Worth: $12.00
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Cast:
Brian Cox, Josh Ali, Kamara Davis, Beth Foxwell
Intro:
On its own, it could be serviceable for those with more of a taste for such things, but as a potential precursor for the new management’s direction, it’s not exactly promising.
In May of 2021, a few months before Daniel Craig bid farewell to the role of Britain’s iconic gentleman spy with No Time to Die, Bond distributor MGM was purchased by ol’ mate Bezos and made part of the Amazon umbrella. In the wake of Craig’s departure, and still no official word on who will be the next to fill Bond’s suit, there’s anticipation to be had regarding where the franchise will go from here. This latest meta-addition to the franchise, though, is both unexpected and yet entirely in-character for the new bosses.
As far as presentation and production values, this certainly lives up to the 007 cinematic legacy. The David Arnold-assisted soundtrack, the breathtaking scenery, the high-quality camera work; it’s a globetrotting adventure that looks as massive as it must’ve felt for those who made the journey for themselves. The editing, in particular (usually the key ingredient in reality TV of this nature), uses the candid backstories of each pair of contestants to create something of an arc to fit with the challenges that they face. In turn, it creates a pretty infectious mood where, when given the chance, ordinary people can become full-fledged action stars.
However, when scratching away at the big-bucks polish of the production, and Brian Cox’s admittedly-fitting presence as the mischievous Controller, what this specifically has to do with the IP becomes a bit more nebulous. As glamourous as its reputation is, it’s not as if Bond is the first-and-last word on cross-continental action-adventure, and up until the final leg of the journey, there’s not a whole lot of specific iconography being used here. This could’ve been reskinned as a Mission: Impossible property and very little would need to be altered. Hell, by the time it does show recognisable elements of the franchise, it’s almost surprising that it’s included at all.
This is a pretty standard adventure reality show, akin to nostalgic 2000s hits like The Amazing Race, The Pursuit, or even The Phone. There’s main character editing throughout, the usual ‘playing for time’ tricks are employed to artificially raise the tension, and while the physical challenges might catch your breath, the trivia is arbitrary. It doesn’t help that the pacing can make it all feel a bit disorganised, picking up and dropping group perspectives seemingly at random most of the time, with maybe one instance of aligning set pieces and goals.
007: Road To a Million, for all its flashy visuals and music, is content through and through. Its connection to the Bond IP feels last-minute, its reheating of 2000s reality telly can only sustain its charm for so long, and for as fun as the personalities on-screen can be, the arrangement of their stories feels more wayward than it should. On its own, it could be serviceable for those with more of a taste for such things, but as a potential precursor for the new management’s direction, it’s not exactly promising. When the Controller narrates “The best way to motivate people is with money”, there’s an acidity to just how fitting it is for this show.