The Best And Worst James Bond Films
So what was the point of my watching all twenty-something James Bond movies? So I could write several awesome “Best Of” posts laden with Bond quips, cool images, and / or sexual innuendo. So here are what I consider the best Bond films — exactly seven, in honor of “007”.
Note: These are listed in chronological order, or in “no particular order.”
Secondary note: Please click on the titles to read my previous reviews on each film. Plus, here are the links to all my James Bond movie reviews.
Best 007 James Bond Films:
Three aspects of Bond: suave seducer, sneaky spy, and killer were established right here.
002. Goldfinger
Take From Russia With Love but add an uber bad guy and several evil henchmen (and one henchwoman).
003. Thunderball
You’ll certainly “get the point” of Bond during this one. There’s the addition of epic battles and an outrageously smoking hot babe to the franchise.
004. The Spy Who Loved Me
Roger Moore’s best outing, with adept, needed variations on the Bond formula.
005. The Living Daylights
Dalton is surprisingly good, playing a more serious Bond after a string of “meh” Roger Moore outings.
006. GoldenEye
Pierce Brosnan comes in and resets the franchise yet again. Plus, it’s hard to “top” Xenia as the sexiest baddie since Pussy Galore.
007. Casino Royale (2006)
The ultimate Bond reboot. A bit too violent for my tastes, but a shock to the system is yet again, exactly what the franchise needed.
Worst 007 Bond Films:
1. Moonraker: Space and spies don’t mix.
2. Tomorrow Never Dies: I started watching this one, and realized I’d seen it before. Totally forgettable.
3. Die Another Day: I wanted to die during this film, as it seemed to last an entire day.
4. Licence To Kill: Much too dark Dalton misfire.
5. Diamonds Are Forever: Sean Connery looks bored during his last EON Bond film.
6. Octopussy: Too many villains and Bond stoops to dressing in a clown suit.
7. The Man With The Golden Gun: Just tragically average, and in addition to the gun there’s a third nipple — gross.
(Never Say Never Again was pretty bad, but it wasn’t an EON production. Still, it ought to be mentioned as yet another bad Bond film.)
Who’s The Best Bond Actor?
So who’s the best Bond? I’m a Sean Connery fan. These next lists are my orderings based on who played Bond:
Sean Connery Bond Films from Best to Worst:
Goldfinger, Thunderball, From Russia With Love, Dr. No, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever
Roger Moore Bond Films from Best to Worst:
The Spy Who Loved Me, For Your Eyes Only, Live And Let Die, A View To A Kill, The Man With The Golden Gun, A View To A Kill, Octopussy, Moonraker
Pierce Brosnan Bond Films from Best to Worst:
GoldenEye, The World Is Not Enough, Tomorrow Never Dies, Die Another Day
Timothy Dalton Bond Films from Best to Worst:
The Living Daylights, Licence To Kill
…and poor George Lazenby only made one Bond film, which was pretty decent. Lastly, I think the jury is still out with Daniel Craig, but he’s off to an outstanding start.
Note: Here are the links to all my James Bond movie reviews.
If you see first time the old James Bond movies, with Sir Sean Connery, then you cannot imagine Daniel Craig in this act
Regards
If you see, first time, the old James Bond movies with Sir Sean Connery then is pretty hard to see Daniel Craig in this act
Anyway Daniel is a good actor …
In which film was the double decker bus driven under a low bridge and lost it’s roof? Please advise and settle my argument.
Polly I think the answer is “Live and Let Die”
http://www.mi6.co.uk/sections/q-branch/doubledeckerbus.php3
here’s my rankings on Bond:1-Goldfinger 2-From Russia With Love 3-Thunderball 4-Dr. No 5-On Her Majesty’s Secret Service 6-The Living Daylights 7-The Spy Who Loved Me 8-Live and Let Die 9-The Man With The Golden Gun 10-Moonraker. haven’t seen all the entries,and kind of lost interest after the Dalton movies.one more even though it’s not a true Bond film-Casino Royale(the original),because it’s so funny.
I WAS a huge Bond fan. I have basically given up on the series. It’s clear that the Connery films are the best, most beloved films in general. This is because they had their own style, identity and film language separate from Hollywood film-making. The cinematography, music and entire style of the early Bond films, were what made them unique.
Now the Bond films have absolutely no style OF THEIR OWN. They are stylish in the way Hollywood films are stylish, but the very British personality and identity is totally gone. There’s no personality to them at all anymore. They’re empty action films now.
I could not believe the public reaction to Casino Royale. I thought it was so abominably bad, that I decided after the film, I would just not go see them anymore. What kind of director has Bond emerging from the sea in his sexy speedo, as if HE were Ursala Andress. (And dont tell me Connery did it in Thunderball. Totally differant. Craig was backlit and drippping with perfect lighting etc. Connery just walked out the ocean. It was like watching Bond modelling for us.)
What kind of a director takes all the gadgets out, which is not a bad idea, but then has one gadget that is by far the MOST RIDICULOUS in the entire series. His car and the girl bring him back to life!!!! Give me a break!
The entire series is now produced for teenagers, who will give anything a thumbs up so long as there is plenty of “cool” action. I feel that if I want to go see a Hollywood action film, I have plenty of options. Bond was always unique in the storytelling, crafting and overall production.
That has been lost — but atleast we have the original films to remind us how far the “franchise” has gone wrong!!
Ok, first off why is there so much hate for Dalton? I’ve watched all the movies and i would have to say Dalton was the most enjoyable for me. Im not saying the others were bad or not as good. almost every actor that played bond had a bad movie. I know a lot of people were craping on Dalton’s style but i had read somewhere that not only had dalton researched the character and played it to a T but how i an flemming said Dalton was his favorite. I also came across another article that had said a reason Dalton was darker then the others was partly due to the time in which is was made. AIDS was a big scare and the kind of wanted to move away from the women and focus more on the bond character. The article could be completely off base but it made some sense. Anyways Dalton should get more credit thne most give him credit for. He was suppose to play bond in Goldeneye but because of politics and there being such a time gap between License to Kill and Goldeneye they went with Pierece.
CRAIG IS THE WORST BOND EVER AND FOREVER.
CRAIG IS THE WORST BOND EVER AND FOREVER.
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This is no doubt the best compilation of reviews about Bond flicks. I really like Die Another Day particularly. Have seen only 4 flicks though.
~Sahil
I am a huge Bond fan who owns all of the movies on DVD and I cannot believe that The Spy Who Loved Me is listed as one of the best Bond films. The only way that movie should make your top 7 is if you’ve only seen seven of them.
I’m literally watching the movie as I type this and it’s so bad I went online to see what the opinion was for the worst Bond movie of all time. (Since I’m watching them in order and a lot of votes go to Moonraker I’m not exactly looking forward to that one.)
I liked Diamonds Are Forever and while the ending was not good I though up until then it was good. At least I knew what it was about, unlike The Spy Who Loved Me. The plot is terrible and the notion that Roger Moore could beat up Jaws in a fight is ludicrous. So far this has been the worst of the bunch and does not belong among the top seven films of the series, in my opinion.
1. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. Dr. No
3. Thunderball
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
6. Live and Let Die
7. Goldfinger
I really liked Roger Moore, and I have to say he is equally as good as Sean Connery, not better.
Perry: if you are going in order, you haven’t even seen the worst of Roger Moore. Just wait until A View To A Kill where Roger Moore looks like the walking dead.
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Just gotta add the new french(!) Oss 117 — Cairo Nest of Spies…yeah this guy is a lobotomised version of Sean Connery…but the movie is really great. Off topic but I think its essential viewing for fans of James Bond a la 1955. Definitely better than some of the bond movies.
My top one in order are.
21. The Man With The Golden Gun
20. The World Is Not Enough
19. Octopussy
18. Diamonds Are Forever
17. Moonraker
16. Thunderball
15. Dr. No
14. A View To A Kill
13. From Russia With Love
12. The Living Daylights
11. Goldeneye
10. Die Another Day
9. Casino Royale
8. Tomorrow Never Dies
7. License To Kill
6. You Only Live Twice
5. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. The Spy Who Loved Me
3. For Your Eyes Only
2. Goldfinger
1. Live And Let Die
I have watched all 21 James Bond movies and most of them I really liked, even the ones most people say are bad like A View to Kill and Moonraker. I must tell you that I strongly disliked Casino Royale, mostly because Bond has lost all the humour that made the other Bond films great. I don’t know why people love Daniel Craig so much.
I totally agree with you ross
liked all but the recent Daniel Craig show.
For thier was no gadgets, no Q(which they replaced), and the movie just didnt tie along with all the other James Bond movies.
Nothing but kicking and fighting and some people say they like that because they would rather have realism then imagination.
But all in all why do you watch James Bond if you dont want imagination? For all of them had some imagination till Casino Royal.
“If you dont want imagination and want realisim go watch a cowboy movie with the kicking and fighting and leave the James Bond Movies alone.”
I am probably the only Bond fan to say this, but “Diamonds Are Forever” is HIGHLY underrated…or the better word is underappreciated. Bond has always had a level of campyness. You can never take them too seriously when there are names like “Pussy Galore” and “Honey Rider.” Excess camp and cheesiness seems to be the common complaint of this film. I beg to differ
D.A.F. really has everything you would want from a Bond film: great caper of a story with lots of twists, plenty of funny quips (G Section, checking radiation levels), casinos, an excellent car chase in downtown Vegas, one of the best fight scenes in the elevator with Franks (rivals the Red Grant fight scene), a number of quirky henchmen, a sinister Blofeld, a serious world threat, and a big finale–and it has Sean Connery.
Speaking of Sir Sean, I actually think he’s having a lot of fun in this role. He knows it’s his last. Diamonds Are Forever is to the Connery Bond Movies as Abbey Road is to the Beatles–a fine farewell to an excellent run of work (and they both embodied 1960’s British culture)
Nice. Lots of different opinions here. I’d like to say that I’ve seen all of the Bond movies and will drop a few opinions. It’s been a while since I went through all of them and I think I need to do it again to get some fresh, more educated opinions on them, having studied film/art theory at university. I have a torrent for every Bond movie in High Definition (HDTV Rips) that I’m gonna be working through
Stand out Bond movies in my memory -
1) GOLDENEYE — for me this is the top Bond movie, made even better by playing to death the classic videogame of it by Rare on the Nintendo 64. Brosnan might be a good Bond but IMO he’s only done one great Bond movie, this one. His others get progressively worse and are nowhere near as good as Goldeneye.
This movie has Bond girls that are well acted and memorable. Pierce Brosnan brings some smoothness back into the role after the serious Dalton. Good one liners and take for example the scene in the boat when he whips the dude down the stairs with a towel and then wipes his face with it afterward. Moments like that is what gives me movie the Bond feel that I value in a lot of the older films. But it’s up to date! Great opening theme, the score is suitably modern but retains that classic feel and Sean Bean plays a great vilian.
Action sequences — the tank chase!!! that sums it all up really. There’s definitely great action in this film. Even more important the action is punctuated by the score very nicely. It’s quite a lenghty movie (2 hours) but breezes by. Also the storyline with the Russian connection is more like an old school Bond storyline that the other more far fetched Brosnan films.
2) THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN — My favourite Roger Moore movie and in a lot of ways he made by far the most entertaining Bond movies. They were a lot more corny than the others and sometimes overstepped the boundaries (Moonraker) but for me this was a highly entertaining flick and one of the best Bonds for that reason. The balance of humour was just about right and it had all the elements of the Moore movies executed to perfection. Sure it was far fetched but there was always a good bit of espionage to cover up for this in the Moore movies. There’s only so much you can do with the whole political/world dominating madman formula and Christopher Lee made an enjoyable vilian.
best quote ‘a gun and a bag of peanuts, how original’
3) YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE — Probably the best Connery movie. I can’t really remember it in detail except that it was the most enjoyable movie from Connery and that Connery acted out the role with class in all his efforts.
4) THE DALTON MOVIES — Enjoyable and engaging in their own right. They still have that old school Bond feel for me. Realistic, complicated plots, some nice Bond girls, Bond gadgets…
That’s really all I can say in terms of the Bond movies that really stand out in my mind after not watching them all for a while. I definitely enjoyed Moore’s movies more than Connery’s though and I also really liked Dalton’s two for being more complex and modern. Having said that Connery was effortlessly smooth and his films will always be defind as the classic Bond. I really need to watch them all again like I said though to get a good feel as I’m forgetting loads. But I have to give it up to Roger Moore again for consistantly making the most entertaining Bond movies. For some reason, the outrageousness in the Moore films seems to make them appear less aged than the Connery ones, except Moonraker which was crappy.
Daniel Craig — he might be doing a Bond closer to the ones in the books but I didn’t like his debut one bit. There was no suaveness to him at all. I feel that in Bond movies that humourous element should be mandatory. Even if its more dry/subtle than Moore, as with Brosnan and Connery, it HAS to be there, or it detracts from my enjoyment and entertainment value of the film massively. So, we have a serious movie that might be closer to the book but isn’t fun as a movie. No emphasis on cool gadgets, no memorable Bond girls, no cool one liners and Daniel Craig doesn’t fit the role physically for me either. He clearly built himself up but he has a small head in comparison to his body and it looks silly. Women may still like him but you can’t have a little pea head and big muscles and still be suave. The enjoyable films focus on Bond’s attitude and not muscles.
Even as a more serious effort it still has major flaws — take the ending for example. It’s as if they just bolted that part on at the end. I thought it was over but no some building is randomly getting flooded etc etc — completely ruined any kind of pacing they had going with the story when it seemingly ended but started back up again. Or maybe that’s supposed to be the ‘twist’. Whatever, I didn’t enjoy Casino Royale nearly as much as Goldeneye or the Roger Moore/Connery and even both Dalton films.
Ok that’s the end of my little Bond rant, hope it made sense
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I LOVE Moonraker. You can’t deny that Jaws had an awesome part in this movie! He played an awesome villain. And yes, the action sequences are great — Even the hokey laser battle in space had a fun factor because it reminded me of a cool video game! Moonraker is also the first Bond movie I was exposed to as a kid so there’s some nostalgia value in there as well!
Clearly everyone has their personal favorite Bond movie (and actor and gadget). I’m going with From Russia With Love as my favorite 007 flick, which I think is also one of the best films ever made. Unspun by Amazon, which lets anyone vote on their favorite, actually has Goldfinger as number one. At least that’s the right best actor…
You really are an idiot Angel… apparently you didnt realize this was suppose to be the first bond. Even though its the 21st. they started over from the beginning when he first begins as a 00. The point of him loving the women is because this is what happened to bond. he falls in love. she betrays him and dies and he realizes that he cant trust everyone. he just became a 00 and maybe they didnt bring Q in yet because Q isnt around yet. If you’ve seen previews for the next bond theres 2 bond girls already. And maybe he hasnt determined that he wants his drink shaken and not stirred yet. Your thinking of the new bond as the 21st bond and not starting over at the beginning. Daniel Craig played him perfectly. And i dunno why some ppl think hes ugly. I mean hes not perfect but none of the other Bonds were either. It was the way they seduced women that made them bond. And besides, the bond movie was made after flemmings book so i dont see how you could even begin to say it wasnt like Bond.
You people need to actually think before you post stuff on the internet, and maybe know a little bit about what your talking about.
Sean Connery is James Bond anyone one that followed him was gone to find it a hard act to follow
I agree with most of the list, but I think Tomorrow Never Dies was a good movie. Probably Brosnon’s second Best (behind Goldeneye of course). From Russia with love was my favorite
The “new” Bond movies.
I was completely disappointed by “Casino Royale” — This film totally lacked the humour and self-distance of the earlier movies. It was just another thriller — with spectacular stunts — but still just an ordinary actionfilm. No fun and no gadgets — even the Aston Martin, wich in the old days could, shoot, sail and disappear, had rockets and bulletproof screens. And what did it have in “Casino Royale”? — A defilibrator! And it tilted during a monouver any sportscar should be able to make.…
I wil defenatly wait for the reveiws on Quantum of Solace (from friends — not editors) before I waste money on it.
is any one there who can score James bond girl’s in a list.
I am sure you all watched the series with some appetite for these Talented Girls also
your score on the series before done not surely because of James Bond and the music alone…
reply dear 07/11/2008
Well everyone has there own opinons but i’ll list my favorie actors and movies quick.This is coming from a younger generation fan but ive seen every movie more than once so here it goes.
1.From Russia With Love
2.Goldfinger
3.The Spy Who Loved Me
4.Goldeneye
5.You Only Live Twice
6.On Her Majestys Secret Service
7.Thunderball
8.For Your Eyes Only
9.Casino Royale
10.The World Is Not Enough
11.License To Kill
12.The Living Daylights
13.Dr. No
14.The Man With The Golden Gun
15.Diamonds are Forever
16.Octopussy
17.Tomarrow Never Dies
18.Live & Let Die
19.A View To a Kill
20.Moonraker
21.Die Another Day
I did not dislike any of these films, I enjoyed them all.
Favorite Bond actors
1.Sean Connery– This man played the role with so much class he has to be first, on top of that in my eyes all his movies were amazing.
2.Roger Moore– Hate him all you want he has made many great Bond movies and I loved the humor he added to the role.
3.Daniel Craig– Theres something about him that reminds me of the Connery films and makes me feel that the Bond series as many years left in it after all.
4.Pirece Brosman– I love his take on Bond and most of the Bond girls there were during his time with the role.
5.Timothy Dalton– Say what you want but this guy did a fucking great job as Bond, the darkness he added to him was something needed after Roger Moores lighter approach.
6.George Lazenby– He did ok but it was missing something.
casino royale was downright laughable! although i loved his aston martin car!
I definitely agree with you in that Connery is the best Bond and the early Bond films are tops, and also that A View To A Kill and Moonraker are ranked so low. Man I was in pain seeing Roger Moore so old in those late movies. He started out really well, and proved another actor could play Bond, but I think they kept him around too long.
[…] My Ranking: The Best And Worst James Bond Films […]
I have seen Quantum of Solace once but want to see it a couple of times (like the rest) before I make a decision.
So here is my opinion:
1.The Spy Who Loved Me
2. From Russia With Love
3.Goldfinger
4.The Living Daylights
5.For Your Eyes Only
6.Diamonds Are Forever
7.The Man With The Golden Gun
8.Goldeneye
9.Casino Royale
10.Dr No
11. License To Kill
12.On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
13.Octopussy
14.A View To A Kill
15. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
16.Live And Let Die
17.The World Is Not Enough
18. You Only Live Twice
19.Tomorrow Never Dies
20.Moonraker
21.Die Another Day
The top five, indubitably:
1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
2. Goldfinger
3. Casino Royale
4. You Only Live twice
5. From Russia with Love
Best to Worst Bonds:
1. Connery
2. Lazenby
3. Craig
4. Brosnan
5. Moore
6. Dalton
My top 5 favourites in order are: 1. The World is not enough, 2. On her majesty’s secret service.3. Goldeneye
4. Quantum of Solace– if you’ve seen it. 5. Casino Royale
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i seriously believe Brosnan is the best bond, its just that Goldeneye was the only decently scripted bond film that he played in. I think if OHMSS was redone, exactly the same except Brosnan instead, and improved graphics (but not different action scenes in any way, or this new garbage camera angle) — i would have an orgasm.
i think it would even be better than the original
I just feel that Brosnan scored 100% of the chances we gave him, it wasnt his falt that tommorow never dies, the world is not enough, and die another day were bad movies, i think if they had Connery or Moore in them, they would be allot worse
also.. A View to Kill was not all too bad, sure tanya was kind of lame, but i feel that chris walken made up for it.
best bonds:
dalton
craig
connery
moore
lazenby
brosnan
tim dalton for me was the best bond, as he brings the rough realism to the part, he was a bond that actually bled when he fought and got the crap beat out of him seriously a couple times a movie but still came out on top. very different from that waxwork roger moore who glided through his fight scenes without a scratch or sean connery who karate chopped and punched his way through fights but who also always came out of it unscathed. i also like the de-emphasis of the “bond girls” in dalton’s films as they tend to drag the films down as much as or more than they serve the actual plot.….…it also seemed that the dalton movies (or at least the living daylights) put a bit more thought into their plots than the earlier connery/moore offerings. i like craig cause he seems to be in the more serious, brutal dalton mode of bond.
peirce brosnan was the worst bond because after goldeneye, his movies got progressively shittier until they reached the utter bottom of the barrel in the ubershitfest abomination/abortion of the bond series “die another day”. i realize that both connery and moore’s movies also got worse and worse after their high points (thunderball and the spy who loved me respectively) but the decline in their movies was gradual, as opposed to the complete nosedive the brosnan bonds took after goldeneye.….….
This was posted over a year ago.…
Yes and were all still reading it.
A very under-rated Bond in my opinion is Live And Let Die. It is very funny, especially Sherrif J.W. Pepper! Some of my favourite lines from the movie are:
“It’s your lucky day, Jim! You’re goin’ skydivin’!”
“What are you, boy? Some kind of doomsday machine? Well we got a cage strong enough to hold an animlal like you!”
“Secret agent!? On whose side?”
This was Roger Moore’s first Bond and he look great, sounds great. All in all, a fun movie, I always enjoy it. Also, arguably the best theme song of all of ‘em!
After having a discussion with my older brother about different spy flicks, he told me that several of the james bond movies involved sattalites. How may where there?
THE BEST BOND MOVIE
Casino Royale 1967
BEST BOND
Peter Sellers
BEST BOND GIRL
Denise Richards
Best Bond Gal Denise Richards, Best Bond Movie Casino Royale 1967, Best Bond Peter Sellers
For me all James Bond Movies are so good and I love watching it , over and over again. There is no such as worst James Bond movie for me. Srikar, Beach Vacations
I agree with Bob, “Live and Let Die” is very fun to watch. I think it is my favorite. The new Bond is my least favoirite of all. It isn’t just the actor, it is the crudeness of the new image. The movies seem to have lost that fun and excitment element. The last two of them got me upset to the point I almost didn’t finish them. When I set down to watch a movie i want to be entertained, not to be disgusted by continuous blood and guts.
I love all the previous James Bond movies, specially those was portrayed by Connery and Roger Moore. I also like the one that Brosnan did. I haven’t see the new James Bond right so I can’t say anything about it, but it looks like okay too. Srikar, Beach Vacations
You know something? I didn’t mind “Die Another Day”.
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