Since he first appeared on the big screen
in 1962, James Bond has become a worldwide film sensation. "Bond. James Bond." With 24 "official" James Bond adventures and
three "unofficial" films, the franchise can be a bit overwhelming, especially if you're
new to the series. Some of these movies remain classics today,
while others…not so much. Let's take a look at every James Bond film
ever made, and rank them from worst to best. Chances are good this list will leave you
shaken and stirred... Casino Royale (1967) Due to some behind-the-scenes drama, producer
Charles Feldman opted to make his version of Casino Royale a satire, casting comedic
actor Peter Sellers as one of many James Bonds — it gets complicated — and Orson Welles
as Le Chiffre. Despite being a spoof, 1967's Casino Royale
is more cheesy and cringe-inducing than actually funny, and can easily be skipped on your next
Bond-a-thon. "This is an historic day in our saga Sir James. The day SMUSH finally eliminated the original
James Bond." A View to a Kill (1985) Roger Moore's final appearance as James Bond
in A View to a Kill is by far his weakest. Moore delivers a performance that could be
described as zombie-like, dozing his way through nearly every scene. Making matters worse, the plot is nearly non-existent. It centers on a Silicon Valley magnate played
by Christopher Walken who wants to control the market for computer chips. And although Walken and his henchwoman, played
by Grace Jones, do a fine job with what they were given, their performances couldn't redeem
this movie. "So, does anybody else wanna drop out?" The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) Roger Moore's second outing as Bond in The
Man with the Golden Gun was also pretty shabby. The movie tries too hard to be flashy, and
nearly everything overshadows Moore himself. The kung-fu scenes seem cheesy and tacked
on, and there's a decided lack of typical Bond spy gadgetry — replaced with impossibilities
like flying cars. On the plus side, the movie does offer two
of the coolest "bad guys" of the series: Christopher Lee as Scaramanga and Hervé Villechaize as
his henchman, Nick Nack. Octopussy (1983) Director John Glen resorted to a tired formula
for Octopussy. Of all the Roger Moore Bond films, this one
might just be the cheesiest. Featuring jewelry heists, a cult, and a world
domination storyline involving nuclear weapons, Octopussy suffers from an overabundance of
plot and an underwhelming lack of substance. And remember Bond's ridiculous disguises in
the movie? How could you forget. Casino Royale (1954) James Bond might be a movie icon, but his
first on-screen appearance was actually on television. In 1954, Casino Royale was produced as an
episode of the CBS anthology drama called Climax! Which was actually performed and broadcast
live. Starring Barry Nelson as Bond and Peter Lorre
as Le Chiffre, the episode was mostly faithful to the novel, except that Bond is an American
CIA agent instead of MI6. It's not a terrible take on the stories, per
se, but it doesn't have the production value of its peers. That said, it's still pretty impressive that
they pulled it off in front of a live audience at all. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) Pierce Brosnan's second outing as James Bond
was the same suave and smooth double-oh agent we'd come to know in GoldenEye, and his onscreen
chemistry with Teri Hatcher steams up every scene they share. Also, Jonathan Pryce presents a much more
realistic villain than normal: a media mogul who attempts to start a war in order to boost
his news market share. "I may have some breaking news for you, Elliott." However, despite the shiny exterior and new
arsenal of gadgets, there's very little new ground explored in Tomorrow Never Dies, and
it plays a little too safe to stand out in the series. The World Is Not Enough (1999) Brosnan's Bond outings might've all been good
in terms of his personality, but there is still way too much formula in play with The
World is Not Enough. And while most of the supporting cast was
solid — including Sohie Marceau as Elektra King and Robert Carlyle as Renard — the
overall acting of the pic took a major hit with Denise Richards' portrayal of nuclear
physicist Christmas Jones. "JAMES." Die Another Day (2002) For his final stint as James Bond, Pierce
Brosnan gave his best performance in the role since his debut in GoldenEye. "You've been busy, have we Mr. Bond?" "Just surviving Mr. Chang. Just surviving." Perhaps he had the solid plot to thank — well,
apart from that space laser bit. The film successfully evoked the feel of classic
Bond films with throwback imagery like Halle Berry's Jinx emerging from the ocean. And many of the action sequences were actually
exciting, like the fight between Jinx and Miranda Frost at the end of the film. Unfortunately, Die Another Day's special effects
do not always hold up. Live and Let Die (1973) This movie's main flaws revolve around the
unimpressive main villain Mr. Big and his plot to give away free heroin in order to
get a corner on the market. Despite this, it's still an adequate entry
in the franchise, and Jane Seymour as Solitaire remains one of the best Bond girls to date. Quantum of Solace (2008) Daniel Craig's second outing as James Bond
suffers some fundamental flaws, like the villain Dominic Greene and his plot to monopolize
Bolivia's fresh water supplies. That's a pretty boring idea for an international
caper. On the other hand, it's also a pretty dark
film, with Bond set on revenge and not a tongue-in-cheek quip in sight. Olga Kurylenko is great as a Bond girl, and
the inferno fight in the final act is the stuff of nightmares. Spectre (2015) In this installment, we finally get to see
our hero come face to face with Blofeld, the leader of the shadowy organization SPECTRE. That might've been exciting in an of itself,
but at times, the film's plot seems a little contrived. That said, the action and stunt sequences
rose to new heights without relying on computer-generated imagery, and Monica Bellucci is delightful
as a Bond Girl. So, it's still definitely worth your time. Moonraker (1979) This installment of the Bond franchise features
one of the most unrealistic plots of all. A spacecraft is hijacked in order to release
a deadly chemical around the world, and Roger Moore's portrayal slips from merely flippant
to positively silly. There's still a lot to like about Moonraker
because the campiness is cheerful, and the cast does sell the silliness. Fans also applauded the return of Jaws, and
the romantic epilogue will still go down as containing one of the best Bond double-entendres
in history. "007." "My God what's Bond doing?" "I think he's attempting re-entry sir." Diamonds Are Forever (1971) Sean Connery's return to the Bond fold in
Diamonds Are Forever didn't sparkle quite as much as its predecessors. The '70s-era Vegas scenery seems a little
too garish for Bond, and the movie ignores much of the source material. However, there are a few great chase scenes
and the badass bodyguards Bambi and Thumper, so there's a lot to like about the pic, too. For Your Eyes Only (1981) Director John Glen delivered a delightfully
stripped-down Bond film with For Your Eyes Only. It approaches the feel of the earliest Bond
movies, and Moore gives his most serious and rugged performance yet. The return to a Cold War threat was a smart
move, as was the decision to nix any large and overly bombastic set pieces. What remains is an action-packed and smartly
shot movie that does have its flaws, but is definitely an enjoyable Bond film nonetheless. The Living Daylights (1987) When Timothy Dalton stepped into the role
after Moore, critics seemed to miss his predecessor's campiness and complained about him being too
uptight. Part of what helps keep James Bond films entertaining
is the sardonic tongue-in-cheek wit displayed by Bond himself. Nevertheless, Dalton is backed up by good
supporting performances, and the plot isn't as outlandish as most, centering on the KGB
and a tale of defection and smuggling. Add in a few good action scenes, and The Living
Daylights redeems itself as a better-than-average Bond film. Never Say Never Again (1983) Even though the story of Never Say Never Again
is mostly rehashed from Thunderball, there's something about this movie that's more entertaining
than the original. Max von Sydow delivers a wonderful performance
as Blofeld, and Rowan Atkinson is nervously hilarious as Bond's handler at the British
Consulate. It's comforting to see a more experienced
Sean Connery back in the role he made famous, and he's clearly more comfortable and having
more fun in his final farewell to the Bond franchise. "Never... Never say never again." The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) Even though it's not a great Bond film, Roger
Moore started to hit his stride as the lead character in his third attempt, The Spy Who
Loved Me. His onscreen chemistry with Barbara Bach's
Anya is undeniable, and the film opens with a great stunt sequence. While the main villain and his dastardly plans
for world domination are rather lackluster, The Spy Who Loved Me does introduce audiences
to one of the all-time greatest Bond henchmen: Richard Kiel's Jaws. All in all, it's a good entry in the franchise,
and perhaps Moore's best outing as James Bond. Licence to Kill (1989) In Timothy Dalton's second — and final — performance
as James Bond, the filmmakers opted to play to his strengths, resulting in a much darker
and more violent Bond film. While there are definitely a few preposterous
moments — like capturing an airplane with a helicopter — on the whole, Licence to
Kill is also much more sensible than most Bond movies. Like all good Bond films, Licence to Kill
has plenty of entertaining action scenes, and this time, there's also an entertaining
plot to go along with them. "Remember you're only President for life." You Only Live Twice (1967) Even though You Only Live Twice has one of
the most improbable plots of all the Bond films — involving hijacked spacecraft — its
substantial charms are undeniable. The movie boasts some beautiful cinematography,
so, it's easy to forgive the film's wandering script and preposterous volcano hideout and
count this one as very enjoyable. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) In his only appearance in the Bond circuit,
George Lazenby is pretty wooden in his delivery. However, those action sequences paired with
the tone and Diana Rigg's turn as Tracy make this one a keeper. Not to mention, the villain Blofeld is played
convincingly by Telly Savalas, and the emotional punch of the final scene adds a thoroughly
enjoyable installment to the Bond franchise. GoldenEye (1995) To reinvent the franchise, Pierce Brosnan
took over the role of Bond and managed to strike all the right notes. GoldenEye is a completely original story that
introduces Sean Bean's former MI6 agent Trevelyan as the primary villain. From the entertaining action sequences to
the extraordinary set pieces, it's no wonder this movie made for such a rad video game. Thunderball (1965) As the fourth film in the series, Thunderball
was perfectly placed to capitalize on the height of the Cold War, with a plot focusing
on two stolen atomic bombs and Bond's attempt to recover them from SPECTRE. While it isn't quite as good as its three
predecessors, Thunderball is still a very solid Bond movie, with spectacular scenery
and action sequences. And while it could've used some judicious
editing, it's still a visual treat. Skyfall (2012) For Skyfall, the Bond series took a leap away
from 007 to focus instead on the past of Bond's superior, M, and a former MI6 agent turned
terrorist Raoul Silva, played by Javier Bardem. Skyfall hits all the right notes for a classic
Bond film, from the exotic locales to the compelling plot full of twists. And let's not forget how Adele's sexy theme
song left people swooning for months after this movie dropped. Dr. No (1962) The very first James Bond film remains a classic. All the elements of later Bond films were
introduced here: the stylistic opening credits, exotic locales, the James Bond theme, and
his trademark catchphrase, to name a few. It's an action-packed 109 minutes of pure
audience escapism. Sean Connery is suave and a natural in the
role of Bond, showing why he'd hold on to the part for seven different films. Only the lack of an impressive henchman for
Dr. No and some pacing issues prevent this movie from topping our list. The James Bond formula was solidly established
in Dr. No, and was only improved upon in the next two installments. Casino Royale (2006) Daniel Craig's first turn as 007 was meant
to introduce a complete reboot of the James Bond franchise — set at the very start of
his secret agent career — and it was so successful that it breathed new life into
the series. Instead of treating Bond as window dressing
to go along with jaw-dropping action scenes, the production team made the wise choice to
actually let Bond's haunted and human personality shine through. In addition to Craig's convincing performance
and Eva Green's complicated turn as Vesper, Mads Mikkelsen plays a convincing and creepy
Le Chiffre. Between the acting, the intense action sequences,
and the emotional resonance of the movie, the new Casino Royale is one of the best in
the James Bond series. From Russia with Love (1963) Sean Connery's second outing as Bond is even
better than the first, and From Russia with Love is also bolstered by standout action
sequences, like the fight scene aboard the Orient Express which would inspire numerous
other train scenes in later Bond films. Everything is more colorful and there are
several memorable one-liners and funny visual gags that make From Russia With Love an example
of Bond at his finest. Goldfinger (1964) Although the margin between the top four Bond
films is nearly razor-thin, Goldfinger comes out on top. From the dramatic and "shocking" opening sequence
to amazing gadgetry and the unforgettable image of Shirley Eaton painted gold from head
to toe, Goldfinger is a movie that continues to impress. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better henchman
than Oddjob, and the name of Bond girl "Pussy Galore" still inspires a giggle today. The laser table and the climactic fight in
the airplane are among the best Bond scenes of all time, and Goldfinger was also the first
Bond movie to include the line "shaken, not stirred." Many other Bond films imitated the formula
perfected in Goldfinger, but few come close. "Who are you?" "Bond, James Bond." Thanks for watching! Click the Looper icon to subscribe to our
YouTube channel. Plus check out all this cool stuff we know
you'll love, too!
