Bond movie ranking (Simple list, no details)

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  • CrzChris4 wrote: »
    @Some_Kind_Of_Hero

    From Russia With Love at 19? :O

    Yes, unashamedly. I gave my reasoning on the last page:

    There's nothing wrong with FRWL, apart perhaps from a somewhat underwhelming quadruple climax. And there is in fact a lot right with the film, beginning with Shaw's Red Grant and Armendáriz's Kerim Bey. I just find there are so many more Bonds that deliver just what I'm looking for, be it fantastical sci-fi Bond or more grounded, story-and-character-driven Bond. I rarely feel the inclination to just throw the film on outside of marathons, the way I might be in the mood to see Sir Roger wooing Kristina Wayborn poolside or Craig shooting fools up to opera and giant dilating eyeballs. The film is well executed and a cherished part of Bond history for me, but not one I would go to bat for with the same vigor as any number of others. It therefore falls into a strange place in my rankings—a kind of, hey nothing wrong with it, but what kind of passion does it stir within me zone. How's that for "(Simple list, no details)"?
  • edited September 2017 Posts: 16,153
    For the first time in 15 years I raise DAD up a notch. As often as I do these updated rankings I've discovered that I keep forgetting to place SPECTRE, and it throws my ranking off.

    1. GOLDFINGER
    2. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
    3. DR NO
    4. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
    5. THUNDERBALL
    6. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
    7. LICENCE TO KILL
    8. OCTOPUSSY/NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
    9. CASINO ROYALE 06
    10. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
    11. GOLDENEYE
    12. SKYFALL
    13. A VIEW TO A KILL
    14. LIVE AND LET DIE
    15. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
    16. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
    17. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
    18. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
    19. MOONRAKER/ CR '54
    20. SPECTRE
    21. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
    22 TOMORROW NEVER DIES
    23. DIE ANOTHER DAY
    24. QUANTUM OF SOLACE/CR 67
  • LeonardPineLeonardPine The Bar on the Beach
    Posts: 3,996
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    For the first time in 15 years I raise DAD up a notch. As often as I do these updated rankings I've discovered that I keep forgetting to place SPECTRE, and it throws my ranking off.

    1. GOLDFINGER
    2. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
    3. DR NO
    4. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
    5. THUNDERBALL
    6. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
    7. LICENCE TO KILL
    8. OCTOPUSSY/NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
    9. CASINO ROYALE 06
    10. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
    11. GOLDENEYE
    12. SKYFALL
    13. A VIEW TO A KILL
    14. LIVE AND LET DIE
    15. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
    16. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
    17. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
    18. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
    19. MOONRAKER/ CR '54
    20. SPECTRE
    21. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
    22 TOMORROW NEVER DIES
    23. DIE ANOTHER DAY
    24. QUANTUM OF SOLACE/CR 67

    Not a fan of dear Daniel then..?!!!
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Nice list @ToTheRight. I'm particularly partial to the top 12.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    2017 ranking

    1. ON HER MAJESTY S SECRET SERVICE
    2. GOLDFINGER
    3. CASINO ROYALE
    4. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
    5. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
    6. SKYFALL
    7. DR. NO
    8. SPECTRE
    9. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
    10. QUANTUM OF SOLACE
    11. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
    12. LICENCE TO KILL
    13. THUNDERBALL
    14. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
    15. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
    16. LIVE AND LET DIE
    17. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
    18. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
    19. OCTOPUSSY
    20. MOONRAKER
    21. A VIEW TO A KILL
    22. GOLDENEYE
    23. TOMORROW NEVER DIES
    24, THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
    25. DIE ANOTHER DAY.
  • royale65royale65 Caustic misanthrope reporting for duty.
    Posts: 4,423
    An excellent top three old boy. Although your #24 makes me weep a little inside.... Sniff.
  • Yes, I can find no fault with your Top Three. To the rest of your list, however, I can see Defense Minister Dimitri Mishkin saying: "From what I understand it is you who is out of order!"
  • pachazopachazo Make Your Choice
    Posts: 7,314
    @ToTheRight, I see that YOLT is the only (official) 60's film to not make your top six. Just curious why you rank it so much lower than the others.

    @Thunderfinger, I think you accidentally placed SP in GE's spot. Other than that, an excellent top ten!
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    edited September 2017 Posts: 45,489
    22 is as high as I can possibly rank GE, dear deluded friends. I ranked it this high just to endear me further in your eyes.

    royale65, TWINE could easily go up a spot or two, but then others would go ballistic on me.
  • edited September 2017 Posts: 11,189
    Why do people insist on putting FRWL below OHMSS?
  • Posts: 12,466
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    Why do people insist on putting FRWL below OHMSS?

    I pretty much always have. FRWL is a great Bond film no doubt, but of this site's Big 3 (CR, OHMSS, FRWL), it is definitely my personal third favorite of those. Still makes my top 10, but for me, CR and OHMSS are the best Bond films.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    BAIN123 wrote: »
    Why do people insist on putting FRWL below OHMSS?

    They are both among the very best.
  • Posts: 16,153
    pachazo wrote: »
    @ToTheRight, I see that YOLT is the only (official) 60's film to not make your top six. Just curious why you rank it so much lower than the others.

    @Thunderfinger, I think you accidentally placed SP in GE's spot. Other than that, an excellent top ten!

    Actually I do love YOLT, just when fitting some of the later films in YOLT tends to get pushed down. I often flip between it and DAF.
    ToTheRight wrote: »
    For the first time in 15 years I raise DAD up a notch. As often as I do these updated rankings I've discovered that I keep forgetting to place SPECTRE, and it throws my ranking off.

    1. GOLDFINGER
    2. FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
    3. DR NO
    4. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
    5. THUNDERBALL
    6. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
    7. LICENCE TO KILL
    8. OCTOPUSSY/NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
    9. CASINO ROYALE 06
    10. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
    11. GOLDENEYE
    12. SKYFALL
    13. A VIEW TO A KILL
    14. LIVE AND LET DIE
    15. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
    16. DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER
    17. YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
    18. THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN
    19. MOONRAKER/ CR '54
    20. SPECTRE
    21. THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH
    22 TOMORROW NEVER DIES
    23. DIE ANOTHER DAY
    24. QUANTUM OF SOLACE/CR 67

    Not a fan of dear Daniel then..?!!!

    I love Daniel, too, but I'm finding SF not as easy to watch as repeatedly. Same with SP. Perhaps their running times might have something to do with it? So SF ends up in the middle, and SP fit in after I've ranked the rest.
  • Posts: 12,466
    While I like YOLT, it's quite easily the least great of the first six, which is collectively still the series' best run.
  • CASINOROYALECASINOROYALE Somewhere hot
    Posts: 1,003
    My list constantly changes but for me

    1) Goldfinger
    2) Thunderball
    3) Casino Royale 06'
  • Creasy47Creasy47 In Cuba with Natalya.Moderator
    Posts: 40,967
    I'm in the minority with YOLT. I actually prefer it to FRWL, but only by a few spots in my ranking.
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    edited September 2017 Posts: 1,984
    I think YOLT matches FRWL in tone and atmosphere to be honest, and the music plays a big role in that. It's just when it comes down to the execution (Pleasance's Blofeld vs the unseen one, Connery being bored vs in his prime in FRWL, Bond vs Hans compared to Bond vs Grant, etc) that YOLT falls short.
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    Posts: 23,883
    Nice top 10 for the most part @Thunderfinger . Not keen on your 8th placement however.
    --

    Nice top 3, @CASINOROYALE . Love to see the rest when you get to it.
    --

    RE: THE CR/OHMSS/FRWL debate, Connery's sophomore effort is tops for me. It is far and away my favourite Bond film.
  • CASINOROYALECASINOROYALE Somewhere hot
    Posts: 1,003
    bondjames wrote: »
    Nice top 10 for the most part @Thunderfinger . Not keen on your 8th placement however.
    --

    Nice top 3, @CASINOROYALE . Love to see the rest when you get to it.
    --

    RE: THE CR/OHMSS/FRWL debate, Connery's sophomore effort is tops for me. It is far and away my favourite Bond film.

    Thanks ;)
    Spectre was in my top 5, but I do re watch the entire series every six months so my list changes quite a bit.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    I ranked SPECTRE even higher when it was brand new and fresh in memory.
  • CASINOROYALECASINOROYALE Somewhere hot
    Posts: 1,003
    I ranked SPECTRE even higher when it was brand new and fresh in memory.

    Yeah Spectre will always be in my top 8. If I could only pick 8 Bond films to watch for the rest of my life Spectre would be in there.
  • Posts: 684
    Creasy47 wrote: »
    I'm in the minority with YOLT. I actually prefer it to FRWL, but only by a few spots in my ranking.
    Same here, @Creasy47. It took me a while to get there, however. I've come to sort of instinctively prefer the Bonds (or, at the very least, the '60s Bonds) that focus in on a modernism/futurism wavelength. FRWL is indeed a great Bond film, but it goes in the opposite direction, concerning itself more with the past. No doubt FRWL has got a much superior plot to YOLT, but YOLT, aside from being a visual and audio feast, takes more cues from the phenomenon it's part of, and I largely prefer that to FRWL's situating itself more along the traditional British spy thriller continuum.
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    edited September 2017 Posts: 1,984
    Interesting @Strog. I view things oppositely, which is why FRWL's context as a Cold War spy thriller can be fully appreciated today, and also partly because it is just a larger context and not necessarily limited to some craze that lasts a few years but rather several decades. In that sense, it doesn't feel as badly dated as some of the others.

    I think when Bond takes on contemporary cultural cues like YOLT with the space race, LALD with blaxpoitation, TMWTGG with martial arts, MR with space etc. it can look ridiculous when viewed 40 or 50 years later, as I know many people have problems with this. Granted, most of us, as Bond fans, are more tolerant of this stuff, but I still think it makes the other films feel more dated.

    In short, I can appreciate that MR, LALD etc. are products of their times, but FRWL is one of the classic Bonds with a more timeless feel to it, and so are OHMSS and TSWLM (apart from a few things like the disco soundtrack). I've noticed that these films make it very high on my lists, so it seems this is just how I prefer my Bonds. The ones that too obviously steal from contemporary culture rather than influence it tend to be on the middle-lower range of my list.
  • edited September 2017 Posts: 684
    Excellent comments, @ForYourEyesOnly. I wonder, how do you feel about DN? I suspect we might come into common ground there, since I'm used to seeing those who rank FRWL highly also feeling the same way about DN, which I too love and definitely consider top tier.

    Here again, however, what I love about it comes from the qualities I also see in YOLT; its tongue-in-cheek nature, its blast of colors, the modernism of Ken Adam's sets, the technologically focused plot, its larger than life crime story, etc. Feeling the way you do about FRWL, I'm betting that (if you are indeed a fan of it) you enjoy it to a large extent for its more thriller-ish moments?
    Interesting @Strog. I view things oppositely, which is why FRWL's context as a Cold War spy thriller can be fully appreciated today, and also partly because it is just a larger context and not necessarily limited to some craze that lasts a few years but rather several decades. In that sense, it doesn't feel as badly dated as some of the others.
    Absolutely agree that FRWL blends in at large with the spy thriller tradition. As many have noted, it seems a story right up Hitchcock's lane. I suppose it's for this precise same reason why it's a fewer rungs lower in my book. I feel about FRWL in just the same way that you regard lower those Bond films which 'steal' rather than 'influence.'

    I guess I see FRWL very much fitting a traditional mold (the equivalent of your 'stealing from contemporary culture'), and I see all the other '60s films as going beyond that mold and doing something different with it. YOLT, to be fair, is probably the one outside of FRWL which comes closest to borrowing (from Eurospy in this case) but ultimately (a) its borrowing from itself, directly from the tradition that Bond created and (b) doing it miles better than Eurospy itself (which can't be said of LALD and blaxploitation nor TMWTGG and kung fu, for example).
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    edited September 2017 Posts: 1,984
    Strog wrote: »
    Excellent comments, @ForYourEyesOnly. I wonder, how do you feel about DN? I suspect we might come into common ground there, since I'm used to seeing those who rank FRWL highly also feeling the same way about DN, which I too love and definitely consider top tier.

    Thanks.

    I have it in my top ten but usually on the lower end. I think it has its merits, but it might just feel dated because of the score and the lesser budget compared to other Bond movies. It feels like a movie from the late 50's rather than properly from the early 60's, in my opinion. Lots of strong elements, but the Bond formula hasn't been fleshed out at this point so naturally it's not bound together as strongly as some of Connery's later adventures. I prefer the FRWL - TB stretch myself, but I recognize DN as a classic, if a bit of a rawer production.
    Here again, however, what I love about it comes from the qualities I also see in YOLT; its tongue-in-cheek nature, its blast of colors, the modernism of Ken Adam's sets, the technologically focused plot, its larger than life crime story, etc. Feeling the way you do about FRWL, I'm betting that (if you are indeed a fan of it) you enjoy it to a large extent for its more thriller-ish moments?

    I find those enjoyable things as well, which is why I also like TSWLM and MR. With YOLT, I think Barry's score can't be forgotten — one of the best to grace the Bond mythos and the title song is just vivid and lush and completely fitting with the eastern theme. That, combined with the things you mentioned (Ken Adam's sets, Roald Dahl's screenplay, etc.) combines to make it the first truly larger-than-life Bond movie. So there's definitely lots to like about it, even if there's more noticeable missteps than the earlier Bonds as well.

    As for FRWL, I do like it as a thriller. I think the suspense is built well, both the action and acting is done excellently, and the atmosphere is set up and sustained brilliantly. If any of Connery's movies can beat YOLT in atmosphere, it's FRWL.
    Absolutely agree that FRWL blends in at large with the spy thriller tradition. As many have noted, it seems a story right up Hitchcock's lane. I suppose it's for this precise same reason why it's a fewer rungs lower in my book. I feel about FRWL in just the same way that you regard lower those Bond films which 'steal' rather than 'influence.'

    All Bond movies are influenced by something, so there's no escaping that. But as I said earlier, I think FRWL just feels more timeless than the other Bonds, which is why I like it so much. I suspect that most people who prefer Goldfinger find that the timeless one out of Connery's lot, but I've found a fair bit in that one which dates the movie for me. All the same, I agree with most that the 60's were the Golden Age of Bond. I wasn't around at that time but even I can feel a magical quality about their storytelling which was diminished when Lazenby took over (not that OHMSS isn't magical in it's own right) and had completely faded by the time of Diamonds Are Forever in 1971.
    I guess I see FRWL very much fitting a traditional mold (the equivalent of your 'stealing from contemporary culture'), and I see all the other '60s films as going beyond that mold and doing something different with it. YOLT, to be fair, is probably the one outside of FRWL which comes closest to borrowing (from Eurospy in this case) but ultimately (a) its borrowing from itself, directly from the tradition that Bond created and (b) doing it miles better than Eurospy itself (which can't be said of LALD and blaxploitation nor TMWTGG and kung fu, for example).

    True. I think Goldfinger and Thunderball, the massive commercial hits, were what turned Bond into the pop culture icon that future films developed. YOLT in turn built off that reputation. I think some people don't like You Only Live Twice as much since it's the most easily parodied and indeed the most parodied (Austin Powers, future Bonds, the whole Blofeld trope etc.) of the Bond movies, but then, YOLT is the original and formed the template for two other Bonds (TSWLM and MR). It's outrageously over-the-top but it works. It's just unfortunate that we didn't have Connery with the energy he had in Thunderball or any of the earlier ones.
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    Posts: 1,984
    @Birdleson - I think that's something most of us could agree on. Speaking of FYEO and LTK being on the fence, it's clear the 80's Bond flicks don't have as much grip with you. Is it just John Glen's take on Bond, or do you feel Bond in general was getting watered down at that point and Pierce Brosnan revived it in 1995?
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    edited September 2017 Posts: 1,984
    That makes sense @Birdleson. What makes Live and Let Die so appealing to you, though? Is it the unique atmosphere of it all? Is it how it proved Bond could persist beyond the Blofeld era?
  • JamesBondKenyaJamesBondKenya Danny Boyle laughs to himself
    Posts: 2,730
    Birdleson wrote: »
    Just thinking about this. These are the Bond films that I would not want to do without. The rest, though almost all enjoyable and beloved, to me are not essential. But these are the ones that I feel we were lucky to get (even though in many instances a more faithful adaptation of the novel would have been even better).

    DR. NO
    FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
    GOLDFINGER
    THUNDERBALL
    YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE
    ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE
    LIVE AND LET DIE
    THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
    GOLDENEYE
    CASINO ROYALE
    QUANTUM OF SOLACE
    SKYFALL


    FOR YOUR EYES ONLY and LICENCE TO KILL were on the fence, but in the end the indecision alone was enough for me to make the call.

    Good idea then; Ill take a go

    Dr. No
    FRWL
    GOLDFINGER
    OHMSS
    TSWLM
    OCTOPUSSY
    TLD
    LICENSE TO KILL
    GE
    CR
    QOS

    im not sure about yolt and tnd they almost made the list.
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    Posts: 1,984
    Fair enough. It's certainly a unique entry and I've gotten more fond of it recently.
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited September 2017 Posts: 7,112
    Turned it around again, though at least my top 5 is constant.

    1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    2. Licence to Kill
    3. From Russia with Love
    4. GoldenEye
    5. The Living Daylights
    6. Thunderball
    7. The Man with the Golden Gun
    8. The World Is Not Enough
    9. Goldfinger
    10. Quantum of Solace
    11. Casino Royale
    12. The Spy Who Loved Me
    13. Tomorrow Never Dies
    14. Dr. No
    15. Moonraker
    16. You Only Live Twice
    17. Live and Let Die
    18. Never Say Never Again
    19. A View to a Kill
    20. For Your Eyes Only
    21. Skyfall
    22. Diamonds Are Forever
    23. Die Another Day
    24. Octopussy
    25. Spectre
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