you know, fight worldwide threats to humanity. Eggsy is mentored by the very dapper Harry Hart (Colin Firth). It’s a young franchise with the inaugural in 2014, followed by its sequel ”The Golden Circle” in 2017, but a third is on the way.

© 2021 King Features Synd., Inc.