Millionaire Survivalists in Film – Part 3
When it comes to film, nothing portrays the elegance and sophistication of the millionaire lifestyle combined with the extreme skill and preparedness of a classic survivalist like James Bond. The class and charisma in a room full of royal dignitaries nicely offsets fighting a henchman on a collapsing bridge. While 007 never discussed his wealth, he was a notable high roller with ties to the British Crown. For this reason, along with his cool gadgetry, it’s no wonder James Bond is still the epitome of the classic modern proto-European alpha male ideal.
Today on Rob Raskins’ Millionaire Survivalist, we’ll review the most high-tech 007 gadgets that really do exist, or at least use existing technology. While such toys of mass destruction are typically the territory of the Dept. of Defense, for the right price, anything’s possible.
Enter Q….
In every classic Bond film, 007 enters a secret weapons room where Q, the brain responsible for designing all the gadgets, introduces Bond to the surprises ready to prepare him for his next mission. I always imagine Sean Connery’s gun barrel car headlights or Roger Moore’s cufflinks with a tiny camera. But the list below should prove to be much more practical.
Biometrics
Palm-print gun activation – 2012’s Skyfall saw Daniel Craig at gunpoint by his enemy’s henchman holding the classic 007 Walther PPK. A hairy situation for our hero. Thank Q that the biometric systems locked it when the henchman pulled the trigger. No shots were fired, and Bond narrowly escaped death’s door once again. While the palm-print-activated gun itself is not known to have been created, the biometrics tech exists. It’s most notably usable in modern laptops and cell phones, banks, and other industries, making excellent use of this technology for sensitive situations involving sizeable transactions.
Fake Fingerprints – in 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever, Sean Connery used fake fingerprints to trick his co-star, Tiffany, by lifting prints from the drinking glass of another person. While it may seem farfetched by today’s standards, this was cutting edge by early 70s standards, thus reaffirming Bond films’ early introduction of sci-fi gadgetry to new generations.
Smartphone – 1997’s Tomorrow Never Dies sees Pierce Brosnan with a cellular phone equipped with a stun gun, an antenna-shaped lock pick, and a fingerprint scanner. The idea of this during a time before smartphones, before the average person had any cell phone, was spellbinding. Meanwhile, the 2013 iPhone featured biometric authentication, completely dominating the smartphone market.
Microchip Vital Signs Telemetry
In Casino Royale (2006), Daniel Craig’s debut appearance as 007 sees him get microchipped by M, the director of the British Secret Service. Later, when 007’s martini is poisoned at the big poker game in Montenegro, his vitals are broadcast to headquarters. Modern telemedical devices are using this technology more often in devices such as pacemakers and orthopedic implants.
The Smart Car
Since 1964, the iconic Aston Martin DB5 has been “modded” repeatedly across multiple films so 007 could use it as a plot pay-off to save the day. While it must’ve seemed like a pipe dream in the early days, later models of the DB5 actually include bullet-proof windows, tire slashers, oil slick ejectors, and the ejector seat. Other modern smart cars now feature eSIMs technology for voice assistance and emergency calls.
In conclusion, we have James Bond to thank for inspiring us to always be ready, armed with courage, survival skills, and futuristic gadgets to save the day, do the impossible, bag the win, and the girl whenever possible. In preparing for an SHTF moment, it’s not always necessary for an actual apocalypse. Modern tech for advanced problem-solving has many applications, all of which can provide everyday convenience and improved quality of life.