James Bond Movies

Rebooting a character seems to be a big thing in the movie world these days so it should come as no surprise that James Bond was due for this sort of treatment. The first James Bond novel by Ian Fleming gets its first non-spoof big screen adaptation with the release of Casino Royale. Daniel Craig will try to etch a name for himself against such former Bonds as Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Pierce Brosnan. Will he do it? I am eager to see but I thought that in the meantime I would share some of my favorite past big screen adventures of 007.

10. The World is Not Enough – I do not know why I like this one better than Tomorrow Never Dies. I think it might be because Tomorrow Never Dies hits a bit of a snag in the Germany section. This one has some really strong points (villains and opening sequence) and some really weak points (Christmas Jones and final sequence on the sub). I could go either way on this picture.

9. Thunderball – A classic plot that rides right off the back of Goldfinger’s success. The story was reused for the movie Never Say Never Again. This one plays slightly better although there are parts of NSNA that are improvements on the original. Like Survivor, you rarely go wrong with sunny beach locales.

8. You Only Live Twice – There is just enough over the top stuff in this one to make it my #8 favorite. The assault on the volcano lair set the stage for later big set pieces. James Bond in Japan is something we should see a lot more of.

7. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – If you can get the thought of Sean Connery out of your mind and watch this with an open mind, you will likely enjoy this. You will wish Diana Rigg could have been in every James Bond movie. The music will be familiar to you though and it is very good stuff.

6. Live and Let Die – This one set up the glib tone that the Roger Moore pictures would take. A low key finale, in comparison to Diamonds are Forever, helps things out immensely. I could throw this off the list and probably not be too disappointed but it is fun to see the 70’s finally take over the Bond series.

5. For Your Eyes Only – This movie is actually Roger Moore’s best but one of his other movies will show up higher because of the fun factor. FYEO is a melancholy film that has very little of the sardonic humor that peppers Moore’s other movies. It holds up well because the villain is not a megalomaniac and the Bond girl is believable as well.

4. Goldeneye – The first effort by Brosnan is his best in my eyes. Sure, there are flaws (the music score is way wrong) but the movie is aided by the best Bond girl duo of any of the movies. It also explores some of Bond’s character a little bit better by having a villain that is his equal. The name of course will be recognizable to any serious gaming fan.

3. The Living Daylights – If only Timothy Dalton’s second Bond picture was more like this one, he probably would have gotten a third picture. He plays the role very well and the plotline of the picture worked well, at the time (Soviet defections etc.). A realistic henchman who does not come off as a caricature serves as a serious threat. Pleasant surprises abound in this one.

2. The Spy Who Loved Me – The girl, the car, the villain’s henchman, it all falls into place for Roger Moore in this one. You basically have Roger Moore’s Goldfinger and that certainly cannot be all bad. Too bad the main villain in the picture is a zero in the charisma department. TSWLM even has a score that works well despite being a product of the times. Now that is an impressive feat.

1. Goldfinger – “Do you expect me to talk? No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die.” With that little line, the movie solidifies its place at the top of my list. The rest of the movie is awesome and is filled with moments that will live in your memory. It really set the standard for later films in terms of gadgets, girls, and villains. If I could only have one Bond movie on a desert island, this would be it.

Well, there you have it my 10 favorite Bond movies. You might be asking, “Where is From Russia with Love?” To be honest, I have never actually watched From Russia with Love all the way through. The parts I have seen are great and I bet it would likely move into the top 5 but I figured I would be honest with you. As for the ones I would tell you to avoid, the three I would say that you should most avoid are Die Another Day, A View to A Kill, and Moonraker. Those three have the worst villain (DAD), worst Bond girl (AVTAK), and worst plot (Moon). You’ll thank me later.