The man who made a splash with a gritty reboot of Power Rangers wasted no time bringing us his next “Bootleg” feature. Adi Shankar, whose Power/Rangers short film has gained more than 12 million views on YouTube (and sparked a legal kerfuffle along the way), has released James Bond: In Service of Nothing, which imagines how the Sean Connery version of 007 would adapt to modern life.
In Service of Nothing, written and directed by Tyler Gibb, is animated in a style that resembles a “motion storyboard.” The first act of the film features a typical James Bond chase scene, replete with cool cars, gadgets, attractive European women, and nefarious baddies. The film then takes a dark turn as it focuses on Bond as a crotchety old retiree who is both disgusted with what he sees as a moral-free society and desperate to regain his former glory.
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As he did with Power/Rangers, Shankar has taken to his YouTube channel to explain why he decided to create a bootleg version of James Bond. In particular, he was intrigued by the idea of Sean Connery’s Bond jumping into the very different universe occupied by Daniel Craig’s Bond. “He’s essentially an analog watch in a digital world,” says Shankar.
With the release of In Service of Nothing, there are now five entries in Shankar’s “Bootleg Universe,” which offers his takes on particular pop culture franchises. In addition to Power Rangers, Shankar has also released fan films based on The Punisher, Venom, and Judge Dredd.
