The correct tone for the Bond films was established right at the start, with Sean Connery's quizzical eyebrows and sardonic smile.
He's a strong actor, he holds the screen well, he's good in the serious scenes, but he never quite seems to understand that it's all a joke. That is, unfortunately, the one area in which the new Bond, Timothy Dalton, seems to be deficient.
The raw materials of the James Bond films are so familiar by now that the series can be revived only through an injection of humor.
