Oscars 2022: Here’s how the Academy’s tribute to James Bond could have been better

The James Bond film franchise is celebrating 60 years of Dr. No, the first film in the long-running series. The Academy decided to pay tribute in today’s event, but dropped the ball. 

The timing was perfect for the Oscars to celebrate the series, and the stage could not get any bigger, but their attempt was less than commendable. 

For starters, the tribute montage, which was presented, could have been presented by any of the surviving actors who have played James Bond in the past. However, it was Tony Hawk, Kelly Slater and Shaun White who presented the tribute reel at the Oscars. 

Even if none of the actors who played the iconic spy was available, Dame Judi Dench, who played one of the most powerful characters in the franchise was available and present at the Dolby Theatre today. 

Another point is about the duration of the tribute reel – for the longest running film franchise, which has completed 25 films, the tribute reel felt awfully short. While the importance of time at the Oscars have always been documented, there is no denying the reel lacked any real duration. 

‘Live and Let Die’, the title song from the James Bond movie of the same name starring Roger Moore, is a popular Bond song among its ardent fans. However, because the tribute reel featured many movies and all the different characters and actors from the franchise, usage of more songs would have made more sense. 

Another fine detail the producers missed out on, was a pretty obvious one. Billie Eilish and brother Finneas, were both nominated in the Best Original Song category for ‘No Time To Die’, the title song from the Bond movie of the same name. While the duo did eventually perform the number and win the Oscar, the performance could have been placed at the end of the tribute reel, giving it the perfect closing. 

While the producers did not put on the perfect show in honour of the James Bond franchise, they tried and they got most of it right.