The brand's Bond

In case you hadn't heard, the new James Bond film, Quantum of Solace, is about to be released. The world premiere is in London on Wednesday, 29 October. I'm flying to London on Wednesday.

Sadly, I don't have a ticket.

However, I will be going to see the film as soon as I can. It's a family tradition. My father started it all, and my children don't mind continuing it. We all have different tastes when it comes to the actors who play Bond. My mother prefers Sean Connery, my father likes Roger Moore, my daughter adores Pierce Brosnan (but only because he also starred in Mamma Mia), while my son and I would have to vote for Daniel Craig, although for very different reasons. Harry Saltzman, producer of the Bond movies, was clearly right when he called his movies "sadism for the family ".

We all love the tongue-in-cheek humour that's evident in every film. There isn't a lot of dialogue in the Bond films, but when there is, it's usually spoken in a perfect British accent, which, for learners of English, usually means that it's easy to understand. If you can, try to see the film in the original version — but with German subtitles. The subtitles won't spoil your enjoyment of the film, as there's usually so little dialogue that they won't be on the screen for very long. Or, watch the film in German first, then go to see it in English. You may be surprised by the different reactions of the audiences. Quite often, the original version is much funnier as the more subtle jokes or word puns are impossible to translate.

For example, in Casino Royale, the last Bond film, there's a lovely exchange between Bond and Vesper Lynd, a female character. When she appears for the first time, she introduces herself with "I'm the money" (referring to her role as a Treasury accountant), to which Bond replies appreciatively, "Every penny of it". In the original version, it got a laugh, because it obviously refers to past films and to Miss Moneypenny, M's secretary. It was also a cute pick-up line.

Listen to the exchange and I think you'll understand what I mean:

We also love the dramatic chases and the exotic settings. And of course, we love the gadgets and gizmos, which are basically a thin disguise for blatant product placements. We don't mind, as we cynically play "spot the sponsor" as we watch the film and try to kid ourselves that we won't be influenced by the brands shown. As an Aston Martin is not within our budget, we should be OK.

All these chases, clever lines and gadgets have a purpose. Bond has a licence to kill, to thrill and to shill. The film has reportedly earned £50 million from manufacturers for product placement before its release. Even if the critics pan the movie, as they often do, Bond still has enough die-hard fans who will ignore the reviews and line up at the cinema, despite the world being on the brink of a recession. We want to enjoy the movie, life outside is getting tougher.

Wise Words: product placement

"Product placement is a way of getting the product to a person in a way they can't avoid," Dr John McCarty, head of marketing at the College of New Jersey told The Guardian.