James Bond and the Heineken
You may have already heard the uproar over the Heineken that James Bond is supposedly drinking in the movie Skyfall. The feedback has been very negative and you might be wondering why is that?
Well, it's simple. Martinis is James Bond.
Picture it like this. Take away Indiana Jones's whip. Take away Darth Vader's cape. Would those characters remain the same with those articles missing? Maybe, but they wouldn't feel the same. That's what the uproar is about. James Bond and the martini have a symbiotic relationship akin to Indiana Jones and his whip. It is what defines the character and what he is.
What does James Bond represent? Class, sophistication, suave, cool, and just a gentleman. Martinis are usually connected with higher class gentlemen or more mature men. James Bond is that sophisticated spy that women want and men want to become. Take that away and you take away a slice of what makes Bond who he is. It's more than just his favorite drink or franchise signature. It is a part of his personality.
Could he still drink martinis in Skyfall? Sure. But the rebellion over this decision isn't so out of whack as you might think.
Chillin'
I've never read the books so I'm in the dark with that. I'm just stating that I understand where people are coming from in terms of the use of the beer. Bond and martinis go hand in hand product placement or not. "Martini. Shaken not stirred" is a classic line that most people know and connect with the Bond character.
I just see the martini as one of Bond's defining trademarks like Jones whip. Not necessarily the same in terms of importance, but just in terms of the character.
Indy uses guns too. There's no reason he can't use both just like there's no reason why Bond can't enjoy a variety of drinks throughout a movie.
As long as Bond is getting hammered off something, might as well be a Heineken.
I'm with WalkAway: there's no reason why Bond shouldn't be able to enjoy more than one drink. And it's Heineken! Being partially Dutch (and living in Holland), I commend Bond's taste!
Martinis may be his signature drink, but as cerealkiller brilliantly pointed out in his recent list, he's drank a whole lot more in the past, so there's absolutely no reason people should get upset now about this
In the original novels, one of Bond's defining characteristics is that he is lives life incredibly hard (presumably from the fact that it may end at any time) and consequently he drinks everything. The association with the martini is movie driven. I am ok if he decides to have a Heineken on a whim.
James Bond and Martinis is not the same as Indiana Jones and his whip. And James Bond has drank plenty of different things other than martinis before. In the novels, he is a whiskey man, but Smirnoff paid for product placement so martinis it is.
I'm not much of a an expert in hard liquor or cocktails, but is that a martini is holding in the picture?