Ranking the James Bond films from Best to Worst
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- DirectorTerence YoungStarsSean ConneryRobert ShawLotte LenyaJames Bond willingly falls into an assassination plot involving a naive Russian beauty in order to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E.Sean Connery is my favorite Bond, and this is my favorite of his films. This is one of the most realistic and serious Bond films. There's a strong element of suspense and mystery, as Bond attempts to navigate his way through dangerous territory. I enjoy that this is a low-tech film that can't be replicated today.
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsDaniel CraigEva GreenJudi DenchAfter earning 00 status and a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, Montenegro.This was the best Bond film in years, and established Daniel Craig as a great Bond. This is also a more serious Bond film, but I also enjoyed the fun of the poker games and Bond's flirtations with Vesper (Eva Green). Similar to OHMSS, Bond shows an emotion here that is lacking in most other Bond films, so I was rooting for him even more.
- DirectorPeter R. HuntStarsGeorge LazenbyDiana RiggTelly SavalasBritish agent James Bond goes undercover to pursue the villainous Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who is planning to hold the world to ransom.This is one of the most polarizing of all the Bond films. It's a "love it or hate it" film. Well, I love it. OHMSS is a more serious Bond film, but it has a lot of thrills, comedy, and fun as well. Telly Savalas is an outstanding villain as Blofeld. I also enjoyed seeing a more serious and emotional side out of Bond. I identified with the character more in this movie.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsSean ConneryGert FröbeHonor BlackmanWhile investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.Goldfinger is considered by many to be the greatest Bond film. While I prefer From Russia with Love, this is still very strong. Goldfinger is a brilliant villain. The scheme, while over-the-top, is actually very clever. Goldfinger strikes the right balance between camp and seriousness.
- DirectorTerence YoungStarsSean ConneryUrsula AndressBernard LeeA resourceful British government agent seeks answers in a case involving the disappearance of a colleague and the disruption of the American space program.I really feel that this is one of the most underrated Bond films ever. Sure, it has flaws and relatively weak special effects, but it also has many great qualities. Ursela Andress establishes the Bond Girl, as no one has done it better. Dr. No the villain is also among the best ever. The film is also extremely influential, not just for other Bond films, but for the action and spy genres overall.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreCarole BouquetTopolSecret service agent James Bond is assigned to find a missing British vessel equipped with a weapons encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands.This is my favorite of the Roger Moore films. It's very exciting from beginning to end, with great action sequences. It also features a very strong Bond girl with Carole Bouquet. The film comes off as a little more serious than other Moore films, as is more toward my tastes.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigChristoph WaltzLéa SeydouxA cryptic message from James Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover the existence of a sinister organisation named SPECTRE. With a new threat dawning, Bond learns the terrible truth about the author of all his pain in his most recent missions.Spectre was a strong return to the essence of Bond after Skyfall. The best Bond films were the early ones that involved Spectre and this film marks a return to greatness. The villains in this film are outstanding, especially Christoph Waltz
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsPierce BrosnanSean BeanIzabella ScorupcoYears after a friend and fellow 00 agent is killed on a joint mission, a secret space based weapons program known as "GoldenEye" is stolen. James Bond is assigned to stop a Russian crime syndicate from using the weapon.Things got off to a very promising start for Pierce Brosnan. Goldeneye, like Casino Royale, was a Martin Campbell film and he was able to re-start the franchise in a new direction. There are great Bond girls and villains, as Bond enters the post-Cold War era.
- DirectorLewis GilbertStarsRoger MooreBarbara BachCurd JürgensJames Bond investigates the hijacking of British and Russian submarines carrying nuclear warheads, with the help of a K.G.B. agent whose lover he killed.This was Roger Moore's favorite Bond film. It is probably also the most popular of the Moore Bond films. I really enjoy most of this film, but I feel that it doesn't hold up at the end. The underwater battle scenes are too long and boring for my tastes. Still, there's more good stuff in TSWLM than in most Bond films.
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsDaniel CraigOlga KurylenkoMathieu AmalricJames Bond descends into mystery as he tries to stop a mysterious organisation from eliminating a country's most valuable resource.This is a polarizing film that many people hated for taking itself too seriously. I liked it very much, and feel that it is underrated. Although it falls far short of Casino Royale, Daniel Craig is again outstanding in the role of Bond. I prefer my Bond films on the serious side.
- DirectorTerence YoungStarsSean ConneryClaudine AugerAdolfo CeliJames Bond heads to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme.I love the early Connery Bond films, but Thunderball falls short of the three films that preceded it. Connery has said that this was his favorite Bond film. I feel that it's a bit overrated. The first half of the film is outstanding, but then putters out towards the end.
- DirectorLewis GilbertStarsSean ConneryAkiko WakabayashiMie HamaJames Bond and the Japanese Secret Service must find and stop the true culprit of a series of space hijackings, before war is provoked between Russia and the United States.This is another example of a film that I feel is above average for Bond, but below average for Connery. I enjoyed the plot, the setting, and the Bond girls. I thought that the film lost momentum at the end. This film also marked a shift towards more campy Bond films. I don't like this version of the villain Blofeld, who inspired Dr. Evil from Austin Powers. I prefer the version from OHMSS.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreMaud AdamsLouis JourdanA fake Fabergé egg recovered from the body of a fellow agent leads James Bond to uncover a jewel smuggling operation led by the mysterious Octopussy, and a plot to blow up a NATO air base.This is higher on my list than most, but it has a special place in my heart. My parents got cable for the first time, when this starting showing on HBO. I must have seen it a dozen times when I was eight years old. It was my first experience with a James Bond film, and I still enjoy re-watching it today.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsRoger MooreChristopher LeeBritt EklandJames Bond is targeted by the world's most expensive assassin, while he attempts to recover sensitive solar cell technology that is being sold to the highest bidder.This film is a bit disappointing, given that it had a lot going for it. Christopher Lee plays the villain and Brit Ekland is the Bond girl. Lee's talents, in particular, are not fully realized because of the script. Like most Moore Bond films, it's also a bit too goofy for my tastes, but it's an average Moore film overall.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsSean ConneryJill St. JohnCharles GrayA diamond smuggling investigation leads James Bond to Las Vegas where he uncovers an evil plot involving a rich business tycoon.This is another polarizing Bond film. It is the last official Connery film, but it's one of the most campy and cheesy of all Bond films. It doesn't take itself very seriously and is bordering on self-parody. However, it is still one of the funniest Bond films of all time and gets better with multiple viewings. So my thumb is in the middle for this one.
- DirectorRoger SpottiswoodeStarsPierce BrosnanJonathan PryceMichelle YeohJames Bond sets out to stop a media mogul's plan to induce war between China and the UK in order to obtain exclusive global media coverage.Even though this is a medicore Bond film overall, I feel that some people underrate it. I really enjoyed Michelle Yeoh as a Bond girl. I also like the storyline about an evil media empire. While clearly a step down from Goldenye, this is Brosnan's second best Bond film.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigJavier BardemNaomie HarrisJames Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.I'm probably in the minority here, but Skyfall is one of the most disappointing and overrated Bond films of all time, in my opinion. This film fails to capture the essence of who James Bond is. There is very little fun or joy in Skyfall. The final battle, which takes place in Scotland, is less than thrilling.
- DirectorCary Joji FukunagaStarsDaniel CraigAna de ArmasRami MalekJames Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsTimothy DaltonRobert DaviCarey LowellA vengeful James Bond goes rogue to infiltrate and take down the organization of a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death.I really dislike Timothy Dalton Bond films. This is not a knock against the actor, whom I like and respect. It's just that the films lack the sense of wonder and joy that I expect. The villain in this film does a laughably bad impersonation of Al Pacino's Scarface. Hiring Pacino himself to play the villain would have been the only way to save this turkey.
- DirectorLewis GilbertStarsRoger MooreLois ChilesMichael LonsdaleJames Bond investigates the mid-air theft of a space shuttle, and discovers a plot to commit global genocide.This is another example of a silly Moore film. It's a step down from TSWLM, and it doesn't feature much in the way of memorable Bond girls or villains. The only exception is Jaws, who is brought back from the previous film. When the story finally gets into space, the payoff is underwhelming.
- DirectorMichael AptedStarsPierce BrosnanSophie MarceauRobert CarlyleJames Bond uncovers a nuclear plot while protecting an oil heiress from her former kidnapper, an international terrorist who can't feel pain.For me, this is when the Brosnan run started to go badly. This film is really a mess in terms of plot. Denise Richards doesn't work as a nuclear scientist, and this film gets boring by the end. The less said about this, the better.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsRoger MooreYaphet KottoJane SeymourJames Bond is sent to stop a diabolically brilliant heroin magnate armed with a complex organisation and a reliable psychic tarot card reader.There's a lot that I hate about Moore's first Bond film. It's a boring film. I don't find New Orleans as a particularly interesting place to put Bond. It also goes way out there in terms of its use of magic, voodoo, and mysticism. It's all downhill after Paul McCartney's iconic opening song.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsTimothy DaltonMaryam d'AboJeroen KrabbéJames Bond is sent to investigate a KGB policy to kill all enemy spies, and uncovers an arms deal that potentially has major global ramifications.Some Bond fans enjoy the Dalton flicks, and say that they are the closest to Flemming's Bond, as portrayed in the novels. Even so, I personally find them to be the least entertaining films. This one is ridiculous and also features maybe the most annoying Bond girl ever.
- DirectorLee TamahoriStarsPierce BrosnanHalle BerryRosamund PikeJames Bond is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul, who is funding the development of an international space weapon.This is another example of a Bond film that borders on self-parody. After seeing this film, it was clear that it was time for a change in Bond. Halle Berry was a huge star in 2002, but her talents were wasted here. A lot was ridiculous about this film, including an invisible car, a Korean villain played by a white actor, and atrocious misuse of CGI.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreChristopher WalkenTanya RobertsThe recovery of a microchip from the body of a fellow British secret agent leads James Bond to a mad industrialist scheming to cause massive destruction.It's clear that Moore was just going though the motions at this point and that it was time for a change. Christopher Walken, an ideal actor to play a Bond villain, is wasted in this horrible script.