4. James Bond
James Bond is one of those franchises that’s rarely cited as anyone’s genuine favorite, but as soon as a new film is announced or released, it’s inescapable.
The franchise’s success comes despite the fact that there’s absolutely no new ground for it to cover: almost every city on Earth has been host to one of the spy’s action scenes, and almost every imaginable villainous scheme has been foiled by the agent in some way or another.
One of James Bond‘s biggest draws is the occasional recasting of the role, which fuels semi-regular speculation as to who will step in to sip the iconic Vesper Martini next. It’s essentially another franchise that has become its gimmick – in James Bond‘s case, that’s big action set pieces, gadgets, cars, and suits – and it’s long since lost any semblance of originality.
Somehow, the James Bond franchise remains a huge box office draw and a staple of modern cinema, despite the fact that its titular womanizing secret agent is a relic that doesn’t really gel whatsoever with today’s culture and social climate. He may be one of the most iconic characters in cinema, but his films really aren’t particularly enjoyable any more.