Current Events > What would you say were the best Bond movies?

(+) Yeah! (+)

I'll just list em by actor:

Connery: You Only Live Twice, Dr. No, Goldfinger, Thunderball
Moore: The Man With the Golden Gun, Moonraker, Live and Let Die, Octopussy, For Your Eyes Only
Dalton: Both of his movies were okay, but License to Kill was a little better
Lazenby: Only movie he was in sucked pretty bad because he was such a horrible actor
Brosnan: Tomorrow Never Dies, Die Another Day
Craig: Casino Royale, Skyfall


I know people will disagree with me about the Brosnan movies, but the only cool thing about Goldeneye was that it had a bad ass game based off of it. Movie would have sucked otherwise. Also, the other two Craig films were pretty forgettable. Die Another Day was cool because it had that Asian Guy with the metal face and it was cool how they took Bond prisoner in the beginning. Tomorrow Never Dies had Teri Hatcher and Michelle Yeoh and a pretty decent story. Only thing that sucked about it was the main villain. World is Not Enough had a boring story, a weak villan (really, his name was Renard?), and Denise Richards isn't really that hot.
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Best ones imo are You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Live And Let Die, The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only (not in order)
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The best made and most enjoyable by today's standards? Definitely Craig era. The most nostalgic and most influential to pop-culture? Definitely Connery.

Goldeneye, Casino Royale, Spy Who Loved Me, The World Is Not Enough, and The Living Daylights are my top 5.


Lazenby: Only movie he was in sucked pretty bad because he was such a horrible actor

wat
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The World Is Not Enough is the most underrated one.
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I think these are my top five:

Tomorrow Never Dies
Casino Royale
Licence to Kill
Moonraker
Dr. No
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1. From Russia With Love
2. The Living Daylights
3. The Spy Who Loved Me
4. Licence To Kill
5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
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Nice to see Timothy Dalton love in here <3.
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Johnny English

Goldeneye 64

1. Casino Royale
2. From Russia with Love
3. Goldfinger
4. Skyfall
5. Goldeneye
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I love James Bond stunts. One of the reasons Spy Who Loved Me is so high up on my list is the skiing scene and stunts. :D
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I'm glad this topic is up because I recently decided that Goldeneye was the best Bond movie and I'm not even kidding. It has a great villain (it's hard to believe they never thought of that villain concept til this movie), a great supporting cast (even down to minor characters like the hacker Boris), great action (including the tank chase scene through Russia which is probably the best action scene in any Bond movie), and Pierce is the second best Bond after Connery. A great (at the time) video game license. That rounds out to a damn fine movie.

For my favorites it goes

1. Goldeneye
2. Goldfinger
3. The Man with the Golden Gun
4. License to Kill
5. A View to a Kill

I was also a little surprised that the Internet thinks On Her Majesty to be the best Bond film (???). I always thought the consensus of that movie was that it was crap. I really didn't like Lazenby's performance - it was a little too doe-eyed.

Nice to see TMwtGG
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Gravityfare posted...

Nice to see TMwtGG

I love that movie simply because the plot is just a dude that just wants to kill Bond and nothing else. There's this tacked on scheme, but it's just set up so he can get the ultimate hunting trophy of Bond. That's a cool idea. Also, kind of hard to beat Christopher Lee as the villain.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Goldfinger, From Russia With Love, Casino Royale, Skyfall, Dr. No, Thunderball

who cares after that
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I don't think anyone has mentioned Diamonds are Forever, View to a Kill, Live and Let Die, Octopussy, Never Say Never Again, and lots of others.
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Gravityfare posted...

I don't think anyone has mentioned Diamonds are Forever, View to a Kill, Live and Let Die, Octopussy, Never Say Never Again, and lots of others.

For damn good reason. That movie is an abomination. A View to a Kill was saved single-handedly by Christopher Walken.

Casino Royale, Skyfall, Goldfinger, Goldeneye, and The Spy Who Loved Me are top 5.
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au_gold posted...

For damn good reason. That movie is an abomination. A View to a Kill was saved single-handedly by Christopher Walken.

I liked Grace Jones as the muscle in that too. Even though that was by far the most awkward any romantic pairing has ever been in Bond - elderly flabby Bond with muscular black Mayday.

uppp
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wah_wah_wah posted...

au_gold posted...

For damn good reason. That movie is an abomination. A View to a Kill was saved single-handedly by Christopher Walken.

I liked Grace Jones as the muscle in that too. Even though that was by far the most awkward any romantic pairing has ever been in Bond - elderly flabby Bond with muscular black Mayday.

I like how Bond makes out with girls young enough to be his granddaughters.
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I'd say the four best ones are The Living Daylights, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and The Spy Who Loved Me. The Living Daylights is my favorite, but I think From Russia With Love is technically the best overall.

All of them could use a rewatch though, it's been a while since I've seen them.

The only ones that I thought were truly bad are Moonraker, Quantum of Solace, and maybe Die Another Day. At least some of the other bad Bonds were somewhat entertaining, but I got nothing out of those ones.
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I liked Quantum - it gets a bad rap
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I think my overall favorite is Goldfinger. It's classic Bond and a damn entertaining movie.
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I own them all. Among my favorites would be GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, You Only Live Twice, Diamonds Are Forever, Casino Royal, The Man With the Golden Gun, and more.
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Skyfall and goldfinger

Darmik posted...

I think my overall favorite is Goldfinger. It's classic Bond and a damn entertaining movie.

It's great but the villain is weak...

What, he really is. He gets sucked out of a fucking airplane.

Ugh, Diamonds are Forever and From Russia With Love were so boring, they just drug on. Also Goldfinger wasn't weak, he had a bad ass body guard and that table with the laser and a fine woman to help him out too. And George Lazenby was such a horrible Bond. He was like a rich white guy who likes to brag about himself.

Hmm a top 5 list huh... let me see:

1) Dr. No
2) Goldfinger
3) Man With the Golden Gun
4) Tomorrow Never Dies
5) Casino Royale


If I had to make a top 5 worst list:

1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
2) Diamonds are Forever
3) From Russia With Love
4) The World is Not Enough
5) For Your Eyes Only
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I...havent even seen them all...
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MangaFan462 posted...

I...havent even seen them all...

Save the Timothy Dalton and George Lazenby ones for last
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From Russia with Love
Casino Royale
Goldfinger
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Skyfall/Dr. No

The only ones I truly dislike are the last 3 Brosnan movies and Octopussy/A View to a Kill. They aren't even endearingly cheesy like some of the other 70s/80s ones. I don't remember Quantum at all and Spectre still has Christoph Waltz.
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Your bottom five are so wrong it's baffling.
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From Russia With Love in bottom five? That's certainly an odd one. Definitely seems like OHMSS is the most polarizing Bond film though. Personally, I loved it. I guess Lazenby has a lot do with some of the mixed opinions, but I didn't think he was that bad.
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1) Casino Royale
2) Goldeneye
3) Thunderball
4) Skyfall
5) Dr. No

Haven't seen a good many of the classics though, so this is more a 'personal favorite' list than a 'best' list.
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Sting posted...

Also Goldfinger wasn't weak, he had a bad ass body guard and that table with the laser and a fine woman to help him out too

That's another good point, his muscle totally outshadows him and the whole movie he is basically being cucked by Bond. And then he dies in an embarrassing and implausible way. But he did have the best villain line ever, "No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to DIE." That's pretty much his only strength.

The Living Daylights
From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
Goldeneye
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (I thought Lazenby wasn't that bad at all)
Dr. No
Octopussy
The Spy Who Loved Me
For Your Eyes Only
Skyfall

I'm a big Bond fan that I can enjoy even the "worst" Bond movies like Diamonds Are Forever, and A View To A Kill.
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From Russia With Love
Goldfinger
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
For Your Eyes Only
The Living Daylights
License to Kill
GoldenEye
Casino Royale
Skyfall

Goldfinger, the spy who loves me, goldeneye, tomorrow never dies,
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Seen all of the flicks multiple times and my favorites are easily

1. Casino Royale
2. Skyfall
3. GoldenEye
4. Living Daylights
5. From Russia w/ Love

In nor particular order, but Casino is probably my absolute favorite.
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Worst Bond movies for me (no particular order):

Die Another Day: Clearly Brosnan and the entire crew just don't care anymore. Even the title is lazy. If it wasn't for the invisible car no one would even remember it. And that is remembered for just being stupid.

Living Daylights: It may be the reason why Dalton is so disliked is because of this movie and not the second movie he made which is fucking incredible. It is easily the worst "intro to a new Bond" movie. And there's no relief from the supporting cast either. Joe Don Baker is the villain but... god he might be the worst villain I think we've seen in a Bond movie. Just a dorky general that likes to play with toys. You couldn't come up with a lamer villain than that. But the theme of this movie by A-Ha is fucking awesome. That's it.

Spectre: This movie had everything going for it going in. A capable director, a good Bond. But it's just shit. Confusing, meandering. It brings back Spectre, which really, I never liked the idea of Spectre in the first place. I know it is a major element of the novels and many of the earlier Bond movies, but it's one reason why the Sean Connery movies are a little weak for the most part - because they carry this Spectre subplot through them that basically doesn't go anywhere. I would be for reviving it if it went anywhere but instead it's just like... maybe the last Bond Craig will ever make? Not a good note to go out on.

For Your Eyes Only: Probably good to get back to basics after the spectacularly ridiculous Moonraker, but as a result this movie comes off as the most formula and basic Bond in the series. Get thing, get girl, movie over. It is a very bland and forgettable movie.

I also think the most overrated movie in the series is Skyfall. OK, it's a good movie, but nowhere near the best, and there's a lot of things about it that get into dangerous areas, like explaining too much about Bond's origins. I think the only thing I loved about it was the Julian Assange inspired villain (which was pretty clever).

The Living Daylights literally had one of the best henchmen in the franchise though.

I actually wasn't big on License to Kill. It certainly wasn't bad, I liked the direction Dalton was going with in The Living Daylights a lot more.
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GeneralKenobi85 posted...

I actually wasn't big on License to Kill. It certainly wasn't bad, I liked the direction Dalton was going with in The Living Daylights a lot more.

Yeah I mean, I would say that the praise for the "darkness" of the Dalton era (mostly earned by License to Kill) gets kind of stupid. I don't really like License to Kill because it has a darkness to it (although it unquestionably does) but because the idea that Bond actually drops out of MI6 and pursues a personal goal like revenge is a very good idea for a movie and mostly succeeds. They probably didn't have to make it as explicitly hard as they did, but it works given the material.

From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Goldeneye
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Well I will explain why I put these as the worst:

*SPOILERS*



1) On Her Majesty's Secret Service

The plot was good but Lazenby just killed it for me. I liked the idea of Bond getting married and then having her die right away. But the villains sucked. Lazenby's Bond was just too stuck up to be cool, and there wasn't a lot of action in it. That's why I put a lot of these on the list to be honest.

2) Diamonds are Forever

It had some cool scenes and the part where they go to Vegas was cool because it still looks that way, on Fremont Street. The battle with the two girls, Bambi and what's her name, was good. But that was about it. It just drug on with out a lot of action. I cant remember any cool gadgets from it either. Maybe there were just some that I missed because I was falling asleep, but I've always believed that a good Bond film has either lots of action, some cool gadgets, or both.

3) From Russia With Love

I couldn't get into this one really either. No memorable villains. Not a lot of action. I cant remember any cool gadgets either.

4) The World is Not Enough

The villain just sucked so bad. I mean really, the guy's name was Renard? Also, I don't think Denise Richards looked very hot in this one. The story was kind of weak too. I guess I was just never a big fan of Brosnan as Bond.

5) The Spy Who Loved Me

This was the one I meant instead of For Your Eyes Only. Only cool part about it was Jaws. Story kind of drug on and not lots of action.
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OHMSS had superb action sequences, namely the snowy mountain scenes.

From Russia With Love has Red Grant, one of the best villains in Bond history.

Renard had the coolest quality in a villain being impervious to pain. Who gives a shit what his name is? He was the henchman anyway.

Jaws wasn't even in For Your Eyes Only.

You have some backwards ass opinions, TC.
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Top Bond movies by actor. I feel it's most fair splitting them by actor since they tend to vary quite differently and incorporate different genres into the films.

Connery: Goldfinger. Runner-up being Dr. No. Both films set the precedent for nearly all future Bond films, even more so than From Russia With Love. Connery's latter films, particularly Diamons Are Forever, become too campy.

Lazenby: OHMSS. The only reason I'm going out of my way to mention this one is because, ignoring the obvious continuity errors with the Connery films, it was a great stand-alone Bond film imo.

Moore: Live and Let Die. Runner-up being For Your Eyes Only. Neither were as ridiculously campy as the other Moore films, and Moore wasn't quite creepily old yet.

Dalton: License to Kill over The Living Daylights because it took a big risk trying something different and succeeded as a great action/drama imo. TLD was still a great Cold War era spy film, but the villain sucked.

Brosnon: Goldeneye. Runner-up TWINE. Goldeneye did a great job bridging the gap between the pre and post Cold War world. Plus 006 was one of, if not the best, Bond villain. TWINE is a runner-up because Elektra King (whom I believe is the true villain and NOT Renard) made for a great, cold-hearted female villain that most Bond movies lacked. Side-note: Die Another Day was overall terrible. Awful CGI. AWFUL Austin Powers-esque innuendos. Too much over-the-top. The only good thing was the beginning North Korea story line.

Craig: Casino Royale, barely. Runner-up Skyfall. Casino Royale did a great job FINALLY modernizing Bond without the over use of CGI action. Skyfall is a close second thanks to its great villain and revealing of some of Bond's past.
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mario masta posted...

Moore: Live and Let Die. Runner-up being For Your Eyes Only. Neither were as ridiculously campy as the other Moore films, and Moore wasn't quite creepily old yet.

Live and Let Die is extremely campy, maybe the campiest of all the films Moore did (and I don't mind campy either). And when you really look back on that movie, it was such a tremendous risk - to make the first non-Connery movie (that wasn't Lazenby) basically a blaxpoitation movie. Odd choice, but I actually do like it. The New Orleans setting comes through really strong and clear.

mario masta posted...

Brosnon: Goldeneye. Runner-up TWINE. Goldeneye did a great job bridging the gap between the pre and post Cold War world. Plus 006 was one of, if not the best, Bond villain. TWINE is a runner-up because Elektra King (whom I believe is the true villain and NOT Renard) made for a great, cold-hearted female villain that most Bond movies lacked. Side-note: Die Another Day was overall terrible. Awful CGI. AWFUL Austin Powers-esque innuendos. Too much over-the-top. The only good thing was the beginning North Korea story line.

I'm glad we agree on Die, but if I had one criticism of Goldeneye is that it does take the series out of the Cold War permanently. It is a minor, minor criticism because like I said, Goldeneye is my favorite Bond movie and it does do the bridge well, but I really liked the Cold War dynamic of the story and now it's, like, completely dropped. When I think of ideal Bond I think of a 60's playboy with sardonic wit that's fighting between two superpowers. Not someone interjecting into the water politics of South America or whatever other Dick Wolf plot they rip from the headlines. I wish they'd make future Bonds period and I think Goldeneye bridged it so well that now they're not thinking of going back (plus it's cheaper to not do it period).

au_gold posted...

OHMSS had superb action sequences, namely the snowy mountain scenes.

From Russia With Love has Red Grant, one of the best villains in Bond history.

Renard had the coolest quality in a villain being impervious to pain. Who gives a shit what his name is? He was the henchman anyway.

Jaws wasn't even in For Your Eyes Only.

You have some backwards ass opinions, TC.

I corrected myself on Jaws. Eh, you wont change my mind about Lazenby. Connery had a smooth, charming personality, Moore was funny, Brosnan/Dalton/Craig were more serious. Lazenby was the guy that tried to be serious while smiling and it just seemed like he was boasting about himself all the time. Don't know what they were thinking with him.

From Russia with love was just boring. Red Grant was just some old guy in a suit. He should have had a better name or just something to make him stand out. Renard should have had a better name to make him stand out. Saw that they referred to him as "The Anarchist." That would have been better. He didn't need any other names. We never found out what Dr. No or Goldfinger's real names were in the movies. I don't pay attention to the books. I will admit that Elektra was good looking too, but she needed to have a better name. The gimmicks were what made the Connery and Moore films great.
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