Forty-four years, 21 films, 195 kills and 54 women kissed later, James Bond isn’t ready to call it quits anytime soon.

Since his first film appearance in “Dr. No,” James Bond has been a staple for theaters around the world.

On Friday, actor Daniel Craig returns for a second outing as Britain’s most popular licensed-to-kill spy in 007’s 22nd film.

“I saw the first movie as an undergraduate in college,” said Thomas Beell, professor of journalism and mass communication. “Seeing [the first Bond girl Ursula Andress] walk out of the water with that swimsuit on. It was something.”

“Times were different then with the Cold War. There was already a spy feeling going on,” Beell said. “James Bond brought elegance to the role of spies — as well as clothing, cars and martinis.”

Agent 007, who first appeared in the 1950s in a series of novels by Ian Fleming, used droplines that have since become iconic in pop culture: referring to shaken martinis and introducing oneself using one’s last name first.

Beell said the world has changed since the series’ beginnings, and therefore, James Bond has changed, too.

Loring Silet, professor emeritus of English, said for years the antagonists were Russian communists.

But the biggest draw for audience members, Silet said, is the fantasy of being James Bond. He perpetuates a fantasy for men of being so “smooth and cool.”

Leland Poague, professor of English, differs. He said the biggest draw is something else: sex.

“Everyone knows what James Bond does on down time,” he said. “There is no James Bond without a knockout figure. Everyone knows what a Bond girl is.”

Poague said the sex, which would be a big draw for the male audience, has worked on females too.

Sean Connery, the first actor to play the agent, spent a fair amount of time in the early films with little clothing, Poague said. “I’m sure there were those out there that appreciated that.”

Silet said the series has begun to have female characters — some villains — who are much more independent than in years past.

“They are much stronger in recent years and the sexism has leveled off,” he said. “However, I think it has still thrived over cultural stereotypes.”

Silet said the current Bond, Craig, is the closest thing to Connery and has brought new life to the series.

“Now the series is going well beyond the literary franchise Ian Fleming gave us,” he said. “It has had incredible resilience and speaks to a masculine fantasy.”

Poague said the series keeps itself going by finding a new Bond every 10 years or so, but it has never lost that sense of filmmaking and story that made the series entertaining.

“It incorporates good action, music, plot, camerawork and always a last-minute twist,” Beell said.

Humor is another important factor in the franchise.

“The humor, I think, is as close to near comic violence as you can get,” Beell said. “Really, most of those contraptions in Bond movies aren’t to be taken incredibly seriously — alligator lakes, tanks of sharks.”

The gadgets bring some attention given the franchises history of clever technologies such as toothpaste explosives with a cigarette pack trigger, a buzz saw watch, a ski pole gun and a mini-rocket cigarette.

“There has always been a cutting edge of certain special effects such as stunts and technologies,” Poague said.

Silet said the stunts are something that have come out of the past decade. Bond has become more violent and the stunts are much more spectacular than ever thought possible in the past.

Current 007 actor Daniel Craig is contracted to do a third film, due out in 2010. And trade papers rumor that he has signed a contract for another two films following that one.

“Even if they make a few bad ones in a row,” Poague said, “I don’t see the series being scrapped.”

What to expect:

– The opening gun barrel sequence is said to be back.

– Jack White and Alicia Keys perform the opening theme “Another Way to Die.”

– Don’t expect to hear the phrases “Bond, James Bond” and “Vodka martini, shaken not stirred.”

– As the shortest, yet most expensive Bond film, there is both a car and boat chase.

“Quantum of Solace”

PG-13; 106 mins.

Directed by Marc Forster

Written by Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade

Starring Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench, Gemma Arterton and Jeffrey Wright

Movies 12, 1317 Buckeye Ave.

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