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That was my old ranking in this thread from back in 2013. I would now actually change that to:
1. Goldfinger
2. Live and Let Die
3. The Man with the Golden Gun
4. Diamonds Are Forever
The reason for my change is that I've really gone off TMWTGG as a Bond film in the interim and rate LALD much higher than it now. That said, I really love the 1965 source novel and wish we'd seen more of that on the big screen instead of what we ended up with.
2. Diamonds Are Forever - It's nowhere near as good as its predecessor, OHMSS, but it still has Connery, which alone elevates it above a Moore movie. The story is principally Cubby's. Not sure what Saltzman did on this movie, but it lacks his classy, creative touch.
3. Live and Let Die - This is more of Saltzman's movie and it's a step-up from DAF story-wise, but it lacks a convincing Bond performance from Moore.
4. The Man With the Golden Gun - This movie is mostly down to Hamilton. Tom Mankiewicz walked off the project due to creative clashes with Hamilton and Cubby backed his director. Saltzman took a backseat and it shows again. What's left is a few good ideas floating in a pool of effluence. Only thing I know is Saltzman didn't get his way with the title song. He wanted Elton John, who was then signed to his music publishing company. We got Lulu instead. Thanks Cubby.
1 GOLDFINGER
2 LIVE AND LET DIE
3 THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
4 DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
Agreed on the list. Agreed on Young, far far superior to Hamilton.
LALD
TMWTGG
DAF
1. Goldfinger - The quintessential Bond film. It's the one to show anyone who hasn't seen Bond to give them the whole experience. Connery in his prime, amazing villains, great Bond girls, great soundtrack, great action, etc. etc. It simply has it all.
2. The Man with the Golden Gun - Recently just barely overtook LALD for me. Scramanga is such a brilliant villain, and Moore does a really great job in this one. I love the funhouse and the climax. I like the small-scale setting too. Though GF is the only Hamilton film that's in my Top 10, I enjoy TMWTGG and LALD a lot still. I think they are among the most fun and unique entries in the series.
3. Live and Let Die - Roughly tied with TMWTGG in my enjoyment level. It's pretty solid all around and has the series' funniest moments.
4. Diamonds Are Forever - A distant last. I liked DAF a lot as a kid, but for years it has languished near the very bottom of the pile for me. It's just hard to get into. There are good things like Wint & Kidd and the elevator fight, but not enough to make it come close to the other ones here.
2. GF
3. TMWTGG
4. DAF
2. Diamonds Are Forever
3. Live and Let Die
4. The Man with the Golden Gun
Clearly for me Hamilton’s contributions came with diminishing returns. I can only imagine how vastly different TSWLM would have been if he came back with that as his fifth film.
Agree 100%
Awesome trio of villains as well.
GF --> DAF
LALD --> TMWTGG
:--)
LALD probably has the best music score IMO, great locations, very good chase sequences, a beautiful underground lair, espionage, TeeHee is my favourite henchman, Kananga/Adam/the funeral leader/Strutter are also really good. Apart from the voodoo things that I don't like it's one of the best Bonds for me.
2. Live and Let Die
3. The Man with the Golden Gun
4. Diamonds are Forever
Hamilton said he "couldn't take Bond seriously", hence the nondramatic, comical way he tells the story and treats Bond's character. He lacks interest in the deeper, psychological aspect of the protagonist, but there's great self-awareness in his work. I don't know how his lighthearted flamboyance would have fared with a character-driven story like Casino Royale, though.
Hamilton also said something interesting to screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz: "Never forget, Tom, in a Bond movie, if you want to start a fire, first you call the fire department. Everything works backward." That gives great insight into his approach; the polar opposite of Terence Young - but it makes Hamilton's humour work.
1. Goldfinger
Jill Masterson is covered in gold paint! The Aston Martin DB5! Oddjob! The "Do-you-want-me-to-talk"-scene! Pussy! Fort Knox! Goldfinger just bursts of iconic images that have not only let the film be an immense success at the box office but also helped establishing James Bond as an essential part of Great Britain's cultural post-war identity. The film manages something that would prove to be an impossible task for most future Bond films: It is both true to Fleming and also over-the-top fantasy. Hamilton's best work.
2. Live and Let Die
Blaxploitation, Paul McCartney and bright colours: Roger Moore's premiere is a stylistic milestone of the early 70s. Screenwriter Tom Mankiewicz has changed the tone and the tempo of the series; he gets the best out of Roger Moore without making him a full-time clown.
As with most of Hamilton's Bond films, the second half is weaker (one chase scene after another...), but it doesn't take away from the fact that this is one of the most entertaining, consistent Bond adaptions.
3. Diamonds Are Forever
It's criminal how this one gets misunderstood. Never before and never after has Bond been parodied so perfectly. Connery is dry and self-deprecating in perfection while walking through a Roger-Moore-scenery (this is Moore's favourite Bond film, by the way).
Although the plot is originally quite complex (it adds a third party to the diamond smuggling in the source material), most of that is forgotten halfway through, because: what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas!; what's left of any seriousness is thrown overboard together with Mr. Wint's genitals.
Diamonds Are Forever never takes itself seriously and unlike Moonraker or Die Another Day never slips down into trash.
4. The Man with the Golden Gun
What a wasted opportunity this picture is... strangely, this is one of the few similarities this film shares with the book. Bond meets Scaramanga, the evil side of himself. Both kill for money, one of the government, one for the highest bidder.
Instead of telling this story (as originally planned), the script decides to drag out a boring and uninteresting side plot about the energy crisis ("Solex agitator"!) while keeping Bond and Scaramange away from each other for as long as possible.
Tonally, the film is a mess. It wants to be light and dark at the same time and in the wrong places. Neither the brilliant and underserved Christopher Lee nor Britt Ekland's body (not to speak of her role: since when does Bond like girls that call themselves "weak"?) can save this terrible Bond film.
Overall, I like Guy Hamilton. He's my third favourite director after Terence Young and John Glen.
Good post. I agree with your rankings.
I like GF and Goldfinger's plot, but the climax is only average (or slightly low average) for the franchise, IMO.
In TMWTGG, I actually like the Solex plot, but yes, Scaramanga should have had at least one earlier encounter with Bond.
TMWTGG
DAF
GF
That's unusual.
Same here.
It's certainly controversial, but if I turn a blind eye to some silly jokes/characters I'm able to relate to this ranking.
I'm also just not much of a fan of GF. Once they reach America there's nothing I really enjoy. After the PTS and golf scene it's a bit of a struggle for me to watch the whole thing.
Diamonds Are Forever
Live and Let Die
The Man With The Golden Gun
then all of the rest are much of a muchness to be honest.
But for the chemistry and banter between Connery and Gray
2. Diamonds Are Forever
3. The Man With The Golden Gun
4. Live and Let Die
"Making mud pies, 007?"
"Your pitiful little island hasn't even been threatened"
"Nice to see you haven't lost that fine mental edge, 007"
"I have a friend named Felix who can fix anything."
"Well, if we destroy Kansas, the world may not hear about it for years."
😄