With over 25 movies, six actors, and 60 years of filmmaking, we’re here to celebrate the legacy of the world’s greatest spy with our ranking of the movies! Caution, there are spoilers ahead for these decades-old movies!
25. Never Say Never Again
The only good thing I can say about Never Say Never Again is that, thankfully, it isn’t technically canon. Due to a rights issue over one of Ian Fleming’s novels, Thunderball, a separate party was able to do a remake of the movie version of the same name. This is the only American-made James Bond film so it often doesn’t count in the overall legacy. As for the quality, it’s a dull and lifeless retelling of Thunderball that wastes the return of Sean Connery.
24. Octopussy
The worst thing about this movie is the titular character, and it’s not because of how suggestive her name is. Octopussy had a missed opportunity of portraying a strong female antagonist in the series, one that hadn’t been seen since From Russia with Love. Not only is she not a villain, but she also has very little agency in her own film. Though there are some great action set pieces, and the India setting is as fun and exotic as it should be, Octopussy is a classic example of James Bond going overboard with the camp. The climax has Bond defusing a bomb while dressed as a clown. That should tell you what kind of movie this is.
23. Diamonds Are Forever
Sean Connery’s canonical swan song is, unfortunately, pretty dull. Perhaps the film’s biggest mistake is setting it in Las Vegas, which isn’t as lively as a setting for a Bond film that one might think. The series’ legendary antagonist, Ernest Stavro Blofeld returns as the main villain in this one but doesn’t have any of the gravitas he had in past films. He’s reduced to dressing as a woman to elude Bond and a somewhat convoluted plot of controlling casinos to gain nuclear dominance through a satellite. And there’s Tiffany Case, who might be the worst Bond girl in the history of the franchise. There’s still much to like here; Sean Connery is charismatic as ever and the villain duo of Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint are creepy, weird, and entertaining.
22. Thunderball
Thunderball has all the ingredients of a great Bond flick: man-eating sharks, the Bahamas as a setting, a plethora of beautiful women, jet packs, a villain with an eye-patch and evil scheme, underwater warfare, what’s not to love? It’s kinda boring. Much of the action scenes are underwater, which proved to be slow and monotonous to watch, which is a shame because there was some real pioneer filmmaking in attempting the difficult feat. Plus, Largos is a rather forgettable villain. Overall, I’d consider Thunderball a good movie with a great belter theme song, strong final action scene, and beautiful cinematography, but coming off the legendary Goldfinger, it’s a large step-down. Still lightyears better than its remake Never Say Never Again.
21. Quantum of Solace
Where Thunderball was an overly long and slow-moving film, Quantum of Solace clocks in as the shortest film in the franchise’s history with some of the most erratic and frantic editing I had ever seen. Thanks to the 2008 writer’s strike, Quantum of Solace suffered much in its storytelling with a hollow presentation of its ideas and themes. The movie doesn’t know if it wants to be a personal story for Bond’s grief or a high stakes corporate thriller centered on government corruption. Quantum of Solace is a tragic missed opportunity to tell a story about a dark and heartbroken Bond but ultimately can’t rise above its scatter brained structure.
20. Die Another Day
This one is often regarded as the worst in the series, but Die Another Day has always been a fun guilty pleasure of mine. The era of Pierce Brosnan has always teetered on the line of comic book campiness, and Die Another Day dives headfirst into explosive absurdity. What was an attempt to be a celebration of the 40-year history of James Bond turned into a laughable parody of itself. It also has easily the worst theme song in the franchise by Madonna (who makes a rather gratuitous cameo in the film as well). Invisible cars, an obnoxious fencing sequence, Bond surfing a tidal wave, a giant laser beam from space, it’s a full-on comic book adventure that many thought went too far, and I agree. But I’d be lying if I said I didn’t get swept up in much of the farcical set pieces and writing. If nothing else, Die Another Day’s failures were worth it because it gave us Casino Royale a few years later.
19. The Man With The Golden Gun
This movie was originally much higher on the list. But upon further reflection, I realize that much of what I love about this movie is centered on Christopher Lee and his villainous portrayal. Outside of him, Roger Moore’s sophomore adventure as 007 is a rather forgettable one. Francisco Scaramanga is an all-time great Bond villain and Lee is just oozing with sociopathic charm, and perfectly portrayed a morally inverted James Bond. But without Lee and that one spectacular car stunt in the second act, The Man with the Golden Gun has little to offer, and it’s attempt to cash in on the rising popularity of kung-fu films made for some bizarre story plotting.
18. A View to a Kill
There’s a lot to like in Roger Moore’s final outing as James Bond. Seeing at the time rising star Christopher Walken as the psychopathic, mad-as-a-hat Max Zorin was as dastardly and fun, and Grace Jones has a lot of villainous charisma. There’s also some amazing stunt work on display with the parachuting off the Eiffel Tower and the fight on the Golden Gate Bridge (which is one of my all-time favorite fights in the series). However, much of the movie is an absurd mess and Roger Moore was simply too old at this point. Having an old man James Bond isn’t a bad thing, but the script treats him like he’s still thirty. At this point, it was bizarre to watch James Bond flawlessly pull off impossible stunts and bed women a fraction of his age. That being said, Roger Moore has probably the strongest swan song movie of all six actors (jury is still out on Daniel Craig).
17. Tomorrow Never Dies
Despite its title, Tomorrow Never Dies seems to have become one of the more forgotten movies in the series. It’s not a great movie, but there’s still a lot to like in this fun romp. The late 1990s was a time of reflection about how technology is becoming a bigger part of our lives, and this film makes that the focus by having the villain become a media mogul who can shape current events on what he deems fit. Great premise, but much of it has become dated in its execution. Pierce Brosnan and his partnership with Michelle Yeoh as Wai Lin is easily the highlight of Tomorrow Never Dies and the motorcycle chase is one of the most creative chases in the series. There’s nothing in here that hasn’t been done better elsewhere but still maintains an engaging watch if one is willing.
16. You Only Live Twice
This one has a special place in my heart because it’s the first Bond film I ever saw. Having a movie open up with the “death” of James Bond leaves a strong first impression and it helps elevate the film in a way that is needed. You Only Live Twice has one of the best settings in Japan, but this being a sixties film, there are some problematic portrayals of Asian culture on display, and James Bond has one of the most laughable disguises in history by pretending to be an Asian man at one point in the movie. Besides that, many of the ongoing spy clichés were established right here in You Only Live Twice, making this an important hallmark in the genre’s history. Its third act is a huge standout in the series and Donald Pleasence has the best portrayal of Blofeld.
15. The Living Daylights
After twelve years of fun and goofy adventures with Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton’s debut as the famed spy brings a level of grounded humanity that the character needed. The Living Daylights, unfortunately, has a rather paint-by-numbers plot with evil arms dealing and the Soviet Union that doesn’t hold up under scrutiny today, but at the time it was a much-needed change for the series. Dalton has one of the more emotionally driven performances in James Bond, making it feel more loyal to Ian Fleming’s novels than the usual traditions of the films. It’s such a shame people weren’t initially receptive to this portrayal.
14. Spectre
Spectre is nowhere near a bad movie. In fact, it’s a stellar one until its third act. The long-awaited return of Blofeld and the casting of Christoph Waltz spelled nothing but promise, but the whole “I am the author of all your pain” angle is contrived at best and damaging to Daniel Craig’s legacy at worst. Despite that, the first hundred minutes are classic Bond, and the opening scene in Mexico is an all-timer for James Bond openings. Continuity has rarely mattered in the franchise, but their first attempt to tie previous events together led to mixed results. Here’s to hoping No Time to Die can bring this all together meaningfully.
13. The World is Not Enough
In my opinion, the most underrated Bond film goes to The World is Not Enough. Though the era of Pierce Brosnan was often guilty of too much comic book silliness, his third outing attempted to tackle some dark themes about Stockholm syndrome, and we finally got another main female antagonist in Sophie Marceau as Elektra King, who is as tragic as she is sexy. Of course, I can’t mention this movie without bringing up the biggest blemish on this film’s legacy: Denise Richards as Christmas Jones. Though I agree with critics that she gives one of the worst performances of any Bond girl in the series, I don’t think it’s the large wet blanket many make it out to be. Pierce Brosnan gives one of his most layered performances as Bond and Judi Dench has much more screen time, which is always a good thing. But I guess it certainly wasn’t enough for many other viewers. Mostly it earns my respect for being the last appearance of Desmond Llewelyn as Q, after playing the role for thirty years.
12. Lisence to Kill
Easily the darkest and most grim film in the series, Licence to Kill was nailed to the wall for it by audiences upon release, leading to an underwhelming performance at the box office. But time has been kind to this one, and many critics and Bond fans look back in reverence for its boldness. Dalton’s tenure as Bond doubles down on the gritty direction. The film follows a rage-driven Bond seeking revenge for the death of his best friend’s wife, leading him to defect from MI6 and spending much of the film’s runtime as a fugitive. Licence to Kill is also home to some of the most gruesome deaths in the series and the performance of Robert Davi as its villain Franz Sanchez is captivating and formidable. It’s only the happily-ever-after-hunky-dory ending that is at odds with the rest of the film. Had the movie ended on a more bittersweet ending, it could have secured a spot in the top ten.
11. Live and Let Die
Quirky, weird, bizarre, those are just some of the ways one can describe Live and Let Die. With the era of Sean Connery at a close, it was time for a new direction. Roger Moore took up the mantle and he certainly left a strong first impression. At the time, Live and Let Die was a huge departure from traditional plots about megalomaniacs bent on world domination, choosing to focus on drug trafficking. The film attempted to capitalize on the rise of Blaxploitation filmmaking, having much of the film’s setting in African-American cultural centers like Harlem and New Orleans. It also led to the series’ first black Bond villain and first black Bond girl. Live and Let Die is the first, and so far only, James Bond flick to introduce supernatural elements with tarot card readings and voodoo spells. It’s a fun and outlandish movie that certainly earns a spot high on the list. Oh, and it also just happens to be home to the greatest Bond theme of all time written by Paul and Linda McCartney and performed by the band Wings.
10. The Spy Who Loved Me
A true globe-trotting classic, The Spy Who Loved Me has gone down as one of the best Roger Moore films for good reasons. Not only does it have THE best opening of a Bond film ever, not only does it have one of the best Bond girls in Barbara Bach as Agent Triple X, not only does it have one of the best villains in Richard Kiel as Jaws, it just happens to be one of the best action movies of the 1970s. Slick as it is sexy, The Spy Who Loved Me will take you on an adventure from Egypt to Sardinia, and even to the middle of the ocean, all with true James Bond style. The only thing holding it back from true greatness was how Agent Triple X was reduced to a damsel-in-distress in the final minutes of the climax. They had the momentum of this great revenge/love story cut to a halt because Bond needed to be the one who looked good. But it didn’t have to be at the expense of this great new character. I guess the film executives agreed with me because women in Bond movies would be portrayed much more respectably going forward.
9. Moonraker
This’ll no doubt be the most controversial entry on here. If this list ranked these movies by pure filmmaking standards, it would probably be in the last place. But Moonraker’s charm and absurdity rise above that, and seeing James Bond go to space was much more fun than it should have been. The tone is certainly all over the place and the villain’s plot is the exact same as that in The Spy Who Loved Me. However, I would defend the first two-thirds of this movie as a solid 007 adventuring. Jaws makes his return and it’s impossible not to like him, the character of Holly Goodhead played by Lois Chiles is a strong supporting character for James Bond, and the actual space scenes are incredibly fun. Pure, absurd fun is how I would describe Moonraker, and it was enough of a silly delight to reach into the top ten.
8. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
In terms of writing, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the best Bond movie ever made. For years, this movie was looked upon as the weird stepchild of the family, but it has only gotten better with age. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service dares to challenge many of the Bond clichés of the time, focusing on telling a good character-driven story rather than relying on gadgets and set pieces. It’s the first and only time Bond gets married, the first and only time George Lazenby dons the role (who is surprisingly great for a first time actor), and the first time a Bond movie ends on the death of the love of his life (later done again in Casino Royale). Diana Riggs as the mob boss’s daughter Tracy is arguably the best Bond girl of all time. Her spunk and rebellious nature contrast well against Bond’s composed and calculating demeanor. If there are any setbacks, the second act is a bit sluggish and Lazenby can be a bit wooden at times. Many have declared this the best Bond film, and I certainly wouldn’t blame them for saying so.
7. For Your Eyes Only
My personal favorite of the Moore era goes to For Your Eyes Only. After taking things too far with Moonraker, the filmmakers decided to scale things back, telling a grounded and earnest story about revenge and loss. It’s perhaps the only Roger Moore flick that dares the audience to take it seriously as a spy film. It has one of my favorite stunts in the series with a breathtaking rock climbing scene that left my jaw dropped. Carole Bouquet is one of the best parts of the movie, bringing an emotional performance to her character Melina Havelock. On paper, it has all the traditional Bond ingredients, and nothing is innovated except for the self-serious tone. However, John Glen’s directorial debut shows tremendous talent in crafting the film, and all the stunts, writing, and set pieces are firing on all cylinders, making For Your Eyes Only a truly superb James Bond flick.
6. Dr. No
The first-ever James Bond movie is still one of the best. Many of the classic tropes wouldn’t be established for a couple more movies, but here at the beginning is a respectable first entry into the ongoing series. Sean Connery’s debut as James Bond remains one of the greatest character introductions in the history of filmmaking. That simple “Bond, James Bond” line as the music swells in the background set the tone for what kind of movie it would be and the series that it birthed. Beyond that, you have a stellar super spy adventure in the tropics filled with conspiracies, going undercover, beautiful women, uneasy allies, and a dastardly villain.
5. From Russia with Love
The second film only continued to build on the strengths of the first movie. From Russia with Love focuses on fleshing out the villainous organization, SPECTRE, and marks the first appearance of Blofeld. However, it’s the evil Rosa Klebb, the first female villain of the series, who gets the spotlight, and she’s as despicable as she is unlikeable. From Russia with Love is probably one of the best-paced films in the franchise and no scene feels too long or short. But much of the movie’s humanity and heart goes to the late Pedro Armendáriz, whose character Ali Kerim Bey is a delightful and humorous co-star that balances out Bond’s charming but rigid exterior. Also, I can’t talk about this film without mentioning that amazing train fight that’s still one of the best hand-to-hand fights of all James Bond movies.
4. Goldfinger
But the best Sean Connery movie is awarded to Goldfinger. What has been said about this film that hasn’t already been said? It’s an undisputed classic nearly sixty years on that has defined the character and defined an entire genre of filmmaking. It’s here Connery cements himself to be forever associated with the debonair and dangerous super-spy. Who can forget about that banger theme song? Or the likable but deadly Oddball? Or the double-entendre named female co-star Pussy Galore? It was here in Goldfinger that James Bond became James Bond, and the rest of the series has been trying to capture that magic ever since.
3. GoldenEye
After a six-year hiatus, James Bond was back with a new actor in the lead role. Pierce Brosnan took the character in a new direction, contrasting from the Dalton era with more charm, wit, and dashing looks. No doubt the sexiest and most vivacious entry on the list, GoldenEye redefined Bond for an era post-Cold War. The movie also marked the debut of Judi Dench’s M, a version of the character that would become an essential staple going forward. It also contains one of my favorite gadgets ever: the exploding pen! Extremely quotable, easy to love, and bombast of fun, GoldenEye earns its near-top spot on the hill.
2. Casino Royale
But the best debut of all six actors goes to Daniel Craig. After the absurdity of Die Another Day, it was time to “kill the myth” as Craig himself would put it. The Bond franchise would need to find new waters to tread and going the way of Batman Begins, in terms of a reboot centered on realism, ultimately served the best course of action. Casino Royale isn’t just a great Bond movie, it’s a great movie period. The film serves as both an origin story and a deconstruction of the iconic character, begging the question of whether or not Bond can work without his gadgets, his usual supporting cast, his femme fatales, and megalomaniac antagonists. The answer was a resounding yes, for the film brought energy and innovation not seen since On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. And who can forget the doomed love interest Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green, the emotional anchor that would serve as the catalyst for James Bond going forward?
- Skyfall
For me, Skyfall is the greatest Bond movie ever made. After two films that attempted to deviate from the familiar, Skyfall embraced its 50 year legacy with confidence, blending the classic tropes with its new style. Most of all, we finally explore James Bond’s childhood and what formed him into the person he became. Instead of giving him a female co-star he would inevitably bed, Judi Dench’s M fills the role, exploring the one meaningful relationship he’s ever had outside of romance, and the two make for an odd buddy cop duo. Skyfall is as exotic and exciting as it is quiet and contemplative. Best example being the climax of the film is confined to Bond’s childhood home while he and M fend off the assault of the psychopathic Silva, played brilliantly by Javier Bardem, symbolizing how Bond must make peace with his past in order to save today. Great character work like this is what made Skyfall so good, and what made Craig’s run as Bond so unique. As a cherry on top, it’s easily the most beautiful looking film in the series, earning an Oscar nomination for Best Cinematography.