Taking off in the early 1960s, when international travel was highly uncommon for the average consumer,the globetrotting James Bond serieswas quick to become a cultural phenomenon. The series' longevity (over six decades and counting) is something that most of the closest competition can’t even come close to matching, but the series is reportedly at something of a stalemate, for now at least. Perhaps this is therefore the perfect time to look back at the historic series' entire run through the present.
Created on the page by former British Naval Intelligence operative Ian Fleming, the gentleman spy James Bond is a product of history, a sophisticated professional killer with vices.Nevertheless, he is a hero(it’s entirely a miscalculation to suggest he’s an antihero, or anything like that) that audiences have eagerly rooted for over the better part of a century. Bond has also been dissected over the years, and some seem to think he needs to evolve more and more. The simple reality, and this is important so listen up, is thatthe James Bond franchise has always worked best when it maintains an element of male fantasy.Bond is a bloke;these are movies for blokes, though anyone can enjoy them. There are all kinds of movies that serve all kinds of purposes. Should the next incarnation of Bond fully lose track of what made the character appealing in the first place—a line that was arguably already crossed and was at least approached during the modern, downbeatDaniel Craigera—maybe the series really could be doomed.
But here’s hoping it isn’t. Though the franchise is in a precarious place, more so than it has been in a very long time, that isn’t enough to change the fact that this isthe greatest film franchise of all time.This is fun; this is escapism. It can strive for more than that, but that’s the core of it.The following is the definitive ranking of every James Bond film from worst to greatest.This is an exhaustive ranking that includes all three non-Eon productions.
28. ‘Casino Royale’ (1967)
Directed by John Huston, Ken Hughes, Val Guest, Robert Parrish, & Joe McGrath
The worst movie to ever carry the Bond name is a lot like a rodeo: how long can you stay on? How long can you keep watching before you have to tap out? An infernal nightmare that’s ostensibly a spoof was plagued with production woes, but that’s no excuse fora shapeless movie that’s almost entirely devoid of charm, much less excitement, for 137 minutes.Casino Royale'67 is torturous; it’s the kind of thing that should only be watched by someone tasked with ranking every Bond film exhaustively. The fact that it was a financial success in its day (lambasted by critics) only shows how tightly Bond fever had gripped worldwide culture by the late ’60s.
Woody Allenis by far the best part of all this. That’s an uncomfortable sentence to write in present day, but it’s the truth.Casino Royaleis mostly unwatchable and should have never seen the light of day,much less an international theatrical release.
Casino Royale
27. ‘Never Say Never Again’ (1983)
Directed by Irvin Kershner
Is there anything more appealing than a movie made out of spite and for legal reasons? Oh, what abouta movie made out of spite and for legal reasons where old men play video games?Non-canon entryNever Say Never Againwas marketed around the return ofSean Conneryas Bond, and though it was a financial success, it just proved how much of the franchise’s longevity went beyond its star.Albert “Cubby” Broccoli’s Bond machine had unrelenting production values, often evolving but just enough.Never Say Never Againis overall a visually repellant bore, but there are two great performances inBarbara Carrera’s campy Fatima Blush andKlaus Maria Brandauer’s surprisingly understated Largo.
Connery slipped back into the tux one more time for a remake ofThunderballthat’s so tired it makesA View to a Killlook like a breath of fresh air. The wildest part of all of this? It’s directed byIrvin Kershner, who madeThe Empire Strikes Back. That’s so outrageous, it’s like finding out, hypothetically of course, that the director ofGoldenEyemadeGreen Lantern. Oh, wait.
Never Say Never Again
26. ‘Casino Royale’ (1954)
Directed by William H. Brown, Jr.
The first screen adaptation of the James Bond book series was a TV movie, specifically a one-hour installment of CBS’Climax!. It might be easy to scoff atBarry Nelsonplaying an Americanized “Jimmy” Bond, but this is still so much better than the 1967 film, orNever Say Never Again.
Peter Lorreas Le Chiffre is a treat, and thoughWilliam H. BrownJr.’s TV movie softens the depressing ending of the novel,this is suspenseful and surprisingly watchable for a James Bond adaptation staged almost entirely in medium close-up.Casino Royalehas been in the public domain for some time, and Bond completionists can find it online pretty easily. Now that the non-Eon entries are out of the way, let’s get to ranking the real Bond movies. Prepare for a major jump in quality, especially production values.
25. ‘The Man With the Golden Gun’ (1974)
Directed by Guy Hamilton
Of all the Eon films,The Man With the Golden Gunis perhaps the only one thatflirts with being an actively bad motion picture.The franchise nearly ran out of steam before it caught its second wind in the form ofThe Spy Who Loved Me.Roger Mooretruly made Bond his own with that film, but inGolden Gunhe and the producers were still clearly struggling to let go of the past.The Man With the Golden Gunsuffers from aggressively mismatched and competing tones.Often, it’s just plain tacky.
Of course,The Man With the Golden Gunboasts one of the series' best villains inChristopher Lee’s Francisco Scaramanga. His personality and presence eat the movie around him whenever he’s on screen. The silver lining of Eon Bond’s dour ninth outing is that producers put extra effort into the following film. We’ll come to that one much, much later on this list. So much later.
The Man with the Golden Gun
James Bond is pitted against the world’s most expensive assassin, Francisco Scaramanga, who uses a distinctive golden gun. Bond’s mission to retrieve a crucial solar energy device leads him to a deadly duel on Scaramanga’s private island, where he must outsmart and outshoot the lethal adversary.
24. ‘Spectre’ (2015)
Directed by Sam Mendes
Skyfalldeconstructed Bond, and the Bond movie formula, to overall great effect—and, perhaps more importantly to record-breaking box office. It left the Bond series, or at least Craig’s era, as something of a clean slate with a refreshed cast of characters. Unfortunately, the follow-up toSkyfallis obsessed with callbacks. The spectacle, including a simulated one-shot opening andthe biggest fireball in film history, impresses, but the most frustrating factor here is how muchSpectreoverreaches.
The continuing narrative of the Craig era could have worked, if it went somewhere worthwhile. The ham-fisted romance is a nonstarter.The Bond and Blofeld arc, or lack of one, is catastrophic.Long-lost brothers, really? Seriously? Frankly it all comes off like Bond is imitating the MCU, or even theFast and Furiousfilms. You’re the trendsetter, Bond.
23. ‘Quantum of Solace’ (2008)
Directed by Marc Forster
Leaner and a little less infuriating thanSpectre,Quantum of Solaceis nevertheless another Craig outing that can comfortably be called a series low point. Should this have been a continuation ofCasino Royalein the first place? For decades, a major draw of the Bond movies' appeal was the fact that you could enjoy them out of order, whenever you please.The overarching problem with the Daniel Craig films is their overarching nature.Casino Royalehad a great dramatic oomph on its own, directly via Fleming, but these movies were never intended to turn into a soap opera.
Quantum of Solacehas been so ragged on for years now, and not without good reason, that you might be surprisedit’s not all bad.Marc Forster’s self-conscious direction is an unmitigated disaster, but the performances are quite good, save for Mathieu Amalric’s Dominic Greene. He might be the weakest Bond villain ever.Charles Gray’s Blofeld in drag is more threatening than this guy and his nefarious designs on water. Amalric was terrific inThe Diving Bell and the Butterfly, but everything about his work here, and the character, is off.
Quantum of Solace
22. ‘Die Another Day’ (2002)
Directed by Lee Tamahori
Another Bond film that’s generally a punching bag,Die Another Dayis most lamentable for being such a circus that the series had to reboot, thusdepriving Brosnan of another outing or two.Die Another Dayundeniably feels like the 007 franchise on meth—what was once outlandishness rooted in the real world had become unbridled insanity—butBrosnan really is still in top form here. He blended an edge like Connery’s with Moore’s levity.
Still,if you’re reading this list, you probably already know what the problems here are: The CGI is apocalyptic. The third act ignores the laws of physics. There’s a “Yo Mama” joke. Seriously, what the hell?
Die Another Day
James Bond is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul, who is funding the development of an international space weapon.
21. ‘No Time to Die’ (2021)
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga
Here’s an idea for Hollywood: can we go five years—or better, ten or more, maybe forever—withouta sequel where an iconic hero is an old wreck, gets one-upped and insulted by younger, forgettable characters who haven’t earned our admiration, then dies?No Time to Diewas infamously delayed over and over due to the pandemic, and the downbeat, highly orchestrated and emotionally anemic movie polarized fans, infuriating many. Who actively wanted a movie this soggy at the end of a dreadfully hard year or two?The fact thatNo Time to Diegrossed less than 70% ofSkyfall’s haul, ten years later, says a lot.
There are glorious set pieces here, as well as a beautiful, Bondian Oscar-winningBillie Eilishsong that’s better than the movie, and some strong acting. There’s no getting around the ending, though. Having the master of survival go out, especially in this way, is as jarring and unwelcome as, say, if Riley were to go on a murder spree inInside Out 3. It’s a disgrace, an insult. It’s unfortunate that this is where we’re at right now with film’s greatest franchise.
No Time to Die
20. ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ (1971)
Though it was a financial success,On Her Majesty’s Secret Servicefailed to register with audiences in the way Eon had surely hoped. What’s more,George Lazenby’s exit left the franchise in a further precarious situation. Eschewing all the beauty and sophistication ofMajesty’sin lieu of Las Vegas shot rather flatly.Diamonds Are Foreveristhe trashiest and sleaziest of all Bond outings.
But, and there is a but here: Connery. Just, Connery. No doubt energized by a record $1.25 million-dollar salary, he’s way more enthusiastic here than he was inYou Only Live Twice, shares a charming rom-com shorthand withJill St. John’s Tiffany Case, and makes it easy to look past, or at least endure, things likeawful special effects and a total lack of suspense or menace.
Diamonds Are Forever
James Bond infiltrates a diamond smuggling ring, uncovering a plot by his arch-nemesis Blofeld to build a space-based laser weapon. From Amsterdam to Las Vegas, Bond faces off against Blofeld’s henchmen and foils the plan, ensuring the diamonds return to their rightful owners.
19. ‘A View to a Kill’ (1985)
Directed by John Glen
Roger Moore was 57 in his final outing as 007, and presented as older thanks to plastic surgery procedures. It’s jarring. He looks likeTanya Roberts' grandfather in aA View to a Kill, and it really doesn’t help that Stacy Sutton is among the series' least compelling Bond Girls.
So here’s the part not everyone wants to admit or discuss:A View to a Killis fun as all unholy hell.Sure, it’s not entirely for the right reasons, but who cares about that, really? So much of this franchise’s unprecented, prolonged appeal comes from pure entertainment value.A View to a Killisso-bad-it’s-good in some ways, and also just rather good in others.Christopher WalkenandGrace Jonesare delicious villains, and the Golden Gate Bridge finale is slick and exciting.John Barry’s score is also one of the series' very best.
