James Bond is one of the most beloved movie heroes of all-time, and certainly one of the most established. While characters like Superman or Spider-Man have both waxed and waned in popularity over the years, a new installment in the 007 franchise has been a significant event ever since the series started in 1962 with Dr. No. Although the replacement for Daniel Criag has yet to be announced, the anticipation over what the next iteration of the Bond franchise will look like at Amazon Studios suggests that the character is still in the audience’s good graces.
Some Bond films have aged better than others, as a franchise that has been running for over six decades would obviously adapt to the times. It’s impressive that in a franchise as long as Bond, even the worst films are somewhat entertaining. However, these seven Bond films are true masterpieces.
7
‘From Russia With Love’ (1963)
Starring Sean Connery
From Russia With Love is the film that showed the apex of Sean Connery’s charisma, as it offered a more focused and engaging story for Bond after Dr. No served as a brilliant introduction to the character. While many installments in the Bond franchise are defined by their elaborate setpieces and spectacle, From Russia With Love is a darker, more concentrated thriller; Bond is ultimately a product of the Cold War, and From Russia With Love captures the tension of being caught within a potential third world war.
From Russia With Love features some of the best villains in the entire franchise, as the brutal fight between Connery and Robert Shaw is certainly one of the greatest action scenes in the saga’s history. Nonetheless, From Russia With Love is superior to a vast majority of modern blockbusters because of the careful staging, beautiful craftsmanship, and great writing.
6
‘Goldfinger’ (1964)
Starring Sean Connery
Goldfinger may not have been the first Bond film, but it established the precedents that would recur throughout the rest of the series. The snarky humor, self-aware moments, cool gadgets, exotic locations, elaborate opening title sequence, and Bond’s signature vehicle of choice all debuted in Goldfinger, which still ranks as one of the most entertaining films ever made. Lines like “No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!” also indicate that Goldfinger is easily the most quotable Bond film ever.
Goldfinger embraced the culture and history of the 1960s, and made no apologies for the irreverent sense of camp that made it so much fun. However, there was still enough genuine menace and suspense to keep audiences engaged, as Connery always ensured that Bond felt like an actual hero, and not a caricature used to populate the action scenes. It’s one of the most influential films ever made, as Goldfinger is referenced in parody films like Austin Powers in Goldmember and Kingsman: The Secret Service among countless others.
5
‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)
Starring George Lazenby
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is the most ambitious film in the entire franchise, as it replaced Connery with George Lazenby for an emotional epic that featured strong arthouse qualities. While Bond had traditionally been depicted as a larger-than-life hero who was incapable of being significantly wounded, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service showed a more tender side to the character as he fell in love with Tracy (Diana Rigg), the woman that would eventually become his first and only wife.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service may be the most beautifully made installment in the entire series, as the gorgeous depiction of the snowy alps is striking in its visuals. It also pulls off one of the biggest twists in film history, which solidified its legacy of being a Bond film that would be nearly impossible to replicate and have the same emotional impact. Despite some backlash that the film received at the time for those who had wanted Connery to return (which he ultimately did for Diamonds Are Forever), On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is remembered as a true masterpiece of cinema, and has been cited as a favorite by Academy Award winning filmmakers like Steven Soderbergh and Christopher Nolan.
4
‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ (1977)
Starring Roger Moore
The Spy Who Loved Me is the best of Roger Moore’s Bond films, as it combined the classically suave nature of the character with one of the most nuanced understandings of his relationship with spycraft. Moore’s Bond finds himself teaming up with the Soviet Union secret agent XXX (Barbara Bach), as they are forced to work together to dismantle a conspiracy fronted by the evil SPECTRE organization. While Moore delivered great performances in Live and Let Die and For Your Eyes Only, The Spy Who Loved Me showed the pressure his Bond was under to make the most of every circumstance he found himself in, even if he was in the midst of a losing battle.
The Spy Who Loved Me is remarkably frank about the reality of spycraft, as a moment where Bond admits to XXX that he killed her lover is one of the most well-aced moments in the entire franchise. Nonetheless, Moore still adds a ton of entertainment value to the film through quippy dialogue and physical gags, and the all-time great theme song by Carly Simon only makes The Spy Who Loved Me even more timeless.
3
‘GoldenEye’ (1995)
Starring Pierce Brosnan
GoldenEye had the responsibility of making Bond cool again, as the franchise had taken a six year hiatus after the two films starring Timothy Dalton had been a bit too dark for audiences that weren’t familiar with the original source material by Ian Fleming. Thankfully, Pierce Brosnan brought a classical sense of charisma that was reminiscent of Connery, yet modernized the character for a world in which technology only made Bond’s adventures more exciting.
GoldenEye has one of the strongest supporting casts of the entire Bond franchise, as the decision to bring in Judi Dench as the new version of M was a brilliant choice, and Sean Bean’s performance as the former MI6 agent 006 is one of the few villains that impacted Bond on an emotional level. While it was a great payoff for longtime fans, GoldenEye also got a new generation hooked on the franchise. The success of ‘90s action films like Die Hard With A Vengeance, Face/Off, Con Air, and Terminator 2: Judgment Day risked making Bond irrelevant, but GoldenEye breathed new life into the series, and certainly stands as Brosnan’s best portrayal of the character.
2
‘Casino Royale’ (2006)
Starring Daniel Craig
Casino Royale was a film that Bond fans had been waiting decades for, as the only previous adaptation of the first novel in Fleming’s series was an unofficial parody film produced by Warner Brothers in 1967. The modern Casino Royale finally showed Bond’s origin story, and how a dangerous mission with Vesper Lyn (Eva Green) turned his heart cold, and shaped him into one of the most ruthless spies in fictional history. Although there are many great Bond villains, few are as legitimately terrifying as Mads Mikkelsen; a brutal torture scene in the middle of Casino Royale easily ranks among the most graphic moments in any PG-13 film.
Casino Royale is sharply written and directed with incredible energy, as director Martin Campbell leaves audiences no room to breathe over the course of this epic adventure. While the film certainly modernized Bond, it’s also the truest to the heart of the original source material, as it captures the cynical, often disturbing emotionality of the character. It is still one of the best action films of the century, and one worth of ranking alongside other modern classics like Mad Max: Fury Road, Mission: Impossible- Fallout, John Wick, and Baby Driver.
1
‘Skyfall’ (2012)
Starring Daniel Craig
Skyfall is a film that was five decades in the making, as Sam Mendes’s Bond adventure tied in aspects of the character that were set up throughout his entire history. Although Javier Bardem’s performance as the former MI6 agent Raoul Silva shows a dark version of what Bond could have become under completely different circumstances, the film itself revolves around Bond and M having to fight for the legitimacy of their agency, proving to the British government and population that there is need for things that are a bit “old-fashioned.” While its cheeky and contains a multitude of references to the past (including a particularly amusing nod to the exploding pen in Goldeneye), Skyfall is among the most openly emotional installments in the series, particularly in how it addresses the tragic circumstances surrounding Bond’s childhood.
Skyfall is among the best made films in the entire series, as the Oscar-nominated cinematography from the legendary Roger Deakins made each environment stand out in beautiful detail. It’s a Bond film that deals with modern anxieties about hackers, government oversight, international terrorism, and power vacuums, but it’s also a classical Bond adventure that establishes a new generation of M (Ralph Fiennes), Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), and Q (Ben Whishaw).
