By Luca Newton
It's been exactly a week since I finished my James Bond movie marathon with No Time to Die in cinemas. A week later, I wanted to reflect on this tremendous achievement..
25 movies in roughly 22 days, the James Bond franchise is one of the longest-running and oldest blockbuster franchises, spanning over half a century remaining relevant to this day. Yet, even as a large film buff, I actually had never implored to watch any of these movies. Well, not until early September, where I started to take a real interest in watching these films in the lead up to the latest instalment, No Time to Die - positioned as the finale for Daniel Craig's tenure in the role. Originally, I intended to only watch from Casino Royale to Spectre. However, due to the amount of time between this point and the UK release of the newest film, on 30th September, I just decided to start from Dr. No and henceforth. I honestly don't regret this decision; it's been truly insightful as someone who is constantly learning to write more on movies, and understand them on a critical level. Additionally, these films have just been boat loads of fun, acting as some form of routine for my mostly uneventful days.
Given the huge amount of films; 25 to be exact, you can be sure that there is plenty to be said about them. Instead of writing a long overly detailed paragraph on them, I thought it would be in tradition if I actually ranked them, with a bit of explanation sprinkled in there. I will specifically hone in on No Time to Die, as the movie that this marathon lead to, and discuss it in a little more detail. Furthermore, the entire franchise will be summed up nicely in a bow with my closing thoughts of the series, and a little discussion on the future of said series.
This is going to be a long one, so strap yourselves in. Also beware of spoilers for.. just about every Bond film.
'No Time To Die' Quick Review
To start my post, I thought that the review section being at the start made the most sense. If you're only here for this, then enjoy.
No Time to Die is the 25th entry in the Bond franchise, and the fifth and final Craig film. It follows the events of Spectre, where Bond and Dr. Swann had drove off together, for retirement. However, his friend, CIA Agent Felix Leiter recruits Bond on a mission that gets him back into action. Through this, he reunites with MI6, to find that a new agent, Nomi, has assumed his 007 role. Safin, played by Rami Malek, is dangerous enough that his plan could mean the death of millions, Bond has to team up with Nomi to take Safin down and save the world one last time for Craig's Bond.
I am being purposefully vague, because it is a movie that is ESSENTIAL not to go in knowing the twists and turns.. because No Time to Die has no shortage of those. More than I'm used to; I was genuinely shocked and surprised several times, which made for such a compelling viewing experience. In that same vein, I do believe that these surprises and twists will polarize fans - in fact, it already has. I can definitely see how Bond fans would be upset with parts of the movie. No Time to Die holds back no punches whatsoever; it truly goes all out, and I really respect that.
The action is absolutely top notch here. Completely exhilarating - on par with that of Skyfall and Casino Royale, sometimes exceeding. Specifically Ana De Armas' action setpiece was some delightfully choreographed action. Just the mix of the incredible Craig/Armas chemistry, and Armas' general presence. Seriously - give Ana De Armas her own action franchise, she completely stole the movie, and she was here for literally less than 10 minutes. It's crazy. Madeline Swann was a character I was unsure of in Spectre, however I definitely think she shined here. While I don't think she's top tier Bond girls, she gets stuff to actually do here, and I honestly like that. She also has a few twists associated to her I know for sure is going to be a point of contention.
To cap this off for now, I'll just briefly discuss the ending. The lair invasion part of the third act was fine, but the weakest part of the movie in my opinion. However, the actual final part of movie was incredible to me, and I know many will disagree and many will agree. But it's just an exceptional ending to Craig's 15 year tenure.
No Time to Die was the success story Spectre wanted to be, mixing the grounded tone of Craig films and the bombastic and cheesy tone to Moore films. It was the perfect mix, and it worked so well here, unlike many other failed attempts. I was very happy with the movie.
All 25 Official Bond Films Ranked
25. Die Another Day (2002) - Pierce Brosnan
No, Madonna, I'll probably die this day because of THAT atrocious song. Die Another Day is the finale of Pierce Brosnan's tenure as Bond - directed by Lee Tamahori. James Bond goes undercover on a mission in North Korea, and is imprisoned for a very long time. Once he finally gets out, and back to London, he's convinced that someone within MI6 has betrayed him. Bond must stop the North Korean leader who has altered his face to become a British man, and is bent on separating the North and South borders of Korea to unite theme again, with the use of a diamond-powered satellite... yeah, it's very Bondian. But somehow too absurd. Die Another Day, the Madonna song, perfectly reflects the movie - excruciatingly painful to my eyes and ears. It's such a tired film in general. Die Another Day feels the most like a milked Bond film, it really feels like they took the formula, did absolutely nothing interesting, and ramped up the absurdly stupid elements, far beyond any charm, and just pure nothingness. It just lost me completely, it's so stupid. The VFX is shockingly bad, especially compared to Brosnan's other entries. I also had absolutely zero interest in Jinx as a character, unlike they thought I would, and the villains are atrocious. The ONLY thing I liked, was Rosamund Pike. She was very underused, but was actually entertaining. I will say, Die Another Day is the only Bond movie I actively hate.
24. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - Sean Connery
Sean Connery is the original Bond. He is certainly legendary because of this, but his tenure was supposed to end with You Only Live Twice, however due to recasting after George Lazamby wasn't quite the success they were hoping for, they couldn't get Roger Moore like they wanted, and instead of waiting, they hired Sean Connery back to push forwards with production. Because of this, Diamonds Are Forever, feels so disconnected from the Bond canon. This film is so low for me, basically because if you asked me what happened in it, I wouldn't know.. or really care to know. I think Bond fights 2 very skilled women in hand to hand, and beats them by easy submerging them in water, but other than that, I can't remember who the Bond girl was. I do remember that the villain was Blofeld, played by Charles Grey, and I do remember how they followed Bond's wife being killed, with a weirdly dubbed opening where Bond quickly gets revenge, and it's never mentioned again. Other than that, it's not terrible, it's not even boring necessarily, it just sorta sucks and is forgettable.
23. Moonraker (1979) - Roger Moore
I know, I KNOW, this one has garnered a cult following in recent years; as a Roger Moore defender, I still cannot get behind it. Moonraker is commendable in the way it goes balls-to-the-wall, and just pushes the boundaries of what is physically possible in a Bond film. However, just because it's really crazy, doesn't mean I like it. There is very little I like about Moonraker. Firstly, it is fun. Like most films here, it is a fun movie to watch despite its flaws, and honestly the return and redemption of Jaws was really nice. The film's villain, Drax, is one of the better Bond villains, just because I found him quite memorable, and while his motivations were absurd, at least he had an actual plan that made sort of sense in terms of his own logic. Drax wanted to move everyone in spacecrafts to procreate, while he destroyed all human life and restarted it in his image - very cheesy, but I can get behind it since it is a Bond movie. However, I'm struggling to find anything else I liked about it. I can see why it's gained a cult following, but the budgets definitely weren't there for a space film.. I'll just watch Star Wars. Sorry Moonraker enthusiasts - you get Black Widow loving your film so you're fine.
22. Spectre (2015) - Daniel Craig
Funnily, Spectre was the Bond film that I'd already seen. In 2015, I went to see it with my parents, and absolutely fell asleep halfway in. Going into this rewatch, I was unsure on whether that my disdain and boredom was a symptom of seeing a Bond film with absolutely zero context, back when I was roughly 12 years old. What I found upon this rewatch after 6 years, I wasn't truly aware of how bad Spectre is. The first half of Spectre, is overwhelmingly fine. It has... stuff. It has... moments. I liked the Mexico City long-shot at the start; I liked the first encounter in that Spectre meeting; I liked the train fight with Dave Bautista's henchman character, with Craig's white tux. Besides all of this, the first half is very bland, and lacks any notable set pieces, but it's not bad by any means. That second half takes a nosedive - and I mean a nosedive. I've never seen as big of a dip in quality as I did in Spectre. Daniel Craig's tenure has been a refreshing one, it has made Bond more grounded, more real, yet with the elements we know and love. Spectre took Skyfall and mixed it with a Roger Moore movie, and it's a bloody tonal mess! I mean, don't get me wrong, that mix is something that, later, I will tall about working, but in the execution here, it just does not. They have finally brought back Blofeld after decades of moving on from him due to legal reasons, and they get the Christoph Waltz.. and they completely waste him. So bent on making Blofeld their Joker, they choose to make a character that is absolutely nothing like Blofeld, with the same name for some reason? They even made Blofeld and Bond step-brothers... you can't make this shit up. Then, the end of the movie, you have Blofeld decorating a building under construction with pictures of his previous enemies. They just do absolutely nothing with him, Christoph Waltz just gets absolutely nothing to work on.. It's all a frustrating mess, and not even a very entertaining on neither..
21. Quantum of Solace (2008) - Daniel Craig
The very last Daniel Craig film you'll be seeing for a while, but Quantum of Solace is incredibly mediocre. To start on a positive note, I don't think this is bad at all, in fact I think people exaggerate how bad it is - but to that same effect, it's not particularly good either. As a continuation of Casino Royale, it does redeem itself for me, but in every other aspect it's an incredibly underwhelming Bond film, plagued with writing issues due to Craig himself having to write some of it, despite not being a writer. It makes me wonder whether the editors were on strike too, because hot DAMN the editing is abysmal; I could never tell what was going on in action as it was always obscured or way too jarringly cut. Going back to a previous point, the actual story doesn't land, however, I did like how it follows up on Casino Royale - Bond is fully on a revenge mission, and the tone of the film really does go into some darker territories, it is definitely a more downbeat film. Additionally, the building of the relationship between Bond and M and building trust after Vesper were really welcome additions. Unfortunately the villain might be the worst in Craig's tenure, and one of the more forgettable in the franchise. Ah well, at least the building go boom at the end.
20. From Russia With Love (1963) - Sean Connery
Hear me out for this one.. From Russia With Love is the second Bond film, starring Sean Connery, directed by Terrence Young yet again. Bond is back again and a more grounded and serious mission involving the secret organisation SPECTRE attempting to exact revenge on Bond for killing Dr. No in Jamaica. I will say that I really love the set-up for this film; a more serious take, directly following the events of the previous film, with the villains actively wanting to kill Bond out of revenge. Furthermore, I respect this film a lot due to how it sets in stone the tonally serious films of Bond's future which I typically gravitate towards. However, From Russia With Love isn't for me unfortunately. Despite the interesting premise, it never compelled me in any way, in fact it was extremely boring and forgettable for me. The one and only thing I can remember, is the train fight, which was great, but this film just does not stand out for me at all. This will be a bit controversial, as it is a fan favourite film - I unfortunately did not think it was all that great. Only truly mediocre.
19. The World Is Not Enough (1999) - Pierce Brosnan
As we go further in this, you'll notice I'm not the biggest fan of Brosnan's Bond films. Bond was really changing and evolving as a franchise, just to be cut short and replaced with Brosnan's very by-the-mill tenure. While not as bad as Die Another Day, The World Is Not Enough was just not enough for me. Instead of being bad, it's painfully mediocre for me. Bond is entrusted to protect the daughter of a recently departed billionaire, Sir Robert King, at the hand of a terrorist attack by Renard, who had kidnapped Elektra King prior to the events of the movie. However, it's revealed later that Elektra has Stockholm Syndrome, and had fallen for Renard and joined him in his plan. Now, I think this is an incredible idea; have the Bond villain really be the Bond girl with Stockholm Syndrome, it's a really cool idea, and honestly, she was my favourite part of this movie. Definitely a strong Bond villain for me. Other than that, the rest of the film is plagued with Brosnan-isms of being way too formulaic to be of any interest to me, Christmas Jones has been horrifically miscasted with Denis Richards, it is just a generally tired formula at this point, and so I wasn't enthralled by it besides the awesome villain with Elektra King. I really wanted to like this one more, but it was still enjoyable.
18. Octopussy (1983) - Roger Moore
Is Octopussy a good movie? No. But goddamnit I really enjoy it! I honestly think that it gets too much flack. It's certainly very flawed, and stupid, and Moore is very clearly too old for this. I honestly haven't got much to say to defend it, besides that I had a blast with it despite the issues it clearly. The focus on the Bond girl this time, played by Maud Adams, actually dubbed Octopussy, was really interesting, and well played. I think that of the many Bond girls, she is one of the most memorable and pretty good too. The plot leads Bond on a mission to stop a Russian general who wants to instigate another World War, after a 00 has been found dead. There really isn't much else to it; a simple, flawed Bond film with an actor painfully unaware of their age, but it was fun.
17. Thunderball (1965) - Sean Connery
Alternatively, we have Sean Connery's intended penultimate outing takes its place at 17th. Despite my disdain for From Russia With Love, I believe this is the first big dip in quality for Bond, despite my preference for Thunderball. Firstly, I just want to highlight the improvement in how the films were shot starting from this movie, it certainly looked a hell of a lot better than the previous 3 prior. As an original Connery entry, Thunderball submerges itself within the evolving formula of these films. I'd argue, however, it is the first truly bombastic Bond, akin to Moonraker that would follow it. I thought the villain, Largo, was really well done, and intimidating. Him threatening the world really by having the option to blow it all up if he doesn't get his money is the absurd, over the top Bond villain scheme that is so charming to many of these films. Unfortunately, I really couldn't get into this movie as much as I would've liked as 90% of the third act is really poorly done action underwater. It's cool on par, but the water combat was slow and underwhelming.
16. A View To A Kill (1985) - Roger Moore
Honestly, despite it still being pretty far from my favourites, A View To A Kill is probably one of the more overhated Bond films, I still concede it isn't very good, and has a plethora of flaws. Despite this, I thought A View To A Kill was a really enjoyable, if not absurd, final Moore film. Although, it being Moore's final Bond film of 7 and being nothing specifically notable is pretty underwhelming, and Moore didn't get any younger since Octopussy, but I don't know, I quite enjoyed it regardless. I mean that Duran Duran title theme is a banger for one, and Christopher Walken as Max Zorrin, to me, was very good, mainly due to it being Walken himself. Grace Jones as both the henchwoman and almost a Bond girl herself, was a standout, and I thought her arc was quite well done. The final fight being on the Golden Gate Bridge makes little sense, but lord is it a spectacle. Not a great film, but it gets a bit too much flack for me.
15. You Only Live Twice (1967) - Sean Connery
I believe this to be the first above average Bond film of this ranking. It's actually decent. For me, it just didn't resonate with me as much as it could have. A lot of it is very dated, however, at its core, You Only Live Twice is a solid movie. Sean Connery, as Bond, for what was supposed to be his last time, felt genuinely ceremonious and out of all the "final" Bond films from these actors, it is probably the second most conclusive. Bond fakes his death in a mission in Japan in order to infiltrate Spectre after a mysterious spacecraft rises tensions between the world superpowers. Bond finally meets his arch-nemesis, Blofeld, and takes down his base. I really love Donald Pleasence in this role - his delivery is just absolutely incredible, in such a villainous way, he truly defined not only Blofeld, but many many cinematic villains after. The volcano base is so very iconic. The Japanese Bond is not exactly very iconic, however. The reason I have it as low (or high?) as it is, is due to how it sort of loses me with its cheesiness. Like, I'm all for that charming Bond cheese, but when you're asking me to take parts of this seriously, and it looks like a parody of itself, that doesn't land quite the way it was intended.
14. Live and Let Die (1973) - Roger Moore
To say, Live and Let Die was one of the Bond films I was most intrigued to watch, would be an understatement. Since ages, I've always had the theme stuck in my head - albeit I was raised on the Guns N Roses version, but I was just generally very aware of the title "Live and Let Die". To add to that, the fact this was the debut of Roger Moore into the franchise, was something I was eagerly waiting, as one of the few Bond actors I knew were coming. Live and Let Die is pretty good. Immediately kicking his tenure off with a very vibrant movie, with a new energy for the character, yet familiarising us with Moore in the titular role. After the murder of a British agent in New Orleans, Bond investigates the mystery of who exactly is behind it, and finally ties it to a gangster boss, Mr. Big. While some of the representation of the black villains may seem a little of its time, however I don't really think it's too bad. I think the villains all have a certain energy to them that makes them unique and memorable. As a first film in Moore's roster, it was a success on my eyes.
13. For Your Eyes Only (1981) - Roger Moore
After the... well, whatever Moonraker was, the absurdity, and parodical tone of the series had to be rectified, and that resulted in For Your Eyes Only. It's one of the most serious Bond films, and for many that might be to its detriment. However, you'll see that I typically prefer the more grounded Bond films, and so I do actually quite like For Your Eyes Only, and how it is based on a tragic event that both sets in motion the villain's plan to set of nukes, and has personal stakes for the Bond girl, as Melina loses her parents in this, and is on a personal mission to kill Columbo for it. Personal stakes are always a great sign for me. The overall plot being on a less absurd note, with revenge and urgency driving the plot definitely made the film a refreshing follow-up to Moonraker.
12. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) - Roger Moore
Honestly, I'm unsure of why exactly The Man with the Golden Gun, is seen in such a bad way. I honestly really like it. The Man with the Golden Gun follows Bond as he is looking for a stolen machine that can weaponise the sun's heat, while tracking down the elusive Scaramanga, a marksman very highly regarded for his golden gun. Reading this back, this film is pretty absurd with the whole sun's heat weapon, but honestly, it never felt too cheesy for me, I was most interested by the threat of Scaramanga, played by Christopher Lee, who is just incredible here. I love the rivalry aspect here, as two skilled marksmen face off. It ultimately amounts to a dual on the island lair he resides, and I just found that, while there was a lot of absurd aspects to this movie, as well as some.. outdated representations of cultures, the core conflict between Bond and Scaramanga was pretty cool. Nick Nack, the henchman, was also very memorable and fun to watch. Regardless of how much i like this film, I have to admit that this is one of the more formulaic entries, I was just having tons of fun, that it didn't really bother me.
11. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) - Pierce Brosnan
Honestly, if we are talking about underrated Bond films, one of the most underrated has to be Tomorrow Never Dies. While not top tier Bond, I actually found this to be one of the better Brosnan Bond outings, and one of the best uses of the formula. Jonathan Pryce plays Elliot Carver, the owner of the newspaper called Tomorrow. Using the media, Carver manipulates the perception of the superpowers against each other, as he stages a war between them. Bond has to take Carver down before a war ensues. Interestingly, this is one of the simplest plots for a Bond film, and it isn't by any means complex, however I just was a fan of it. While it does have the Brosnan 90s cheese that I'm not overly fond of, I did really like Jonathan Pryce as Carver, he was insanely cheesy and cliche, but entertaining. I think my favourite part of Tomorrow Never Dies is Michelle Yeoh. She plays an agent who is undercover at the same time as Bond. Michelle Yeoh is the Bond girl, but she is genuinely an incredibly badass character, bringing some of entertaining martial arts action with her - Michelle Yeoh in general elevates this movie for me. Besides that, I honestly did have a blast with this film. I absolutely think people rate it too low.
10. GoldenEye (1995) - Pierce Brosnan
Entering the top 10, it starts with the iconic GoldenEye. Martin Campbell's Bond directoral debut, he would go on to direct another. However, he started with effectively a reboot of the series after legal issues meant Eon couldn't make a film for 5 years or so. I fully believe that, despite my less-than-enthusiastic thoughts on Brosnan as Bond, GoldenEye is his strongest film of his tenure. It successfully returns to a traditional Bond format, which while I personally would've preferred it progress from the previous iteration, I think GoldenEye is the best sue of the formula. However, what elevates it for me is the plot. On a mission with fellow agent 006, Alec Trevelyan, Bond gets into a position where 006 is killed for the mission's sake. However, after trying to find out more about and stop them from using a powerful satellite system, GoldenEye, which could destroy the world. However, the person in charge of GoldenEye is former-006, Alec Trevelyan, bitter and bent on exacting revenge on MI6 for being seen as expendable. I found Sean Bean to be incredibly compelling, and he plays possibly the best Bond villain, if not one of the best ones, with actual reasons and personal motives. He also is quite intimidating. GoldenEye also introduces Judi Dench in the role of M, by far the best iteration of that character. This film would certainly be a lot higher if it didn't fall into the formula traps. It is quite cheesy, however it mostly works, due to Sean Bean's villain.
9. Dr. No (1962) - Sean Connery
Back to the very beginning, Dr. No was the very first James Bond film, well at least officially, and it's actually pretty good. Going into this, I wasn't sure how well it would've aged, but it has honestly aged pretty well. Bond is sent on a mission to Jamaica to stop the megalomaniacal scientific genius, Dr. No, who is trying to destroy the US Space Program. It's simple, but it is the template for the rest of the franchise. Honestly, a lot of the film is pretty dumb, but that is just because of the age of the film, it never really distracted me from the actual film or took me out of it. Dr. No honestly was a very entertaining, and self-contained movie that really is a relic of its time, and a really eye-opening look at how far the Bond franchise has evolved. Sean Connery is great as the first ever Bond performance, delivering many of his most iconic lines and moments. Dr. No was a bit underused, but when he was, I did like how his performance portrayed an introverted evil genius. It is, however, very basic and so I can't put it any higher.
8. The Living Daylights (1987) - Timothy Dalton
The first of Timothy Dalton's short run, The Living Daylights follows Bond protecting a KGB agent who is defecting; however, they are later kidnapped again soon after. This leads Bond to be suspicious of him, and investigates Koskov through his mislead girlfriend, Kara Milovy. Following A VIew To A Kill, The Living Daylights is a very grounded take on Bond again, and this time it really works for me. Dalton is just phenomenal in the titular role - incredibly underrated in the role, as my favourite actor to assume the role. Out of the Bond girls, I felt like Kara is one of the more memorable ones. While she isn't super action orientated, she is capable of sniping, but she is also emotionally vulnerable. She was brought along with Bond out of the necessity of these scripts, but I did enjoy her character. I'd say that the villain, Koskov had a great plan, given the plan to defect for pretend, and put all blame on Pushkin, but as an individual character, Koskov wasn't all that memorable, and he literally gets away with his life for whatever reason. The tone, however, is just so good, and the action was great too. It just makes for a great Bond film.
7. Goldfinger (1964) - Sean Connery
The truth is, Goldfinger is the first Bond I loved. I remember watching it last month quite fondly, because it's a really entertaining and well made movie. It almost puts to shame many of the future movies, because they don't reach this level for a while. Auric Goldfinger, working under SPECTRE, plans to cash in to a scheme to raid Fort Knox, and obliterate the world's economy, Bond works with American CIA Agent Felix Leiter. What stands out in Goldfinger is just the mix of all the elements of the previous 2 Bond film; Goldfinger took them both and combined it to make a definitive Connery Bond film. Auric Goldfinger is a really good villain, and while his plan is so over the top, that's why you watch these movies, he's just really well acted. Additionally, I really liked Oddjob. One of the very best henchmen, he was very intimidating and very powerful. That fight at the end with Bond and Oddjob was the best action in the series for the series up until that point. The entire third act was very memorable and tons of fun. There is also a character called Pussy Galore.. so there's that. Bond also sexually assaults Pussy Galore by today's standards.. anyways, good film.
6. No Time to Die (2021) - Daniel Craig
See above, I have nothing to add here - just know where it places in my ranking of all the films.
5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - George Lazenby
Of all James Bond films, I had the least expectations going into On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Sean Connery was the only Bond I was really familiar with in that role, and I had never even heard of George Lazenby - only thing I heard was that he sucked in this movie. Low and behold, I watched it, and wow.. it is truly great. What I didn't expect was a genuinely serious Bond film, that touches on a plethora of genuine real world issues, while blending in that Bond element to it. For the first time, it feels very much like a take on an espionage film, as Bond goes undercover in a mountain retreat ran by Ernst Blofeld, Bond's arch-nemesis, and finds out how he is mind-controlling tons of girls to go through with his plan. As he tries to pursue Blofeld, Bond agrees to date Draco's daughter, Tracy, played by Diana Rigg. However, Bond finds himself genuinely falling for Tracy, after defeating Blofeld, he marries Tracy. In a sequence of tragic events, Tracy is murdered with Blofeld driving the car next to Bond and Tracy on their way to their Honeymoon. Holy crap, what a powerful moment. None of the previous Bond movies had ever reached that level of tragedy. Sure Bond girls had died, but this was a different thing entirely. It makes me wish Lazenby got more movies to give Tracy some justice, despite what we technically got with Diamonds Are Forever and For Your Eyes Only, which felt very tacked on. There's not really much I can say against On Her Majesty's Secret Service, it's a film I fully want to rewatch, it just is so well made, and no other Bond girl touches Tracy.
4. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - Roger Moore
Nobody does it better.. well, except 3 others. Regardless, The Spy Who Loved Me is a gem - incredible, iconic and insanely fun. Bombastic, yet almost personal; grounded, yet larger than life. Two submarines vanish, from British and Russian intelligence, and Bond is sent to discover how they disappeared, as well as the KCG sending an agent, Anya. While on mission, Bond and Anya meet and after some resistance, they choose to work together to take down Karl Stromberg, who plays to destroy humanity and recreate it submerged under the sea. It is pretty absurd, and kind of odd why exactly Stromberg wants to do this, but his determination and conviction to it sold me on him as a villain. What works specifically about this is the core dynamic between Bond and Anya, they have some great chemistry and work well together as a pairing. Unlike my other favourites, The Spy Who Loved Me has not got the element of being really serious, it's the epitome of bombastic Bond adventures. I love it for that, because of all the bombastic Bonds, this one works the best. I just bought into the core relationship. Additionally, Jaws is introduced here, and he is absolutely the best henchman.
3. Casino Royale (2006) - Daniel Craig
Down to the top 3, and starting with - what seems to be - the most well received Bond film, and certainly a fan favourite. Craig's very first movie in the titular role; it doubled as an adaptation of Fleming's first book, Casino Royale. This is due to the fact that Casino Royale is a reboot of the franchise, in a different way to before. Instead of a soft reboot, Casino Royale is a completely different continuity, acting as an origin story for James Bond. I think the reason people love it, is because of how incredibly refreshing it is. The perfect reboot of a tired franchise, as it takes what people love about the Bonds of past, and infuses it with modern elements of filmmaking to progress the series to a new degree, and evolve it for the better. It was truly successful in this, Casino Royale rules. The plot is simple; Le Chiffre is using a gambling competition, Casino Royale, to fund an organisation, or else he's dead. However, Bond needs to bankrupt him through poker to save the day. He is sent on this mission with Vesper Lynd, another agent. Through Vesper, Bond open up to someone, to then betray him and die, it was an incredible arc, Eva Green's chemistry with Daniel Craig was phenomenal, and really sold me on that relationship, and it was very sad to see her die. But it put into motion, Bond's coldness. Back to Le Chiffre, he is top tier, played by Mads Mikkelsen. I loved his performance, and especially towards the end, when he's getting desperate. The best scenes have to be the torture scene, where Craig completely outdoes the other Bond actors, and the iconic "Bond, James Bond" quip at the very end of the movie. I love this movie so much. The only thing I'd say I didn't like as much was that because of the nature of it being a poker match for the majority of it, it just left a little more to be desire - it hardly takes away from the movie though.
2. License to Kill (1989) - Timothy Dalton
The second and, unfortunately, final Dalton Bond film, License to Kill, is absolutely top tier Bond I do not care. I absolutely adore this film because of what it did. It was a Bond film that brought Bond into a more modern structure, fully perfecting the darker undertones seen in the novels, and being top notch action films that age endlessly. However, the unfortunate thing is, this was followed by Brosnan due to legal reasons, and so we never got more Bond down this path. On its own, License to Kill represents what I love about the franchise; grounded personal stakes that takes Bond as the actual lead of the story, and surrounds him with the supporting cast. License to Kill starts as Bond's friend, Felix Leiter gets married. However, the notorious drug lord, Franz Sanchez kidnaps Leiter and leaves him for dead, while murdering his new wife. Bond, extremely upset and filled with anger and need for revenge; M thinks it's best that Bond moves on, however, Bond chooses to go rogue to find Sanchez and get revenge for Leiter and his late wife. Dalton plays Bond so brilliantly, it's incredible, and Bond going rogue is a genius idea - it's so well done. The personal stakes involved in Bond wanting revenge and wanting to kill the villain really deconstructs Bond's character in a way we don't see much before Craig, and it's here. I will defend License to Kill until the day I die, I bloody love it.
1. Skyfall (2012) - Daniel Craig
So, we've reached my top spot. After the complete and utter fountain of praise I just had for License to Kill, and yet Skyfall sits above it. Well, to me, Skyfall is the quintessential Bond film. I know many agree, and this is a very agreed upon placement, but for me I just feel like Skyfall feels like the definition of a great Bond film for me. It's personal stakes - I mean, the name is literally his house he grew up in, and the final act is in that house. There is also that sense of grandeur as the film goes to many vibrant places, but also the whole set-up before the credits, when Bond is shot down and falls into the water, and is presumed dead. It leads into that incredible opening music - it's chilling. Speaking of chilling, Javier Bardem is one of Bond's very best villains; he is so naturally scary and intimidating, and he plays on the insecurities of Bond under the MI6 wing, and puts into question M's morality. Furthermore, Bond in general here is more vulnerable, thus adding to the stakes, as we know he isn't really fully ready for battle, so it really raises the suspense. I am aware, however, that Silva's plan is pretty absurd and has way too many coincidences involved, but it doesn't make me like the movie, or Silva as a villain, any less. This is thanks to the incredible action choreography, by far the best in the entire franchise. It's completely thrilling, and paired with Roger Deakins' impeccable cinematography, it makes Skyfall a spectacle to look at and in terms of the actual action. Judi Dench's M is at the core of this story, which is something I absolutely adore - she is so well established in Craig's saga, and gets so much depth and backstory. Silva is bent on killing M as he feels burned by MI6, and it almost acts as a way of giving Bond a foil in many ways. This is a popular Bond film for a reason, it is definitely my favourite Bond film, but it is close to License to Kill for me.
My thoughts on the Bond franchise as a whole
After the length of that marathon - days and days of constant Bond, I almost felt a bit sad to end it with No Time to Die. Without fail (except one) I would wake up and watch one of these films with my Dad, and I'd always been in for a good time. Because the truth is, all these films are enjoyable at the very least.
I am really glad I did this, because given that this franchise started in the early 60s, and still goes on in 2021, entails a vast variety in displays of filmmaking within each era. It's a fascinating look at the evolution of blockbuster filmmaking as the first proper ongoing blockbuster franchise. While a chunk of these films were quite dated, a lot of them were ageless, and it was almost a tout of blockbusters through the decade, seeing so many actors that I didn't know necessarily, but were famous, or actors I did know when they were younger. Even actors who were younger and not known at the time, so they are given smaller roles, and with hindsight I knew their fates - Benicio Del Toro, Charles Dance, etc. Additionally, Bond, as a spy series, really set the standard for many future spy movies and set in stone a lot of clichés, and subjects of parodies for decades to come. Stuff such as the bald villain with a facial scar and a white cat that he constantly strokes is almost THE definition of a villain to many people. It's a legendary franchise, and one that a lot of people now haven't seen all of, but I really appreciate taking my time to do so.
Despite that, a large amount of these films are really only decent to kind of bad, and so for many that might be a turn off; I wasn't sure whether I would enjoy a lot of them due to their low ratings. However, it's worth it, because the majority of them are still entertaining and important films, despite how badly they aged, or how flawed they are. Among those, there are still gems, and those gems are that much better with the whole series in context.
My marathon paid off specifically after finishing No Time to Die. That film has so many references and callbacks to many pre-Craig Bond films, and my recent viewing really made those moments hit harder for me, and I just understood it more - felt more connected.
While a little inconsistent in quality, Bond is consistent in charm and fun. I cannot wait to see what they do next with James Bond, whenever they choose to do the 26th Bond film. Whoever they choose, I'd certainly be rooting for Tom Ellis or Richard Madden.
Thanks for reading.
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