James Bond: Best to worst
by MinorityReporter | created - 19 Nov 2012 | updated - 03 Feb 2022 | PublicJames Bond is an institution in the world of film. Ever since the early 60's this secret agent has entertained the masses and some of his best movies stand as some of the best action movies of all time. There is no doubt that he is an influential figure and with the recent release of Skyfall I thought it was appropriate to look at (and rank) all of his movies. Enjoy the list!
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1. Goldfinger (1964)
PG | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
While investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.
Director: Guy Hamilton | Stars: Sean Connery, Gert Fröbe, Honor Blackman, Shirley Eaton
Votes: 202,632 | Gross: $51.08M
This movie was the benchmark for Bond films for so long. Bond is so cool in this movie he even converts a lesbian. This is the only Connery Bond movie that doesn't deal with the SPECTRE organisation and so many of the elements we connect with Bond were started in this movie. The intro theme with naked women, the theme song, the slightly outlandish henchman it all came from here and many of these exact elements were never done better than in this movie.
2. Skyfall (2012)
PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James 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.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem, Naomie Harris, Judi Dench
Votes: 731,348 | Gross: $304.36M
It may be hype and it may go down on the list but so far I have seen Skyfall a few times already and aside from being the most beautifully shot Bond film ever (thank you Roger Deakins) it walks an almost impossible balance between the harder style laid down in the Craig movies and at the same time being completely faithful and respectful of the older movies. The last 10 minutes in particular oozed of classic Bond charm. This movie is the perfect modern Bond film.
3. From Russia with Love (1963)
PG | 115 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James 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.
Director: Terence Young | Stars: Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya, Daniela Bianchi
Votes: 145,416 | Gross: $24.80M
If Dr. No started it all, then From Russia with Love cemented it. Bond was here and he was cool as hell. The story is more engaging, the acting is top notch and the action is simply spectacular. In particular one scene is to this day one of the best most intense brawls ever caught on film. Many Bond purists consider this the best and I can definitely see why.
4. Casino Royale (2006)
PG-13 | 144 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
After 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.
Director: Martin Campbell | Stars: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Judi Dench, Jeffrey Wright
Votes: 694,827 | Gross: $167.45M
After the ridiculous Die Another Day the Bond franchise had become so convoluted and unrelatable that a change was needed and that change came with Casino Royale. Daniel Craig nearly matched the suave intensity of Sean Connery and the story was much more relatable and cool. After seeing this I wanted to be Bond again, a feeling I hadn't experienced in a long time. Tense, exciting and irresistible.
5. Dr. No (1962)
PG | 110 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A resourceful British government agent seeks answers in a case involving the disappearance of a colleague and the disruption of the American space program.
Director: Terence Young | Stars: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Bernard Lee, Joseph Wiseman
Votes: 179,475 | Gross: $16.07M
Considering that this was the one that started it all, it has taken me a long time and repeated viewings to truly appreciate this movie. I think it is because it is so dramatically different from many of it following movies of which I had seen many before I saw this but Connery is just so raw and charming and the tension in some scenes are palpable that it has become one of my favorite Bond movies of all time.
6. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
PG | 120 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A diamond smuggling investigation leads James Bond to Las Vegas where he uncovers an evil plot involving a rich business tycoon.
Director: Guy Hamilton | Stars: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood
Votes: 114,190 | Gross: $43.82M
For some reason people seem to dislike this Connery Bond movie the most and while I can see that it has some plot holes and is the goofiest of Connery's movies, it is also the most fun. From gay hitmen to Blofeld clones, I have to admit that I love all of it.
7. No Time to Die (2021)
PG-13 | 163 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James 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.
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga | Stars: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux
Votes: 444,983 | Gross: $160.87M
A fitting end to the Craig era of Bond films. It packs a surprising emotional punch, which alone might be a reason for a rewatch. It leaves the Bond franchise in weird uncharted waters and I am a little excited to see where they might take the franchise going forward.
8. GoldenEye (1995)
PG-13 | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
Years 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.
Director: Martin Campbell | Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen
Votes: 270,303 | Gross: $106.60M
Pierce Brosnan's first outing in the tux is also by far his best and critics of the Craig movies consider this to be the best modern Bond movie. Even though I don't agree I can understand where they come from as GoldenEye is a terrific Bond movie with probably the most interesting relationship between Bond and the villain. And who can resist Famke Janssen's killer thighs - simply fantastic.
9. The Living Daylights (1987)
PG | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James Bond is sent to investigate a KGB policy to kill all enemy spies, and uncovers an arms deal that potentially has major global ramifications.
Director: John Glen | Stars: Timothy Dalton, Maryam d'Abo, Jeroen Krabbé, Joe Don Baker
Votes: 105,888 | Gross: $51.19M
After the increasingly goofy antics of Roger Moore Timothy Dalton came along and gave us a much more human Bond. It could even be argued that his version is the most relatable and The Living Daylights is his best performance as Bond. Aside from being a good Bond movie The Living Daylights is also just a really good cold war thriller.
10. Thunderball (1965)
PG | 130 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James 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.
Director: Terence Young | Stars: Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi
Votes: 127,146 | Gross: $63.60M
Returning after the phenomenal Goldfinger, Connery and co. continued in much of the same style as its predecessor and director Terrence Young, who also directed the first two Bond movies, gave us the most epic Bond yet. Our hero comes closer than ever before to the organisation known as SPECTRE and it is a terrific ride all the way through.
11. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
PG | 127 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
Secret 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.
Director: John Glen | Stars: Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson
Votes: 108,332 | Gross: $62.30M
After the abysmal Moonraker, the producers had a bit of a realisation, albeit brief, that Bond needed to be more grounded (pun intended) and the result is this thriller that, in spite of a somewhat unceremonious dealing with Blofeld, is a much more realistic and therefore much more relatable Bond.
12. Quantum of Solace (2008)
PG-13 | 106 min | Action, Adventure, Mystery
James Bond descends into mystery as he tries to stop a mysterious organisation from eliminating a country's most valuable resource.
Director: Marc Forster | Stars: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench
Votes: 470,946 | Gross: $168.37M
Repeated viewings have increased my appreciation for this film. Despite taking far too many liberties with the Bond licence, there were some moments of genuine brilliance in this movie. For instance, Daniel Craig has probably never been better as the main character and the action scenes were truly engaging. You could argue that too many things lack for this to truly be called a Bond film but as a movie in its own right I really like it.
13. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
PG-13 | 128 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James Bond uncovers a nuclear plot while protecting an oil heiress from her former kidnapper, an international terrorist who can't feel pain.
Director: Michael Apted | Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards
Votes: 210,029 | Gross: $126.94M
Aside from having to suspend my disbelief that Denise Richards could be a scientist this was actually a really entertaining Bond movie and far superior to others Brosnan ventures. The story was engaging and cool and Brosnan even showed some hitherto unseen edge as the character.
14. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
PG | 125 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James 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.
Director: Guy Hamilton | Stars: Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Maud Adams
Votes: 113,112 | Gross: $20.97M
Moore's second time in the tux turned out to be even better than his first, mainly due to the rivalry between Bond and Scaramanga (played aptly by film legend, Christopher Lee). The scenes were crisp and full of good humour and it still maintained enough of a serious tone to actually be engaging and tense when it needed to be.
15. Live and Let Die (1973)
PG | 121 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James Bond is sent to stop a diabolically brilliant heroin magnate armed with a complex organisation and a reliable psychic tarot card reader.
Director: Guy Hamilton | Stars: Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour, Clifton James
Votes: 115,529 | Gross: $35.38M
Roger Moore's first movie as 007 is one of his best because the director and the actor realised that he was NOT Sean Connery (something they would forget in subsequent movies). For instance, his delivery of the "Bond, James Bond." line was drastically different from Connery's and he also never ordered his signature drink. Overall it works quite well and Live and Let Die is an entertaining and well thought out Bond movie.
16. You Only Live Twice (1967)
PG | 117 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James 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.
Director: Lewis Gilbert | Stars: Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama, Tetsurô Tanba
Votes: 117,589 | Gross: $43.08M
In my opinion, this is the weakest Connery Bond movie. The whole changing into a Japanese person was just completely unnecessary and the female lead was just so obviously not an actress. On the positive side, this movie finally let the audience see Blofeld (and in his best guise I might add) and Connery was still a terrific Bond.
17. Spectre (I) (2015)
PG-13 | 148 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A 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.
Director: Sam Mendes | Stars: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes
Votes: 466,402 | Gross: $200.07M
I am in shock, the director behind one of the best Bond films, the best Bond actor since Connery and the actor who played Hans Landa as the villain couldn't deliver a movie that was better than just plain average.
18. Licence to Kill (1989)
PG-13 | 133 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A 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.
Director: John Glen | Stars: Timothy Dalton, Robert Davi, Carey Lowell, Talisa Soto
Votes: 112,126 | Gross: $34.67M
Dalton is really underrated as Bond. He actually tried to bring the character back to its roots and his second film has some of the darkest scenes ever in a Bond film. It actually seemed a little too dark at times almost like it forgot to have fun. Benicio del Toro was superb, however.
19. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
PG-13 | 119 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James 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.
Director: Roger Spottiswoode | Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher
Votes: 204,741 | Gross: $125.33M
Brosnan's second time in the tux is a mixed bag. There were some really cool action scenes (especially the motorcycle chase), Brosnan was still really charming and it actually had a pretty good story. But the villain was just so completely un-threatening and it was just too goofy at times.
20. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
PG | 125 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James 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.
Director: Lewis Gilbert | Stars: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curd Jürgens, Richard Kiel
Votes: 116,305 | Gross: $46.80M
Some consider this Moore's best outing as Bond. I actually find it a little ridiculous. The villain's scheme is, even by Bond standards, ridiculous. On the more positive side, this movie introduced Jaws as a secondary villain, the female lead was really cool and Moore actually seemed to have found his own style as Bond.
21. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
PG | 142 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
British agent James Bond goes undercover to pursue the villainous Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who is planning to hold the world to ransom.
Director: Peter R. Hunt | Stars: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Gabriele Ferzetti
Votes: 99,491 | Gross: $22.80M
I know that this is a favorite of the critics but I have seen it several times now and I just can't get into it. It is overly long, bloated and unengaging. In fact I keep falling asleep when I try to see it. George Lazenby does his best but he is just doesn't fit the tux nearly as well as Connery. It does have some pretty cool action scenes and the ending is surprisingly emotional for a Bond flick.
22. Octopussy (1983)
PG | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
A 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.
Director: John Glen | Stars: Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan, Kristina Wayborn
Votes: 113,019 | Gross: $67.90M
I know that Moore's movies are already too represented in the bottom five but Octopussy really wasn't that engaging. It is way better than both Moonraker and A View to a Kill but it drags a lot at times and some blatant continuity errors detract from this otherwise decent Bond venture.
23. A View to a Kill (1985)
PG | 131 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
The 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.
Director: John Glen | Stars: Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Tanya Roberts, Grace Jones
Votes: 104,946 | Gross: $50.33M
By the time this movie came out Moore had been to old to play the character for years and when he bedded young women it seemed more creepy than cool. Moreover, Moore seemed more concerned with spouting unfunny jokes than propel the story forward. Christopher Walken was weirdly cool but he couldn't save the film from itself.
24. Moonraker (1979)
PG | 126 min | Action, Adventure, Sci-Fi
James Bond investigates the mid-air theft of a space shuttle, and discovers a plot to commit global genocide.
Director: Lewis Gilbert | Stars: Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel
Votes: 108,835 | Gross: $70.31M
Far and wide considered to be one of the worst Bond films and it is deserving of its reputation. Moore had by this time done 3 movies as Bond and he seemed really complacent by the time this movie came out. Sure it has some impressive effects considering its age but it feels rushed and unengaging.
25. Die Another Day (2002)
PG-13 | 133 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller
James 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.
Director: Lee Tamahori | Stars: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Rosamund Pike, Toby Stephens
Votes: 229,238 | Gross: $160.94M
It's a shame to have to put this movie here because I actually like Pierce Brosnan as Bond. Sure he doesn't have the same edge as some of the other actors who played the character but he has all the charm. Die Another Day, however, is an inconsistent, overblown mess of a movie. From exploding ice castles to invisible cars, this movie exemplified everything that had gone wrong with the Bond franchise and why it was necessary to reboot.
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