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Comments
Interesting, but I can't agree with the vast majority of this list. To me GE is a stone cold classic. As for SF, it's overrated for sure, but has no business being near the bottom of any list. And they are both behind DAF!!?
1. CR
2. FRWL
3. TB
4. OHMSS
5. SF
20. DAF
21. FYEO
22. TMWTGG
23. MR
24. DAD
2. CR
3. TSWLM
4. DN
5. TLD
20. TWINE
21. DAD
22. YOLT
23. GE
24. SP
Interesting. @matt_u I have never seen FYEO in anyone's bottom 5..
Personally, I have zero problem with FYEO. It was a huge come down after Moonraker, but I feel it would of suited Dalton a lot better. Take out silly stuff like Bibi, find a better actor than Julian Glover to play Kristatos, and the parrot talking to Thatcher finale and you would of had a solid debut
Just checked what I wrote a while back....yup. Still looks about right to me.
Nothing changed there.
I really like it. I'm with you on Kristatos being a bit weak, and the Thatcher stuff, but other than that it's a bloody good film. Great for Sir Rog to get a proper Fleming-esque adventure, too.
You know, as I always said for me even the “worst” Bond films always have lot of stuff to enjoy and FYEO is no exception.
My problems with this film are pretty solid, but at the same time there is really a lot of stuff to enjoy. I love the (more) grounded approach, I really love the Mediterranean vibe of the film. At the same time I feel that the overall direction by Glen is still not as good as his later efforts, the villain is quite forgettable, everything Bibi-related is kind of cringeworthy and most importantly the final confrontation after the cool climb is one of the most boring and rushed in the series, IMO. Then, last but not least, the PTS stands among one of the single most stupid things ever seen in a Bond film.
From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
Thunderball
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (despite of Lazenby)
GoldenEye
Casino Royale
Worst:
A View To A Kill (Moore too old)
Moonraker (after Bond went to the space)
Quantum Of Solace (too fast film fragments)
The Man With The Golden Gun (story too thin)
MAJOR
- From Russia With Love (classic film)
- Goldfinger (iconography, cultural impact, establishes majority of tropes)
- The Spy Who Loved Me (iconography, cultural impact)
- GoldenEye (revitalized series, a stark contrast to the films that came before)
- Casino Royale (ditto, will undoubtedly be held up as a classic for decades to come)
MINOR
- Diamonds are Forever (Same major players behind the camera, nothing noteworthy)
- Octopussy (Ditto)
- Moonraker (essentially TSWLM remake)
- Tomorrow Never Dies (pure formula)
- Spectre (lifeless formula and its attempts to subvert formula aren't compelling)
ODDITIES WORTHY OF STUDY
- On Her Majesty's Secret Service (obvious why this one goes here)
- Live and Let Die (blaxploitation, new era)
- A View to a Kill (age of MI6 regulars vs. their villains, thematic preoccupations)
- Die Another Day (metatextual analysis of it in a post-9/11 landscape is fascinating)
- Quantum of Solace (a true black sheep - unlike any other Bond film ever made)
FYEO is my cellar dweller.
Dr. No
Goldfinger
Moonraker
Casino Royale
Skyfall
WORST:
Diamonds Are Forever
Live and Let Die
The Man with the Golden Gun
A View to a Kill
Die Another Day
Best
From Russia With Love
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Goldfinger
Casino Royale
GoldenEye
Worst
Spectre
Die Another Day
Moonraker
A View To A Kill
Diamonds Are Forever
TSWLM is essentially a remake of YOLT...
It is, but it's far better. More iconic, better paced, visually sumptuous, better action. And it's probably the only Moore film that had a true cultural impact and captured the imagination of the contemporary audience.
The only thing YOLT has on it is the score.
^:)^
^^This^^
edit: And obviously I'm not assessing quality -- I love MR and OP a lot and they're in the minor category.
Best
Casino Royale
Quantum of Solace
Licence to Kill
From Russia With Love
On her Majesties Secret Service
worst
Die another Day
Diamonds Are Forever
Spectre
A View to a Kill
Moonraker
and btw I don't Hate Moore or Brosnan as 2 films from each of them rank quite high with me (For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy and Goldeneye and The World is not enough are both up there)
5 Worst -- in no particular order
License to Kill -- looked cheap; awful script wasted T Dalton with a tv movie-of-the-week-cop-goes-outside-the-rules-to-get-the-drug-lord story; ridiculous leading lady jealousy content (what was this teen dream content doing here ? and involving Q in it, no less !) I and other fans-since-the-beginning had SO looked forward to a new Bond after the Roger Moore films took far too deep a dive into silliness, made a comeback, but then unfortunately had RM stick around too long, and then, and then...and then T Dalton was wasted with dull scripts. Of the two, LTK was even more disappointing.
The Man With the Golden Gun -- so cheap that Scaramanga didn't even have minions running the plant (they claimed modernity and efficiency); the ending was known at the beginning to an even more than usual degree; Bond changed clothes into those of the mannequin impossibly quickly; the mannequin was better dressed than Moore's Bond, reminding the audience that classic, timeless wardrobe is worth it and following the momentary trends looks dated sometimes by the time of release; the mannequin had a loaded gun; the sheriff awfully included in LALD RETURNS by way of RIDICULOUS coincidence and runs his corny mouth; the Javelin jump gets downgraded to a lesser vehicle because AMC had just stopped selling the better-looking, sporty Javelin -- but they miraculously found an AMC dealership in Thailand !!!; the henchman's post-death-of-mastermind threat at the end was just a joke, though not funny (it would have been funner for NikNak to remain on the island, somehow fixing necessary things, and now being the boss); the awwwful pun of the lady in the pool when introducing herself to Bond; the not-funny bit of the young kids beating the henchmen because the young kids had martial arts training; Bond being left behind by someone who was supposed to help him and look out for him; Bond -- again -- made to look serious and tough by slapping a lady whom he should have perceived as a possible ally; Mary Goodnight...oh, please...
Die Another Day -- some great stuff (such as the beginning) ruined by the rest. This often has occurred, but in this instance it was reeeeally poor. The CGI was horrrrrible, the film had multiple climaxes, the tsunami Bond rode conveniently lead him to the very spot where some minion on a snowmobile just happened to come along. Very disappointed that this was PB's last Bond film. His own The Thomas Crown Affair was farrrrr superior. He was a Bond-player who was enthusiastic throughout, stayed in great shape, and wanted to work with everyone to bring forth a Connery-Moore hybrid, who was ill-served by some poor scriptwriting, more and more as the films went by.
You Only Live Twice -- I think that some people who hold this one in high regard joined the party, so to speak, later than I. At the time, it was like a satire or spoof. The Bond producers did not need the Charles Feldman and the rest of the 1967 Casino Royale gang (released 45 days before YOLT) spoofing Bond -- because the "official" folks did it themselves ! For me, this one went past "some disappointing content but overall enjoyable" as so many Bond films can be described. Connery was not enthusiastic for much of it, understandably. It likely seemed inconceivable at the time, but taking a break and producing a better film later, after Connery went off and made some other high-quality films, got into better shape, and came back fresh, might have served them well. He looked greasy or sweaty in some portions, which was particularly noticeable considering how good he looked in all four prior films. Anticipation was high, Bond films still were on a BIG roll, the exotic aspects of going to Asia were a big and interesting draw, and the lair was impressive, but...Blofeld looked like someone cracked an egg. Even in the darkness, face unseen in prior glimpses, he appeared more phsically imposing. This guy was just....unhinged. It seemed that even without Bond he would have brought about his own ruination pretty soon. The fight at the Kobe docks was nice, and seemed influenced -- as was 1968's The Thomas Crown Affair -- by modern cinema, some of which was on display at Expo '67 (April-October 1967; yes, post-film production but creative things were happening). Also -- whenever Bond is saved and the villain vanquished by a helpful small army, it dilutes Bond's conflict with the villain. They did show some restraint and (within the Bond story's confines) "realism" with Bond being spotted and stopped before going into outer space. That constraint and realism were tossed later on in -- the next film on this list, which is ---
Moonraker -- the outrageousness prevailed, bigger than ever before or since. Bond in Space. Yes, he DID go up ! Oh, and Jaws returns and goes to space, too. Oh, and Jaws meets a cute fraulein -- in Brazil (hmmm...a little joke referencing the Nazis who took off for Brazil at the end of and just after WWII ?), and they fall instantly in mutual love, and she goes to space, too, and Jaws helps Bond, but Jaws and the Austrian/German Pippi Longstalkings get stuck in space on a damaged space station so it was a sacrifice play by Jaws, but then Bond tells Holly Goodhead -- waaaay too young for R Moore and despised him so much that her change of heart was not credible -- hey ! It's OK ! Jaws and the fraulein are not dead ! Yay ! It certainly had its moments. But they sure were outweighed by the dumb stuff. The film made a TON of money, but even the producers realized they'd gone quite far enough with all that and brought things back down to earth -- literally -- in FYEO, which was terrific, but for the dumb and unecessary and embarassing nonsense with the skater girl who offered herself sexually to Bond. ??? It really stuck out like a sore thumb since the rest of the film was right on.
Here's a positive note: There were other films with problems in plot, silliness-of-a-level-that-it-did-not-ruin-the-film-but-sure-spoiled-an-otherwise-fine-and-fun-film. I cannot really idenfity another one -- and there's been a bunch now -- that I would include as among the 5 worst. This might surprise some folks, considering:
Casino Royale the 1967 spoof
Parts quite good, most of it not. But it is a spoof, so that's the point, somewhat.
Never Say Never Again
Certainly the Eon folks already had remade some of their earlier films, so remaking TB did not offend me. I knew this was their legal limit. Connery actually seemed more enthusiastic and fit-for-his-age than he had been in YOLT. The music could not be the familiar Bond music, of course, but in its place the music was dull. Disappointing in that regard. The cast was great, the ending funny -- and it ended with Bond and the leading lady in water the way they're supposed to, even if only a pool !
Diamonds Are Forever
Many people poop on this one, but I can tell you that, at the time, with Connery back, it was great and it was fun. So an "extra" tire flew off the moon buggy ? Go with it. So Bond had the world's shortest tie for one scene ? Go with it. So you really don't know whether Blofeld was killed ? That's the way to do it !
Octopussy
Many people poop on this one, too, but: the leading lady is age-and-experience-appropriate, it has exotic settings, the Tarzan yell was a distractor but only momentarily, and, at the time, it was fun and enjoyable. It provided the Bond film exotic locales and thrills that NSNA did not deliver as well as did OP.
SPECTRE
Many people criticize this one, too, and with the stolen-from-Austin-Powers-evil-brother storyline, it is ripe for criticism. Bond shoots down a moving helicopter from a moving boat with a handgun, when a slight script revision could have placed a rocket-firing-device on that boat in as much time as it took me just now to write that phrase. But overall it was enjoyable, fun and Bond gets to ride off into the sunset with the leading lady !
5 Best -- in no particular order
This is a TOUGH list to make ! I am sure that each time I prepare it I might change it.
From Russia With Love
It is difficult not to include the first one, but FRWL really is a better film. Everything was new and fresh and fantastic and fun at the time, and you just cannot separate those feelings from how one regards the film.
Thunderball
A big Bond film ! But not big like Bond-in-Space big. The underwater stuff was slow and some of it ran too long. It is not, by any means, a brilliant film, but it is very good. Bond looked great. The cast was great. The locations were gorgeous and a huge improvemt over Kentucky in GF. The director of the first two was back -- at least, for most of the production -- and it's too bad Sylvia Trench was not brought back, too. The proper ending -- Bond and the lady lead on the water -- was back, though, unfortunately, and for the sake of a stunt, she and he did not let their rescuers take off while they continued to celebrate on the raft. Damn that interruptus ! The music was fantastic -- a big, bombastic Bond theme with beautiful, lush orchestral music throughout. The credits were the first time they used that style and were sexy and cool and semi-psychedelic. The plot was smart but for using the bomb to collect money, as opposed, say, to sowing political turmoil somewhere, butL sowing political turmoil already was the goal in DN, FRWL, and financial turmoil in GF. At the time it seemed right, and SPECTRE was very much about the dollar.
The Spy Who Loved Me
Back to big-budget Bond and it showed ! Great cast, great locations, big evil plot ! Huge fun, a significant step up from LALD and TMWTGG -- not just steps up, but whole flights up ! As with Connery, the cool car shows up in his third film. How cool ? Cool enough that if there were a pause between the producers and Aston Martin, seeing Lotus return would be fine. I still remember seeing the poster -- with a new sort of artwork and it looked dreamy -- the first time in a theater lobby, late at night, walking past a closed theater, and seeing it: It's Bond, and Beyond ! And that described it well ! It was truly anticipated not merely as the next film, or for a new Bond (as with LALD), but because it looked big, bold and exciting and you just knew it would deliver !
Casino Royale
Back to the real-world Bonds -- as real as it gets for Bond. Following the book and the stuff added is great. Heartfelt, with an OHMSS-type ending but with a satisfying Bond-is-coming-after-the-evil-doers ending after the emotional scene. I really enjoyed how they stretched out bringing back the gun-barrel sequence (GBS) over several films. Bond already was a double-0, but it was as if he had to earn back the GBS, and I liked that.
Skyfall
How did Bond largely losing come out so entertaining ? A great one, and I'll refrain from listing the positives since they very much echo notes made above.
Nearly:
Dr. No
There's nothing else like the first. Cool hero. Cool music. Great style ! The first M, armorer, Moneypenny and Bond interplays. Bond plays around -- with Sylvia Trench -- before he has to show up for work. The first self-introduction by Bond, and it really came from him imitating -- I'd say not mockingly, but confidently flirthingly -- Ms. Trench's own introduction of herself as "Trench, Sylvia Trench." Gorgeous locations. Great action. Extraordinary villain. Bond endures difficult circumstances in escaping confinement and getting to the villain. The spider ! An outstanding lady lead with a spine ! Slam-bang ending. Bond and the lady lead on the water at the end, and declining to be rescued so as to play around some more instead. But, yes, an awful, terribly noticeable "fetch my shoes" line that should have been excised from Fleming's source material.
Goldfinger
The first big scope Bond blockbuster ! Perhaps the single best pre-credits sequence of all ! I don't include among the top 5 -- much less spot No. 1, as many have given it through the years, with good reason -- because I find it a little dull in the Kentucky time, other than inside Goldfinger's mansion and inside Fort Knox. An average mid-American roadway with a KFC in the background is a boring, decidedly non-exotic scene. Perhaps the Miami Beach scenes did not look glamorous to me because the poolside set was so fake and stagey looking ! Switzerland looked nice, but a lot of that setting was in an industrial facility. Logical, plotwise, but not the glamorous part of Switzerland. The first film to end with Bond and the lady lead NOT on the water, though they were near it and they were properly celebrating having prevailed and being alive. Also -- the villain was a guy who would not normally be a physical threat to Bond was genuinely threatening - with a pistol in contained quarters, and his death was a satisfyingly Fleming-esque scene, as with Dr. No and Red Grant. It was a rare occasion when the post-resolution last-minute threat came not from a henchman (who just would NOT go away !) but from the big villain himself ! Why did Auric G kill one gangster at a remote location -- with much effort and transportation, even -- when he was going to kill the bunch anyway ? OK, so he didn't want to kill the rest too soon, or kill the one in front of the others, but - take him out to the back 40 and shoot him, right ? Oh, and a Ford Ranchero carrying the weight of an entire crushed vehicle and the tires don't even flatten ? On the other hand, irradiating the gold in Fort Knox rather than carrying it away -- as in the book -- made a significant improvement over the book. Very impressive.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Better for not having Connery, and the producers giving a lot of free rein to Peter Hunt, the director. Beyond that -- not much need to go on. A great film in so many ways.
Goldeneye
Falls down at the end. A freeze frame ? Ugh...and slow motion would make its way in starting with the next film. Bond and his lady lead sorrounded by Marines instead of having a lovely Cuban beach for some sexy celebration time ? Ugh. That song at the end ? Ugh. But the rest is great. The bungee jump stunt at the beginning is magnificent. The Janus storyline is superb. This was another film that gets a boost in regard due to the fact people waited so long for it, and it delivered.
I guess, overall, I'd say that some films have too much weak content compared with the good stuff, and some films are all or nearly all good stuff, and some of the films still get a boost due to circumstances of release -- first film, new Bond, long wait, and so on. I enjoy each and every one.
A little thing: I see many criticize the scene where Bond shoots down a helicopter from a moving boat. I was in the navy, and one of the things we rehearsed a lot was shooting down moving targets in the air from a moving boat. Some plane from the Air Force would drag a "sausage" as we called it after itself, quite a long distance for safety measures. Still, we used ammunition that would destroy the target, but not a plane. That Bond of all people could pull that off, with some skill and luck combined, is absolutely not unbelievable. Sure, different boat and different artillery and all, but still.
The calibre of a PPK is simply not enough to shoot down a helicopter from that distance. A powerful rifle round of higher calibre could do it, but not with the gun he was using. That's why that scene was unbelievable.
All right, so I misunderstood the complaints. Thanks for setting that straight. Still, what does it matter. When have Bond films ever been scientifically 100% correct?
-DN
-FRWL
-GF
-TB
-OHMSS
Worst 5:
-YOLT
-DAF
-OP
-LTK
-DAD
I had just assumed the bullet entered the exhaust and ricocheted into a turbine gear or something like that...
But it was in SP, so it needs extra hate and criticism.
OHMSS
GF
CR
FRWL
TSWLM
Worst:
MR
SP
DAD
DAF
AVTAK