At their best, James Bond movies over the years have given us elegant, action-packed delights blended with wit and grit. Regardless, its always enjoyable to look back.Now that Daniel Craig has bowed out as Bond, were looking forward, too. Watching the older Bond movies will be a great way to get ready.And as of Oct. 5, youll be able to catch them on Amazons Prime Video membership service.
If you dont know where to begin with the Bond movies, be sure to examine out our suggestions and complete rundown on big-screen Bond. The list accounts for every theatrical 007 release, not just the 25 from Eon Productions however likewise two non-canonical entries: the 1967 variation of Casino Royale, a trippy turn with numerous actors playing Bond (David Niven chief among them), and 1983s Never Say Never Again, including Connery in his 2nd comeback.It doesnt, however, include the 1954 version of Casino Royale, a 50-minute TV play house production that presented Ian Flemings hero to the world as “Jimmy” Bond, an American secret agent. Otherwise, weve got the whole lineup of actors whove played Bond in the official franchise– Connery and Craig, Moore and Brosnan, and short-timers Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby.See also: Being James Bond: How 007 Movies Got Me Into Intelligence WorkJames Bond movies ranked, from worst to best.
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According to the critical agreement, Roger Moore isnt simply the star of the worst James Bond movie– this snowboarding 1985 entry– hes the star of the worst James Bond motion pictures, period. When integrated and balanced, his 007 movies produce a franchise-low Metascore of 53.7. A View to a Kill was Moores final and seventh 007 movie. His co-stars consisted of Christopher Walken as happily murderous bad guy Max Zorin and Grace Jones as Bond baddie (and eventual ally) May Day. The plot that Bond has to foil: Zorins scheme to destroy Silicon Valley so he can control the market for computer chips. “The James Bond series has actually had its downers, however nothing before in the class of this one,” Pauline Kael composed for The New Yorker. Metascore: 40
26. The Man With the Golden Gun
As far as critics are concerned, this 1974 installment, Moores second getaway as 007, is another bottom-dweller in the James Bond franchise. “If you enjoyed the early Bond movies as much as I did, you d better avoid this one,” Nora Sayre wrote in The New York Times.The Man With the Golden Gun, including Christopher Lee as the Bond villain and rival marksman Scaramanga and eventual Fantasy Island star Herve Villechaize as his henchman Nick Nack, grossed $97.6 million around the world, the weakest box-office efficiency by any of the Roger Moore 007 films.Metascore: 43
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This unique, comic entry features a wide variety of stars as James Bond. More 007s do not make things merrier– or better. Variety called this variation of Casino Royale “a film of impressive sloppiness” and “an insult to the Bond name.” This is one of the two noncanonical, non-Eon movies in our rundown. (And for Bond completists– sorry, were not consisting of the 1954 tv production of Casino Royale, which depicted our hero as Jimmy Bond, and an American to boot.) 1967s Casino Royale, featuring David Niven, Peter Sellers and Orson Welles, grossed a Bond-worst $41.7 million around the world. Metascore: 48
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The very first of the four Pierce Brosnan Bond movies in this list gets credit for offering Michelle Yeoh an early Hollywood display– but for little else. According to Salons Charles Taylor, this 1997 motion picture “scores absolutely no in class, suspense or wit.” When balanced, Brosnans 4 James Bond motion pictures publish a 57.5 Metascore, the second-lowest among 007 stars who have actually starred in a minimum of four films. At package office, Tomorrow Never Dies, including Jonathan Pryce as villain Elliot Carver, grossed $339.5 million around the world. Thats on par with, but on the low end of, the other movies of the Brosnan period. Metascore: 52
Critics are kinder, if still cool, to Roger Moores 5th 007 adventure. In the Chicago Sun-Times, critic Roger Ebert wrote that the 1981 film “is a qualified James Bond thriller.
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21 (tie). The Spy Who Loved Me
The Spy Who Loved Me, featuring the first of 2 franchise appearances by Richard Kiel as the villainous Jaws, grossed $185.4 million worldwide, making it one of the greatest box office hits of its release year. Metascore: 55
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21 (tie). Live and Let Die
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The last Pierce Brosnan James Bond movie might have introduced the unnoticeable vehicle, but critics think about this 2002 film as a retread, not an innovator. “Surely it will not be giving things away to inform you theres definitely nothing brand-new about the newest episode,” Desson Thomson composed in The Washington Post.Co-starring then-reigning Oscar winner Halle Berry as Bond girl Jinx Johnson, with Monty Pythons John Cleese as Q, and featuring the hit title track by Madonna, Die Another Day earned more cash than any other Pierce Brosnan 007 movie: $431.9 million around the world. Metascore: 56.
Roger Moores very first James Bond movie is, well, another middling effort– at least per the critics. In retrospect, this 1973 film might have suffered by contrast with the just-concluded Sean Connery period.” Even the art instructions– long the Bond films real ace in the hole– appears to have fallen to a shrunken budget plan,” the Chicago Readers Dave Kehr composed. “Not much enjoyable.” At package office, Live and Let Die, co-starring Geoffrey Holder as the voodoo-practicing henchman Baron Samedi and Yaphet Kotto as head bad person Katanga/Mr. Big, and featuring the hit title tune by Paul McCartneys Wings, was a big action up from the Sean Connery movie that preceded it, Diamonds Are Forever. Live and Let Die earned $161.8 million around the world. Metascore: 55
19. The World Is Not Enough.
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This 1998 movie is the 3rd Pierce Brosnan James Bond movie. “This keeps one reasonably amused, turned on, and brain-dead for a little over 2 hours,” Jonathan Rosenbaum wrote in the Chicago Reader. The World Is Not Enough grossed a strong $361.7 million at the around the world box workplace. It co-stars Robert Carlyle as the villain Renard, who feels no discomfort; Sophie Marceau as the noticeably conflicted Elektra King; and Denise Richards as a nuclear physicist. Metascore: 57.
17 (tie). Licence to Kill.
The second– and last– James Bond film of the Timothy Dalton period gets good marks as an action motion picture, however not necessarily as a 007 movie. “James Bond might also be any of a dozen motion picture cops,” the St. Louis Post-Dispatchs Joe Pollack wrote of this 1989 entry.Licence to Kill, featuring Robert Davi as the drug lord villain Sanchez, Carey Lowell as Bond woman Pam Bouvier and a young Benicio del Toro as a henchman, earned $156.2 million worldwide– a huge drop at package workplace compared to Daltons debut 007 film.Metascore: 58.
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17 (tie). Quantum of Solace.
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This 2015 Daniel Craig experience is “filled with huge sets, huge stunts, and what should be huge minutes,” Matt Zoller Seitz noted for RogerEbert.com, “however few of them land.” Spectre co-stars Christoph Waltz in a new take on the old reputable Bond bad guy Blofeld, with Ralph Fiennes taking control of as M, and like Skyfall, digs much deeper into Bonds origin story. It grossed a tremendous $879.6 million around the world, the second-biggest take for the franchise.Metascore: 60.
The lowest-ranked Sean Connery film in this rundown is the Scotsmans 6th Bond job– and the last one that the iconic star made prior to taking a 12-year 007 hiatus. The New Yorkers Pauline Kael called the movie an “unimaginative Bond image that is often noisy when it means to be amazing.” Diamonds Are Forever co-stars Charles Gray as arch-villain Blofeld and Jill St. John as Bond girl Tiffany Case, and includes Putter Smith and Bruce Glover as the archly menacing Mr. Kidd and Mr. Wint, respectively.
This 2008 movie is the worst-reviewed of the 007 Daniel Craig era. “Quantum of Solace might be explosive with pictures of intense infernos,” Film Threats Jay Slater composed, “however its complicated and convoluted.” On the whole, the Craig-led Bond films boast a Metascore average of 69.4, making his films the second-best evaluated 007 films of perpetuity. On one hand, Quantum of Solace, co-starring Mathieu Amalric as Bond villain Dominic Greene, is one of the biggest-grossing James Bond movies of perpetuity, with $591.7 million in worldwide ticket sales. On the other hand, the film is the lowest-grossing James Bond movie starring Daniel Craig. Metascore: 58.
14 (tie). The Living Daylights.
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This 1987 Timothy Dalton entry, the very first of his two turns as James Bond, wins points from critics for not being a Roger Moore entry. “After the fizzle of the later Roger Moore Bonds,” Empires Kim Newman composed, “The Living Daylights generates a new 007 … who handles the Connery trick of appearing suave and tough at the very same time.” The Living Daylights outgrossed its predecessor, Roger Moores A View to a Kill, by nearly $40 million, for a worldwide box workplace overall of $191.2 million. Metascore: 60.
12 (tie). On Her Majestys Secret Service.
This 1969 movie, which marks George Lazenbys only getaway as James Bond, is a pretty excellent 007 entry, per critics. On Her Majestys Secret Service broke brand-new ground: It included a James Bond wedding event, with Diana Rigg as 007s unfortunate but lively bride, Tracy di Vincenzo.
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12 (tie). You Only Live Twice.
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According to critics, this 1965 film is a lower Sean Connery 007 entry, however a worthy entry in general. Composed Empires Kim Newman, the movie “easily plies the glory Bond years, concluding with a stunning underwater battle.” Thunderball is the top-grossing Sean Connery 007 film of the 1970s and 1960s: It took in $141.2 million in around the world ticket sales. It likewise offered the template for Connerys last James Bond outing almost 2 years later, Never Say Never Again.Metascore: 64.
According to critics, this 1983 film is Roger Moores second-best James Bond film. “It soars, all right, however it does it on automatic pilot,” wrote Jay Scott for Torontos Globe and Mail.Octopussy, co-starring Maud Adams in her second franchise getaway (after The Man with the Golden Gun), as the titular character, grossed a strong $187.5 million worldwide. Metascore: 63.
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The first Pierce Brosnan Bond film is the finest Pierce Brosnan Bond film, per critics. GoldenEye featured Sean Bean as a double-0 representative turned bad man, Famke Janssen as Bond lady Xenia Onatopp and Judi Dench in her very first turn as Bond employer M. Pent-up demand might have assisted: The 1995 movie was the very first James Bond film since Timothy Daltons License to Kill, released 6 years prior.
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This 1967 entry marks Sean Connerys fifth trip as James Bond. The movie is nevertheless influential: Its cat-petting model of Blofeld (played by Donald Pleasence), total with bad guys hideaway in a volcano, influenced the Austin Powers franchises Dr. Evil.
Released in 1979, two years after Star Wars changed almost whatever in Hollywood, the fourth Roger Moore James Bond movie sees 007 sent to external space. Critics non-ironically cheered. “Moonraker is a rewarding blend of familiar components,” wrote The Washington Posts Gary Arnold.Moonraker, co-starring Lois Chiles as astronaut Holly Goodhead (yes, actually), is the ninth-biggest-grossing James Bond film of perpetuity, with $210.3 million in worldwide ticket sales. In general, Moonraker is the best-reviewed Bond movie of the Moore age. Metascore: 66.
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6 (tie). Never Say Never Again.
According to the vital agreement, Roger Moore isnt simply the star of the worst James Bond movie– this snowboarding 1985 entry– hes the star of the worst James Bond movies, duration. The very first Pierce Brosnan Bond film is the finest Pierce Brosnan Bond motion picture, per critics. The first James Bond function movie, released in 1962 (though it didnt arrive in the United States up until 1963), is one of the finest James Bond films, per critics. The second James Bond film is, per the critical consensus, the second-best James Bond film ever.
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The top-grossing Sean Connery Bond film, this 1983 movie is likewise one of the better-reviewed Bond movies. Never Say Never Again significant Connerys last 007 appearance and, from a crucial viewpoint, seems to have gained from having actually been launched throughout the reviled tail end of the Roger Moore era. ” It is good to see Connerys grave style in this function again,” Times Richard Schickel composed. “It makes Bonds cynicism and opportunism seem the item of authentic worldliness (and world weariness) rather than Roger Moores simple twirpishness.” Despite the existence of Connery, who first embodied Bond on the cinema, this film wasnt from Eon Productions, making it the second of the 2 non-canonical films in our list.Metascore: 68.
Otherwise, weve got the entire lineup of actors whove played Bond in the main franchise– Connery and Craig, Moore and Brosnan, and short-timers Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby.See also: Being James Bond: How 007 Movies Got Me Into Intelligence WorkJames Bond motion pictures ranked, from worst to finest.
The very first James Bond function film, launched in 1962 (though it didnt get here in the United States up until 1963), is one of the best James Bond films, per critics. Dr. No, featuring Ursula Andress as initial Bond girl Honey Ryder (yes, really), was one of 1963s Top 10 box office hits.
The 2nd James Bond film is, per the important agreement, the second-best James Bond movie ever. The New Yorkers legendary Pauline Kael applauded the 1963 release: “Exciting, handsomely staged, and campy.” From Russia With Love, featuring Lotte Lenya as Bond baddie Rosa Klebb and Robert Shaw as the SPECTRE assassin gunning for Bond, earned $78.9 million worldwide, a take that represented considerable development over Dr. No, and securely established 007 as a franchise to see. Metascore: 83.
James Bond films in sequential orderIn the official Bond canon– the movies made by Eon Productions– there are 25 movies, including No Time to Die. Because of licensing concerns, there were 2 other, non-canonical movies: the 1967 variation of Casino Royale, and Sean Connerys final getaway, 1983s Never Say Never Again.Sean ConneryDavid Niven, amongst othersGeorge LazenbySean Connery, first comebackRoger MooreSean Connery, 2nd comebackRoger Moore, still on his runTimothy DaltonPierce BrosnanDaniel Craig.
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The very first Daniel Craig James Bond movie, Casino Royale blew away critics with its new take on the spy saga.” [Craigs] Bond is at least the equal of the very best ones before him, and beats all of them in sheer intensity,” The Wall Street Journals Joe Morgenstern raved. The opening minutes of the film expose how Bond made his double-0 rating, and for fans of the Ian Fleming books, it handles to both stay true to the 1953 book and adjust that story for audiences a half-century later on. The 2006 movie grossed a then-franchise-best $594.4 million worldwide. Metascore: 80.
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The last movie to star Daniel Craig as 007 has drawn largely positive evaluations, following a prolonged wait for its release brought about by production hold-ups and the coronavirus pandemic. With a running time of 2 hours, 43 minutes, No Time to Die is the longest Bond movie of them all.” No Time to Die loads a quintessentially Bond punch while also taking huge risks with the aging character and decades-old formula,” Richard Trenholm stated in CNETs No Time to Die evaluation.
Here it is: This 1964 Sean Connery entry is, per the vital consensus, the best James Bond movie. When Connerys seven 007 movies are taken together, the typical Metascore comes in at 71.4, making his run the indisputable leader amongst Bond movies.Metascore: 87.
The top-grossing James Bond motion picture to date, with a worldwide take of more than $1.1 billion, this 2012 film is, according to critics, the very best Daniel Craig 007 motion picture– and thats not all.” Skyfall is among the very best Bonds in the 50-year history of moviedoms most effective franchise,” James Adams composed in Torontos Globe and Mail.The movie won the series first 2 Oscars given that 1964s Goldfinger; it claimed statuettes for sound editing and for Adeles title tune. Metascore: 81.
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