Few moments capture the wit and charm of Pierce Brosnan’s Bond quite like his exchanges with Desmond Llewelyn’s Q.  Their dynamic struck the perfect balance of humor and utility, with the GoldenEye exploding pen demonstration standing as a quintessential example.  Q’s genuine excitement in detailing the pen’s explosive capabilities is only matched by Bond’s amused curiosity and playfulness.

As the franchise looks ahead to Bond 26, there is an opportunity to revitalize the role of gadgets and the collective audience excitement like this scene.  Ideally, gadgets would be used (as they have historically) as extensions of Bond’s resourcefulness and not as gimmicks.  By contrast, Daniel Craig’s tenure, while rich in emotional depth and realism, often sidelined gadgetry to its detriment.  It’s a shame that in our current age of advanced technology, Bond’s gadgets have become less imaginative.