Does each Bond film has one category in which it is the best of the franchise?

GBFGBF
in Bond Movies Posts: 3,197
I have this question in mind for some time now. I am not sure if there has already been a similar threat. The categories can be serious or less serious and can of course be fully subjective.

01. Dr. No.: Best Bond introduction.
02. From Russia with love: Best Bond fight / Plot / Bond ally.
03. Goldfinger: Best Villain / Bond performance / Secondary Bond girl / Henchman.
04. Thunderball: Best femme fatale / best underwater fight / SPECTRE meeting
05. You only live twice: Best Villain lair / Climax / Gadget.
06. On her majesty's secret service: Best Blofeld / Moneypenny scene / best location.
07. Diamonds are forever: Best Elevator fight.
08. Live and let die: Best Title song / Animal stunt.
09. The man with the golden gun: best car stunt.
10. The spy who loved me: best stunt.
11. Moonraker: best space sequences.
12. For your eyes only: Best Bond kill / Ski chase.
13. Octopussy: Best Opening after PTS.
14. A View to a kill: Best score / horse race.
15. Living Daylights: Best PTS / car chase.
16. Licence to Kill: Best Felix Leiter.
17. Golden Eye: best title sequence / Action.
18. Tomorrow never dies: best minor henchman / motorcycle chase.
19. The World is not enough: best boat chase / female main villain.
20. Die another day: Best sword fight.
21. Casino Royal: Best Bond girl / Direction.
22. Quantum of Solace: Best opera scene.
23. Skyfall: Best cinematography.
24. Spectre: Best crater sequences.
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Comments

  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    DAD: Best invisible car.
    DAF: Best cross-dressing character.
    SF: Best wig (Silva)
    AVTAK: Best retirement home daytrip (at the horse races)
    LALD: Best voodoo Bond
  • Posts: 4,325

    Admirable, but some changes in bold.

    01. Dr. No.: Best Bond introduction.
    02. From Russia with love: Best Bond fight / Plot / Bond ally.
    03. Goldfinger: Best Villain /
    04. Thunderball: / SPECTRE meeting
    05. You only live twice: Best Villain lair / Best score
    06. On her majesty's secret service: Best Blofeld / Moneypenny scene / best location / Best action / Best ski chase
    07. Diamonds are forever: Best one liners
    08. Live and let die: Animal stunt.
    09. The man with the golden gun: best car stunt.
    10. The spy who loved me: Henchman.
    11. Moonraker: Best death of an ally - Corinne
    12. For your eyes only: Best Bond kill /
    13. Octopussy: Best Opening after PTS.
    14. A View to a kill: / horse race.
    15. Living Daylights: Best PTS
    16. Licence to Kill: Best Bond/M scene
    17. Golden Eye: best femme fatale Best stunt - bungee jump
    18. Tomorrow never dies:motorcycle chase.
    19. The World is not enough: best boat chase / female main villain.
    20. Die another day: Best sword fight.
    21. Casino Royale: Best Bond girl / Direction /Bond performance / Best Felix Leiter Best Title sequence Best dialogue between Bond and main Bond girl - train sequence
    22. Quantum of Solace: Best car chase/ Best Elevator fight
    23. Skyfall: Best cinematography / Best title song / best underwater fight
    24. Spectre: Best Bond confronts woman scene - with Lucia

  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    @tanaka123

    I am OK with most of your changes, maybe except for the elevator fights :-)
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    Isn't opinion a strange thing - I would put the M/Bond scene in LTK as the worst.

    ;)
  • Posts: 4,325
    NicNac wrote: »
    Isn't opinion a strange thing - I would put the M/Bond scene in LTK as the worst.

    ;)

    Yes what was I thinking, the best M/Bond scene is in GoldenEye @NicNac
  • GagReathleGagReathle France
    edited July 2016 Posts: 38
    I guess I would say Skyfall for this category! But the whole movie is about the relationship between M and Bond, I really liked that I must say.
  • Mendes4LyfeMendes4Lyfe The long road ahead
    Posts: 8,399
    I don't think QoS does.
  • Posts: 2,341
    Good points made here. Yes, each film even the ones that we love to hate: (MR, DAF) have something to recommend them.

    DAF has the best one liners
    MR that incredible and exciting PTS (despite all the love that TSWLM gets in this category I think the skydiving scene beats the ski jump hands down)
    DAD That sword fight

    QoS this film is just so "out there". I can only think of things that make it a "worst" in several categories. Weak villain, uninspired Bond Girl, sorry all over the map plot and crappy editing, chicken shit henchman. There is so little I find to recommend this film. It is not the worst Bond film (there are so many more that are more painful to watch) but I just can't get behind any elements of this film.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    OHMSS69 wrote: »
    Good points made here. Yes, each film even the ones that we love to hate: (MR, DAF) have something to recommend them.



    QoS this film is just so "out there". I can only think of things that make it a "worst" in several categories. Weak villain, uninspired Bond Girl, sorry all over the map plot and crappy editing, chicken shit henchman. There is so little I find to recommend this film. It is not the worst Bond film (there are so many more that are more painful to watch) but I just can't get behind any elements of this film. [

    I have a similar problem with Spectre. Not that it is totally bad but it is hard to find a category where it can win over all the others.
  • GagReathleGagReathle France
    Posts: 38
    For QoS, I don't know if it would be the BEST scene of the saga, but I think the Opera sequence is one of the best espionnage scene. I really liked it because it felt like an old Bond in some way. Real espionnage.
    And the action scene who follows is also really good though.

    It's one of the reasons why I think QoS could have been a great Bond if it would had been well-written and less epileptic.
  • ThunderpussyThunderpussy My Secret Lair
    Posts: 13,384
    Just to go against the current ;)
    I found the opera scene ( action, intercut with opera music, with a little slow motion ) a
    Cliché of film making. Much as I like QOS (and I do) this scene, seems to be trying too
    Hard to be "Art house"
  • GagReathleGagReathle France
    Posts: 38
    Worked on me, I guess, haha.
  • Don't really see how LTK David Hedison is the best Felix. Is it just because he got fed to the shark? He doesn't do anything for the rest of the film.

    01. Dr. No.: Best Bond introduction and best Felix Leiter
    02. From Russia with love: Best atmosphere of suspense
    03. Goldfinger: Best henchman and best Bond girl death and best title sequence
    04. Thunderball: Best femme fatale
    05. You only live twice: Best villain lair and best Blofeld and best score
    06. On her majesty's secret service: Best ski chase and best car chase
    07. Diamonds are forever: Best elevator fight
    08. Live and let die: Best deathtrap escape and best gadget
    09. The man with the golden gun: Best dinner scene
    10. The spy who loved me: Best stunt
    11. Moonraker: Best 'ridiculous ending scene'
    12. For your eyes only: Best Bond girl
    13. Octopussy: Best bomb sequence and secondary henchmen
    14. A View to a kill: Best title song
    15. Living Daylights: Best romance
    16. Licence to Kill: Best villain/Bond chemistry and best large action set-piece
    17. Golden Eye: Best climax and best villain ensemble and best one-liner
    18. Tomorrow never dies: Best 'Bond at mercy' scene
    19. The World is not enough: Best boat chase
    20. Die another day: Best Bond 'transformation' (during PTS)
    21. Casino Royal: Best Bond performance and foot chase
    22. Quantum of Solace: Best 'Bond one-ups the villains' scene
    23. Skyfall: Best cinematography and best inspirational scene (Tennyson)
    24. Spectre: Best PTS
  • NicNacNicNac Administrator, Moderator
    Posts: 7,582
    tanaka123 wrote: »
    NicNac wrote: »
    Isn't opinion a strange thing - I would put the M/Bond scene in LTK as the worst.

    ;)

    Yes what was I thinking, the best M/Bond scene is in GoldenEye @NicNac

    Yes, that was a very good one. Well acted, well written. FRWL, DAF, TMWTGG are others I like.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    @IncompetentHenchman

    agree now, I was overestimating his injury for sure. I find it difficult to compare the different Leiters. I never actually cared too much about them as I do for other allies.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    DAD: Best invisible car.
    DAF: Best cross-dressing character.
    SF: Best wig (Silva)
    AVTAK: Best retirement home daytrip (at the horse races)
    LALD: Best voodoo Bond

    All very important categoeris, don't you think? :-) Can you find any for the other films, too?
  • SzonanaSzonana Mexico
    edited July 2016 Posts: 1,130
    01. Dr. No.: Best Bond introduction.
    02. From Russia with love: Best Bond fight
    03. Goldfinger: Best Henchman/ Best Car
    04. Thunderball: best underwater fight / SPECTRE meeting
    05. You only live twice: Best Villain lair
    06. On her majesty's secret service: Best Blofeld / Moneypenny scene, yes M finally appreciating her work out loud was a nice touch.
    07. Diamonds are forever: Best Elevator fight/ Best Car chase
    08. Live and let die: Animal stunt.
    09. The man with the golden gun: best car stunt.
    10. The spy who loved me: best stunt.
    11. Moonraker: best space sequences.
    12. For your eyes only: Best Bond kill / Ski chase.
    13. Octopussy: Best Opening after PTS.
    14. A View to a kill: Best score / horse race.
    15. Living Daylights: Best Dalton performance as Bond.
    16. Licence to Kill: Best Felix Leiter.
    17. Golden Eye: best title sequence / Action/ Best Femme Fatale
    18. Tomorrow never dies: best minor henchman / motorcycle chase/ Best Love Scene Bond and Paris Carver
    19. The World is not enough: best boat chase / female main villain/ Best Romance even though Bond didn't admit so he felt for elektra and the chemistry between Pierce and Sophie was great.
    20. Die another day: Best sword fight.
    21. Casino Royal: Best Bond girl / Direction.
    22. Quantum of Solace: Best opera scene.
    23. Skyfall: Best cinematography.
    24. Spectre: Best PTS
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    So which car chase do you prefer, DAF or TLD?
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited July 2016 Posts: 15,718
    DAD has the best surf scene (the PTS one, of course). Very cool cue from David Arnold during this sequence.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    True, especially since it is the only one in the franchise as far as I remember. I mean except for the other one in the same film...
  • SzonanaSzonana Mexico
    Posts: 1,130
    GBF wrote: »
    So which car chase do you prefer, DAF or TLD?

    Diamonds that car getting in such a reduced space was something really cool, that stunt during the chace was great

  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    It is also one of my favourites...
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    edited August 2016 Posts: 7,134
    I'll give this a shot:

    DN: best casino scene
    FRWL: best henchman
    GF: best Bond car
    TB: best femme fatale
    YOLT: best production design
    OHMSS: best music score
    DAF: best title song
    LALD: best epilogue
    TMWTGG: best villain
    TSWLM: best underwater fight
    MR: best boat chase
    FYEO: best best Q scene
    OP: best non-gadget car
    AVTAK: best climax
    TLD: best after credits scene
    LTK: best stunts
    GE: best pre-title sequence
    TND: best quip
    TWINE: best attire
    DAD: best sword fight
    CR: best Bond girl
    QOS: best ally
    SF: best cinematography
    SP: best redeemed villain

    The last one might be a stretch but I think most of these are defendable.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    A good list but do you like Matthis more in QoS than in Casino?
  • GoldenGunGoldenGun Per ora e per il momento che verrà
    Posts: 7,134
    GBF wrote: »
    A good list but do you like Matthis more in QoS than in Casino?

    I like him in both films, but in QOS his relationship with 007 is more ally-like.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    That sounds reasonable. I just did not like his death scene.. Thought Matthis was also a bit underused in QoS.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    DN best introduction to a Bond actor

    FRWL best script

    GF most iconic

    TB best Bond performance

    YOLT best villain's lair and end-game

    OHMSS best movie

    DAF best comedy

    LALD most suspenseful

    TMWTGG best villain

    TSWLM most romantic

    MR best OTT film

    FYEO best down to earth film

    OP most exotic

    AVTAK best Bond song

    TLD best score

    LTK best violence

    GE best chase sequence (tank)

    TND best contemporary plot (media mogul manipulating and creating news)

    TWINE best plot twist (Elektra turning out to be the baddie)

    DAD best Bond car

    CR best Bond girl

    QOS best action

    SF best cinematography

    SP best look (design, clothes, sets, locations)
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    DN best introduction to a Bond actor

    FRWL best script

    GF most iconic

    TB best Bond performance

    YOLT best villain's lair and end-game

    OHMSS best movie

    DAF best comedy

    LALD most suspenseful

    TMWTGG best villain

    TSWLM most romantic

    MR best OTT film

    FYEO best down to earth film

    OP most exotic

    AVTAK best Bond song

    TLD best score

    LTK best violence

    GE best chase sequence (tank)

    TND best contemporary plot (media mogul manipulating and creating news)

    TWINE best plot twist (Elektra turning out to be the baddie)

    DAD best Bond car

    CR best Bond girl

    QOS best action

    SF best cinematography

    SP best look (design, clothes, sets, locations)

    quiet feasible.. Nice to see that you also like Barry's later scores.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    Clutching at straws on quite a few of these aren't you?
    LALD most suspenseful

    It has the finger snipping scene and crocodile scene I suppose but other than that....? The whole Orient Express sequence in FRWL, bomb countdown in GF, ski escape in OHMSS, everything in Germany in OP (009 escaping and the bomb countdown) and the poker game in CR surely have far stronger claims?
    TSWLM most romantic

    Bland Anya and fairly bog standard Bond/Bond girl relationship (Sergei aside, which is basically one scene and 30 seconds at the end v Tracy and Vesper??!?!
    FYEO best down to earth film

    I sense you were starting to struggle here given the vagueness of the category but FRWL, OHMSS, CR and QOS have just as valid claims for being films that are down to earth by MR/DAD standards.
    AVTAK best Bond song

    Matter of taste I suppose but sounds like you couldnt find another category that AVTAK stood a chance in so opted for this.
    TLD best score

    See AVTAK above. All the 60's Bonds (sans DN) plus DAF have as good a claim if not better I would say.
    TND best contemporary plot (media mogul manipulating and creating news)

    I would suggest a film about a bad guy on a Carribbean island toppling American rockets released only 8 days before the Cuban Missile Crisis is about as up to date as you can get (would be interesting to do a study of what effect the convenient timing of the Cuban Missile Crisis for EON had on DN's box office) - although in the US it was 6 months later.
    TWINE best plot twist (Elektra turning out to be the baddie)

    Hmm. Apart from the fact you can see it coming a mile off I guess Bond films aren't known for their twists so possibly. Although Tracy getting a bullet in the head and Vesper being a double are bigger shocks.
    DAD best Bond car

    I'd like to think you're just talking about the Vanquish as a car because if you're including the invisibility as well then you're just plain wrong. As a car it's gorgeous but when Cleese wheels it out on that trolley my heart plunged that the wheels really were coming off the film in spectacular style.
    QOS best action

    Possibly quantity of action but best? Really? The opening car chase (when you can make out what is going on) and the rope fight are excellent but after that? A very dull and superfluous boat chase. A reasonable plane dogfight ruined by atrocious CGI freefall sequence; actually there's no need for me to continue any further. Any film that pisses all over BJ Worth and Jake Lombard with shitty CGI can't even be in the shortlist for best action.
    SP best look (design, clothes, sets, locations)

    Design, sets and locations - if it ain't Ken Adam it ain't the best. Simples.

    Clothes - Maddies dress on the train isn't bad but Dan's shrink fit suits? No ta.

    A few you might have gone with for the above films that make a bit more sense:

    LALD - Best boat chase? I know JW's antics are rather grating but it's this or TWINE. Best use of animals in a Bond film? Snakes and crocodiles galore.

    TSWLM - Best PTS? Perhaps not but its definitely right up there. Best single stunt then? Personally I prefer the TLD cargo net but you couldn't really argue with anyone who opted for Rick Sylvester.

    FYEO - Hmm. This is one of the problems with FYEO. It's a solid 7 out of 10 across the board with nothing really standing out as amazing. Good car chase and ski chase but not the best. Good Bond performance but not the best. Good Bond girl but not the best. Good allies but not the best. It's the James Milner of Bond films - very solid, unlikely to totally f**k up but hardly likely to take the game by the scruff of the neck when you are 3-0 down.
    Best use of a parrot? Best comedy cameo of a Prime Minister? How about best reference to Tracy post OHMSS?

    AVTAK - Getting pretty difficult now as AVTAK is a rather tired effort with nothing standing out. Best piece of action music that isn't the Bond theme for 'He's dangerous'? Best use of a real landmark for the Golden Gate finale?

    TLD - Most Fleming-esque portrayal of Bond? Best stunt for the cargo net? Best PTS? Best adaptation of Fleming for the sniper sequence? Best Bond car? There's plenty of options to go for here where TLD would be right up there and challenging for the top.

    TND - Now we're into Brozza territory it's going to be tough. Best segue into the title sequence? Best end credits song? After that? It's solid enough but nothing standout. Best bike chase maybe?

    TWINE - I suppose it's certainly in the frame for best boat chase and possibly best PTS but again after that we're struggling.

    DAD - Best nonchalant moment from Bond as he kicks the sword at the camera? There's nothing else I can come up with I'm afraid.

    QOS - Most brutal moment from Bond as he calmly holds Slate down and let's him bleed out? Most stylish sequence for the opera scene? Maybe best car chase?


  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,197
    @Wizardofice

    FYEO: Best Bond kill (Loque), best climbing scene (it is probably the only one), I also think that the ski chase is better than in Majesty's. I mean it is the same crew just 12 years more experienced. OK maybe the score is better in the OHMSS ski chase but the stunt work is more amazing in FYEO as is the cinematography. One could also question whether FYEO has overall the best action sequences. It certainly has the best overall stunt work: amazing helicopter stunts in the PTS, lots of car stunts, lots of ski and amazing motor cycle stunts, some underwater stunts and last but not least the amazing free fall stunt in the rock climbing scene.


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