The new Bond Movie SPECTRE is out this month and I do like me a Bond movie. As with every new Bond movie, they are inevitably ranked by various organizations and publications so I wanted to share with the definitive Bond movie ranking list…because it’s by me. You may want to disagree but let’s face it, you’re wrong so bother arguing with me.
23. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
22. Moonraker
21. View To A Kill
20. Octopussy
19. Skyfall
18. Quantum of Solace
17. Tomorrow Never Dies
16. The Spy Who Loved Me
15. Die Another Day (remake of Moonraker)
14. From Russia With Love
13. Thunderball
12. Dr. No
11. Live And Let Die
10. The Living Daylights
9. For Your Eyes Only
8. The World Is Not Enough
7. Diamonds Are Forever
6. Man With The Golden Gun
5. Goldfinger
4. You Only Live Twice
3. License To Kill
2. Goldeneye
1. CASINO ROYALE
So there you have it, CASINO ROYALE is the best Bond movie (and the best Bond book). I don’t know where SPECTRE fares in all this, but I hope it’s a good one. Daniel Craig needs a better film than he’s gotten on the last two outings.
Jason Brenizer
Hey Simon. I can tell you put a lot of thought into this. Your #3 is going to cause an uproar with purists, though I’m with you. I think Timothy Dalton deserves better treatment. I completely agree with your #1; Casino Royale is Bond at his best. I actually enjoyed Skyfall more than Quantum of Solace. The premise of QoS had so much potential, and they royally squandered it. As to the rest, I’ll leave it to others.
slimey1
Jay, I agree with you about QoS. I think it suffered because of the script and the director, but I give it points for scope. I think Skyfall suffered from being a very small story that got smaller as it went on.
simon
slimey1
I think License to Kill is highly underrated. It’s a really solid story. Didn’t like it much when it came out but the more I watch it now, I think the stock keeps rising with this movie.
janebbooks
Simon, you need to list the player of 007 by the movies. You like Pierce Brosnan?
And you are way off base about FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE. The train scene with Rosa Klebb made for a quirky remark from a Time film critic about the movie HAYWIRE (I used it in my Amazon review and it may can be slip into one of your novels, too):
”
As Time film critic Richard Corliss writes in his review, this movie is “sooo 1940’s.” Yes, it’s an “ingenious, old-school, thrill-a-minute” entertaining movie needing no special effects, loud sound track, wild car chases nor hand-held cameras. And it’s filmed mainly in Ireland…with one segment in a luxury suite in The Shelbourne Hotel for a little glam.
Gina Carano may be new to film-goers…but there’s an impressive array of male superstars. Michael Douglas, Ewan McGregor, Michael Fassbender, Antonio Banderas and Channing Tatum. “…effervescent eye candy for guys and gals alike.”
Critic Corliss sums up the action with a comparison to another popular action thriller: “It’s James Bond vs. Rosa Klebb in the From Russia With Love train compartment. Only you’re rooting for Rosa…”
Recommended as a summer movie to watch on a dreary winter day.
slimey1
Jane,
For me, From Russia with Love goes stale when they reach the train segment. Russia and Dr No look a little dated now…more like 50’s films rather than 60’s. I think they found their style with Goldfinger onwards.
I like Pierce and I think Dalton is highly underrated. The only Bond I don’t like is George Lazenby. He was truly dreadful.
That’s my opinion and I’m sticking to it. 🙂
simon
Brian Thornton
Where does “Never Say Never Again”, Connery ‘ s off-the-books remake of “Thunderball” fall in your list? It ought to make it for the kitsch factor alone, what with Steven Seagal (in his days as a martial arts consultant, pretty “acting” career) getting pissed off while rehearsing a fight scene and breaking a couple of Connery ‘ s ribs.
slimey1
I didn’t include Never Say Never because it’s not an official bond movie. I watched it recently and I thought it’s pretty dated now in its look making it a little cringe worthy.
JM Greene
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the best Bond movie, in spite of its one flaw. Some of the writing. It’s like the writers were confused on which direction to go. The dramatic stuff? Lazenby was fantastic. Luckily that was most of the movie. The quippy Sean Connery one liners? Decent, but could have done without it. Doesn’t really change the fact that the plot is legitimately great and Lazenby + Rigg was dynamite. It was shot beautifully and the action scenes hold up incredibly well today. So good.
I also just want to point out that if I were to rank the Bond movies, I don’t think I could legitimately put Quantum of Solace anywhere on the list. It’s really the only straight sequel to a Bond movie, but it’s not even just a sequel. It’s a direct continuation, literally picking up where CR left off. It’s one of a kind in the series and it doesn’t work as a standalone movie because it wasn’t made as one. I’d just find it weird to put it on a list where every other movie is a standalone. Quantum of Solace only works if you watch it back to back with CR and its quite effective that way.
slimey1
I’ve just tried so hard but OHMSS just leaves me cold. Just boring. 🙂