Complete and Detailed Bond Movie Ranking

Luds

Folks, it has returned! This thread is to be used a full list of your rankings in details please!

Here's my initial ranking circa 1995 (I just plugged the later flicks in this list until I reviewed it)

<font color=blue>1995 ish ranking </font>

01- Goldfinger (Connery, 1964)
02- Thunderball (Connery, 1965)
03- From Russia With Love (Connery, 1963)
04- The Living Daylights (Dalton, 1987)
05- On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Lazenby, 1969)
06- GoldenEye (Brosnan, 1995)
07- Octopussy (Moore, 1983)
08- The Man With The Golden Gun (Moore, 1974)
09- Moonraker (Moore, 1979)
10- A View To A Kill (Moore, 1985)
11- Licece To Kill (Dalton, 1989)
12- Doctor No (Connery, 1962)
13- Tomorrow Never Dies (Brosnan, 1997)
14- Live And Let Die (Moore, 1973)
15- For Your Eyes Only (Moore, 1981)
16- The World Is Not Enough (Brosnan, 1999)
17- You Only Live Twice (Connery, 1967)
18- Diamonds Are Forever (Connery, 1971)
19- The Spy Who Loved Me (Moore, 1977)
20- Die Another Day (Brosnan, 2002)

I then reviewed my ranking in 2004 with a few fellas from work, not having watched any Bond flicks since DAD or very few. DAD just killed my enjoyment for a while! I do remember having seen Goldfinger, The Living Daylights, and GoldenEye in 2003. I was not expecting things to change much, but they did!

Here was my rankings, official as of <font color=blue>August 2004</font>. I also added the "mark" and change with my last ranking:

01- On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Lazenby, 1969, 10, +4)
Fantastic movie. Perhaps getting the top spot due to the fact thet I'm currently re-reading the Fleming books at the same time and I really love the adaptation. Lazenby did well, Rigg was perfect for the role, and Savalas did a good job as Blofeld. Draco is the best ally since FRWL's Kerim Bey. I can't have enough of this movie. The soundtrack is the best in the series, the general feeling is that I love every minute! And the ending is just a shock. I wish that Lazenby had done DAF with revenge on his mind...

02- Thunderball (Connery, 1965, 10, 0)
Another movie I've always loved, Connery is my #1 Bond, and Thunderball is just a great experience. The whole underwater action is fantastic, Connery snatching a grape makes me laugh every time, Fiona Volpe is the best vilainess of the series, Largo makes a good villain, the storyline is smooth, overall, Perfect. The only reason OHMSS ranks higher is the emotion factor with Tracy's death, which takes a movie with minor flaws and sticks it higher.

03- Goldfinger (Connery, 1964, 10, -3)
I still consider it to be the best movie of the series, but this time falls to #3 as I watched it so many times, I actually remember how great it is, as opposed to TB & OHMSS which surprised me. Everything from the score, the intro sequence, Goldfinger, Oddjob, Pussy Galore, the storyline, the action... Everythig falls right in place.

04- The Living Daylights (Dalton, 1987, 9.5, 0)
Still in #4 spot, but I enjoy it much more than I used to. I now like Dalton more as Bond, he remains my #2 BOnd, but is much closer to Sean as he once was. The only few flaws in this great movie is the actress playing Linda, she was pretty lame, and the fact that there's no threat from the villains in this movie. Koskov & Whitaker are not evil enough!

05- Licence To Kill (Dalton, 1989, 9, +6)
I don't remember why LTK was ranked so low in my list before, I still liked it, but now it gets a 9, passing FRWL! Dalton as Bond is great. I really enjoy the flow of the movie, that Bond isn't in control all the time, and that he needs luck to prevail. I also love Q's scenes, Sanchez is a great villain, and of course, Pam is the best Bond girl who ever worked for an agency!

06- From Russia With Love (Connery, 1963, 9, -3)
Slight jump down from FRWL, but not in quality. I still enjoy it as much as I used to, but a few movies passed it anyways. I love the classic Bonds, not relying on gadgets all the time, and action scenes. FRWL is a perfect example of what Fleming wanted on screen. Grant is a great henchmen, Lenya did a good job as Klebb, Kerim Bey is one of the best ally of the series, and the flow of the movie is just perfect.

07- Moonraker (Moore, 1979, 9, +2)
That's right! Moonraker as #7! I really enjoy Moonraker. I mean, the pre-space parts anyways. It's great! Bond is put in a difficult spot following Drax (a good performance by Longsdale), and has to find clues, follow them around the world, Venise, Brazil... Lois Chiles playe a good agent, not as good as Pam, but possibly the #2nd best "female agent" role in the series. Jaws is hilarious, and Moore plays Bond well. Which brings me to the space bit... Well I don't hate it as much as the average fan, but I certainly feel that 20 silly minutes which I still find entertaining are not enough to destroy the film. SUre it's silly, but most of it is still fun.

08- For Your Eyes Only (Moore, 1981, 8.5, +7)
Huge jump for FYEO! I used to find it stale, but now it's back to my top 10. A very solid 8.5 for it, as the action is great, a perfect change of pace after Moonraker. A combination of FYEO & Risico short stories, it tied things well in the movie. Columbo is an outstanding ally, possibly 3rd best in the series after Kerim Bey & Draco. Melina is a good role, played well by Carole Bouquet. A good performance also by Glover as Kristatos and good henchmens (Kriegler & Locque)

09- Octopussy (Moore, 1983, 8.25, -2)
Slight drop in my ranking for Octopussy, and in mark as well. I used to like it a tad more. Probably due to re-watchability. Not as great as other movies. But the storyline is very good. I like seeing another 00 agent, I think that Maud Adams was very good as OP, Jourdan as Khan, and I really liked the cast of henchmen (Gobinda, Mischka, and Grischska). Vijay is also a top 5 ally, and Magda did a good job as secondary girl. Overall, a very good performance by Moore and a very good movie.

10- GoldenEye (Brosnan, 1995, 8.25, -4)
GE closes the top 10 with a considerable drop from ranking and mark. I used to give it a 9, now 8.25. There's tons of pros: Sean Bean as 006, seeing another 00 in action, Natalya, Boris, Xenya, the car chase, the tank chase, the general storyline, the Turner song... But one thing drags... This movie was for Dalton and it shows. I consider it a very good try by Brosnan, but he just isn't as good as Dalton to play that type of Bond. Clearly not his best performance. Sadly Brosnan will only get worst scripts for his other movies. GoldenEye with a Dalton would probably be top 3, certainly top 5 material.

11- The Man With The Golden Gun (Moore, 1974, 8, -3)
Drop of 3 in ranking, but I like it as much as I ever have. It's a solid movie, nothing special. I like Scaramanga, Nic Nac, Moore's performance, the whole concept of "golden gun", and the locations. The bad points are the title song, Goodnight's derriere pushing the button... I think that this movie would have been better without Goodnight, butt ( ) would still be around an 8. Average flow, good villain, average action...

12- A View To A Kill (Moore, 1985, 7.75, -2)
Slight drop in ranking, but just like TMWTGG, I don't like it less. It's just how much I like other movies more... Walken was good as Zorin, and the story was good, but May Day is kinda scary, and Moore's age was a problem. I'll give it to him though, he gave a heck of a performance. Stacy doesn't bother that much though, she is dumb, but her role isn't of an NSA agent...

13- Doctor No (Connery, 1962, 7.5, -1)
Same drill for DN. Good performance by Connery, Andress, and WIseman, but there's a bit missing from the movie. It's clearly a low budget movie, but still very much enjoyable. Just not as much as others! Goot way to start though.

14- Live And Let Die (Moore, 1973, 7.25, 0)
No change for LALD. It's the perfect example of an average Bond. Some good points, some bad points. The good would be the performance of Yaphet Kotto as Big/Kananga, the cast of henchmen (Whisper, Tee-Hee, Adam), Solitaire, and the storyline. The bad would be Rosie Carver, JW Pepper, the Kananga explosion, the chase is too long...

15- You Only Live Twice (Connery, 1967, 7.25, +2)
YOLT just could not deliver. TB was such a great movie... YOLT had the sets, Blofeld, the cat, but everything else falls short. The storyline, the story development, the girls, the stunts... Japan? why Japan?

16- Tomorrow Never Dies (Brosnan, 1997, 6.5, -3)
What can I say? Brosnan only gets bad scripts... It's not terrible, but the action doesn't make up for the lack of story. I like Wai Lin, I like Carver, I like Paris. Why don't I like this movie better? Not too sure. The henchmen was a real bore, the fighting as well. The opener fits the movie: action packed but not that fun to watch... It just should have been much better.

17- The World Is Not Enough (Brosnan, 1999, 6.5, -1)
Denise Richards. That's it. She's is why the movie fails to be higher on my list. She is pathetic. A pathetic actress doing a pathetic job at being a nuclear physicist. Marceau as Elektra worked. I just want to kill the f'n *****. Valentin's back. Works well. I liked Renard's performance. I liked the storyline. The "switch". Richards's incompetence costs it dearly.

18- Diamonds Are Forever (Connery, 1971, 5, 0)
Ouch! Might be funny, Connery's back, Wint & Kidd are funny as well, but this movie is a joke. American Bond... Storyline is bad, action is bad, sets are bad, acting is bad, Connery is bored, and no revenge for Tracy's death. I really wanted one.

19- The Spy Who Loved Me (Moore, 1977, 3, 0)
I really can't see why people like that movie. I dislike it so much. Bach's acting is as terrible as Berry's. Her performance is pathetic, and just like Berry, she plays a secret agent who's on Bond's level? What a joke. Every time she's on screen I roll my eyes. My cat would do a better job than her... And what's wrong with Stromberg? He's the ultimate boring villain. No energy, no purpose. He likes water, boo-hoo... We've seen everything in YOLT. Why remake this movie with tankers? The pros, and there's very little of them, like the Lotus car, Jaws, and the ski opening sequence don't make up for this sad flick.

20- Die Another Day (Brosnan, 2002, 2, 0)
Sad Sad movie. At one point, I thought it would be higher than TSWLM, well, 30 minutes in the movie, and then Jinx arrived... THe pros, I've listed them before: The opening sequence, Cleese as Q, the pre-cuba sequences. That's it. The cons: 1h30 of pure crap. They are laughing at us. We're paying for this BS? Zao sucks, Gustav Graves is an itiot, a pathetic villain, worst of the series, the robocop suit, the invisible car, the cgi bullet, the cgi para-surfing, the Madonna song, the Madonna cameo, the **** special slow motion effect, the movie is too long, Brosnan looks old, the acting is sub par, the lame jokes are neverending, the worst 1 liners in the series. Madonna. Madonna for christ sakes has a god damn 1 liner! I don't like cock fights How's that for a punch line Yo Mama Movies like this make me wish the Bond series would end.

--) Casino Royale (Nelson, 1954, 4.5)
Sure, it's made for TV, and Bond is American, but it's "serious". Not that great, but beats 2 movies...

--) Never Say Never Again (Connery, 1983, 4)
Terrible movie. How could they screw it up so bad? Thunderball is a great movie, and they made amockery from it. Still better than DAD The script is bad, but the acting is ok. Plus it's great to see Connery back...

--) Casino Royale (Niven, 1967, 2.5)
Yep, it beats DAD. It's terrible, but I can actually laugh at it than cry...

Luds

Apologies for the multi-post, the post word limit was exceeded and I had to!
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I then did a marathon pre-CR with Misses Luds, my pals Al, Seb, and Mo.
The marathon took place between June and November 2006.

I'll have the new grade, grade change (in brackets), as well as rank change and previous rank change (in brackets) and overall rank change since my very first ranking[in brackets] So here we go with the ranking:

01 - Thunderball - Connery - 1965
Grade: 10 (0) Rank Change: +1 (0) [+1]

Just phenomenal, Thunderball is a movie I could watch all day every day. Fiona Volpe is the greatest villainess of the series and had tremendous chemistry with Connery who was also at his very best. The cinematography is breathtaking, and the story just works. Auger was great as Domino and also had chemistry with Connery as well. Largo was a fine villain, nothing spectacular needed. Barry's score was outstanding, easily top 5 material, including the very cool 007 theme. The weakest part of this masterpiece could be the intro sequence which is still above average. The movie has some all time great Bond moments, including one of my favorites: Bond snatching a grape before going through a door! Thunderball shows us what Bondmania is all about, oozing class and excitement. Terrance Young was a master.

02 - On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Lazenby - 1969
Grade: 10 (0) Rank Change: -1 (+4) [+3]

An outstanding movie, might have less re-watchability than TB, but I still love it very much. Lazenby did a fine job and was able to carry the ball. Tracy is the very best Bond girl, Rigg was fabulous. The storyline is outstanding and the ski sequences are a great thrill. Hunt did a fine job directing this movie. Draco is one of the very best allies, if not the best along FRWL's Kerim Bey. The movie has class again after YOLT which lacked it completely. The score is one of the best also, even better than TB, either the very best of the series or 2nd best with TLD. The Theme song was also great. There are very few flaws, but this would be that Scoular's Ruby is just one of the ugliest girsl to go for in the clinic! Savalas' Blofeld was nice, I liked Plesance but Savalas brought a physical aspect to the character. Bunt was a scary villainess as well, job well done.

03 - Goldfinger - Connery - 1964
Grade: 10 (0) Rank Change: 0 (-2) [-2]

Goldfinger is the classic Bond. Terrance Young had done such a marvelous job injecting tons of class and style in the first 2 movies that Hamilton couldn't muck it up. It's the movie with which every other one is compared for a reason. Connery was at his best, the storyline was very good, the villains Goldfinger and Oddjob were among the very best main villains and henchmen in the series, Pussy Galore had great chemistry with Connery and along with Eaton as the GoldenGirl, are along the most memorable Bond girls, the DB5 is the best car of the series, and the tongue in cheek humor was at it's best. Sequences such as "I must be dreaming", the ejector seat, Connery's wink at the guard and Oddjob's hat displays are among the most recognized and loved. It also has the very best PTS of the series, including the reflection in the girl's eye. Some minor flaws can be overlooked like the gangster's voices during Goldfinger's display are way too wimpy, and the gas death drops were silly. But overall, I still consider it to be the very best movie, but unlike the previous 2, I know and remember how great they are as opposed to the other 2 which still surprise me.

04 - The Living Daylights - Dalton - 1987
Grade: 9.5 (0) Rank Change: 0 (0) [0]

TLD is a fantastic movie, only failing to get 10 because Dalton simply doesn't have Connery's presence on screen. He's outstanding, the most believable and book like Bond. I love his intensity and his face when he pops the balloon saying that he got the message. TLD has one of the very best PTS and veteran readers will know that I love seeing 00s in action. I wish more scenes of Bond interacting with 00 agents were made in future films. TLD has a fantastic theme song and the very best score by Barry (if not OHMSS), has a great Bond girl in Kara playing the average girl. I love the scene when he doesn't want to get her cello and gets it in the very next one. Same for them sliding on the case, and especially the scene where Necros is about to kill Mishkin and Bond shoots him and the light, that's just classic Bond. Another great one is when Bond converses with Mishkin and later asks him to drop on his knees about to kill him. Classic. Whitaker wasn't a bad villain, but Koskov was weak. I'd change the girl playing Linda in the PTS she was an ugly dog! And same for Leiter's 2 girls in the car ride, just nasty! Leiter was also weak but didn't hurt the flick so much. One scene I'd like to change although I love the PTS, it's the 00's face when he gets caught in the tree and later shot. That would never EVER happen to a 00!

05 - Licence To Kill - Dalton - 1989
Grade: 9 (0) Rank Change: 0 (0) [+6]

Another movie I really love and it has moved up 6 spots since my late teen years. I appreciate the grittiness and Bond needing luck a lot more as it was also like this in the Books. Davi played a great Sanchez, Pam was one of the very best Bond girls, her character was strong and likable. I really liked the story and the action such as the ski scenes, but noticed that some of the acting was off for Killifer, Sharkey and Milton Krest. I didn't mind Lupe but her character wasn't very likable and certainly didn't want her to end up with Bond. It was nice to see Kerim Bey's real life son in the movie playing Lopez but he wasn't much of an actor. Newton as Butcher was fine, many minor villains were fine too, but nothing special. It certainly had the potential to be better.

06 - From Russia With Love - Connery - 1963
Grade: 8.5 (-0.5) Rank Change: 0 (-3) [-3]

FRWL is a great movie that has taken a 3 spot plunge in my rankings over time. Although this time I suspect that at the time I viewed the movie, my dislike for the CR & Craig hater forum idiot Ali Kerim Bey might have had something to do with it as I associated him or thought about him while seeing the actor's performance. What a shame as he's the best ally and a great actor. FRWL's storyline is great, contains many memorable sequences such as the fight with Grant and Bond's comment about M and a girl that prompts M to stop the audio! I'm not much of a fan of Lenya's Klebb though, I don't dislike her but don't love what she's done. Grant was great but came in too late in the story. The score was very good, possibly top 5. I liked Tania but she's slightly overrated as a Bond girl. The pace is a bit slow but not too much, and Young's class shows in all his movies. He's as important as Connery to the success of Bond in my book. So why else has it taken a drop? Not sure, it's still high, I suspect it might pass LTK next time to close my top 5.

07 - For Your Eyes Only - Moore - 1981
Grade: 8.5 (0) Rank Change: +1 (+7) [+8]

FYEO nearly bumped FRWL in this marathon, which would have been shocking! I have never liked it this much before. It is now my #1 ranked Moore Bond flick, comfortably ahead of MR. I really like the movie's pace and the score is very nice! Roger Moore proves here that he's a well ahead of Brosnan as an actor, being able to act seriously here as opposed to being his usual goof ball. Topol was outstanding as Columbo, certainly in the top 3 allies with AKB and Draco. Melina had an edge and her character was nice, she might be one of the very best Bond girls in the series, Bouquet did a fine job. The bobsleigh and ski sequences were excellent, so was the mountain climbing and stunt. Glover played a good villain and Kriegler was a decent henchman. There are a few negatives though. Ferreira is one of the very worst and most useless ally, Kriegler leaving a competition to go after Bond was stupid, the hockey sequences were also ridiculous. But worst of all, the Blofeld PTS was completely ruined by the comedy aspect, it should have been kept serious to work, especially after Bond was at Tracy's grave. Bibi was fine for humor, I didn't mind her.

08 - Moonraker - Moore - 1979
Grade: 8.25 (-0.75) Rank Change: -1 (+2) [+1]

MR took a step down letting FYEO pass it on my ranking and thus being the #2 ranked Moore flick. The PTS is excellent with Bond catching up to Jaws and his parachute. An average Barry score and decent theme song. MR's pace is excellent, going from location to location and the story makes sense. Meeting Draco, meeting Goodhead, following her to the glass store in Venice and then to Brazil. Goodhead is easily the 2nd best "female agent" role in the franchise 2nd only to Pam. Draco was a fine megalomaniac villain and Chang was a fine henchman, the fight in the glass shop is very entertaining. Jaws made it even more entertaining as fans no doubt were looking forwards to his fight with Bond once more. MR had memorable scenes such as the G force scene and when Corine gets killed. Up to the shuttle launch, everything made sense and was fine. The action in space was chaotic, but the sequences looked impressive. There really isn't much I dislike about MR.

09 - The Man With The Golden Gun - Moore - 1974
Grade: 8 (0) Rank Change: +2 (-3) [-1]

TMWTGG is undeservingly overbashed by many fans, it's highly entertaining and the storyline of the GoldenGun, having Andress sending a bullet to Bond is very interesting. There are a few memorable scenes like the car loop and Bond aiming at Lazar's groin. The first 45 minutes of the film is well above an "8". The movie starts getting silly when Bond fights the entire Karate school, and Hip leaves Bond on his own, that's very silly. I did like most of the JW Stuff, he was fine. I really like Scaramanga and Nic Nac, especially the way Bond disposes of the little one with a large briefcase. I didn't find Goodnight so bad, yes she's dumb but some scenes were funny like when she drops the bed sheet and is wearing a towel, and having to sleep in the closet. One thing that bugs me though, the entire story about the Solex is just useless. It could have been avoided, just having Scaramanga wonder why Bond is around him would have been enough. The theme song is also poor. But overall, a very entertaining movie. Clearly Hamilton hurt this one a bit.

10 - Octopussy - Moore - 1983
Grade: 7.75 (-0.5) Rank Change: -1 (-2) [-3]

OP keeps dropping in my ranking, but I still like it quite a bit none the less. Very entertaining PTS, good song and decent score. I enjoy the storyline even if slightly complex. I enjoy most of the characters: OP herself is a good character, Khan is a very good villain, I really like the backgammon duel, Gobinda was a fine henchman, and Magda is one of the most underrated girls in the series. I like the cast of henchmen with the twins and the villain with the yoyo weapon as well. I've always liked the storyline with the 00 killed carrying the Faberge egg, that was nice. Vijay was also entertaining. There are very few points that bother me, perhaps the tarzan yell, Bond dressed as a monkey checking his watch, and most of all, zooming on the voluptuous woman in blue shirt was just a lack of class. OP is the middle ranked Bond, an average flick.

Luds

11 - Doctor No - Connery - 1962
Grade: 7.75 (+0.25) Rank Change: +2 (-1) [+1]

DN isn't a bad film, but ranks fairly low on my list probably due to budget and slow pace. 7.75 is still a good score, Connery's intro as Bond is superb, and Honey coming out of the water is a classic scene. Wiseman as No was a great casting choice, so was Quarell. I really like the sequence where Bond kills Dent and the dome sequence where Dent goes to see No and gets orders to kill Bond. The music was quite nice. I can't complain about Norman's score, it did fit the movie nicely but isn't that fun to listen to stand alone.

12 - A View To A Kill - Moore - 1985
Grade: 7.75 (0) Rank Change: 0 (-2) [-2]

Another movie that is often undeservingly over-bashed, AVTAK is quite fun to watch. Sure there are multiple comparisons to make with GF, I can see that, but that doesn't bother me. Moore's age wasn't an issue in my opinion this time around as his performance was top notch. Walken as Zorin was way OTT and probably hurt the movie slightly. I don't mind Stacey, I think that she's perfectly fine as a regular Bond girl. I really like The PTS, it's quite entertaining and certainly above average. The theme song is one of the best and the score is very good too. Another issue I was about to forget is that May Day too is simply too OTT. I like the scenes with Bond and Tibbet, very nice indeed. It's a shame we can clearly see that Moore wasn't driving the car when it's split in 2 pieces. I can forget half second sequences where the stuntman is in but when it's crystal clear for a few seconds like this and GE's damn hump, it's just ridiculous!

13 - GoldenEye - Brosnan - 1995
Grade: 7.5 (-0.75) Rank Change: -3 (-4) [-7]

GE is taking a major plunge in my rankings losing 7 positions over 10 years. It's a great script, and a great storyline. I like the PTS although as I wrote before, it obviously wasn't Brosnan on top of the damn which is really lame. There were many stunts too where it was the stuntman was shown too long which really bothered me. Turner's song was good, and the soundtrack during the movie was good too but stand alone is possibly the worst of the series. There are plenty of good moments, like the fight on top of the dish, and the tank chase, and Sean Bean was outstanding, one of the very best villains ever. Sadly, Brosnan's inability to portray a believable spy cost the movie dearly. The flick was obviously written for Dalton and it shows. Bean and Purefoy who screen-tested for Bond in GE would have been so much better it's a real shame Brosnan, the bigger name in USA, got the part. Xenia is good but extremely overrated. So is Natalya and her manly voice, her whining isn’t much of an escape from real life . She was nothing special. Wade was a lame replacement for Leiter and should have been played by another actor. Valentin was fine. Another positive note was the Q scene, quite good. Overall, GE's problem is its lack of re-watchability, and the start of the anti-spy, action-hero, machine-gun Bond

14 - You Only Live Twice - Connery - 1967
Grade: 7.5 (+0.25) Rank Change: +1 (+2) [+3]

Why is YOLT so low on the list? It had Connery and Plesance as Blofeld, the story is good, the sets are fantastic, Little Nellie is very cool, there's tons of action too. Well it lacks "Bond" direction and Bond moments, in other words, it lacks class. Gilbert was no Terrance Young and that hurt the movie a great deal. I have no doubt that Young could have made YOLT a top 5 movie for many fans, just like GF, FRWL and TB. The henchman was lame but that's not a big problem. Tiger Tanaka is a top 5 ally, and the Japanese girls did fine. Aki was actually pretty darn good. Kissy was not so bad. The disappointment of a weaker movie certainly played a large part with its low ranking, if it wasn't after FRWL, GF, and TB it might have looked better.

15 - Live And Let Die - Moore - 1973
Grade: 6.5 (-0.75) Rank Change: -1 (0) [-1]

LALD's weakest problem isn't Moore, it's the fact that it isn't very Bondish. I mean, Bond takes a bath, wears a wifebeater and pastel blue pants... There's too much humor, I can tolerate JW he was actually funny, but the whole flying lesson was ridiculous. Rosie was a terrible character by a terrible actress. Kananga was a good villain and Tee-Hee, Samedi, Whisper, and Adam were a good set of henchmen. Leiter was good in this movie and the first 5 minutes of boat chase was great. The last 20 was getting very long though, and there are special effects that looked terrible like Kananga's explosion and that everybody in the world could see that Big was Kananga! Overall, a pretty average movie but a decent performance by Moore.

16 - Diamonds Are Forever - Connery - 1971
Grade: 5.5 (+0.5) Rank Change: +2 (0) [+2]

DAF is the final official Bond movie to obtain a somewhat respectable grade. And I must note that the only saving grace is Connery as Bond even if it's a bad performance by Sir Sean. Witt & Kidd, the diamond traffic storyline and the theme song couldn't make up for the rest to make it a good flick. It's just too Americanized, and Hamilton was a terrible director. The movie is filled with plot holes, using Blofeld as villain was stupid because it isn’t believable that this Blofeld is the same character as in OHMSS and YOLT. Secondly the lack of revenge really bothers me even if I understand that they wanted people to forget about Lazenby. Whyte was a stupid character, way OTT, and moments like Case's butt hiding the tape and Bond getting his ass kicked by Bambi and Thumper were just terrible to watch. Comedy hour Bond at its worst.

17* - Casino Royale '67 - Niven - 1967
Grade: 4.75 (+0.25) Rank Change: +2 (+1) [+3]

I've never liked CR'67 as much as I do now. It was the very last movie I watched during this marathon, the only one out of order, and the only one after seeing CR. I just couldn't do it, but when I did, I gave it a chance and shocked that it sits ahead of 4 official movies! CR'67 is a very silly movie, and has to be viewed in a specific frame of mind in order to (possibly) enjoy it! I'm not going to comment on Niven's Bond, it's not worth it, the movie is a spoof! But I'll mention three things that are worth paying attention to in this movie, the first being the amazing colors throughout the movie, it's very colorful! The sets are very nice, especially the Casino, and so full of colors it was quite something. The second positive point is to see the impressive cast of ladies in this movie. It's almost as if the producers knew that without a decent Bond they needed something to keep the audience interested! Ursula Andress as Vesper, Joanna Pettet as Mata Bond, Barbara Bouchet as Moneypenny, and Daliah Lavi as The Detainer are quite something to look at. The third is the nice score by Bacharat, quite good and worth picking up. It was also quite nice to see a few Bond veterans like Andress, Vladek Sheybal (Kronsteen in FRWL), Burt Kwouk (Ling in GF), and even Caroline Munroe who would later be in TSWLM. Angela Scoular looked much better as Buttercup than she would as the ugly Ruby in OHMSS. But other than that, this film is complete rubbish. The pace is bad, there's no main storyline that makes sense, it's quite difficult to watch from beginning to end. Using 4 directors was very stupid.

17 - The Spy Who Loved Me - Moore - 1977
Grade: 4.5 (+1.5) Rank Change: +2 (0) [+2]

TSWLM earned a nice grade bump from my 2004 ranking. I enjoy the first 30 minutes, the PTS is outstanding, certainly top 5, the theme song is nice and main titles too with Moore in there, I like most of the material in Egypt as well, Bond and Sandor, Jaws, good stuff. I like the lotus and chase with the copter, Naomi is a good villainess, the death of Stromberg's secretary. Other than these scenes, the movie blows chunks. It's a complete replica of YOLT but not even close to being any good. The tanker battle is just plain boring, Stromberg is a terrible villain who’s goal to start world war 3 makes no sense at all, and worst of all, Barbara Bach is just pathetic. She's so bad in fact, every dialog she delivers, she's looking at the camera as if reading from cue cards! She's not believable whatsoever that it makes Bond look terribly weak and lame when needing her help. She has no screen presence, and her slow line delivery makes it look as if she's either on weed or simply a terrible actress, which is obviously the case. And on top of that, she has freakish alien eyes.

18 - The World Is Not Enough - Brosnan - 1999
Grade: 4.5 (-2) Rank Change: -1 (-1) [-2]

Large drop in grade for TWINE. I like the PTS, although Brosnan's line delivery is sub-par as usual. Garbage's song isn't very good, and the main titles are weak, but better than TND. TWINE has a decent plot, and Renard is a good character. Other than that, the only positive is the Q scene which is good and sadly, Llewelyn's last. Bond's scripted character is very weak and same goes for M who's just an annoying stupid mother figure and her actions are just poorly written. The 1 liners and play on words have no class, possibly the worst to date were the two forced Christmas jokes (in Turkey and comes twice a year) are also extremely poorly delivered by the inept Brosnan. The cast of villains is weak, Bullion, Davidov, Elektra's bodyguard are all poor actors. Denise Richards is terribly miscast and she simply isn't believable as anything but a dumb blond. Elektra was way OTT which annoyed me but her line "Soon she (M) will be... everywhere" was nice. Dr. Warmflash's presence in this movie is a great example of what's wrong with the flick: She's a forced addition to the script just to have another conquest but isn't good looking at all, just like everything else in this flick is forced and poorly done. And the usual Brosnan era stuntman shot that obviously wasn't Brosnan made it in the film, this case with the ski stuff. Very bad flick.

19* - Never Say Never Again - Connery - 1983
Grade: 4 (0) Rank Change: 0 (?) [0]

NSNA should have been great. It has Connery and it's a remake on Thunderball. Should is the key word here because this movie is a massive disappointment. It's good to see Connery back as Bond, he seemed to have a great time in this flick. There are also a few decent scenes like Bond's "Yes, but my Martini's still dry" and the motorcycle chase. Kim Basinger plays a good Domino and Carrera plays a good henchwoman in Fatima Blush, but nothing compared to Fiona Volpe in TB. But that is pretty much it for the positive. NSNA's main problem is that it didn't try to take itself seriously. The M, Q, and Moneypenny scenes are terrible, not because of an uncommon cast, but because they are trying to be funny. The music isn't very good, and the cast is also sub-par. Blofeld looks like a useless and friendly old man looking for a hug. Largo is OTT but not really interesting, and M is just a comic relief and shouldn't! The pace is bad, the sets are boring and overall, the production is simply not good enough to be considered a Bond movie.

19 - Tomorrow Never Dies - Brosnan - 1997
Grade: 4 (-2.5) Rank Change: -3 (-3) [-6]

TND is a bad film. It starts poorly with an action packed yet boring and forgettable PTS, followed by the very worst main titles of the series. At least Crow's song is decent although KD Lang's song is much better. M appears powerless compared to the other big players, which is sad, not Dench's fault, simply poorly written. The sexual innuendos like "cunning linguist" and how much "pumping" is needed were just too obvious and lacked class, they're simply not funny, it's too much. 1 liners in TND were pretty bad, and Brosnan was terrible delivering them as always, including the "grown attached to each other" which was just lame and certainly didn't need Brosnan raising his hand up to ensure that the audience would pick it up. Well maybe he had to because this movie is just a bad action flick so they might have expected audience members to be 12 years old. Stamper is completely bland and forgettable, Carver is extremely OTT but not very entertaining, the car chase was different being indoors, but still not entertaining and the bike chase could have been better. The girls were decent, nothing special. The PTS and the ending of TND are very similar: Tons of boring action and explosions. Is this Rambo or a spy movie?

20* - Casino Royale '54 - Nelson - 1954
Grade: 3 (-1.5) Rank Change: -2 (?) [-2]

I didn't find much positive in CR'54 other than that it's based in CR! Nelson as an American Bond was pretty bad, but an English Felix was fine. Petter Lorre as Le Chiffre was absolutely awful, his acting was brutal. Linda Christian as Valerie Mathis is the only good thing I can see in this adaptation.

20 - Die Another Day - Brosnan - 2002
Grade: 0 (-2) Rank Change: 0 (0) [0]

A travesty, a complete rape of everything the franchise stood for. Worst song in the series and Madonna has a cameo which is ludicrous! The storyline is weak, and the plot is copied from DAF. There's nothing original in this pathetic movie other than an invisible car. Graves is a very poor villain, and henchman Zao isn't any better. Graves is basically a 12 year old boy, and the sword fight with Bond is just retarded, no one would act so childishly. The CGI is the worst I've ever seen and in all honesty looks like it was made by a 6 year old using a computer for the first time. The one liners are atrocious and tasteless, and on top of that they use the same one twice (the point). Brosnan's complete lack of ability to deliver them makes them feel even more forced. Brosnan was also fat which made the whole prisoner issue a farce, although he clearly gave his best performance as Bond, which is ridiculous considering that this movie is basically a spoof. The robocop suit at then end is so bad it makes me cry. Halle Berry's complete incompetence in portraying physical characters is blatantly obvious as it also was in all X-Men movies, and her character is the worst of all times. Worse than everything though is Wagner's matrix style slow motion to real time edits which would have tarnished any other movie but in this case it's just another failed attempt at making this movie special. Tama-whore-i is the person who should hold most of the blame, although Purvis & Wade certainly helped with their terrible script, and Brosnan, Berry and Stephens with Vin Diesel level acting.

Fairbairn-Sykes

Of course Luds' longwinded pet thread gets saved and transferred.

Luds

Quoting Fairbairn-Sykes: Of course Luds' longwinded pet thread gets saved and transferred.

Sorry FS, I did this manually mere minutes before the switch. I won't lie, I copied it the old site, but have had a copy of this in my personal archive since my 2004 update, knowing I couldn't simply type this in a fury and post. I was under the impression old content was still available, had I know I certainly would have attempted to salvage plenty of content. I feel the pain of losing content as everyone is.

Edit: Actually it looks like it is!

SJK91

My turn! Now that I'm in the right place! ;-)

Thanks Luds!

“Detailed” Bond Film Ratings

1. Casino Royale (2006) - 10/10
I somehow knew, even after seeing some Bond films drop and rise for this new list, that the battle for number one was still going to be between Goldfinger and Casino Royale. But in the end, by that much, Casino Royale retains the number one spot on my list. Firstly, there is Daniel Craig, who is second only to Sean Connery in my mind. From the very first frame we see him in, Craig simply is James Bond. But this Bond is a little tougher than the rest; Craig’s Bond is a true killer, one who almost seems to get a hint of pleasure from it. He doesn’t go into anti-hero territory, but it is enough to see there is a different kind of working going on in this Craig’s Bond’s mind. This trait is something I think only Craig possesses and is truly a phenomenal one. The believability in Craig’s Bond is something I also admire. Where some Bonds didn’t emasculate some of Bond’s traits, Craig nails all of them. But Casino Royale doesn’t stop at a fantastic Bond. The rest of the cast is great, as well. Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd is one of my favorite Bond girls in the series. Le Chiffre is played subtly by Mads Mikkelsen, but his last moments are incredibly menacing. Mathis is a strong “ally”, as well. The action scenes are not only some of my favorites in the series, but some of my favorite of all time, barring no film. And then there is that torture scene. I’ve noticed over the years that it often gets some bashing from people who would’ve preferred the book’s version. But to me, Casino Royale’s torture scene (despite being dissimilar from the book) takes the cake for my favorite scene in a Bond film. It’s brutal, terrifying and uncomfortably funny all in one; I truly can’t think of any other scene in any movie for that manner that has had me more on the edge of my seat. Casino Royale is not only my favorite Bond film, but my personal favorite film of all time.

2. Goldfinger (1964) - 10/10
Goldfinger is pure, classic Bond and memorable scenes are countless. The film has an immensely strong supporting cast with Gert Frobe as Goldfinger (one of the series’ best villains), Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore (one of the series’ best girls) and Harold Sakata as Oddjob (the series’ best henchman). And then there’s Sean Connery. What a Bond he was; the best, that’s for sure. What Goldfinger also had that some other Bond films botched was the exact right amount of camp. Yes, it’s preposterous that Oddjob can withstand a gold brick to the chest and Bond wears a tuxedo under a wetsuit, but it’s all in the film’s personality. Some Bond films (like Diamonds Are Forever or Moonraker) pushed camp into self parody, but for some reason Goldfinger’s camp is stylish to me. (The film’s personality is similar to that of Raiders of the Lost Ark). Accompanied by the franchise’s best score, that incredible Aston Martin, brisk pacing, and some of the best one liners in film (“No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die!”) Goldfinger is not only the best classic Bond film, but one of the greatest films of all time.

3. From Russia With Love (1963) - 9.5/10
When the casual filmgoer thinks James Bond, they might not immediately think “realism”. But From Russia With Love is just that, a realistic spy thriller. And a thriller it is: Sean Connery is as great as Bond as he was in Dr. No. Bond girl Tatiana is a little more than a girl Bond picked up for the ride (like in Dr. No) which is a nice change. From Russia With Love had double the budge Dr. No had and it shows; the cinematography and locations are incredible. Kerim Bay should also go down as Bond’s best ally; his death is truly a powerful moment. Oh, and the fight on the Orient Express with Grant? Bond’s best fist fight of the entire series. Not only is From Russia With Love a fantastic Bond film, but a marvelous and thrilling spy caper as well.

4. Dr. No (1962) - 9/10
The first and subtlest James Bond film adventure is far from unexciting. First mention goes to Sean Connery, who is the best James Bond in my mind. He is so natural and smooth, one might think he was born to play such a role. (With his best scene in this film being the execution of the poor yet deserving Professor Dent). Villain Dr. No is also one of the series’ strongest villains; he is low key, but carries a chilling persona. Ursula Andress as the series’ first Bond girl is a success too. She is not just eye candy, and despite tagging along for the ride, she is very resourceful. The plot development of Dr. No is also very satisfying, what starts as missing persons case turns into a world threatening endeavor. I’ve always liked that evolution. Despite having a considerably lower budget than the rest of the Bond films, Dr. No has always been the little film that could in my mind and pushes far beyond what it should have been capable of, which makes me appreciate it all the more.

5. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) - 9/10
I had always convinced myself that George Lazenby was a substandard James Bond. But upon watching OHMSS again, I was surprised to see how wrong I was. Sure, Lazenby is not the best Bond; his acting ranges from serviceable to solid to great, but I can say I was actually fairly impressed with his performance. And the very last scene, with a dead Mrs. Bond lying in her husband’s arms may be the most tragic, emotional and powerful scene in Bond film history. Adding to that, the rest of OHMSS is near perfect; the supporting cast is one of the best casts in a Bond film (Tells Savalas as Blofeld and Diana Rigg as Tracy were spot on), John Barry’s soundtrack is phenomenal and the production values and cinematography shine. The editing of the movie is an acquired taste and some of it still baffles me, but that aside, OHMSS was the Bond movie I was most mistaken about.

6. Thunderball (1965) - 8.5/10
Sean Connery’s best Bond performance comes in Thunderball. Don’t get me wrong: from Dr. No to this film, he was spot on, but his Thunderball performance always stood above the rest for some reason. His mannerisms and lines (“Wait until you get to my teeth”) are delivered with stark perfection. Most of the supporting cast is strong too with a special nod going to Luciana Paluzzi’s femme fetal Fiona Volpe. Domino is only slightly less interesting, but still a good Bond girl nonetheless. Largo is a fine villain, and hey an eyepatch can make anyone look evil, right? In terms of plot, Thunderball is fairly standard with the topic being nuclear blackmail. But the investigation type of style Thunderball takes makes it quite interesting. The underwater scenes are actually very well shot and while the last underwater battle goes on for a little too long, a fist fight on a runaway yacht brings the energy right back in. Once again, a strong outing from Connery and the gang.

7. The Living Daylights (1987) - 8.5/10
For a long time, I had thought of The Living Daylights as routine and rather bland, but this recent viewing has proven how wrong I was. Daylights is a well paced film; just when you start to think the movie is slowing down, something else happens to jolt you back into the action. Speaking of the action, some of the best action pieces are featured in this film, with my favorite being the thrilling and unique cargo net fight. And then there is Timothy Dalton, who gives a strong first performance as James Bond. Dalton is good on the dramatics, adding some dark elements that Moore never had. And while Dalton balks an occasional throw away one liner, the rest of his performance makes up for it. Just the presence of a younger Bond in Dalton (as compared to his predecessor) adds energy that some of the later Moore entries (especially A View to a Kill) were missing. Then there is the rest of the cast, who are all strong (minus John Terry as Felix Leiter). Even the villains, who I thought I had a dislike of, work out fairly well. The plot jumps around a bit and remains low key throughout, but is not meaningless (like The Man with the Golden Gun) and not inane (As I had once thought). The one scene that has always irked me and perhaps prevents Daylights from being a spot higher on this list is that cello case sled scene. It has never sat with me right; I always thought it was a hangover from a Moore film. Apart from that slip, The Living Daylights is a superior, underrated Bond film that owes much of it’s strong suits to Mr. Timothy Dalton.

8. Quantum of Solace (2008) - 8/10
If there is any one thing Quantum of Solace owes everything to, it is Daniel Craig. He is not necessarily the film’s “saving grace”, but he does for sure help Solace in being a very good Bond picture. The fact is that Craig is simply great in the role. A special mention, I think, needs to go to the scene featuring Bond and Mathis on a plane to Bolivia. (A scene I think is criminally underrated.) This scene features James Bond who, for the first time in the entire series, is visibly inebriated. The scene is quick and Craig says little, but the exchange between Mathis and Bond is so pure and meaningful. Just looking at Bond in this scene gives you a sense of the pain that he has bottled up, and it makes for a powerful moment. The cast of Solace is above average; Camille is a fine girl, she isn’t really all too memorable, but she gets the job done, regardless. But I found that the character of Fields to be more of a worthy Bond girl. Had the roles been switched (with Fields being the main Bond girl and Camille having only 10 minutes of screen time), I feel that Solace’s leading ladies might have been stronger. Villain Dominic Greene goes the same way; he isn’t all menacing, but he does a good job portraying the man he is supposed to: a slimy, bent business man. The action scenes, when you are able to pay full attention to them, are strong too. Though none of them live up to the brilliant opening car chase that finishes four minutes into the film. Quantum of Solace suffers mainly for the overly subtle (is that an oxymoron?) plot. There just isn’t enough there for a Bond picture. The theft of Bolivia’s water is too down to Earth and too pedestrian for me. It hurts the film a good deal, but the rest of Quantum of Solace is very good, and too good to put any lower.

9. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - 8/10
Up until Moonraker was made, The Spy Who Loved Me easily had the most ludicrous plot. But despite venturing dangerously near self-parody, The Spy Who Loved Me, similarly to Goldfinger, uses its camp as a style (mostly). Roger Moore has vastly improved since The Man with the Golden Gun, and is even able to portray dark humor convincingly. (“What a helpful chap.” - Moore’s best moment as 007; but it also helps that the writers have finally started realizing Moore’s “strengths”.) As far as the rest of the cast goes, Stromberg and Jaws make a pretty good evil team. Barbara Bach, on the other hand is as mediocre as they come; she holds back this film from being great. But I can really appreciate The Spy Who Loved Me’s beautiful sets and environments. The interior of Liparus is as fantastic as it is grand, as is Atlantis, Stromberg’s massive underwater house. Bond’s new tricked out Lotus is also a truly worthy gadget and ranks among Q’s best. Oh, and Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” is the best Bond theme as far as I’m concerned. As silly as the film’s story is, The Spy Who Loved Me is great fun and realizes its own camp without being too overtly superfluous.

10. GoldenEye (1995) - 8/10
Ask me my opinion on GoldenEye a month ago and I would’ve told you it was one of my top four Bond films, without hesitation. So it comes as a surprise to me to see GoldenEye so “low” on my list. Let’s get a few things straight though: GoldenEye is still a strong Bond picture. The action is truly top notch, with a special mentions going towards the tank chase throughout St. Petersberg and the ending fist fight between Bond and 006. The supporting cast is strong throughout, too. Natalya is a strong, intelligent Bond girl and is very well played by Izabella Scorupco. Xenia Onatopp is a truly unique character as well; Famke Janssen is great in the role as she makes Xenia disturbing and attractive at the same time. And Sean Bean plays an excellent villain in Trevelyan. (One of my favorite villains in the Bond films.) But the one obstacle that holds GoldenEye from being a great, near perfect Bond film comes as a huge shock to me: Pierce Brosnan. Upon watching again, I found Brosnan stiff and rather bland. He didn’t really play the part like anything; Connery started off the role and was the established Bond, Moore was a sillier Bond, Dalton was a darker Bond and hell even Lazenby was unique in his mannerisms. Brosnan is just there; he rarely says his lines with emotion or flair of any kind in GoldenEye. It also doesn’t help that Sean Bean upstages Brosnan in every scene they’re in together. Apart from looking good in a tux and having some physicality, Brosnan is tragically (gulp) forgettable. GoldenEye is a good Bond film but...and I’d never thought I’d say this...Pierce Brosnan prevents it from being great.

11. You Only Live Twice (1967) - 7.5/10
Almost immediately upon viewing You Only Live Twice, you can tell some of the charm from his first four movies is missing from Sean Connery. That being said, Connery is still a strong Bond here and the movie itself gives you plenty to look at. While the rest of the cast is concerned, they got Blofeld mostly right with Donald Pleasance, and Bond’s ally Tiger is a worthy one. Some issues lie with the Bond girls, though. Bond’s first girl, Aki was only half interesting to begin with yet things pick up when she is unpredictably killed. We then get a replacement (Kissy Suzuki) who turns out to be the least memorable Bond girl of the series. It’s obvious the writers didn’t care much for her; she is in the movie for roughly thirty minutes and isn’t even named until the end credits. But most of the action is good, despite some laughable special effects. A note to filmmakers: if you need to fake the majority of an action scene, or any scene for that matter, it isn’t worth doing. (I speak of the “Little Nelly” helicopter fight and the scene where Blofeld’s rocket lands in his volcano, two scenes that have not aged well at all.) And yes, that volcano base is just ridiculous in nature, but I’ve always found it inventive; the set itself looks beautiful too. You Only Live Twice is preposterous and sometimes bloated, but come on: its still Sean Connery.

12. License to Kill (1989) - 7.5/10
As License to Kill is the first Bond movie I ever saw, I have developed a soft spot for the film. And while the film is very strong in certain parts, it becomes a little confused in others. The film begins off fairly brutally, with poor Felix Leiter being mauled by a Shark at the hands of Robert Davi’s brilliantly played villain, Sanchez. And while the next twenty minutes that follows is just as serious and dramatic, we then get a silly bar fight scene that kind of loosens tensions. This type of back and forth motion is repeated throughout the film. Secondly, but less of a detriment is the obvious lack of production value. I know the budget was lowered for License to Kill, but does that excuse something like the super boring cinematography? Bashing aside, there are, in fact, many positives in License to Kill. Timothy Dalton once again gives a good performance in his last turn in the role, Robert Davi (as mentioned before) plays a great villain, and his sidekicks (Krest and Dario) are also worthy henchman. Both Bond girls are serviceable, but Bond ends up with the right girl at the end so it all works, I guess. And of course the action is superior, with a special nod going to the ending tanker chase. Dalton for sure deserved at least one more Bond film, but License to Kill isn’t the worst picture to depart on and is still a fairly worthy entry.

13. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) - 7/10
After watching Tomorrow Never Dies, I gratefully realized that Pierce Brosnan had improved over the bland character he was in the otherwise near perfect GoldenEye. But Tomorrow Never Dies, despite being mostly enjoyable, is on autopilot for nearly the whole film. The plot of the film takes an old recycled Bond plot and gives it a new, unique twist; a man attempts to start a war (yawn) to increase his cable TV ratings (Interesting!). And main villain, Elliot Carver, is played brilliantly by Jonathan Pryce; he is one of the best recent Bond villains for sure. The film’s Bond girls aren’t particularly memorable, but they get the job done regardless. The first half of Tomorrow Never Dies, which contains a brilliant execution of the quirky Dr. Kaufman by a vengeful Bond and a car chase with Bond in the back seat, is considerably better than the second half, which is small bits of plot followed by constant machine gun fire and explosions. What Tomorrow Never Dies lacked was substance. About halfway through the film, TND seems to ask the audience to turn off dtheir brains and shift attention to the fireballs. It’s a lazy fallback, and Tomorrow Never Dies ultimately ends up in shoot-em up territory. (Granted, the film does the shoot-em up thing as well as that genre can ever be done.) Overall, Tomorrow Never Dies is popcorn munching fun, but I usually expect a little more from a Bond film.

14. The World Is Not Enough (1999) - 7/10
I often find that The World Is Not Enough gets much criticism, and one that seems to be a constant complaint is something along the lines that Brosnan’s acting is “soap opera worthy”. But in all honesty, I never could see it. While Brosnan isn’t part of my top 3 Bonds, he is far better than his wooden interpretation of Bond a la GoldenEye. What The World Is Not Enough really suffers from the most are two things: Denise Richards and and the formulaic nature of the whole picture. The film starts off more than promising, with one of the best pre-title sequences in the series. The action scenes that follow, however, cannot match the excitement of that boat chase. It’s not only the action scenes that feel formulaic, though, the plot does as well. It all ultimately ends up featuring the villains attempting to nuke Istanbul to increase their profits. If that sounds kind of familiar, it should (See: Goldfinger, A View to a Kill). The World Is Not Enough does have its perks, though. I’ve always enjoyed something about the actual “look” to the picture itself, it is something I can’t really explain, though. Valentin is one of Bond’s greatest allies, and the idea to bring him back was great. Added to that, his death scene ends up being a powerful one. I don’t mind Elektra King; she’s not the greatest femme fetal or Bond girl for that matter, but she doesn’t come near Denise Richards, who is as unconvincing as she is busty. She is for sure one of my least favorite Bond girls. The World Is Not Enough is pure formula, and while I can enjoy that formula (being that it comes from my favorite film series), the film is a little too safe for its own good.

15. Octopussy (1983) - 7/10
Yet another surprise to me comes with Octopussy; a film I thought I vehemently disliked ended up being better than I remembered. Many things in this film work; Roger Moore, despite being noticeably old gives one of his better performances as Bond. It was smart for the producers to go with a slightly older Bond girl in Maud Adams; not only is she good in the role, but she is more believable being attracted to a 55 year old Moore. The villains are worthy and contrast each other well, with General Orlov being slightly over the top and Kamal Khan being much more subtle. What holds Octopussy back is the outright cheesiness and silliness which is, forgive the pun, at an all time high. The very first thing that comes to mind is the inexcusable inappropriate George of the Jungle wail when Bond vine swings through a jungle. (The hot air balloon was pretty dumb, too.) Yet while the rest of Octopussy continues to be more light hearted, most of the film is very solid. And a special mention needs to go to the scene where Bond (fully dressed in clown gear) defuses a nuclear bomb with seconds to spare. Crazily enough, that scene is one of the tensest in a Bond film. Not long ago, I would’ve thought anyone crazy putting Octopussy over For Your Eyes Only, but Octopussy ends up winning for having more of a personality, if anything. Octopussy is silly, but is somehow still enjoyable. My guilty pleasure.

16. Live and Let Die (1973) - 7/10
Roger Moore’s first film is an extremely dated, yet fairly solid picture. Jane Seymour as the naive Solitare is Moore’s best leading lady, and main villain Kananga is played with some nice flair by Yaphet Kotto. Tee Hee and Baron Samedi might be the most underrated lackeys of the series also. But I did have more of an issue with bumbling J.W. Pepper than I remembered. Every time he started to talk I silently prayed for him to shut up. He also half ruins an already too long boat chase (which was in dire need of more musical score backing it up). It was also during the boat chase where I felt Live and Let Die start to drag. And then there is Sir Roger. To me, he played the role conservatively, a neither here nor there affair. He isn’t poor by any means but some actors (Connery and Craig) established their superiority in their very first scenes. (Despite Moore’s complete Bond character not being fully present in LALD, we do get plenty of his trademark eyebrow.) So Live and Let Die has JW Pepper and runs long, but as a whole it is still a modestly entertaining piece.

17. For Your Eyes Only (1981) - 7/10
I was slightly disappointed after re-watching For Your Eyes Only. A movie that I thought was a clear cut above many, ended up being elementary. There is nothing seriously wrong with this film, it’s just that there’s nothing seriously fantastic about it, either. For Your Eyes Only is simply another Bond picture. That being said, the movie does have some advantages. Firstly is the stunt work and action, which is truly top notch. From Bond’s car chase in a Citroen to the thrilling ski chase, FYEO handles it’s chase sequences well. I also cannot help but love Bill Conti’s undeniably dated 80s score. And as the score is one of the few more unique things in the film (and series), I can enjoy it even more. The supporting cast is fine, overall. Melina as the main Bond girl works, but I’m not sure why Bond had to have sex with her at the end; not once in the film is there even the slightest hint to a love story. And while Julian Glover and Lynn Holly Johnson (especially the latter) seem out of place, Topol makes a good ally. For Your Eyes Only is no doubt better than the film it followed, but is too routine overall and nothing more than above average.

-------------------THE LINE OF SHAME-----------------------

18. Diamonds are Forever (1971) - 5.5/10
I think I know what the makers of Diamonds are Forever were trying to do: recreate Goldfinger. After all, Sean Connery was back and Guy Hamilton, director of Goldfinger, was back in the directors chair, too. DAF pretty much tells the audience “This movie is just like Goldfinger because it’s silly and witty! And look, its Sean Connery!” Diamonds are Forever is all about camp, something Goldfinger admittedly had. But while Goldfinger used camp as a style, Diamonds are Forever uses camp as a gimmick. OHMSS was such a different film from the ones that it followed that it may have scared the filmmakers and public to think Bond was going down some sort of different path. So the result was Diamonds are Forever; a film that thought it was going back to the “ throwback days of Connery”. What it really was, however, was a cartoonish caricature of that Connery era. Add that to bad acting from nearly everyone except Sean Connery and a bare bones plot you go pretty low. What even made it worse was the buzz kill this film generated after such an exciting end to OHMSS. The fight in the elevator between Bond and Franks is a good one, but other than that, Diamonds Are Forever is soulless and simply boring.

19. Moonraker (1979) - 5.5/10
The first half of Moonraker (barring the Bondola) is actually great. Classic scenes are aplenty: the centrifuge, Bond’s pheasant hunt and a truly chilling implied mauling of one of Drax’s female aides come to mind. Even Sir Roger Moore is at the top of his game, here. However, it goes without saying that once Jaws falls in love, the movie begins a giant downward spiral. By the time Bond rides a horse to the Magnificent Seven theme (I don’t get it, either), I was almost turned off completely. And while outer space is concerned: the way it was done was fine, but by the time space is presented in the film, it just adds another layer of silliness that I can’t handle. What really pains me is how great the first half was and how quickly it becomes lame. Yet ever since I’ve been a Bond fan, I’ve put Moonraker in dead last place, no exceptions. I’ve realized, though, I cannot simply ignore the strong first half of this film, and it is for that reason it has wedged itself about of the dreaded last place position. As you can see however, Moonraker is still fairly close.

20. Die Another Day (2002) - 5/10
I never have liked Die Another Day. So it was coming as a surprise to me while viewing that the first hour of the film was actually fairly solid. We get a cool pre-titles hovercraft chase, Bond is taken prisoner for 14 months and a kick-ass sword fight. For that one hour, I thought I had been mistaken about Die Another Day, and that my criticisms were unfounded. Then Halle Berry became a major character. Then came along the invisible car. And then the script becomes entirely comprised of one liners and puns. They’re not good ones liners and puns mind you, they are cringe worthy ones which pour out of every major character’s mouth. The only saving grace in Die Another Day’s second half is a fun gadget car battle. But apart from that action scene, the film’s second half might very well be the worst second half in a Bond film. Die Another Day simply gives up. But the film kicks you when you are down; the CGI is the worst I have ever seen in a professional motion picture. Coming from as big of a budget this film had, I find it fully unacceptable to have visual effects that quite frankly look straight out of a old generation PlayStation 2 game. And Halle Berry is just terrible. She, in my mind, is clearly the worst Bond girl of the entire series. Yes, Die Another Day does have some good scenes, but they all pretty much are eclipsed by an embarrassing, awful second half.

21. A View to a Kill (1985) - 5/10
Bless Sir Roger Moore for playing James Bond seven times over 12 years. But my God was he old looking in A View to a Kill. This was also the case (to slightly lesser extent) in For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy, but because those films were interesting enough (more or less) to pull your attention away from Moore’s age, and they get some slack. But there is nothing interesting in A View to a Kill. The movie itself seems as tired as Roger Moore probably did while filming. It feels so processed and manufactured, almost as if it were made by a machine. The cinematography looks bland, and the action is either super lame (the fire truck chase, the paris car chase) or fake looking (all of the fist fights). It doesn’t help that the stunt doubles are incredibly obvious, either. Moore is also twenty years too old for his leading lady, played by a very unconvincing Tanya Roberts. And that love scene between Bond and May Day still gives me shudders just writing about it. The two things that save A View to a Kill from the scrap heap is Christopher Walken, who plays a pretty good villain and makes the the scenes he’s in more bearable and John Barry’s excellent score. Apart from that, this film is lifeless, overtly silly and wholly unmemorable. Oh, and let’s not forget about that lame beach boys gag, too. (Sigh.)

22. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) - 4/10
Upon viewing The Man with the Golden Gun, I was surprised to find that I actually disliked it more than previously thought. Apart from Christopher Lee’s fine portrayal of Scaramanga, nothing in the film works. Starting with the plot: it’s a mess. It has to do with the monopolization of solar energy...I think. And while Scaramanga was a bad person, was his mission really all evil? If I heard right, he was to shake down the gas companies with his solex device and sell solar power. And the result? Maybe he’ll increase the world’s gas bill by a few bucks. Oh my God, what a travesty. The Man With the Golden Gun’s plot is easily the sloppiest, least interesting plot in a Bond film. (Leagues under Quantum of Solace.) Roger Moore has actually gotten worse since LALD; he tries to be menacing in scenes, (the trigger-less rifle scene and twisting arm scene) but he just doesn’t sell it to me. Some of it even comes off as stiff and near amateurish acting. And oh yeah, J.W. Pepper returns. And oh yeah, Bond gives a sumo wrestler a wedgie. And oh yeah, that slide whistle with the car jump. (The worst moment in Bond film history.) There are so many lame scenes in Golden Gun with not one, single memorable scene to counteract. The result is the lamest, dullest and worst James Bond film ever made. I don’t think they even tried with this one.

The "line of shame" represents a large gap between the films above and below the line. For Your Eyes Only is just one spot above Diamonds are Forever, but the line of shame implies a far larger gap.

Luds

Outstanding read, @SJK91! Wayyyyyy! Too much love for TSWLM imo, but for the rest there are many similarities on our lists!

RogueThunderball

Here is my detailed rankings. I re-ranked them trying to watch all movies without prior bias. I watched all 22 films over a two month period. The biggest winners were OP and CR which both jumped up 4 places as I enjoyed them more than ever. The biggest loser was GF which dropped 5 slots as I felt it less compelling than ever. All other films stayed about the same to my prior rankings. As my rankings show there are 16 films that I love, 3 films I like, 2 that are mediocre and 1 that is a travesty. And remember, this is MY list, so all the Brosnan-haters just have to deal with the fact that I rank his films highly. Without further adieu...

The Great

1. The World is Not Enough – 10/10
My personal favorite Bond film despite what all the Brosnan haters say. The film is just the perfect Bond adventure for me. I love the unique gun-barrel, the action packed PTS, and the credits sequence. The theme song is one of my favorites and the score is one of the best. The plot is complex and just feels very Bondian. Brosnan delivers his best performance and comes off as gritty and suave. The supporting characters are excellent, from Zukovsky to Renard to Elektra. For all the hate Christmas Jones receives I have no problems at all with Richard’s performance. She acts fine and is incredibly sexy to boot. The action is superb and quite unique which helps separate it from other films for me. The torture scene is excellent and there is a perfect balance of humor and sadism in this film. This film strikes a certain chord for me every time I watch it and for me it’s just my favorite. It is the film that most fully encapsulates everything about Bond that I enjoy.

2. Casino Royale – 10/10
A perfect movie, top to bottom. Daniel Craig owns the role from the beginning and his physicality is cool to watch. The plot is maybe the best ever. The dialogue is the best in the series. The PTS is awesome, the title song is great, and the score is brilliant. I could go on and on but here are a few things that stand out. The action is superb with some of the best stunt work I’ve seen in any movie. Vesper is perhaps the most complete Bond girl we’ve ever seen and in terms of characterization, she is the best of the canon. It also doesn’t hurt that she is gorgeous as well. Secondly, the torture scene was epic and the only time I thought Bond ever looked scared. Sheer brilliance. The dialogue is witty and the scenes between Bond and Vesper are classic. Le Chiffre is a great villain and the various henchman were good as well. I also must mention Solange, a beautiful addition. This film is just so gritty and personal and I love everything about it.

3. Thunderball – 10/10
Cinematic perfection. From the opening of the gun barrel to end credits, I love everything about this film. I wouldn’t change a single thing about it. Everything you could possibly want in a Bond film is here. I could detail every little thing that makes this perfect but that would take pages. So here are a few of my highlights. Connery is perfect here with a confident swagger and yet still a hard edge. While the locations are gorgeous, the plethora of girls is even more beautiful. The best collection of women in any Bond film. The script is fantastic with some of the best one liners ever. The music is perfect as well with a great theme song and great score. The entire segment at Shrublands is one of my favorite sequences in any film I’ve ever seen. And then we have the underwater fight sequence. This is one of the most thrilling action sequences that is completely unique and gorgeous to look at. If I had to show someone only one Bond movie who had never seen them before it would be Thunderball. A timeless classic that I can watch over and over and never be tired of.

4. Goldeneye – 10/10
Starting at the beginning the PTS is one of the best of the series and the title song is fantastic. Brosnan is absolutely great as Bond and I know lots of people disagree with that but I will never back down from my Brosnan support. He has everything I want in a super spy. Goldeneye also has one of the best cast of villains in any Bond film. Trevelyan is a great adversary, Ourumov is an interesting character, and then there’s Xenia. Oh, Xenia! I absolutely love Famke Janssen as Xenia Onatopp, and she is my favorite bad girl of all time. She’s incredibly sexy yet psychotic at the same time and the sauna scene is “steamy” to say the least. Bond’s allies are great as well with solid performances from the rest of the cast. The plot is interesting and the action is outstanding. The tank chase will never be outdone! There is a perfect blend of humor and sadism as well. All in all, I love Goldeneye to death and it will always be one of the “perfect” Bond films to me!

5. From Russia with Love – 10/10
From Russia with Love is a stellar second entry into the series. Connery is pure perfection, Q is introduced, and Kerim Bey proves to be one of the best allies ever. The plot is probably the most solid of any Bond film. The villains are outstanding! Grant is one of Bond's greatest foes and the fight on the train is spectacular. Rosa Klebb and Kronsteen are both favorites of mine as well. Tatiana Romanova is quite possibly the most gorgeous Bond girl in all 22 films. The hotel scene where she meets Bond is the sexiest scene of any Bond film in my opinion. She is beautiful but also integral to the plot which makes her useful and totally believable. The gadget filled briefcase was really fun and it proved to be vital to Bond's survival. The score was very well done and the theme song fit nicely. The action was great and never felt out of place. The only criticism I have is that it felt a little slow at parts but that is just me looking for something to criticize in this brilliant film. The humor was also very well done and I always laugh at the scene where M is listening to the description of the Lektor. So overall, I really have nothing else to say about From Russia with Love except that it is just a brilliant Bond film in every respect!

6. Tomorrow Never Dies – 10/10
Another perfect entry for Brosnan. It is the most badass Bond film to date with the best pure action of the series. Every action sequence is fun and exciting. Brosnan is great as always and his co-stars are all great too. Carver is a “delicious” villain and Stamper looks like Necros’ little brother (which is a good thing!). Dr. Kaufman is chilling and his encounter with Bond is a fantastic scene. All the girls are sexy and Wai Lin kicks major butt. I love the sleuthing as well. The party scenes are great and the break-in is fun to watch. The score is outstanding with some of the best theme inclusions of the series. I like the title song by Sheryl Crow as well. The plot is one of the best and very interesting to follow. All in all, it’s just fun to watch, extremely entertaining, and one of the best of the series.

7. The Living Daylights – 9.5/10
This movie has quickly become one of my favorite Bond films of the whole series. Tim Dalton does a fantastic job in his first Bond film. He's young, energetic, and has a seriousness that is welcome after Moore. I really love his portrayal of Bond and wish he could have done a few more films. The plot is very solid and down to earth. The PTS, title song, and score are all excellent. The action sequences are superb and there are a few scenes which are simply classic. I love when Bond interrogates Pushkin, it just screams awesomeness and is one of my favorite sequences in any Bond film. I love bringing the Aston Martin back after a long departure and the gadgets in the film are superb. I find the cast of villains to be very satisfactory with Necros being the standout. His fight with Bond on the plane was stellar. Kara is a great Bond girl but I still don't find her terribly attractive. She's pretty, just not sexy, but her role is played to perfection. My few complaints with the film are nit-picky but need to be mentioned. The girl in the PTS is not attractive at all, they could have easily chosen a better looker. And my other complaint is the Aston Martin cutting a hole through the ice with its rims. Come on, you can do better. Other than those few minor flaws The Living Daylights is an awesome film that was the best of the 80's and will always be a classic in my book!

8. Licence to Kill – 9.5/10
One of the most underrated films of the series LTK is just a fantastic Bond entry. The plot is unique and Tim Dalton plays the role to perfection. I love the revenge aspect and this is a very dark Bond film but it hits the right amount of savagery and realism for me. Sanchez is a fantastic villain, very cruel and very believable. The henchman are great too with Dario being just plain scary and Krest being a creepy old man. Both Lupe and Pam are good Bond girls in my opinion. They are both sexy and play their roles great. I love the action, the gadgets, and I really love Q in this movie. Seeing him in the field made my day. As I said the action is phenomenal and my favorite sequence is the water skiing. I like the title song and while the score is average it does rely on the Bond theme which I like. The only thing I don’t like about this movie is the wheelie in the tanker at the end of the film. It feels too connived and it just doesn’t fit. With that and a few more little things this film falls just short of perfection but stands as a really awesome Bond adventure. Also, the line “I consider myself to be more of a problem eliminator” is the most badass line I’ve ever heard in my life!

9. Octopussy – 9/10
This is one of the Bond films that has grown on me with repeated viewings and is now one of my favorite films period. Roger is simply at his best in this film. While he looks older I don’t think he looks too old at all and is still very believable as Bond. Maud Adams was a great choice for Octopussy and Kamal Khan is one of my favorite villains. The plot is unique and very interesting as it ties Cold War elements and smuggling into a very neat story. The action is actually very well done and I particularly love the train scenes. The humor is great but goes a little overboard in a few places (Tarzan yell?), which is my only real criticism. But overall the humor and grittiness are well balanced and let’s face it, Octopussy is just a hell of a lot of fun. I liked the PTS and thought the title song was respectable. This should have been Moore’s swan song and it would have been a great way to go out. High quality Bond adventure in my opinion!

10. Quantum of Solace – 9/10
The follow up to Casino Royale is not as superb but it’s not far behind. Craig delivers another great performance as he continues his path of revenge. Camille is a great Bond girl and Fields is lovely as well. The locations are supreme and the aesthetic quality of the film is fantastic. The action is great, particularly the PTS which may be the best car chase in the series, but there are times when the editing is so fast you can’t tell what is happening. The plot is very straight forward and the villains are an interesting mix. The “fire” fight at the hotel is superb and the “one shot, make it count” moment is brilliant. Overall, Quantum’s only real pitfalls are the fast editing and the fact that it is too short. I also am not a fan of the opera fight scene. It happened too fast and just didn’t feel right to me. But overall this is another great film and should be considered one of the better Bond films.

11. The Spy Who Loved Me – 9/10
This is the film that solidified Roger Moore as Bond and what a great film it is. Moore is fantastic, the humor is great and the locations are unique. People deride Barbara Bach as Anya but I think she does a very adequate job and she is very pretty to boot. The PTS is one of the best and the theme song is arguably the best as well. The plot is similar to YOLT but in my opinion this movie is way more enjoyable and a much better entry into the series. And finally we get an interesting car chase for Moore. It is the best car chase of the decade and doesn’t use crappy backscreen projections which give it huge bonus points. The end fight is fun and love the ending in the little escape sub. Jaws is great as the henchman too, and wow, that hotel clerk is delicious. There are a few poor elements that keep it from being in my elite. There are a few times when models were used and it is very obvious and feels really cheap and the score is very average too. The worst part though is Stromberg who is a completely forgettable villain. But overall I thoroughly enjoy TSWLM and regard it as a very, very solid entry.

12. Dr. No – 9/10
This is a fantastic Bond film and it’s amazing they got so much right on the first try. The credits scene gives us the Bond theme and Connery steps right into the role and while his acting is a little edgy I think it helps set the tone for the film. He is complemented well by the other actors as the villains and babes are all top notch. The plot is believable and executed well. I love the simplicity of the story and have always loved the little moments in Dr. No, such as Bond securing his hotel room and the desk clerk checking him out on his way up to his room. The only criticisms I have are the club scene where Connery seems ultra-paranoid and the screen projection during the car chase. But these are minor flaws in an otherwise classic Bond film!

13. Goldfinger – 9/10
The most iconic Bond film of them all, considered by most to be the best. Well, not quite. I love Goldfinger I just think it’s overrated most of the time. Connery is awesome, Goldfinger is a great villain, Oddjob is a classic henchman and Pussy leads a cast of great girls. The locations are interesting and the spying is great to see. The Aston Martin is brilliant and all the gadgets used were very well done. The PTS is one of my favorites as it sums Bond up in about two minutes. The title song is great and the score is solid. So as you can see, I love most of this film. It has a couple irksome pitfalls too however. The scenes of soldiers falling over from the gas drives me nuts every time I see it because it is incredibly lame. I also think there was too much time wasted on Mr. Solo, a really uninteresting character. The middle drags some for me when Bond is in Kentucky as well. And the plot itself has never quite fully sat well with me, it just felt like it was lacking but I can’t put my finger on it. Having said that though, I still regard Goldfinger as the iconic entry of the series, a top tier film, but just not the absolute best.

14. Die Another Day – 9/10
This is the definition of popcorn Bond. Yes, the story gets a little outrageous. Yes, the CGI is horrible in places. But there is one thing this movie has and it is sheer enjoyment. This is the perfect Bond movie for a rainy day when you just want to be entertained. And that is why I have it ranked higher than most people. Contrary to the nay-sayers, I love most of this film. The PTS is awesome and the credits are one of the best as I really like the title song. Everything up until Iceland is sheer gold with plenty of Bondian moments. My favorite scene from the whole film is when he punches the guy out and puts him in the wheelchair. It just tells you…Bond is back! And I don’t care what anyone says the car chase scene was awesome! Brosnan delivers another stellar performance and I thought Jinx was a fine bond girl. Although I prefer Miranda Frost because she is dead-sexy. The villains are pretty average but Gustav Graves was played very well by Toby Stephens. Now of course DAD has its faults, which are the over-use of CGI that really looks bad and a plot that tries to do too much. But if you can get past those things and just try to enjoy the film it really is a great example of pure escapist entertainment and a solid entry for Bond!

15. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service – 8.5/10
This is always a hard one to place for me. There are aspects of it that are the best in the series and aspects that fall short. Good stuff first. Lazenby does a fine job and his fighting is particularly great. The score and title song are probably the best in the series. Teresa is the ultimate Bond girl and her death always makes me sad. The skiing scenes are very cool and the hand combat is brilliant. The plot is great and it is executed very well. The locations are beautiful and the sets are brilliant as always. Unfortunately the movie drags quite a bit in the middle which slows down the momentum. And while the car chases were filmed great the terrible background projections make their way into the ski and bobsled scenes. And after a slow middle the ending feels quite rushed which is unfortunate as well. Overall though, OHMSS is still a really good Bond film that puts its predecessor to shame. I can only dream about how good a Lazenby sequel to this would have been…

16. For Your Eyes Only – 8/10
This is the last of the really good Bond films. Moore is great and he’s accompanied by a ton of other great players. Colombo is excellent, Kristatos is great villain, and Krueger is a perfect henchman. Locque is one creepy dude as well and is reminiscent of Red Grant. Melina is very sexy in an understated way and Bibi is cute and useless but entertaining nonetheless. The action is really good for the most part. The ski scene was well done, and I really love the raid at the docks and the mountain climbing, both very tense scenes. The humor and grittiness are in a very nice balance here as well. Kicking the car off the cliff was absolute classic Bond. So even with all the good things about this film there are some glaring errors that keep it from being the best of the best. The PTS is just stupid and not entertaining at all. The techno-score becomes very bothersome at points and the underwater attack scene was lame and unnecessary. These things keep it from being a perfect film but it still is a really solid entry into the series and the last one to receive an above average score on my list.

The Average

17. The Man with the Golden Gun – 7/10
This one is a tale of thirds to me. That is, the first and last third are great and the middle is pretty lackluster. Moore gives another solid performance and the plot is unique. It’s a solid cast of bond girls with Goodnight being a particular favorite of mine just because she is so adorable. Scaramanga is a great villain and Nick Nack provides some comedy. I love the title song and the score is pretty solid. The first hour is really solid and the showdown at the end was really fun as well. These are the good things about the film. The area where this film suffers is in the action department. The kung fu fight is boring and the car chase is really uninteresting as well. The one great stunt was ruined by that stupid slide whistle. And why in the world did they bring back J.W. Pepper. Actually I found him less annoying here than in Live and Let Die, but all the same, he doesn’t belong. So overall, this is a good Bond film with some great elements but it just misses too much in the middle to be considered great.

18. Moonraker – 7/10
Moonraker has always been a film that I considered to be dreadful but after my most recent viewing it’s actually moved up my rankings quite a bit. Moore gives a solid performance and the pitfalls of the film are no fault of his. I find both Corrine and Dr. Goodhead to be very sexy Bond girls and Drax is a formidable villain. The death of Corrine is one the best scenes in any Bond film. I enjoy the espionage aspect of Moonraker as Bond has to do some real spying to come up with answers. The locations are beautiful and the score is well done. So while there are aspects of Moonraker that I love, there is quite a bit that I find troublesome. The theme song is the worst in the series, imo, and the campiness reaches too far in some places (ex: pigeon double-take, Magnificent Seven theme). The action is pretty good but not outstanding, although the PTS is great. And then we get to space. Honestly, Bond going to space didn’t bother me but the laser shootout was more than I could take. It’s just too much fantasy for me to handle and while it doesn’t ruin the film it severely diminishes the whole space sequence. And the love affair with Jaws makes me cringe a little. Moonraker could have benefited from more seriousness and less campiness but as it stands I find it to be enjoyable and a good Bond film worthy of watching, but definitely not one of the top tier!

19. Live and Let Die – 7/10
Roger Moore’s first Bond is good but not great. This film has one of the best theme songs in the series but a rather lackluster score for the movie. Moore does a fine job with his first portrayal of Bond although he doesn’t quite make it his own yet. Jane Seymour is absolutely stunning as Solitaire and is easily one of the most gorgeous women to appear in a Bond film. The cast of villains is good as well, with Kananga and Tee-Hee standing out. The PTS is easily the worst in the series however and most of the action scenes just seem poorly choreographed and go on for too long. The best action is at the end of the movie in Kananga’s lair and then on the train. There is plenty of humor to go around but J.W. Pepper got way too much screen time. Live and Let Die used to rank very highly for me but the more times I’ve watched it, the less enthused I get. It’s still a good film but there are times when it is just flat out boring which keeps it from becoming a great Bond film. Oh and I can’t forget the crocodile scene which is classic and did I mention Jane Seymour?

The Below Average

20. A View To a Kill – 6/10
The most “mixed-bag” film in my opinion. There are some great things about the film. The title song and score are very good. People rip on Tanya Roberts as Stacie but I think she did an acceptable job. The other girls of the film are very pretty conquests as well. I also really like the dialogue. It’s very well written and the one-liners are great. Also, Zorin is a great villain and May Day still scares the hell out of me. These are the best things about it. Unfortunately there is a whole lot of bad. Moore is simply way too old and he has aged considerably since OP. His performance is fine but his age is highly distracting, especially during action sequences where the obvious use of stuntmen makes them really cheap and boring. The action is possibly the worst in the franchise with bad stunts and terrible background projections. The PTS is not very good and the beach boys song is the dumbest move since the slide whistle of TMWTGG. The plot is way too similar to GF to be too interesting and overall the film feels tired. I really have tried to like this film and it is enjoyable to a point but when all is said and done it just fails to be very entertaining and ranks towards the bottom for me. Simply put, it is mediocre, but still worth a viewing once in a great while.

21. You Only Live Twice – 5/10
The most disappointing film that is still watchable. This film really misses the mark in many ways. For starters, Connery’s performance is slightly off due to his lack of interest and it hurts the film. The villains are very weak and Bloefeld is not impressive at all. The special effects are pretty bad and the damn projection driving just looks terrible. The worst part about this movie though is that nothing really makes sense. These are the questions I have. How did Osato not recognize Bond from the paper? Why did Brandt not just kill Bond when he was tied up? Why did Bond spend days training as a ninja when he is an assassin already? These things among others make no sense and just kill the whole tension of the film. Enough of the bad though. I think Aki and Kissy were both very cute accomplices for Bond and enjoyed their characters. The title song is great as well as the score. And there are some very Bondian scenes that I enjoy such as the bath scene, the fight at the docks and the final battle. But overall this film is really not that good and is my least favorite Bond movie that I can still appreciate at least a little bit.

The Shameful

22. Diamonds Are Forever – 0/10
This movie is complete crap. The movie is an absolute farce and I’m ashamed it is even part of the Bond franchise. There is nothing redeeming about the film except a good score and a few good one-liners. Connery is old, fat, and looks nothing like Bond should. His performance is okay but nothing like his first four films. The PTS is stupid and a complete slap in the face to OHMSS. The villains are terrible, the plot sucks, the locations are boring and the action is the worst of the series. It boggles my mind that they got away with making this movie. Instead of a taut revenge story about Bond chasing Bloefeld and finally killing him, we get some lame diamond smuggling and a stupid fight on an oil rig in which Bond doesn’t even kill him. There are two good scenes: when Bond meets Case and the Klaus Hergesheimer scene. Everything else is an abomination. No mention of Tracy at all and suddenly after her heart-wrenching death Bond is ready to screw some bimbo in a Vegas casino. Give me a break. The car chase is lame and the special effects are horrible, by far the worst of the series. I could go on and on but I’ve rambled enough. Simply put, this movie is dreadful and the worst in the series by a long, long, long ways. I can’t stand watching it and wish it had never been made. Worst movie I have ever seen.

royale65

Great read! And The World Is Not Enough, at No 1! Superb, Mr Bond, superb! I salute you

:-)

Bond

Great reads, SJK and Rogue.

Couldn't agree with you more about DAF, Rogue.

Luds

Good read. You're clearly on a high overdose of Brosnan, but very nice to see people put effort in such reviews. Well done!

Master_Dahark

Thought I'd throw my hat into the ring- sorry for the long read, lol


The BEST

1 GoldenEye (1995) - It could be because it was the first one I saw, but I really love everything about this movie! I had a huge crush on Natalya as a kid too! Despite what alot of people say, I happen to love the soundtrack (save for the car race at the beginning). I love Brosnan most of all in this film- despite it being his first. I can't quite put my finger on it, but his Bond is extremely cool (when he's not 'vogue-ing', that is). This is also one of the few Bond movies where I love ALL the characters! Everyone in this movie is in top form! I truly love everything about this movie- perfect mix of classic Bond, seriousness, and fun. I can watch this movie any day of the week. Also, OT... this movie gets bonus points for having TWO X-Men in it! j/k

2 Casino Royale (2006)- I clearly remember before this movie was released, but after publicity shots came out, I was ready to hop on the Anti-Craig Bandwagon. But damn, when I saw it opening day, Daniel Craig had won me over before the PTS was even done! I was initially against a 'reboot' but then when I thought about Die Another Day I realized it was really the only option. I mean, that movie had an invisible car- and Korean guys turning into white British guys- there can't be a SEQUEL to that crap- it's best to start over to a time when Bond is a GOVERNMENT AGENT, not freaking Batman (a notion that Bond movies have done before- ex: Moonraker- For Your Eyes Only. The 'back to basics' approach) But anyway, back to Casino Royale. It was great to see Bond early in his OO career, and to get little hints as to how he becomes the Bond we know today (trusting people, falling in love, etc.) Bottom line, GREAT movie, excellent fresh start- Daniel Craig is an outstanding James Bond. Period

3 On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) Not only is it the first Bond movie to have a new actor that the public isn't familiar with, he's not even an actor! That said, George Lazenby does a great job, considering, and if he only stuck around he could have been one of the best Bond actors. As for the movie, it's an epic! My favorite parts include Bond's escape from Piz Gloria- followed by the big attack at the end (love the part when OO7 slides down the ice ramp on his stomach, firing his machine gun!) The big shame is that Lazenby sets up an awesome revenge fueled sequel and we never get it. "Lazenby should have done two" should be a damn T-shirt or bumper sticker!!!


The GREAT
4 The Living Daylights (1987) I love me some Dalton. He's my favorite of the bunch and he totally should have done more. Of the 2 that he did, this one is more 'Classic Bond', and it was high time to 'get serious' after Moore's long run. Dalton also drives my favorite car in the whole series :)

5 Thunderball (1965) This one is Connery's best IMO. He's so naturally cool you almost can't help but laugh! I love the locations in this one- this movie actually makes me want to be Bond! Domino is gorgeous and one of my top Bond girls- and Largo is a classic villain- I just love how freaking polite he is! No other villain was like that! I even like the ridiculous sped up finale- it has its charm, lol

6 From Russia With Love (1963) This and Thunderball are neck and neck- Grant is an outstanding, scary villain, and Tatania was adorable. I loved the character of Karim (the true story behind the actor was heartbreaking though) Connery looks GREAT in this one- i wish he did more movies while looking like this- as opposed to his YOLT and DAF chub that he had added on.... But I digress- great spy thriller, great adaption of the book- they certainly don't make them like that anymore

7 For Your Eyes Only (1981) To me- Roger was at his best when he was 'serious'. Aside from the over the top (and lets be honest, STUPID) PTS, this Bond movie rocked, although you could say it dragged a bit at times maybe. Melina was one of the most beautiful Bond girls of the bunch, and I loved that she wasn't afraid to KILL someone, lol If I'm not mistaken, she was the first 'Bond Girl' like that. Topol was hilarious and I wish he was in more of the movie. The ending mountain climbing scene was nail-biting!! (See? No damn CGI, and the scene rocked!)

8 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Aside from Bond's immaturity in the scene when Jaws attacks the van (my least favorite part of the entire series) the movie itself is solid- the Lotus is an awesome car and I want one; I love that we see Bond doing combat in his Navy uniform, and Jaws is a classic henchman (this time. But more on that later...) Barbara Bach is insanely hot, but good god she may be worst actress on earth. But this movie is a rare treat- rare, meaning Roger Moore is still reasonably young in this one! j/k


The GOOD
9 Octopussy (1983) Roger may have been around too long by this point, but he was necessary to compete with Connery in NSNA. But he's just as good as he always is of course, and the movie itself is great fun- particularly near the end as Bond races to get to the circus before the bomb goes off. I liked that Maud Adams was the star in this one, since I feel she was beautiful and under-used in TMWTGG. One thing about this movie though: and I'm sorry if I'm being crude but it's just the truth.... Octopussy's island should have been called 'Cameltoe Island'. Seriously! Those hideous red tights the girls wear- it happens more than once, that's for sure! Of all the people filming this movie, didn's ANYONE notice it?? Anyway. Doesn't hurt the movie, but it's definitely one of those 'once you see it, you can't UN-see it' type of things. lol

10 Goldfinger (1964) While Goldfinger is the first to have what's commonly known as 'The Bond Formula', this movie is awesome, but not my favorite. It does tend to drag a bit in the middle, but Connery is on top of his game here, and he has a certain 'mischief' about him that no other Bond actor had (ex- distracting the guard in his cell) Connery is just plain entertaining to watch and it's easy to see why everyone says he's the best. If I would change anything it would be the abrupt demise of Goldfinger and ending. It was a bit too quick for me- but that's a minor gripe

11 Licence to Kill (1989) Another Dalton movie so I like it by default- but this one isn't as good as TLD- actually, it almost feels like a TV movie. The budget cuts are definitely felt. I wish Dalton looked more like he did in TLD- particularly in the tuxedo- god, that 80's hair. Look at him in the Tuxedo in TLD vs LTK. What happened, Tim?? However, Sanchez is probably my favorite villain of the series, and Pam is HOT (those legs, damn!). I expected better out of Dalton when he fought that ninja.... he pretty much got his ass kicked, and if that wasn't a signature gun, he would have been dead. Think about it-- Bond vs Ninja- should have been badass.... but it wasn't. A good Dalton movie for sure and he had some great lines ('Ah, a problem solver.' '....More of a problem eliminator.'), but I would have liked AT LEAST one more movie out of him. If only they advertised it better.... maybe we would have had the 1991 and 1993 movies we missed out on. Oh well....

12 A View to a Kill (1985) If you take Roger's age out of the equation, this movie is no worse than many others. Besides, he wasn't the only old one around (MoneyPenny). It's very good once we get past the whole horse sub-plot (kinda boring) But it has to be said- by this point, Roger's stunt double should have had equal pay because I think we saw more of him than Roger! But despite the age issue, Roger has all the charm he's ever had, and of course Walken is a great actor and insane villain.

13 Moonraker (1979) Let's be honest- Moonraker is a follow up to TSWLM, just as much as Escape from LA is a follow up to Escape from New York. It's the exact same plot!! I will say this much, though, Roger looks his best in this one I think (not boyish, but not too old either) And Drax is a villain I've come to appreciate- love those lines of his, and his 'unique' delivery. Dr Goodhead is hot, but pretty boring, and Jaws shouldn't have been in the film at all. But all in all, it's not bad. On a personal note, I actually saw this BEFORE The Spy Who Loved Me- so you can understand my confusion the first time ('it's Moonraker without the SPACE' lol)

14 Doctor No. (1962) Without this one, we wouldn't have had any other ones, so that does count for something, but damn the movie drags. I don't dislike it by any means, but I haven't watched it multiple times either. Connery is great from the start though- and Honey has gorgeous- and set the high standard for all the Bond girls to follow. Bond has great moments- the killing of Prof Dent, killing the living shit out of that spider, lol to the beat of the music, no less! And of course Bond's escape from his cell- all classic Bond stuff!

15 Quantum of Solace (2008) I may be ranking this one too low.... because I do enjoy it very much. And Daniel Craig is outstanding just as he was before- it's just so short.... it feels like a hiccup in the series rather than a true follow up to Casino Royale. I read that CR was the longest Bond film, and QOS is the shortest. I believe in quality over quantity, but a longer film would have helped this one. It's not BAD at all- just a poor follow up to the incredible Casino Royale.

16 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) So GoldenEye is my no.1 film, and then here's TND waaay down here. I truly believe it's because GE was intended for Dalton, and TND was tailored to Brosnan. Plus the end makes Bond look like Rambo and it just didn't feel right... not a horrible movie by any means, but quite a step down for sure.

17 Diamonds Are Forever (1971) Right off the bat, it should have been Lazenby's film- that's strike one. To add insult to injury, they practically act as if the wedding in OHMSS never even happened!! Bond is like 'Tracy who? Oh yes, welcome to hell, Blofeld. Business as usual.' Having Connery back could have been a good thing, but he had gotten noticeably out of shape, and couldn't give a damn about anything going on. If not Lazenby, we could have at least had Moore, I feel. This is his type of movie anyway. But there are some redeeming values. It IS Connery- just not the Connery from the other films, but he does have some great lines as only he can deliver 'Wrong pussy.' and my favorite 'It seems you've caught me with more than my hands up'-- Tiffany Case is ridiculously hot, and Jimmy Dean was pretty funny (though perhaps not right for a Bond film? I'm on the fence I suppose)

18 Live and Let Die (1973) Roger does well in his first outing, but damn, this isn't a Bond film, so much as a typical 70's Blaxploitation film. I expected Bond to team up with Shaft any second! Hopefully this isn't the closest we ever get to 'OO7 in New York'.... However, Jane Seymour is cute as a button, and it's nice to see Rog have a real fight with the main villain. That slow cut on the arm was brutal- and Bond looked Kananga right in the eye while he did it! Moore could definitely be badass when he wanted to! All in all, it's ok. Just not one I go back to frequently. I will say this though- I laugh EVERYTIME when the cab driver says 'RIGHT ON, BRUTHA!!!!' and Moore does that little head tilt he always does! lol He was so out of his element!!


The BAD
19 Die Another Day (2002) If the second half was as good as the first, then this movie would rank more like 5 or 6, but the ridiculous 180 the movie pulls of unforgivable. Villain sucks, Bond girl sucks, invisible car sucks. Brosnan is actually good though, and he saves DAD from being last.

20 Never Say Never Again (1983) On paper I'm sure it looked awesome- CONNERY is back! I actually think Connery acts- and looks more fit than in DAF. Kim Basinger is gorgeous of course, and I can't help but chuckle at Largo's insanity. Unfortunately that's about all that's good about this film... If they at least got rid of that constant annoying 80's saxophone that would have been SOMETHING. But this is a boring, bad movie. Connery is the only really good part about it (he seems to be enjoying himself)

21 You Only Live Twice (1967) Wonderful locations, classic Bond stuff (Hollowed out volcano, piranhas, etc) but Connery is noticeably sick of the Bond movies, and Blofeld is a bit of a letdown, both Bond girls are a little boring. I like the final battle but that's about it, really. The movie as a whole is pretty forgettable (It may not help that this movie is where Austin Powers got most of his fodder...)

22 The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) Somehow, this movie is even more dated than Dr. No! Some of those jackets Bond wore- I believe are the same material as my grandparents couch! Sheriff Pepper wasn't funny the first time, so bringing him back was the movie equivalent of kicking someone while they were down. Mary Goodnight was pretty, but dumb as a box. And is it me, or was everyone in this movie in a bad mood?? Bond constantly yelling at Goodnight and Q, M telling Q to SHUT UP multiple times, Q's exasperated 'Chap who made the bullet, OO7.....' What the hell was everyone's problem?? j/k Christopher Lee was good though.

23 The World is Not Enough (1999) Again, Pierce is good in this, but most of his 'pain face' and occasional bad delivery are in this film ('knew all about my shoullllllder. Knew exactly where to hurrrrrrrrrt me.') R is cheap stupid kiddy humor (glad he did better in DAD). The set up for the villain was promising ('I can protect you!' 'Not from HIM') but Renard as a whole sucked as a villain. Denise Richards.... easy on the eyes, sure, but annoying as hell. Oh by the way, back to the villain- that was the WORST final battle in the whole series- was Bond TRYING to fight?? It's a shame, because with a few changes this could have been a GREAT Bond movie

RogueThunderball

Very interesting read @Dahark. Obviously I strongly disagree with TWINE's placement but overall a very nice ranking.

SirHenryLeeChaChing

Outstanding read, @SJK91! Wayyyyyy! Too much love for TSWLM imo, but for the rest there are many similarities on our lists!

Luds, would like to see where you have the last two ranked. Any reason you have omitted them to date?

Interesting read thus far, obviously some I agree with more than others, but that's how it is. I will review my prior rankings and get them up before the weekend is over, how detailed they will be, we'll see what kind of time I get. One thing I promise is not to include any non-EON films masquerading as the real deal, that much is a definite. Even DAD is better than any of those.

Luds

I've done this in my last complete marathon prior to the CR-release. I didn't want to get this done in a whim, after single view. Eventually I was driven away from the forums for a short while in 2008 pre-QOS, came back in 2009 and never got around to it. I assume CR would be mid top 10 and QOS I'm not sure. I'll have to review this before the next one!

SirHenryLeeChaChing

I'm surprised more people didn't get in on this thread. Anyway, here's detailed rankings from an original fan from the golden days.

1. Goldfinger (1964)- Iconic. Quintessential. After 40+ years, I still think this is the best film in the series. It's the one that launched Sean Connery and the character into immortality. Connery unleashes his complete characterization from the opening PTS and shows us why men wanted to be him, and women wanted to be with him. Bond's cool quotient is never greater. There's more. Goldfinger is still the most memorable villain. Oddjob the greatest and first "indestructible" henchman. The name of Pussy Galore and the image of Jill Masterson painted gold are iconic. Q is brought into prominence as is the fabulous, gadget laden Aston Martin. Add to that John Barry's perfection of the "Bond Sound" and the infamous title song, and the template for all things "Bondian" is complete. I honestly cannot understand why Goldfinger is not in everyone's top 5, but I sure can understand based on the above alone why it is still the greatest of all Bond films. Just keep repeating the words quintessential and iconic , because that is what Goldfinger is.

2. Casino Royale (2006)- I'll always remember my words on opening night... NOOOOO! I don't want a blond Bond...can't I wait for the DVD??? With my brother and my wife reminding me that Roger Moore had brown hair, and that my excuse was a silly reason to not give the new guy a chance and break the family tradition, along I was dragged to see Daniel Craig's debut. MAN WAS I WRONG! Craig's icy, professional demeanor in earning his 00 status is right out of the Connery school and his 1962 rubout of Professor Dent, and immediately grabs the viewer's attention. Following another gem of a title song that quickly became a series classic and is effectively used throughout the movie a la Barry, Craig perfectly portrays a rookie MI6 agent named James Bond, struggling to do his job, a "blunt instrument" who ultimately has to learn an extremely painfully emotional but vital lesson that trusting the wrong people can be a fatal decision in the world he inhabits. The women are stunningly beautiful and among the best in the series. Eva Green is fantastic in her portrayal of Bond's first love, Vesper Lynd. Her romance with Bond is highly believable and they have great chemistry together that lends to this. Sardinia's greatest export, Caterina Murino, is mesmerizing and memorable in her all too brief appearance as Solange Dimitrios, even the women of the Ocean Club are all Bond girl material. Head villain LeChiffre and his background are well fleshed out, Giancarlo Giannini makes a memorable early ally as Rene Mathis, and when the movie is over a new criminal organization that can be used for lots of future missions is revealed. In summation, when the TV synopsis for this states "Daniel Craig kills in his first outing as James Bond" , I find it to be an accurate statement. A big favorite in my home.

3. Licence To Kill (1989)- Prior to the Craig era, if you wanted to see Bond at his darkest, this is the film to watch. Tim Dalton shows growth in the role, and turns Bond into a one man wrecking crew besides in a mission of personal revenge that jeopardizes both his MI6 status and his life. The highly entertaining crew of villains led by Robert Davi and future Oscar winner Benicio DelToro are among the sickest and most depraved Bond has ever encountered, and his systematic dispatch of them in avenging Felix and Della Leiter are both innovative and equally sick. Add in some welcome and much deserved extra screen time for Q, a tough and competent partner and love interest in Pam Bouvier, a great showdown with M at the Hemingway House, and plenty more including the incredible finale perfectly scored by Michael Kamen and a wonderful ending credits song by my Philly homegirl Patti LaBelle. The only legit criticism I have ever heard about this magnificent thriller is due to some budget cuts that don't give LTK the usual glossy feel, and impress others as too reminiscent of "Miami Vice" . I disagree with the latter because that could be said of any film shot in those locales during the 80's. But I like the lack of glossiness in a way because it fits the fact that Bond is disenfranchised and in a world he's not used to being in, yet he still manages to be Bond as much as possible. For me it all adds up to another classic in the series.

4. From Russia With Love (1963)- Up one spot from my last ranking, this one has been a family favorite since I was a kid, and undeniably one of the classics. I've always loved a good sequel and I love the whole "revenge of SPECTRE" storyline that links FRWL to Dr. No and how it plays out from the very beginning to the very end against the Cold War backdrop of that time. Both the train fight between Bond and SPECTRE assassin Red Grant, and the gypsy girls, are stuff of cinematic legend. Lotte Lenya's portrayal of Rosa Klebb gave me the creeps as a kid, she's just awesome in the role. Daniela Bianchi is quite literally "charming" as the duped Russian cipher clerk Tatiana Romanova, and Pedro Armendariz Sr's final performance as my favorite Bond ally ever, Kerim Bey, is amazing under his personal circumstances. I may not agree 100%, but I can most certainly understand anyone who feels this is the best entry in the series.

5. The Living Daylights (1987)- I always thought this one was top 5 material and recently it has gained that status in my eyes. Timothy Dalton's debut and interpretation of the character brings Bond back not only towards Connery's vision, but closer than ever to the world weary agent of Ian Fleming's literary characterization. The Cold War was not as intense and improving at this time but it was still a concern and is used to great effect, add to this all the myriad plot twists and turns, and it makes the storyline one of the best in the series. Dalton is awesome to me because I am more of a fan of the darker, more grittier portrayals and he plays Bond like I want the character to be, with the Pushkin interrogation one of the outstanding moments in the series. I really like Maryam D'Abo as Kara Milovy, because she's not one of the classic beauties and this works because she comes off exactly like you would expect of a fresh faced, ordinary girl next door caught up in a world for which she is totally unprepared to face. Dalton and D'Abo have a chemistry between them that allows them to be the kind of couple that makes everyone smile and the usual Bond womanizing I like to see isn't missed. D'Abo has also been a wonderful ambassador for the series. The villains are more or less pedestrian but OK and Necros is one of the better henchmen, and of course John Barry contributes his final score, with the haunting "If There Was A Man" collaboration with Chrissie Hynde and the Pretenders more than making up for the ordinary sounding title song.

6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)- There are so many great things about this movie that I'll always feel it was only a Connery performance away from being #1 in the series. George Lazenby has his fans, but I'm not one of them. There's no denying he is terrific in all the action scenes and does a pretty good job all things considered, but he is otherwise greener than grass, facially wooden, and monotone in most of his delivery. Sorry, but if I want to see that, I'll watch Chuck Norris. What makes OHMSS such a great movie is first and foremost the outstanding veteran supporting cast that keeps Lazenby in check. Diana Rigg as Tracy and Gabriele Ferzetti as Marc-Ange Draco are just how I always imagined them to be based on the book. Telly Savalas does the best job of the three Blofeld actors, and Ilse Steppat brings Irma Bunt to life very convincingly. Add to that my favorite all time instrumental capping a fantastic Barry soundtrack, solid Young-like direction from Peter Hunt, incredible aerial photography, and you have another series classic that doesn't fail to deliver despite the heavy emphasis on romance, which is also beautifully done.

7. Thunderball (1965)- This was the first Bond movie I saw back in 1968, and was long in my top 5 but has recently fallen a few places. There are a lot of great things to love about Connery's 4th outing. He is still in top form as Bond and clearly once again enjoying the direction of Terence Young, delivering all the action and timely one liners that he perfected in 1964. Of note as well is yet another outstanding cast of villains led by Sicilian Adolfo Celi as SPECTRE's #2, Emilio Largo, and Luciana Paluzzi as his assistant Fiona Volpe. Both are awesome in these roles. Claudine Auger is ravishingly beautiful and effective as leading lady Domino Derval, Molly Peters lots of fun as nurse Pat Fearing, and M, Q, and Moneypenny also provide some amusing moments. What sort of detracts from this staying in my top 5 is the overemphasis on underwater action and generally slow pacing that I have found from experience makes the casual viewer a little bored, although the final battle is one of the most gory and fun in the series. Barry's soundtrack, while far from bad, is also not one of my favorites. This one's always going to be both special and great for me.

8. Dr. No (1962)- The one that started them all far exceeds it's Americanized 1954 predecessor because as we all know, Terence Young totally understood and lived the sense of style and class Fleming also lived and had in mind for his creation, and both molded and directed Connery as close as possible to that. Between the moment the Bond theme plays, and Connery delivers his immortal introduction, even the casual viewer realizes this isn't your ordinary movie. The supporting cast is also top 10 worthy. Joseph Wiseman is chillingly effective as Dr. No, Ursula Andress' entrance from the ocean iconic and memorable in cinema history, Zena Marshall and Eunice Gayson perfect compliments, John Kitzmiller terrific as Quarrel, and Jack Lord will always be my favorite Leiter. What detracts somewhat for me is that the movie feels more detective than spy movie, and the soundtrack past the title theme is poor and just lends to that impression. Still, it's an excellent and successful debut that becomes a prequel to the next adventure.

9. For Your Eyes Only (1981)- My favorite Moore film. It has it's detractors but to me it is a very solid and generally well done Cold War type of thriller that had not been seen in the series since 1963, with Bond firmly pitted throughout against the Russians. Sir Roger gives Bond one of his more serious portrayals that goes against the usual interpretation and it really works, with his dispatch of Locque. It also features one of Bond's best allies as Topol does a great job playing Greek smuggler Milos Colombo in an inspired casting choice. With the exception of the scene at the hockey rink, the usual sound and sight gags that plagued the Moore era are thankfully kept to a bare minimum, and the ending featuring the tense climb up to St. Cyril's Monastery is one of the best in the series. Julian Glover also turns in a decent performance as Ari Kristatos and although lead henchman Erich Kriegler is too over the top in the style of the prior two efforts, he has some otherwise good henchmen in Locque and Apostis. Bill Conti delivers another classic title song with the help of Sheena Easton and some good musical moments although I don't care too much for most of his "disco meets Rocky" score, and the locations are beautifully filmed and very quite exotic. I don't even mind the PTS, which I thought was a nice nod to Tracy and a much more satisfying end to the Blofeld character despite it's less than serious feel. As far as the women, I thought the late Cassandra Harris did a very nice job as Countess Lisl and I liked the spunk of Carole Bouquet's lead lady Melina Havelock, but I will always feel the choices of leading lady forMoore in the 80's were too young to make romance believable. And the Bibi Dahl character being a walking sound and sight gag all in itself didn't help in this department. For the most part though, the movie manages to remain generally more on the serious side for a Moore entry and to me was a welcomed relief from the outlandish fantasy of the two prior films.

10. Live And Let Die (1973) - Despite the "Blaxploitation" feel of the film due to the era in which it was filmed, I love the whole voodoo vibe of the movie first and foremost because it speaks to me on a personal level, and the PTS lets you know this is a new type of Bond movie to go with a new Bond. Roger Moore fits into the role very quickly and keeps the character well grounded in a strange sort of world, delivering lots of the great quips that would come to later define his characterization. Jane Seymour is exquisite and very believable as leading lady Solitaire, and the mostly black cast of villians featuring Yaphet Kotto, Julius Harris, and Geoffrey Holder entertain me throughout as a genuine threat to Bond's safety. I also really liked the inclusion of Quarrel Jr, and Clifton James' hilarious portrayal of redneck Sheriff J.W Pepper is pure comedic gold. The only character that I didn't enjoy was Gloria Hendry as Rosie Carver. Not very good looking nor a very good actor, I would have much preferred the late Vonetta McGee instead and it's a shame they could not have found a prominent role for my favorite black actor of that era, the brilliant Shakespearean trained William Marshall. Add to this my favorite non Barry/Arnold score of the series from George Martin that includes what may be the most famous Bond song of them all, and you'll find that Live And Let Die cooks up a nice little extravaganza for us wonderful people!

11. Quantum Of Solace (2008)- The followup to the awesome Casino Royale splits fans down the middle and to be fair, some of the criticisms are understandable. The film's action sequences are edited somewhat frantically in a way that makes them far less easy to follow than it's predecessor, and the writer's strike presented a challenge that led to gaps involving not filming scenes that would have led to fuller character and story development, which the producers and director were not able to overcome. That aside, there is still a lot that I like about QOS and as in 1963, this is a true sequel. Daniel Craig is absolutely perfect once again as Bond, who is both hell bent for revenge and grieving tremendously at the same time, trying very hard to be professional and do the right thing but yet very conflicted. Only a great actor can pull these kinds of complexities off in convincing fashion, and that is why Craig was the right hire and why I look forward to how well I feel he will do the more familiar kind of portrayal. His scenes at the Bregenz Opera House and with Greene and Kabira are highly memorable and pure Bondian, so despite my issues with the film it still does what it should in successfully wrapping the Vesper story arc and showing how Bond becomes Bond. I also liked the ladies in the film, not classic beauties but that's because they took some chances that work by "dumbing down" Olga Kurylenko's great looks and making her more ordinary, and presenting Camille Montes as an efficient field agent in her own right. They give her several lines that make you think she wouldn't mind being bedded by Bond, yet reinforce that what the two need from each other is not casual sex but rather each other's help in getting their "quantum of solace". Gemma Arterton is cute as Strawberry Fields, but isn't given the chance to show much else due to time limitations. Matthieu Amalric's portrayal of QUANTUM member Dominic Greene was OK for what it was, but could have been much more effective if he had presided over unfilmed scenes such the death of Fields and the initial shooting of Rene Mathis, whose appearance as well as that of Jesper "Mr. White" Christensen and the return of Geoff Wright as Felix Leiter also kept a bridge to CR and set up future storylines in a similar fashion. It may not ever be a classic to me, but in the end it generally triumphs over it's limitations if one is willing to judge it without prejudice.

12. GoldenEye (1995)- Brosnan's debut will always be a bittersweet one for personal reasons, but it remains an entry I usually enjoy. Part of the reason for my enjoyment is that the lead villain is in part based on the literary version of Hugo Drax in Moonraker, one of my favorite books in the series. I also like the post Cold War feel of the film which shows the Russians in a more modern light, and can see how the script would have been a good fit for Dalton as well with some minor alterations. That said Brosnan does a decent job and reminds me a lot of Moore's portrayal in certain aspects, and I was happy with his initial effort but the main attraction of this film for me is yet another great cast of villains. Sean Bean, who I really like a lot as an actor in other roles as well such as Zeus in Percy Jackson and Lord Stark in the series "Game Of Thrones" is terrific as the former OO6 and pal Alec Trevalyan. His battle with Bond aboard the satellite dish is one of the best fights in the series and as good as he is, I think Famke Janssen's OTT portrayal of his sidekick Xenia Onatopp is even more entertaining. Xenia has some very serious psychological issues and the fact that she is sexually aroused during the act of murder makes her incredibly memorable, plus the fact she is gorgeous makes her trap all the more believable. I find Alan Cumming also very entertaining as computer genius/nerd Boris Grishenko, and Robbie Coltrane quite funny as ex-KGB agent Valentin Zukovsky. I also enjoy Izabella Scorupco's portrayal of feisty computer programmer Natalya Simeonova. She is a beautiful woman ordinarily but like the previous movie I ranked, she is given an unflattering haircut and look that detracts from that. The things that bother me about GoldenEye are the incredibly unbelievable PTS which starts OK but becomes a disaster when Bond gets outside of Arkangel. They tried the same kind of thing in Moonraker and it didn't work then, so why they thought they could improve it was compounding a dumb idea. Aside from the title theme (kudos to Bono and The Edge who understand the Bond sound and created a great title song, a shame they didn't score the entire film), another issue with the movie is Eric Serra's soundtrack, which aside from a few normal Bond theme cues makes the movie sound like more like an ordinary spy thriller and unlike a Bond movie. Finally, Bond escaping hailstorms of machine gun bullets without a scratch let alone some wounds in St. Petersburg is way too unrealistic and cheapens the character, which would become a staple of this movies. Otherwise, it's an entertaining film that uses some fresh ideas and takes some chances that really work.

13. You Only Live Twice (1967)- The one really takes a beating in many people's eyes, but years later I still enjoy watching it every time. There are many memorable and good things about the movie and lots more than the not so memorable ones. Bond gets one of his better allies here in M's Japanese counterpart Tiger Tanaka, who unlike M but like Kerim Bey knows how to break chops and when to have a good time. This movie also features Mie Hama, who stole my heart as a child and is still the most beautiful woman and Bond girl I have ever seen on the big screen. It's also the first movie where we get to see Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and his cohorts in Mr. Osato and Helga Brandt score good points for me. We even get a great fight featuring Connery and Peter Maivia Fanene, a professional wrestler who would later have a very famous grandson in wrestler-turned-actor Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson. The Japanese locations are exotic and lush, Ken Adam's volcano set both wildly ambitious and successful, a great Barry title theme and excellent soundtrack that captures the feel of the Orient, and a fresh, innovative, Cold War plot that projects palpable danger for the world. Are there minuses? Sure there are, mostly consisting of plot holes some of which can't be explained such as how Bond goes from swim trunks to a ninja suit compete with suction cups, and even worse trying to disguise Connery as Japanese, which is laughable and makes Blofeld's island spies look as incompetent as Osato and Brandt. Even with all that, YOLT is a fun movie that mostly works for me.

14. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)- Sir Roger Moore's 3rd and admittedly favorite turn as the world's most famous secret agent shows a substantial growth in the role. The grittier, more workmanlike portrayal seen in his first two efforts gives way to a suave, relaxed, sophisticated character that separates himself from his predecessors. His performance is the best one of what I call his "Bond lite" trio, but for my taste far from his best as Bond. For the bad guys, veteran German actor Curt Jürgens shines as megalomaniac shipping magnate Karl Stromberg, who I find to be one of the best villains in the series. He's not in it for the money. His menace is made perfectly clear when he coldly feeds his secretary to his killer shark, and then smiles happily while his two business associates all but wet their trousers. His main henchman is "Jaws", played by veteran American charactor actor and real life giant Richard Kiel. Jaws is a throwback to Oddjob, but with metal teeth rather than metal hat, also portrayed as indestructible. Unfortunately, the role becomes almost comedic. The smokin' hot women of Spy feature Barbara Bach, Caroline Munro, Olga Bisera, even the minor characters are gorgeous, but the women of Thunderball and Casino Royale rate with them and also are better actors. The locations are stunning, the PTS one of the best, and the title song another classic. All in all, if I have a "guilty pleasure" it is this movie- I love it despite my three issues with it. For one, it's obviously an updated You Only Live Twice with a different villain but essentially the same plot involving nuclear weapons. Second, I prefer Moore's tougher portrayals. Third, the movie gets a little silly which is OK here because it wasn't overdone, but when you present a villain like Jaws who survives ridiculous situations without seemingly a scratch and then becomes likable to the audience, it's a little tough to rank it any higher in my book.

15. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)- Poor Pierce. You'd think that after the GoldenEye PTS they'd come up with better for him, right? Sorry. I'm still trying to figure out how a terrorist is trying to garrot Bond, gets ejected, and doesn't take Bond's head with him. Did they ever show how he got loose? Not good. After that, I generally like the premise of TND. Sure, the whole "villain pits countries against each other" thing has been done by the above two films, but the stealth boat is a different, and even better, more realistic twist on the concept. As far as Brosnan goes, it's my favorite performance of his in the role and he seems more comfortable, his scene where he executes Dr. Kaufmann (awesomely played by the now late Vincent Schiavelli) is very Bondian and shows some growth. He also has another good cast around him that I enjoyed, in particular Michelle Yeoh as Wai Lin. This girl gets a little undeserved abuse around here- if you're going to position a female spy as an equal alongside Bond (see Amasova and Jinx as not what to do), then she better be a lot more believeable and Yeoh is a legit ass kicker who gives her character real credibility. Teri Hatcher does OK with what little screen time she is given. As for lead villain Elliot Carver, I also enjoy Jonathan Pryce's portrayal but in general these villains don't hold up to those of GoldenEye . I also really like the soundtrack for the most part, it's my favorite of Arnold's to date and of course "Surrender" rates with the best Bond songs. What bothers me regarding the film are pretty much those issued mentioned before. The cheesy one liners that Brosnan and Samantha Bond have to say, even Judi Dench gets in on them and all of it lacks the class the movies are known for. My other issue regards over reliance on action and explosions, although the ending scene between Bond and Stamper and Bond's subsequent rescue of Wai Lin saves the finale for me.

16. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)- Although I have some strong reasons for rating TMWTGG towards the bottom, I also feel that it's underrated in many respects. First of all, I think it's Moore's second best performance after FYEO, driven by a great storyline where Moore has to portray the character in a serious manner. The Solex storyline past the threat of Bond being stalked by the "world's greatest assassin" may seem old and trivial to some, but for those who were alive to remember the long lines and gasoline shortages occuring back then it was a very relevant one. Until the time that Bond realizes Scaramanga isn't after him, I found Moore to be very Connery-like in his portrayal and what I like Bond to be. Sir Christopher Lee is also great as Francisco Scaramanga, a man who aside from a government license and personal ethics is almost a mirror image of Bond, a man of taste who likes the ladies and the finer things in life. The funhouse PTS is one of the best in the series and Bond's showdown with Scaramanga in the same funhouse, both driven by some of John Barry's best work, is one of the best scenes of the Moore tenure. The problems with TMWTGG are too much reliance on humor in the middle sections and with certain key characters that detract from the atmosphere built early on. And it's not with the cranky M or Moneypenny, nor the exasperated Q, nor the karate school fight nor the return of the hilarious Sheriff J.W Pepper that take the movie down. My issues that unfortunately detract from all the good things are with the completely incompetent Mary Goodnight making M look equally incompetent for assigning her, the whole NicNac character which can never be taken as a serious henchman (plus Herve Villechaize is difficult to understand to boot), and then of course one of the greatest Bond stunts is nearly ruined by a stupid sound effect rather than a great Barry musical build up.

17. A View To A Kill (1985)- The rank here is deceptive, because I like plenty about the movie and on enjoyment rather than critique I'd watch this before others listed ahead of it. The storyline here gets some comparisons to the greatest Bond movie of all time in Goldfinger , and isn't a bad "rehash" if you consider it as such, my take on this was that the storyline is a little bit ahead of it's time because computers were not widely used as they are today, so it wasn't quite as effective in regards to everyday reality. As for the cast, like Orlov in Octopussy , the villain is the highlight of the film and Christopher Walken's manic portrayal of ex-KGB agent and psychopath Max Zorin makes him one of my favorites ever in the series. His creator, escaped Nazi quack Dr. Carl Mortner (a.k.a Hans Glaub), is played by Willoughby Gray and I like his performance as much as Walken's. Despite both being basically nuts, they do have a somehow warm and believable father/son type relationship that shows there is still some shred of humanity and loyalty left in each, disturbed as they are. For Sir Roger, this was his usual good performance in his finale but nothing overly special, he was clearly too old for the cast they hired to be around him, and I would have preferred Timothy Dalton in this film. And then there are the women. The miscasting starts with Tanya Roberts, who is too young for Sir Roger and run of the mill at best as an actress. It might have been a better choice to swap her out for the woefully underused Alison Doody, but alas she was also too young so the age issue would not have been solved. And then...there is May Day. OK, no one is going to accuse Grace Jones of being a good actress, but there are times when she is not speaking in the film that she does convey a good sense of menace. Unfortunately, her general growling, snarling, and teeth knashing is capable of leaving mental scars not easily overcome by the ordinary person, and her "love scenes" with Moore and Walken are enough to cause temporary blindness. Thankfully, the soundtrack is yet another excellent Barry effort save for the lone sound gag in the PTS, and a great finale capped by a dual to the death on top of the Golden Gate Bridge brings the Moore era to a rousing conclusion.

18. Octopussy (1983)- It seems I am in the minority here, because I do not find this one to be one of the better films in the series. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of positives that make this easily better than the abortion that was it's rival in the summer of 1983. For one, it has a compelling storyline relevant to the times when the Cold War was still quite strong, and conveys that sense of antagonism very well. There are also some excellent contributions by the cast. Moore, despite the fact he has clearly aged beyond the role, follows up his brilliant FYEO performance with another good one and having a love interest closer to his age in Maud Adams is an improvement. I can't imagine anyone but Maud as Octopussy, and she is the best leading lady of the Moore era. Louis Jourdan and Kabir Bedi do a serviceable job as Kamal Khan and Gobinda, but as far as I'm concerned, it's Steven Berkoff's loony OTT portrayal of General Orlov that steals the spotlight from everyone. His exchanges with Bond and Gogol are top shelf. If the movie were a little more serious it could have been Moore's best and a top 10 film, but I can't overlook that once again, the movie takes the low road too often and lazily falls into the Moonraker morass of sight and sound gags plus a disgusting dinner scene, bugs, jokes that people don't get, etc.

19. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)- Sir Sean's final outing in the role that made him a star used to take up residence in my rankings cellar, but in the past two years I've discovered a little bit of why I used to like the movie as a kid- yes, Sean is fat, balding, and on autopilot for most of this, but there's still a little bit of the twinkle here and there that made him the idealized Bond, that undeniable charm that all those who followed in his steps would forever be compared to. Yes, DAF is a little bizarre at times, but it can also be fun as long as you can treat it as a stand alone film and not as a sequel to OHMSS. So what exactly is fun about the movie? Of course, it's...Vegas Baby! And what is good about the movie? A mostly coherent storyline regarding specifically the missing diamonds and the final one to use the SPECTRE concept, a great elevator fight between Bond and Franks, mountaineering outside the Whyte House, and an eclectic supporting cast including the uniquely comedic gay hit men Wint and Kidd, Jimmy Dean as Willard Whyte, and two fun leading ladies in Jill St. John and Lana Wood. Add to that my all time favorite Barry soundtrack that is pure Bondian yet captures the feel of Vegas at the same time, and it all seems to work. Unfortunately, there are a few glaring problems as well. The biggest problem with this film is that while DAF pays some lip service to it's predecessor in the PTS, and to be fair Bond is generally looking to kill rather than capture Blofeld, the script assumes the viewer understands why and the sequel concept is never explored as it was in the superior CR/QOS arc. Ignoring Tracy's death the way DAF does will always keep it low in my rankings. The casting of Charles Gray as Blofeld and disguising him in drag was just awful and reduced the entire SPECTRE legacy that had been well crafted to that point into a complete joke, just topped off by that awful oil rig finale that easily ranks among the worst seen. I also had issues with Guy Hamilton's direction and cutting of several vital scenes that left glaring plot holes.

20. The World Is Not Enough (1999)- This PTS was the first and only under Brosnan's tenure that actually didn't contain a moment that made me groan, and it got the movie off to a good start as far as setting up an unknown villain who inspires fear in a very competent female professional assassin who gives Bond a run for his money. The problems with TWINE unfortunately rest with a script that is not written well enough to support the ideas behind it. If you're going to create a psychological thriller to try and swerve an audience (see TLD for how to succeed), you have to do much better than this. Instead, the script makes it fairly easy to see what's coming and all that then comes across is a bunch of fairly meaningless psychobabble. Which is a shame, because I liked the chemistry between Brosnan and Sophie Marceau as Elektra King and thought their storyline had some potential. Sophie is one of the most beautiful women in the world and those dresses she wears make her even more incredibly sexy than she is, so no matter what I enjoy every scene she is in. On the other end of the spectrum is Denise Richards. The ex Mrs. Charlie Sheen is not "winning" ...rather she is a terrible, monotone actress and is nothing more than eye candy. The only scene where she shows anything resembling acting is when she meets Bond as Arkov, and even that isn't all that great. For the villains, I usually enjoy Robert Carlyle but he's given little to work with and his Renard character is also ruined by the script. As to the rest, M is reduced to joining the melodrama, Moneypenny comes off jealous and classless with Dr. Warmflash (the name is enough said), there's more of the usual Brosnan escaping tons of flying bullets without a scratch, and Renard's highly unsatisfying death follows a very weak fight that doesn't leave a good taste in the mouths of most viewers. If not for Marceau, the welcome return of Robbie Coltrane as Valentin Zukovsky (I'm not convinced he is dead and would like to see him again), and the distinction of being the movie where we said goodbye to our beloved Q, it could have been worse. And it would get even worse.

21. Moonraker (1979) - Like I can't understand why Goldfinger isn't in everyone's top 5, I can't understand why this isn't in everyone's bottom five. This movie is as my son says without prompting, "so Star Wars", and Cubby and the writers basically ignore the book and give us just that. Some people divide this movie into two halves, me, I think of it as a movie that let me down every time I started to like it. The PTS is complete nonsense, then it gets good in California with the centrifuge, spying by night, and Corinne's grisly end. Then we go to Venice, Rio, the Amazonian rainforest, and finally into outer space. Beautifully filmed is mostly all I can say after California because for every thing that was good, they throw in the Bondola, sight and sound gags, Jaws, Dolly, and the kitchen sink to kill any momentum. I don't fault Sir Roger at all for the mess, he is the only lead character who has a good performance. Michael Lonsdale is mostly boring as Drax. Lois Chiles should keep teaching because she can't do, I've never seen her in one thing where she was remotely good. Corinne Clery is even worse and not good looking either. All the "astrowomen" who were supposed to be "perfect specimens" were very ordinary, they have had way better. The only woman I liked at all was Emily Bolton as Manuela. Jaws being reduced to a complete joke and a goofy lazer space battle was all I could take, and as a whole the movie reminds me more of a Matt Helm romp than Bond.

22. Die Another Day (2002)- What can I say that hasn't been said about how bad this is? It's been picked apart to the point that my opinion would be redundant. What can I talk about that's good? Parts of Cuba, the sword fight, Graves' death, and the unique title sequence. That's about it. Muckraker was bad enough, this one was DOE (Dying Of Embarrassment to be a fan as long as I have been that night in that movie theater). If I look at the bright side, after 49 years and 22 movies, I guess two stinkers 23 years apart isn't too bad.

Luds

Outstanding job SirHenryLeeChaChing! I agree with the vast majority of your rankings, except for Moonraker's battering, still, very well done =D>

BAIN123

. I find Alan Rickman also very entertaining as computer genius/nerd Boris Grishenko,

:-)) :-))

Hmm...that would be weird. I don't think he would do the "I am invincible" line that much justice. Bruce Willis would probably turn up and throw him out of a window aswell. Great read though :-c

SirHenryLeeChaChing

. I find Alan Rickman also very entertaining as computer genius/nerd Boris Grishenko,

:-)) :-))

Hmm...that would be weird. I don't think he would do the "I am invincible" line that much justice. Bruce Willis would probably turn up and throw him out of a window aswell. Great read though :-c

Ok, everyone is entitled to make a boo-boo ;-) Now fixed.

DaltonCraig007

1. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
Roger Moore delivers his best performance, one of the most Fleming-esque of the franchise. Dynamic directing by Hamilton. The story is really good, lively, funny in places, yet quite dark in others. Christopher Lee makes Scaramanga one of the best villains of the series. Anders and Goodnight are lovely, sexy lady, quite campy in parts. Nic Nac is just hilarious, great little character. Amazing that Barry only had a couple of weeks to do the score, and it is one of his best scores. Wonderful sets, particuliary the Fun House. Great action scenes and stunts. I love the car chase with Pepper. Hilarious and fun. And the car flip ? Excellent, and the slide-whistles adds to the scene. All in all the perfect, the best Bond film of the series !

2. Moonraker (1979)
Wow, what a fun, epic adventure ! Moore is amazing, almost winking at the camera. He is having so much fun, it's hard to not have fun and laugh with him for 2 hours. The budget was huge, and it shows in the film. Great sets and locations. Barry's score is perhaps the best of the entire series. Jaws returns for some hilarious scenes. Good villains. The movie may be hilarious, but there are some dark scenes, like the death of Dufour. Lots of sexy girls as well, in places. Great, fun, epic adventure indeed !

3. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
A great farewell to Sean Connery. Another epic and fun adventure ! Amazing sets. Grey is a fantastic Blofeld. The story is just so fun, probably the greatest ensemble of memorable, colourful characters. Connery is just having some fun. Yes, he is out of shape. but it's hard not to have fun when Connery is having fun. Wint and Kidd are great henchmen. There is great examples of the benign bizzare in this one, with really eerie scenes. A pair of very sexy girls again, and some of the best written one-liners in the franchise !

4. Thunderball (1965)
Connery delivers probably the coolest, most self-confident performance by a lead actor in the entire cinematic history. This is the ultimate adventure movie. Great locations. The action scenes are phenomenal - during the brawls, henchmen and furniture are flying around ! Largo is a fantastic, memorable villain. Domino and Fiona are 2 very sexy girls ! Barry makes once more a fantastic score. Even if set in one major locations, you won't find another movie as epic as this one ! And no, the underwater scenes are *not* slow at all !

5. You Only Live Twice (1967)
The original epic, grand scape adventure ! Connery is not bored at all, another great performance from him. Pleasance is amazing, and so are the wonderful sets of villains. Another fantastic score from Barry. Beautiful locations and sets. The film feels so epic, even if set for the most part in Japan ! Tanaka is one of the best allies in the franchise. Great action scenes. Some hilarious and uncomprensible parts, but you just go along with the ride ! And little Nellie... what a gadget !

6. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
This one gets lots of flak around here, but I love it. A remake of YOLT, yes, but it is completly different. This is the naval Bond... so prepare yourself for epic battles ! Stromberg is very memorable, and Jaws is just a cult character from the moment he appears ! Ok, Naomie is much better than the horrible Anya. The music is dated, but quite fun to listen to. Amazing sets for the Liparus and Stormberg's lair. Moore is more serious in this one than MR, but he is hilarious in others - van scene with Anya and Jaws in the desert.

7. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
This one is the down-to-earth, more serious Moore outing. And boy does Moore shine in this one ! He *can* be serious ! Wonderful, memorable music from Conti. Great locals, some good villains, a good Bond girl. Bernard Lee is missed in this one. Some great action scenes - ski chase and car chase. Columbo is a fantastic, memorable ally in this one. A great story as well.

8. Octopussy (1983)
A return to the more fun Moore films? Not quite. The Bomb chase is one of the most suspensful scene on the whole series. But yes, there is the hilarious Indian section of the film. Moore shines in this one too. Great villains, great story, perfect for the cold war setting. Another memorable score from Barry. Q is great in this one too !

9. From Russia With Love (1963)
The ultimate cold war thriller. Connery is excellent here. Great story, locations and Barry score. Grant is the best henchmen in the franchise. Bianchi is also a very good and sexy Bond girl ! The ultimate Fleming Bond film. A hugely enjoyable and suspensful Bond film.

10. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
Another great Fleming-esque film. Lazenby gets lots of flak here, but he is excellent. He is not outshined by the fantastic Rigg, Savalas. Draco is another of the great allies in the franchise. Phenomenal score from Barry, phenomal story, locations and cinematography. When I first saw this film as a kid, I thought the budget was 1 billlion dollars. I couldn't believe how expensive and beautiful the film looked like.

11. The Living Daylights (1987).
Timothy Dalton arrives in great style in this one ! One of the best plot of the franchise. Good villains, IMO. A great chemistry between Bond and Kara. Great score from Barry. Great locations. Poor cinematography, though, due to Glen's boring style. Great action scenes. Once the film is over, you feel like you've spent a whole 24 hours watching Dalton. He really made the role his own in just one film.

12. Goldfinger (1964)
*The* iconic and most famous Bond film of them all. Great theme song and score from Barry, Great plot, that improves on the novel. Beautiful locations. Very memorable villains - Goldfinger and Oddjob. I found Connery very bored in this one - he is held captive nearly half the film.

13. Live And Let Die (1973)
Moore's first outing, and boy is he already great as Bond ! Good story and memorable villains. A very memorable theme song, and a fantastic score. Moore is great in this one. Seymour is one sexy woman ! Great locations. Best perfomance by Hendison as Leiter, IMO.

14. Licence To Kill (1989)
The most brutal Bond film. Really fits Dalton with style, and he is excellent in this one. Great villains. Locations and music are underwhelming, IMO. Cinematography is quite poor, feels like a TV movie. The low budget really shows in this. Good Bond girls, however. And fantastic action scenes, like the Tanker chase at the end.

15. A View To A Kill (1985)
Good final Bond film for Moore. He is old, but he is still The Master. Great villains, great soundtrack from Barry. Cinematography is underwhelming, again. Poor Bond girls. Great plot, though. Too American for my taste, like with LTK.

16. Dr No (1962)
The first Bond film. Connery is wonderful in this one, playing Bond like a detective. Poor music and cinematography, due to the low budget. Great locations and Bond girls, however. Memorable villains. A bit slow, IMO.

17. Goldeneye (1995)
The best film of the modern era. Brosnan is quite good, although totally outshined by the entire cast. And what a cast, probably the best of the franchise. Very good soudntrack and cinematography. Great villains, plot and action scenes. A hugely enjoyable and fun film.

18. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Another good performance from Brosnan. Memorable villains. Best score from Arnold, which isn't saying much. Great cinematography, dynamic film. Fun action scenes. Not the big drop in quality from GE that some people say. A good movie, IMO.

19. Die Another Day (2002)
Best Brosnan performance, Way to OTT for my taste. Feels like a sci-fi film. Horrible acting through out. Passable soundtrack from Arnold. Horrible one-liners. Enjoyable action scenes, in places. The 2nd half is dire, though. And the final battle is just abysmal.

20. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Horrible, horrible film. Brosnan is at his worst, a pathetic melodramatic Bond. The story is just some wish-wash drama and romance. Horrible acting. What a waste of talent from Carlyle. Appalling cinematography, boring action scenes, boring characters, boring locations... Good soundtrack from Arnold, however.

21. Casino Royale (2006)
Ugh. Craig had so much potential, and it went to the bin. Good cinematography and directing from Campbell. Appalling soundtrack, boring action scenes with a Hulk-esque Bond. Too much PC stuff. Boring Bond girls, with too much feminist content. Appalling and boring last section in Venice. Butchered the novel. Le Chiffre is good, but way to underwhelming, Too many nameless, unmemorable henchmen.

22. Quantum Of Solace (2008)
The worst of the whole lot. Bad Craig, too much action scenes, boring quiet scenes - but good cinematography. Horrible editing in action scenes AND slower scenes. Underused Leiter, and Mathis is killed too early in Craig's tenure. Unidentifiable from other action movies. Feels like a Statham movie with lead character that happens to be named James Bond. Appalling soundtrack.

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7

What! @DC put Craig at the bottom of the list! I'm shocked! :O ;-)

SirHenryLeeChaChing

Well, you know what they say...there is no accounting for taste :-t

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7

Well, you know what they say...there is no accounting for taste :-t

I'm just picking. Me and @DC have friendly banter back and forth. He likes Moore and doesn't like Craig, and I like Connery and Craig and dislike Moore. There's nothing I can do about that. It's his own opinion.

SirHenryLeeChaChing

And everyone is entitled to their opinion, no question about that. That said, I'm sure you agreed much more with my rankings ;-)

0BradyM0Bondfanatic7

And everyone is entitled to their opinion, no question about that.

I completely agree with you.

Jinx

good list @DaltonCraig007. silly rankings sometimes but a very good read.

thelivingroyale

1 licence to kill - the most underrated and sadly the least seen bond flick of all time. bond is extremely dark and human, sanchez is a great villian with a great gimmick (lizard), bouvier is a brilliant and hot bond girl, darios is a great henchman and the plot its self is brilliant)

2 the living daylights - awesome spy thriller, a breath of fresh air from the campy moore flicks we'd started to become used too

3 goldfinger - THIS is where connery is at his best, not dr no, not FRWL, this. goldfinger set the tone for the classic bond flicks. gadget filled car, indestructable henchman, at least one girl dying, bad guy with nuclear device. a true bond classic.

4 the spy who loved me - again, another classic. like goldfinger it really delivers in terms of villian, plot, henchman (although they later ruined jaws), and car

5 casino royale - the start of bonds career. awesome action and fight scenes and bond has never been as human since the dalton flicks

6 goldeneye - brosnans first outing as bond was undoubtedly his best. it bought us a great villian, a sexy henchwoman, and a GREAT game

il be posting the rest of my ranking soon but i cant right now.

JBFan626

@thelivingroyale: You really do a great job of summing up the essence of each of those Bond films in one or two sentences. You get at the core of what each film brings to the table: LTK - dark and human, TLD - awesome spy thriller; breath of fresh air, GF - Connery at his best, set the tone for classic Bond flic., etc. Looking forward to the rest of your list!

BAIN123

A few changes have been made to my list after more recent viewings.

1. Goldeneye 9/10
Without a doubt the Bond adventure I’ve returned to the most over the years and the one that remains the most personal as it introduced me to 007 all those years ago. Nostalgia aside, the characters, direction and story are all gripping to watch and the film really feels like a shot in the arm after the entertaining but slightly tired Dalton entries. As for Brosnan I can’t help but really enjoy his performance in the film. Sure he’s not perfect and perhaps a little too “boyish” at times but for me he succeeds in one essential factor – selling me the idea that he’s James Bond. He’s elegant, sophisticated, has plenty of verve and moves smoothly (the scene on Yacht Manticore). Is it a perfect film? No. There are a lot of continuity errors and the scheme can be picked apart, but it never fails to entertain, excite and intrigue – even after countless viewings. Surely that’s what a Bond adventure should do the most!

2. From Russia With Love 9/10
This is probably the “best” Bond adventure in the series. A pure classic with large doses of glamour, excitement and action. Connery is superb as are Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Vladek Sheybal Anthony Dawson and Pedro Armendariz. This really encapsulates cold war espionage, and comes complete with perhaps one of the best action sequences on film. However the icing on the cake is John Barry’s opening score which really sets the tone for the rest of the movie.

3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service 9/10
Possibly the closest adaptation we have had yet of a Fleming book and the first to dig a bit deeper into Bond’s character. I’ve always enjoyed OHMSS; however after having seen it again recently I’ve realised it really deserves to be in my top 3. It’s a deeper, more serious film than it’s predecessors but at the same time doesn’t forget to have a little bit of fun. The idea of our hero on an isolated mountain with a group of beautiful (mainly English) women is something that only seems appropriate in a James Bond adventure. George Lazenby delivers a brave, occasionally brilliant (the final scene) but sometimes underwhelming performance (Plus he is the only Bond actor to ever have his lines dubbed). However this is more than made up for by the terrific Diana Rigg (my pick for the best “Bond girl”) who is tragic, funny and confident and who guides Lazenby during their scenes together. The other members of the cast are great too as is Barry’s fast paced score. Definitely the most underrated Bond film amongst the general public.

4. Goldfinger 9/10
Certainly the most iconic Bond entry and the one that really set the standard for the rest of the series. It came at the beginning of the “swinging 60s” and blended the right balance of action, fun, hardware and verve. Connery once again is great and, although Gert Frobe, may be a little overrated as a villain, Harold Sakata, Honour Blackman and Shirley Eaton are all wonderful. Plus you can’t get a more “Bondian” sounding theme tune than Shirley Bassett.

5. The Spy Who Loved Me 9/10
Yes @Luds this is a good movie despite Bach’s dodgy acting. Even Roger Moore considers this best best flick and with a film that features a PTS that hasn’t been beaten and a title-song that is, not only a great Bond theme, but a great ballot full stop it’s not hard to see why the man would think this. The film also introduces us to Jaws and has a great villain in the form of Kurt Jurgens. This is the film however where Moore really hit his stride and the producers seemed to decide on how his Bond should be played. The previous two films felt stale and perhaps this was because of the Saltzman/Broccoli feud reaching breaking point. Spy however was where the series seemed in it’s stride once more. It looks brighter than it’s immediate predecessors and, from the opening PTS, one can tell that all the stops have been pulled out to ensure this will not disappoint. Between this and MR, Spy is ultimately the less silly of the two.

6. Casino Royale (2006) 8.5/10
After the (ahem) “excessiveness” of Die Another Day a shake up was what the franchise needed. Although arguably a little bit over-appreciated (it’s faithfulness to the book isn’t as strong as some may think), Royale is an excellent addition to the series using a more serious, contemporary tone but keeping the essential “Bond polish”. Daniel Craig makes a great debut performance and really has a “lone wolf” quality about him that the story required. The directing, cinematography and action are all superb (even if there is perhaps one set piece too many) and Bond veteran Martin Campbell deserves credit for making a more “adult” spy adventure for the 21st century.

7. Dr No (1962) 8.5/10
The film that started it all. Sean Connery introduces the unsuspecting public to the world’s most famous spy with THOSE words and a single click of his lighter. Instantly Bond is cool. Although the film has inevitably dated a bit and suffers from a noticeably smaller budget, it still holds up well as a little espionage thriller where Bond is more a detective than a full-out hero.

8. Thunderball (1965) 8/10
Loved by many but also hated by quite a few aswell, TB is Bond at its most exotic and colourful. Sean Connery does his last truly great Bond performance and is supported by one of the greatest femme fatals in the Bond series (her only rival is Xenya Onatopp). Yes the underwater sequences are too long at times but nonetheless this film is the perfect antidote to cheer you up on a wet weekend afternoon.

9. Octopussy (1983) 8/10
Clown shmown! Having seen it again recently this film has shot up in my rankings. Roger Moore delivers one of his best performances as Bond and the film has a plot which really harks back to the peak of the cold war era. While there are some silly scenes the film moves along at a brisk, lively pace and never seems to drag. The supporting cast are also superb.

10. For Your Eyes Only (1981) 8/10
A highly entertaining, if somewhat uneven, return to the more “Fleming-esque” Bond adventure. Roger Moore is taking things a little more seriously yet still manages to retain his suave, likeable charm. The man certainly seems more comfortable in this approach than he was in his first two films. Carole Boquet is ok as Melina Havelock and Cassandra Harris (a.k.a. Pierce Brosnan’s first wife) is sweet as Countess Lisel. The plot of the film is effective and once again a throw-back to the “Maguffin” days of From Russia With Love.

11. The Living Daylights (1987) 7/10
An entertaining if slightly bland entry in the series. Dalton is on good form as 007 and brings intensity back into the role. However the plot itself has a kind of “been-there-done-that” feel to it and the main antagonists of the piece (namely Koscov and Whitaker) never really have any real menace or impact. Necros is pretty good though and somewhat makes up for that, although none of the three will go down as great Bond baddies – except perhaps amongst those on Mi6. Felix Leiter and Moneypenny likewise. The score is very good (although I’ve never been too wowed by the Ah-Ha! Song) and, if anything, the film will be remembered for being the last in the series John Barry worked on.

12. Licence To Kill (1989) 7/10
A bit of a disappointment after watching it on the back of OHMSS recently and probably the most overrated “underrated” film by fans. While Kill does have some highly exciting individual scenes and a terrific villain in Sanchez, it often feels like a left over American thriller from the 80s. The overall nastiness and lack of British irony doesn’t help much either. Dalton is on fine form though and the plot on it’s own is quite a compelling one. However the film is missing a certain polish and sense of indulgence that is essential for James Bond. The tone is simply “Bond is angry and he’s going to get even”, which sounds pretty Americanised if you ask me – especially since Bond blatantly ignores his own advice about seeking revenge. In hindsight it’s not really that surprising the film is controversial and, while it’s perhaps unfair to say the film was a flop, I don’t think it did much to help the franchise.

13. The World is Not Enough (1999) 7/10
A much criticised entry in the series but one that I do quite enjoy. It certainly suffers from some occasionally “soapy” moments but nonetheless deserves a bit of credit for trying to go for a deeper story. Brosnan’s performance is pretty good for the most part (yes, I don’t care what people on here say ;) ) and Elektra is a more interesting villainess. Her and Brosnan do work pretty well with one-another. Renard is alright but a little under-used. Unlike its predecessor it doesn’t crowbar in quite as many action scenes and tries to tell a story.

14. You Only Live Twice (1969) 6/10
Possibly the weakest of the 60s flicks but nonetheless a thoroughly entertaining adventure. The Ken Adam sets are all superb as is Donald Pleasence as Bloefeld. Unfortunately the weakest link is Connery and those who say he looks bored are pretty much dead-on accurate. His monotone expressions suggest he had grown tired of the series by his fifth outing and is simply going through the motions. However the film is still good solid fun.

15. A View to a Kill (1985) 6/10
The comments about this film feeling “tired” are again dead-on-accurate. Re-watching it again one can spot the slightly sleepy, uninspired tone a mile off. Moore is very good, as are Walken (he’s great in fact) and Patrick Macnee - and Barry’s soothing score is again superb (perhaps the “Wine with Stacey” track, as beautiful as it may be, is a little too “sleepy” for the Bond universe though?). View however suffers a bit from an overly dragged out middle section and a fire-truck chase which should probably have been left on the cutting room floor (although the final shot of the annoyed sheriff with his deputies’ laughing in the background is amusing).

16. Live and Let Die (1973) 6/10
The Bond adventure for the Blaxploitation period. Roger Moore is solid in his debut performance as Bond but occasionally lacks the confidence and polish he would demonstrate in his later outings. The film itself does have a cheaper feel to it compared to some of the earlier adventures which worked well for the time but dates the film now. The Paul McCartney title song however is superb and its nice to see David Heddison in his first appearance as Fleix Leiter (one wishes he would have played the part more times as he was clearly the best Leiter alongside Jack Lord). It’s also a shame that this is the only time the character of Felix appears in the Moore era (he would next be seen in TLD 14 years later).

17. Moonraker (1979) 5/10
There’s plenty to like about MR as many fans of the film have pointed out. The JB score, the sets, Michael Longsdale, the stunts and the model work are all top notch, however the overly-campy tone of the film spoils things for me somewhat. Lois Chiles is attractive but not a great actress (at least she is a bit better than Bach) and Jaws loses any credibility he MAY have had before.

18. The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) 5/10
A film which is something of a mixed bag for me. Christopher Lee is superb as Scaramanga and really oozes a sense of cunning cruelty that is essential for Bond villains. Maud Adams likewise is very good as Andrea and should have been given the lead female role. The John Barry score is effective and eerie Negative points include tired direction, Brett Eckland (who has little chemistry with Moore) and (sadly) Moore himself. While Moore does what he can, his “angry” characterisation doesn’t fit as well IMO. One wishes he would calm down and stop trying to imitate his predecessor.

19. Quantum of Solace (2008) 5/10
While my feelings have mellowed slightly there’s no doubt that this film falls short on one crucial ingredient – fun. Whether it be the overly edited, superfluous action sequences (which often interrupt the flow of the already rather flimsy plot), largely forgettable supporting characters, the fancy title cards or the longer subtitled sequences (I have no problem with subtitled films but they should be used as little as possible in the Bond world – they didn’t need them in FRWL, OP or GE and nobody seems to care about that). This film just feels very joyless. There are a few scenes that redeem the film however – including the well acted death scene with Mathis and the penultimate sequence where Craig confronts Yusef. Although I appreciate some fans love QoS, the film remains a rather underwhelming experience for me.

20. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) 5/10
Probably the cheesiest of all the Bond entries, Dies pretty much follows the Bond template down to a tee. The dialogue is sometimes cringe-worthy and the attempts at depth often don’t work because of this. However the scheme by a delightfully over-the-top Jonathan Pryce is entertaining and gives the film a more contemporary feel (it’s a shame then that it’s buried under the action all too often). Pierce is solid and Michelle Yeoh, again while not the greatest of actresses, is a likeable presence.

21. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) 5/10
The film that really began the “campy” era for Bond. Highlights for DAF include Jill St. John, John Barry’s enjoyably sleazy score and a few genuinely funny one liners. However it all feels a bit well... dull. Add to that some rather embarrassing directorial goofs and you have a sometimes entertaining but ultimately mediocre parody/adventure.

22. Die Another Day (2002) 4/10
Although I don’t flat out hate this movie like a lot of fans do DAD does undoubtedly contain some of the worst sequences to ever feature in a Bond movie. One can’t help but cringe at what was meant to be the film’s “coolest” moment and the juvenile “jokes” are embarrassing. Pierce does his best but even he starts to look a little bored as the film nears its conclusion. There are a few scenes I do like though including the swordfight (easily the best scene in the film as it relies on good old fashioned choreography rather than CGI), parts of Cuba, the Q workshop scene with the previous gadgets in the background and (more controversially) the VR sequence at the end.

Luds

Good work @BAIN123! Too much love for TSWLM, but the rest is very good ;)

thelivingroyale

heres the rest of my ranking

7 live and let die - the song was awesome, the action intense, the henchmen some of the best ever, moores first outing as bond was brilliant. not as good as TSWLM, slightly better than TMWTGG (moores top 3 films)

8 thunderball - another one of conneys greatest. Largo was a great villian and the jetpack sequence was so cool and had never been done before.

9 the world is not enough - im gonna get hate for putting this before FRWL and other classics but i really enjoyed this. The opening sequence had an awesome boat chase and 2 brilliant stunts (suitcase escape/hot air balloon), and renard was a great villian (cant die or feel pain because hes slowly dying). elektra was a great hecnhwoman too.

10 from russia with love - a real fan favourite, captures bond at his spying best, train fights, spiked shoes, boat chases, its an awesome film and connerys fave

11 the man with the golden gun - another great moore flick. scaramanga was bonds exact equal and lee made him a great villian. nick nack was f*ckin hilarious and goodnight is an insanely hot chick

12 OHMSS - lasenbys only film as bond is his best by default, however, even if he'd done diamonds it would still have been his best. if he'd done live and let die then it wouldn't be his best. my point is, i enjoyed this film and the new side of bond lasenby demonstrates

13 diamonds are forever - this was nowhere near as bad as everyone makes out. sure gray wasnt the most threatening blofeld but his take on the part was intresting, yes connery was a little out of shape but again, he wasnt as bad as people made out.

14 you only live twice - apparently connery looked bored in this. i dont see it. i know he was bored of playing the character in real life but it doesnt show in this awesome film. awesome action scenes and bonds first face to face encounter with blofeld. however, EON made this a film too early and therefor f*cked up the whole story arc involving bond, tracy and blofeld

15 moonraker - apart from the half an hour of space stuff this was pretty good

16 a view to a kill - duran duran saved this from being alot lower. actually it wasnt so bad, it even got a sequel in video game form (everything or nothing), so thats something

17 dr no - connerys first performance as bond is cool, but hes done better, more exciting films and thats why its so low

18 for your eyes only - this could've been pretty cool had moore already handed the role over to dalton. still, not the worst bond film but far from being the best

19 octopussy - the title is hilarious. i enjoyed the spyplane sequence and some of the steryotypes were quite funny, but bond dressing as a clown and some outright stupid moments forced this to no 20

20 tommorow never dies - worst villian ever, one of the worst bond girls ever, a rip of red grant, this is far from brosnans best film. infact, its his wors- oh wait, DAD wasnt just a nightmare

21 quantum of solace - jason bourne became the hulk and performed a special edition of licence to kill, except vesper replaces felix as the thing bond/bourne type creature wants to avenge

22 die another day - this is how the awful DAD theme should've been performed: im gonna crack, the tv screen, im gonna shoot, my-self, im gonna kill, madonna now. the title says it all, which is a shame because pike is hot, brosnan is a great bond, halley berry is hot. they had a great cast and the chance for a classic bond adventure but instead they mixed explosions and lots of CGI with bits from other bond films.