The James Bond films
This is a list of the James Bond films in the official canon from my all-time favorite to my least favorite.
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- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsDaniel CraigEva GreenJudi DenchAfter earning 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, in Montenegro.Undeniably my most favorite Bond film of all! The story was an excellent reboot, and has so much depth with an excellent performance by Daniel Craig. The action scenes were incredible, Vesper Lynd was a great Bond girl, Le Chiffre was an effective villain, a surprisingly good title song, and the best ending to any Bond movie I've seen so far.
- 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 the organization Spectre.This is an excellent adaptation of Ian Fleming's classic novel. Sean Connery gives his best performance as James Bond bursting with charisma, physicality, and confidence. This movie feels like an actual Hitchcock-ian thriller with suspense and danger at every turn. Lotte Lenya's Rosa Klebb and Robert Shaw's Red Grant are quite excellent and memorable. Peter R. Hunt's editing gives the action and fight scenes some intensity. John Barry's score and Terence Young's direction are also really good.
- 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.While George Lazenby isn't in the same league as Craig or Connery, he carries on Connery's machismo while giving depth to Bond's humane side. The locations were beautiful giving the film a more epic scale while John Barry gives arguably his best score. Telly Savalas's Blofeld is the best portrayal of the supervillain delivering more menace and physicality than Charles Gray and Donald Pleasance's portrayals. Diana Rigg becomes one of the all-time best Bond heroines as Tracy di Vicenzo. Together with Lazenby's Bond, they form one of the series' most developed relationship. In the end, by staying faithful to the novel, this film makes for an exhilarating and very emotional film in the James Bond franchise.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsSean ConneryGert FröbeHonor BlackmanWhile investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.One of the few movies that actually improve upon Fleming's original novels. Sean Connery was great as always, and Gert Frobe makes for a classic villain. Great Bond girls are found in Honor Blackman's Pussy Galore and the tragic Jill Masterson by Shirley Eaton. A major highlight by Shirley Bassey who sings the title song. The climax was a bit unrealistic and I find Cec Linder miscast as Felix Leiter, but it's an instant classic.
- 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.With breathtaking cinematography by Roger Deakins, brilliant cast, an above-average storyline, and impressive action set pieces makes for a top-tier Bond film. Its only flaws was the third act falling short of the first two acts and Silva's plan a bit underwhelming. Thomas Newman's score is excellent alongside Adele's Oscar-winning title song.
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsPierce BrosnanSean BeanIzabella ScorupcoWhen a powerful secret defense system is stolen, James Bond is assigned to stop a Russian crime syndicate from using it.This is the best movie from Pierce Brosnan's tenure in the role. With the Cold War having ended, this movie successfully transitions Bond into the 1990s highlighting his mistreatment with women. The storyline here is really well-told by which it successfully balances the series' tongue-in-cheek humor with some darker story elements, and capping it off with some exhilarating action sequences. Sean Bean's treacherous Alec Trevelyan and Famke Janssen's Xenia Onatopp are two of the best Bond villains in the series.
- 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.This is one of the most underrated Bond films that deserves a re-evaluation because it's really good. Timothy Dalton delivers a stellar debut performance as James Bond. Brad Whitaker and General Koshov are not memorable villains, but they do have a plausible villain scheme rooted in arms dealing and drug smuggling. The action sequences here are very thrilling, especially the fight on the cargo plane. John Barry gives his final Bond score, which is also very good, and it has one of my favorite Bond theme songs from A-ha.
- 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.While the film is exhaustively lengthy during the third act, the film boasts epic-scale visuals, fine set designs by Ken Adam, beautiful Bond girls with Fiona Valope as a standout, and a commanding title song by Tom Jones. Sean Connery carries the role well, and I find Rik van Nutter as one of the better actors to play Felix Leiter in the official canon.
- 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 is undoubtedly the best film of Roger Moore's tenure. The pre-title sequences and theme song are among the series' best. The locations here are stunningly beautiful. Roger Moore finally finds his footing as James Bond balancing the comedic side, but still retaining an outwardly cold demeanor. Barbara Bach's Agent XXX is one of the better Bond girls, and the romance arc she has with Bond was really told.
However, the film does recycle its story from "You Only Live Twice". In spite of all this, Stromberg is not a strong central villain that is easily overshadowed by Richard Kiel's Jaws. Also, Stromberg's master-plan is a bit contradictory. Nuclear warfare would devastate all aquatic life residing in the Earth's oceans.
Marvin Hamslich's instrumental score is a departure from John Barry's style, noticeably more disco and pop-driven, but it's a good one. Not to be ignored, Ken Adams outdoes himself once again with the production design. - 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.Despite having a limited budget, the movie makes the most out of what it wants to be with lavish sets by Ken Adam, fine supporting performances from Joseph Wiseman, Ursula Andress, and John Kitzmiller, thrilling action/chase scenes, and the suaveness of Sean Connery's debut as the cinematic British spy.
- 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.This is one of the most intense and darkest of the Bond films. Timothy Dalton's performance is really strong here. He is believably vengeful and uses his smarts to outwit Robert Davi as Sanchez, who is one of the series' most brutal villains. The action sequences are really well done and still hold up in subsequent viewings. Michael Kamen sends up a really good Bond score.
- 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 film is an excellent throwback to the espionage Bond thrillers of the early 1960s with a harder-edged style by freshman director John Glen, with less emphasis on gadgetry and large action sequences in huge location backdrops. Roger Moore gives his best performance as Bond, and the revenge theme gives the film some depth. Julian Glover's Aristotle Kristatos is not a memorable villain, though.
Sheena Eaton's title song is romantic and one of my favorites. Bill Conti's score falls short with some of the disco-flavored music during the action sequences. A few campy scenes here and there doesn't ruin too much, but overall, this is a mostly enjoyable Bond film. - 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.
- 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 the first Bond movie that completely diverts from Fleming's original novel, and it shows. Sean Connery was fine, though he looks uninterested; the supporting cast fit their roles quite well. Donald Pleasance's Blofeld, while iconic, is too physically unintimidating to be taken seriously as a threatening overlord of a terrorist crime syndicate.
Aside from that, Freddie Young's cinematography is wonderful in which he expertly captures the colorful and sweeping locations of Japan. Ken Adam's production design (especially Blofeld's volcano lair) are among the best in the series. John Barry adds an Oriental flavor to the instrumental score this time here, topping it off with Nancy Sinatra's title song. - 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.Like its predecessor, the first two acts is excellent showcasing superb cinematography from Hoyte van Hoytema, a memorable pre-title sequence, good action sequences, and strong direction from Sam Mendes. The third act falls weak with a villain scheme borrowed from recent spy/action films and an underwritten role for Christoph Waltz. The cast still delivers fine performances with Dave Bautista as a highlight. Sam Smith's "Writing on the Wall" starts out very promising, but his falsetto strains the song of its emotional weight.
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsDaniel CraigOlga KurylenkoMathieu AmalricJames Bond descends into mystery as he tries to stop an organisation from eliminating a country's most valuable resource.Putting aside the jump cuts and shaky camera, this film is a fine addition to the series. However, the film devotes more time to action sequences than to further plot development although it has a decent villain scheme. Daniel Craig's performance is raw and gritty, and David Arnold's score continues to amaze. I didn't like Alicia Key and Jack White's song at first, but I grew accustomed to it.
- DirectorLewis GilbertStarsRoger MooreLois ChilesMichael LonsdaleJames Bond investigates the mid-air theft of a space shuttle, and discovers a plot to commit global genocide.The film represents the height of the campiness of the Bond series that has plagued the franchise since the early 1970s. With that aside, the action sequences are thrilling and the sweeping cinematography showcases the beauties of the French and Brazilian locations. John Barry's score and the title song has a romantic feel to it. The cast is exceptional, though Hugo Drax's master plan is one of the more outlandish in the series.
- DirectorRoger SpottiswoodeStarsPierce BrosnanJonathan PryceMichelle YeohJames Bond sets out to stop a media mogul's plan to induce a war between China and the United Kingdom.It's a middle-of-the-road throwback to the films of "You Only Live Twice" and "The Spy Who Loved Me" where the villain tries to start World War III. Pierce Brosnan gives an excellent sophomore performance getting a hair cut and improving his physicality. Much like "Quantum of Solace", it devotes more screentime to spectacular action set-pieces than developing its ideas of media manipulation in the political world, which is surprisingly still relevant. Jonathan Pyrce's Eliot Carver was a bit over-the-top, and Paris Carver makes for a tragic Bond girl in the vien of Tracy Bond. A few more complaints are that Bond and Wai Lin lack chemistry, and k.d. lang's title sequence should have been the title song over Sheryl Crow's as lang's rendition heavily compliments David Arnold's excellent score and is more ambitious and powerful.
- 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.While it has a deeper and more intriguing plot than its predecessor, its story ideas have real potential though it lacked skilled execution. First things first, the film contains one of the best pre-title sequences of the series, and Brosnan gives his best performance as Bond. Sophie Marcau's Elektra King was a great Bond villainess, and made for a great plot twist though at the expense of Robert Carlyle's Renard. The action was great, though at times, uninvolving. One more thing is Denise Richards's Christmas Jones: her acting was fine, though her dialogue did her no favors as well as her attire of a tank top and short jeans made it unrealistic to be taken seriously as a nuclear physicist.
- 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.As with "Diamonds Are Forever", the film's only saving grace is the memorable title sequence by Paul McCartney and the Wings whereas most of the film is a standard farce. Roger Moore establishes his own version of his character thanks to Tom Mankiewicz's script. Jane Seymour's Solitaire is one of the most eye-appealing Bond girls, though she doesn't contribute much to the story. This film does have some interesting henchmen such as Julian Harris's Tee Hee Johnson and Geoffrey Holder's Baron Samedi. Yaphet Kotto's Mr. Big/Kananga was alright, though his villain has one of the most missed opportunities to kill Bond in the series. The exhilarating speedboat chase is also a great action sequence, though it overstays its welcome after a few minutes.
- 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.It's a major letdown from its acclaimed predecessor with its theme song by Dame Shirley Bassey, the witty dialogue, and Mr. Witt and Mr. Kidd being the film's only saving grace. Sean Connery returns to the role more uninterested and bored than ever. Jill St. John's Tiffany Case starts out interesting, but becomes obnoxious towards the end. Lana Wood's Plenty O'Toole was wasted. To top that, Charles Gray's Blofeld lacks menace and his extortion scheme feels tired and formulaic. The direction and cinematography is lacking in technical brilliance. The climax is underwhelming. Overall, the film becomes too campy for my tastes.
- 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.While the film starts out great with a formidable foe from Christopher Lee's Scaramanga, the movie descends into camp during its second act. Roger Moore gives one of his better performances, though he is poorly recommended to imitate Sean Connery's interpretation of Bond which doesn't work and seems rather ill-fitting. Despite this, it isn't enough to save the picture from Britt Ekland's Mary Goodnight (easily one of the worst Bond girls) and a second coming from no-nonsense Louisiana Sheriff J.W. Pepper. The Asian locales were beautiful as well. And much to the fanbase's disagreement, I actually liked the title song from Lulu.
- 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.While the pre-title sequence was fun and thrilling, the same can't be said for the rest of the film. Its storyline is muddled, confusing, and poorly paced and even saddled with a return to the campiness of Bond doing the Tarzan yell, applying clown makeup in minutes, and hiding in a gorilla suit among other things. Maud Adams's Octopussy is easily a match for Moore's Bond, and the two have great chemistry. The film's action sequences, along with the train and airplane stunts, are of worthy mention with the Indian locales adding an ethnic adventure flavor to the story. The theme song by Rita Coolidge is quite romantic.
- 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.Its pre-title sequence and the first half sets the film up quite well, though its second and third acts fails to deliver the goods with its overuse of gadgets, badly dated CGI, outlandish villain scheme, and excessive product placement. Pierce Brosnan remains convincing, and the supporting cast follows after him with honorable mentions to Dame Judi Dench and Rosamund Pike. Madonna's title song is by far the worst of the Bond songs, and the dialogue (especially from Halle Berry's Jinx) is left to be desired.
- 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.Of worthy mention, the title song by Duran Duran is one of the series' best. The pre-titles sequence was decent, in which its focus on snowboarding. The placement of "California Girls", however, feels out of place. The storyline was more simplified and better-paced than "Octopussy", though it's a tired rehash of "Goldfinger" with comedic car chases in Paris and San Francisco. Roger Moore ends his tenure on a disappointing note having grown too old in the role. Christopher Walken's Max Zorin makes for a great villain. Grace Jones's May Day was also pretty good. The film's Golden State Bridge finale was thrilling, and Tanya Roberts's Stacey Stutton is one of the series' weakest Bond girls.