9 Movies That Were Really Just Feature-Length Adverts In Disguise
4. James Bond
When Skyfall became the 007 series biggest earner ever, its detractors were quick to point out the high levels of product placement as a reason to hate the film (the questionable sexual acts clearly were a-OK with them). This seems more of a hangover of the series past than a problem with the film; Sam Mendes did a cracking job blending the famous brands, for the most part, unobtrusively in the background (you cant even spot the obligatory Heineken shot without going on the lookout for it). Compared to Casino Royale (Rolex?, Omega) Skyfall was incredibly restrained for a franchise that has always been overwhelmed with product placement. Each new film brings with it one or two high end cars, a brand of computer, new design of watch contained in the run time and thats not even touching on the tie-advertising that the likes of Coke always run. With all the commercial input in each entry its impossible to not include Bond on this list, but it rarely has an effect on the films overall quality. A bad Bond is bad irrespective of how in-your-face the Aston Martin is, while a good one can ram Vaio down our throats as much as it wants; it wont dampen the entertainment value. Bond movies may be veiled adverts, but what adverts they are.
