All the Bond films ranked - is Casino Royale the best ever?
Casino Royale tries to reign at #1!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qiabtsvtj48&t=174s
Absolutely not! Here is the actual correct order for anyone who is interested:-
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Goldfinger
Moonraker
The Spy Who Loved Me
You Only Live Twice
The Man with the Golden Gun
Dr No
Octopussy
Die Another Day
Live and Let Die
Thunderball
Tomorrow Never Dies
A View To a Kill
Goldeneye
Diamonds Are Forever
For Your Eyes Only
The Living Daylights
Casino Royale
From Russia With Love
Skyfall
The World is Not Enough
Licence to Kill
Quantum of Solace
As you can see Casino Royale sits very near to the bottom. In fact it's only really the utterly boring ones and the absurd Skyfall which lie below it.
For an actually correct order, it's got From Russia with Love pretty low and Moonraker awfully high...
Quantum at dead last is dead correct, though.
mmm, I could possibly reassess that to place FRWL above CR, TLD and FYEO but that's as far as it could go. It's not classic formula Bond for me.
Moonraker is one of the best, don't allow Craig apologists to try and downgrade it for you. Absolutely massive at the time, the action is relentlessly and an attempting re-entry finish! What more could you want? Craig punching some goons in a toilet?
I saw Moonraker long before Craig was Bond, so there were no apologists when I decided that this was just bad stuff. It ended with a laser gun fight. It tried to shoe-horn a Star Wars knockoff into the middle of a Bond picture.
For me, the best Bonds are the ones that find the balance between the serious and the silly. I enjoy the quips, the style, the gadgets, and the fun entertainment, but I don't like it when it starts getting into laser gun fights.
mmm, I don't know - I don't think that the space ending (obviously attempting re-entry not withstanding π) was played out in a particularly silly manner or for laughs.
Yeah sure it cashed in on the prevailing cultural thing of the time but no different from LALD or TMWTGG in that regard. And really that ending is no different from the ending of TSWLM.
That's one of the things I find hilarious about certain Bond fans - I swear I've read some people say that they love TSWLM yet will happily trash Moonraker:-
A guy going to destroy humanity and build a new civilization up from his underwater new Atlantis - that's ok β
A guy going to destroy humanity and build a new civilization up from his space station new Atlantis - that's utterly absurd!!
Each to their own but to my eyes they're the both the Crown Jewels of the Bond formula films.
Moonraker made a ton of money, but had a huge budget. The movie is just pure fun. You can't take it seriously.
shareI don't think you should take any Bond film seriously.
e.g. In TSWLM you've got that hilarious scene where that woman drives up in her sports car and winks across at Sir Roger - it's totally absurd! Same with "I have a message for you". "I think you just delivered it"! And then the classic "Keeping the British end up!". The actual action though was never played for laughs in either film (well maybe apart from getting Jaws to smile to grab him with that giant magnet!). Plus Moonraker has that really dark "release the hounds" scene - hammer horror-esque that bit.
I think Moonraker is just such an excellently produced movie. If I watched ten Bond movies in a row they are all done very well but for some reason Moonraker is a standout.
shareI'm sorry, but calling Moonraker "one of the best" immediately disqualifies your ability to rank movies. It's not only the worst Bond movie, it ranks WAY DOWN on the list of ALL movies. LOL
From Russia with Love was the best pure spy movie, and the last one until For Your Eyes Only. On Her Majesty's Secret Service was pretty much a pure spy movie, but Lazenby's performance is quite lame compared to either Connery or Moore. I have to have any desire at all to watch a movie again to consider it a good movie.
Sadly, Goldfinger was a good spy movie right up to the ridiculous battle sequence at the end, a trend which continued with the silly SCUBA battle at the end of Thunderball ... nonsense which dominated far too many Bond films thereafter. The MOST STUPID and ridiculous of those sequences was in Moonraker.
You're entitled to enjoy most what you enjoy most, but I'd be careful about sharing a shitty list like that and exposing yourself. LOL
...Sadly, Goldfinger was a good spy movie right up to the ridiculous battle sequence at the end, a trend which continued with the silly SCUBA battle at the end of Thunderball ... nonsense which dominated far too many Bond films thereafter. The MOST STUPID and ridiculous of those sequences was in Moonraker.
Lol indeed.
I love this because you're basically saying you don't like the "trend" of Bond films and what they were.
I recently rewatched FRWL (one of the few Bond films I didn't own) and it was pretty much as boring as I recalled.
Moonraker and TSWLM were peak Bond and peak Moore. Their box office sustained Bond at the time following the fall off from the late Connery films & OHMSS.
I also like how you discuss "exposing yourself". I guess if you did a list you'd place the hated at the time (but Craig apologist revived) Dalton efforts and the crappy Bond genre destroying (note they had to kill him off in the last film as a gimmick) Craig films which basically have zero percent rewatch value.
The evolution of the Connery films, Moore's and Brosnan's represent the peak artistic moments of the cinematic Bond experience. The films at the top of my list represent that fun, re-watchable classic status of Bond films.
I find it hard to believe anyone's genuinely loving and rewatching Casino Royale, QoS, etc... And I'd feel sorry for anyone claiming to, simply through fear of "exposing" oneself. share
I don't blame you bailing on Daniel Craig..he was good in the first Casino Royale but nothing since. Have you seen Never say Never again?
shareYou put DAD above Goldeneye and Casino Royal? Madness!
Actual list of quality level:
1. Goldeneye
2. From Russia With Love
3. Casino Royal
4. The Living Daylights
5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
6. Goldfinger
7. Thunderball
8. Dr No
9. You Only Live Twice
10. Tomorrow Never Dies
11. The Spy Who Loved Me
12. For Your Eyes Only
13. License to Kill
14. Live and Let Die
15. The World is Not Enough
16. Never Say Never Again
17. Moonraker
18. The Man with the Golden Gun
19. Octopussy
20. Quantum of Solace
21. Skyfall
22. Spectre
23. Die Another Day
24. Diamonds are Forever
DAD is a pretty decent Bond film - first half excellent - with a few issues around the much maligned CGI, Goldeneye was ok but suffered a bit with Robbie Coltrane / Sean Bean giving it a bit of a parochial feel.
Casino Royale on the other hand is utter garbage. A one trick pony designed to "enliven" a series which scarcely needed it after the success of DAD and, as things stand, took Bond down it's current path of sub-Borne irrelevance.
Anyone who rates Moonraker so lowly clearly has no love of the James Bond film franchise and what it represented at it's pinnacle.
Although to be fair, I see that with Casino Royale excepted, you rated the Daniel Craig efforts where they should be, i.e. near the bottom, so credit where it's due π
My ranking reflects a distaste for the Moore films . I don't like too much campy/goofy. Leave that for Austin Powers.
I will give DAD credit for a great opening but that's all.
I have to confess that I hold View to a Kill in a secret, personal higher ranking outside of the above, more pragmatic ranking. I recognize its many faults but it is my favorite Moore film even though I know many are better. Realistically, it should be #20 but I like it like it was #11. I left it out of the ranking by mistake as I subconsciously wrestled with its merit.
shareI've said this elsewhere but it's completely wrong to associate Austin Powers and Moore - YOLT is very much the prototype for the Bond that these films spoof.
Plus I'm not sure you can really dislike the campy/goofy aspect of Bond too much - you ranked Goldeneye as your favourite!
That's Goldeneye with Xenia Onatopp - who kills men by jumping on-a-top of them and crushing them with her thighs, whilst licking her lips (if I remember correctly?) plus that ridiculous Boris guy. Not campy/goofy? Shurely shome mishtake...
" I don't like too much campy/goofy" not " I don't like campy/goofy"
Moore and the slide whistle etc
I can relate to this list.
shareIβd put DAD above Goldeneye but not Casino Royale
shareNah I don't agree with this list.
shareNo Lazenby wasn't the best. It was Goldfinger with Sean Connery. He is the best James Bond.
On Her Majesty's Secret Service wasn't even close to being the best. Only 6.7 on IMDB. I guess Lazenby could've carved out a JB career. What happened to Lazenby? Scandal? Drugs?
It would've been interesting if he continued instead of Roger Moore.
Oh, I see on IMDB it's Casino Royale with an 8. I would rank some of those less that a 7 around a 7. They seemed exciting watching it in a movie theater.
Each to their own but I certainly wouldn't take imdb's ratings as any arbiter of quality.
I do have Goldfinger pretty high up there as well, although, for me, Moore was the best Bond.
It's actually a bit of an anomaly me having OHMSS at the top as I prefer the more fun Bond films and have no love at all for Craig / Dalton's efforts. Yet OHMSS's humour is also pretty stilted where there is any, e.g. Lazenby's one liner delivery is as flat as Dalton's.
It's not an arbiter of quality, but I use it to see which ones are the most popular and most of the time quality factors into it. Also, the excitement. I think one has to suspend their belief in watching these films, and if you can't accept something happening on the screen, then it takes away the enjoyment. I admit I haven't seen all of the Bond films, e.g. Casino Royale spoof, or don't remember them too well, e.g. Licence to Kil.
It seems a lot depends on whether you like the actor playing Bond. More credibility? For example, George Lazenby did an okay job and was offered more Bond films, but then he destroyed his own career as Bond by saying it didn't fit the Hippie culture of the 60s - 70s. I hated him after hearing that. What an idiot.
I probably couldn't watch more than two Bond films at-a-time now, but may do so if they are five best ones. Those would be Goldfinger, Casino Royale, From Russia with Love, The Spy who Loved Me, and Skyfall. One could probably toss in OHMSS, Goldeneye, and Thunderball to that list.
What happened to Lazenby is Connery agreed to come back for Diamonds are Forever, and then Roger Moore was available. They wanted Moore earlier, but he was under contract to The Saint and the producers wouldn't let him out.
A similar situation happened with Brosnan and Remington Steele. The Remington Steele producers smelled publicity for their series when the Bond talk started, so they kept him under contract for a very bad final season of Remington Steele. By that time he and Stephanie Zimbalist got along so poorly they virtually never shared a scene in the season five movie series.
So we got Timothy Dalton for two films, and I wish it had been more than two. To me Dalton portrayed a serious side that I'd expect in a character who's supposed to be a cold-blooded assassin.
Having recently purchased (in order to complete my non Daniel Craig collection), and now watched FRWL, TLD, LTK, Goldeneye and TWINE, I would now update this definitive ranking to the following:-
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Goldfinger
Moonraker
The Spy Who Loved Me
You Only Live Twice
The Man with the Golden Gun
Dr No
Octopussy
Die Another Day
Live and Let Die
Thunderball
Tomorrow Never Dies
A View To a Kill
Goldeneye
Diamonds Are Forever
For Your Eyes Only
The Living Daylights
Licence to Kill
Casino Royale
From Russia With Love
Skyfall
The World is Not Enough
Quantum of Solace
Basically a slight promotion for Licence to Kill and demotion for FRWL.
The last time I tried to watch LTK I couldn't face continuing past the electric eel warehouse. However persevering this time it did develop into something resemble a Bond film and the extended part for Q was enjoyable. Not quite as good as TLD but a reasonable follow up.
TWINE was excruciating viewing once again. In fact if was ever to watch QoS again, there may be a chance I'd ranking it the worst Bond film I've seen.
Just over half way through a rewatch of For Your Eyes Only and after fairly recently rewatching the Dalton films, I have to be objectively honest here and say they both deserve to be placed above the worst of the Sir Roger films.
For Your Eyes Only is pretty poor in it's first hour. The Blofeld but he's not referenced being used for a pre-title cheap gag sequence was a mistake. Plus he's bald again. Is he Terry Savalas again? If so, why didn't they get Terry Savalas to do the voice at least?
Then the late 70s disco music is sh-t. It's not even Bond themed, like in Moonraker or TSWLM, it's just sh-tty disco music.
Then Sir Roger's wardrobe in this one is an absolute disgrace. It's the worst dressed he appears in any Bond film in the entire series. I expanded upon this in another thread on the FYEO board but it looks like he is wearing old man C&A menswear from the early eighties. He doesn't look cool or suave or anything like that, he simply reminds me of my grandad who absolutely had casual wear gillets and a navy blazer pretty much exactly like he's wearing in this one. It's just embarrassing really.
Then you've got Bibi. Easily the worst Bond girl (if we can even call her that, as she was obviously way to young for Sir Roger to be paired with) choice in the series - perhaps rivaled by Denise Richards but even then I'm not sure...
Then all the guys randomly trying whack Bond - the Ice Hockey players probably being the best example.
Just a really poor film. Even compared to A View To A Kill, in which he was well past his sell by date in...
So revised, correct order is:-
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Goldfinger
Moonraker
The Spy Who Loved Me
You Only Live Twice
The Man with the Golden Gun
Dr No
Octopussy
Die Another Day
Live and Let Die
Thunderball
Tomorrow Never Dies
A View To a Kill
Goldeneye
Diamonds Are Forever
The Living Daylights
Licence to Kill
For Your Eyes Only
Casino Royale
From Russia With Love
Skyfall
The World is Not Enough
Quantum of Solace
Youβre smart enough to realize that On Her Majestyβs Secret Service (1969) was one of the best, if not the top.
Which makes your utterly ridiculous rankings of the rest so frustrating.
From Russia With Love (the Best Connery), FYEO (the best Moore), Goldeneye, TWINE, Casino, Skyfall are on all in the lower half?
Ridiculous.
Theyβre all below AVTAK & Die Another Day?!
Absurd.
I donβt understand your criteria, but subjective or not, itβs most definitely wrong.
OHMSS is probably something of an anomaly in terms of my Bond tastes, hence your confusion.
It's certainly entertaining but I also generally think Bond films should be fun.
Your Connery and Moore "best" selections are only universally those of Daniel Craig apologists, attempting to find some kind of kinship elsewhere in the series. This behaviour usually also includes stating Timothy Dalton as one of the best Bonds and saying his films were "ahead of their time", even although his reception at this time was, at best, lukewarm and his films performed at the bottom of the Bond pile at the box office.
The other fun thing the Craig fans generally do is grudgingly acknowledge TSWLM to be one of the best yet deride Moonraker, even although they're practically the same film!
As for TWINE and Skyfall, these are both truly horrible. TWINE's biggest crime is being utterly boring. However both of these films represent the death of classic Bond and the introduction of "team" Bond. M (again in practically a rewrite) plays far too big a role in both and we're supposed to care about her background, etc. The Soap opera begins...
Itβs about the action set pieces and locales. I donβt place much importance on suaveness, stoicism, toughness or charisma with a male action figure. Since thatβs where you seem to be navigating the conversation, here are my thoughts:
Craig is nowhere near my favorite Bond, though his films are rather slick and polished, aside from the editing in Quantum.
Iβve been watching these films since 1987, and my love was cemented before Craig who still feels like the βnew guyβ to me.
I can appreciate any villain if their scheme is sound, and they are not too cartoony. Henchman are important, too. Wint & Kidd are out. Nick Nack is out. Baron Samedi is out. Jaws barely passes in Spy but not in Moonraker. Oddjob is great, but probably only cuz his silence left a blank slate.
For Your Eyes Only (1981) used several familiar tropes in new & interesting ways. It has the best ski sequence, best underwater sequence & best helicopter sequence (until Spectre)βimpressive trifecta of greatness for one film. OHMSS showcased ski, & Thunderball did underwater & yet FYEO did both better. Wow! It also had continuity with Blofeld & Tracy Bond. You were right about one thing: I do like the soap opera so itβs important when some films had a throwback continuity (TWINE & Licence). Films like Tomorrow, or View/Kill had none that I can recall.
Back to FYEO, Bond girl, Melina Havelock was beautiful & tough w/o being uber feminist (delicate balance) or insulting (Mary Goodnight?!) I grade on this, too. Iβd be curious to hear where you stand on some of them, since thatβs the ultimate in subjectivity. βBeauty is in the eye of the beholder.β
All the Bond actors were terrific, so my only request is he seems believable as an active agent in his prime. After FYEO, Moore is too old, but seemed capable in 1981. Dalton should have started with Octopussy & AVTAK, and those films could have been improved tailored to his youth & interpretation.
TSWLM is equal to Moonraker in my ranking
I agree that Moore was definitely getting too old for it with his later films. It is funny to consider though that he was older than Connery when he took over - he certainly looked fresher faced back in Live And Let Die, yet he was the older guy!
Octopussy's quintessential Moore, so I can't imagine taking that away from him. I couldn't see Dalton asking a Tiger to sit or running about in a clown outfit either!
What I would say though was swap release orders, have Moore finish on Octopussy and Dalton debut with FYEO. That film would have been a great fit for him debuting on...
Your definitely right about Melina Havelock though. She was incredibly beautiful (those piercing eyes!) and was more three dimensional than most Bond girls. However she was more than balanced out by that American girl, imo most definitely the worst Bond girl ever - who looked ridiculous alongside Moore - and made Denise Richards' performance look Oscar worthy!
I just realized you've been having this discussion for years. I appreciate you dedication and correspondence.
Great idea about the chronological switch. I like it. Moore is indeed perfect for Octopussy. FYEO is already my second favorite, and I can't imagine a Dalton switch even diminishing it in the least. The chemistry with the rest of the cast would be intact or improved (Bibi) even. A perfect intro like you said.
Dalton also looks more like Lazenby. Even as they are now, I often watch OHMSS & FYEO back-to-back. Try it sometime. It's epic... like Godfather I/II or something. For me anyhow. Mainly for the Tracy/Blofeld resolution, the cold locales, and the overall themes of loss and revenge. The only bad part is it ends with that Margaret Thatcher nonsense. It should be an entirely fictional world & characters.
Another interesting prospect is, with Dalton, A View To A Kill (1985) would move from the bottom to perhaps near the top. I'm fascinated imagining Dalton face off against Walken. Zorin was a interesting villain who was wasted on old, comedic Moore. Can we please replace Tanya Roberts as well?! Needs to be an American woman. Lets see. How about Dalton, Walken and Kathleen Turner as Stacy Sutton? Fun stuff.
I'll quickly provide my rankings, chronologically, in tiers. Too lazy to do it your way at this time. Not even sure if I could without changing my mind every five minutes.
Top:
Dr No
From Russia With Love
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
For Your Eyes Only
Goldeneye
Casino Royale
Spectre
Mid:
Thunderball
You Only Live Twice
The Spy Who Loved Me
Moonraker
The World Is Not Enough
Skyfall
Fair:
Goldfinger (sacrilege, I know. Don't favor the Fort Knox scheme & there's too much hanging around)
Live and Let Die
The Man With The Golden Gun
Octopussy
The Living Daylights
No Time To Die
Poor:
Diamonds Are Forever
A View To A Kill
Licence To Kill
Tomorrow Never Dies
Die Another Day
Quantum of Solace