During the pandemic, I made it my mission to watch every single James Bond movie in order. It only took me like three days. There was not much to do.
But during that quest, I found a new appreciation for the franchise. It’s sustained 25 movies so far, with more to come. The character has been through many actors, all putting their own spin on it.
Truly, there’s something to love about all of these films, so putting them in order was pretty hard for me.
But without further ado, we should dive into every James Bond film ever ranked.
Let’s get shaken, not stirred.
1. Goldfinger
To me, this is the quintessential Bond film. It has iconic villains, all the cool gadgets, and a classic theme song.
2. Skyfall
3. Casino Royale
Daniel Craig burst onto the scene with this exciting trip into Bond becoming 007. It was dark, gritty, and had some all-time great scenes.
4. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
There’s something about this movie that just feels real, even in this universe. It is a tragic story where Diana Rigg plays a compelling and deep Bond girl.
5. From Russia with Love
The Cold War backdrop adds suspense and realism to the thriller that solidified many of the series’ trademarks, like the gadgets and the gals.
6. Dr. No
The first James Bond movie ever. We got Connery chewing the screen with his charisma. We also got to see his gadgets and his penchant for beautiful women.
7. GoldenEye
I remember watching this movie in a hotel during a rainstorm. It’s Pierce Brosnan’s debut as Bond. And a modern reboot of characters featuring a thrilling plot and a clicking pen.
8. Thunderball
The deeper we got into Bond’s stories, the more anything felt possible. This movie had some great underwater set pieces and a memorable villain in Largo.
9. The Spy Who Loved Me
Famous for the ski jump stunt, this classic Roger Moore Bond film became the highest-grossing Bond movie for a long time. It really felt like an action film.
10. You Only Live Twice
Yeah, that Roald Dahl wrote in this movie. This movie has stunning visuals to go along with the plot. and it got us our first peek at Blofeld, who became a series regular.
11. No Time to Die
A fitting conclusion to Daniel Craig’s Bond era, with emotional depth and impressive action sequences. I did kind of hate a world where James Bond can die, but I get it.
12. Live and Let Die
This was Roger Moore’s debut as Bond. It has some blaxploitation vibes, reflective of the time period. This is also a funnier Bond than we’ve come to know.
13. Diamonds Are Forever
They brought Sean Connery back as Bond. This movie has some of his best witty dialogue and has a great Blofeld plot where he’s trying to build a laser.
14. The Living Daylights
Timothy Dalton’s first Bond appearance came with a more serious tone. It’s exciting and shot well but there are no jokes at all. Just action.
15. License to Kill
Dalton’s second and final Bond film is a dark and gritty thriller where he’s hunting down the cartel for killing his friend. It’s really thrilling but feels more like a B-revenge movie than a spy film.
16. Never Say Never Again
While this is a remake of Thunderball, starring Sean Connery as James Bond, I love the idea of old Bond kicking butt and getting to ride off into the sunset.
17. For Your Eyes Only
A grounded Roger Moore Bond film that takes on nuclear subs being lost at sea. I think this is a bond plot that really holds up to modern scrutiny and feels like an all-out adventure.
18. Octopussy
Its title is probably more famous than the movie, probably because the movie is more campy than sexy. There’s a whole set piece with a circus train.
19. Quantum of Solace
Cut so tightly with so much shaky cam, I still have no idea what the villain was trying to do. I love the PTSD aspect of Bond being upset over Vesper, but in hindsight, it’s a choice that haunts all the Craig movies.
20. Spectre
This film brought back the classic villainous organization SPECTRE and Blofeld. It has some cool set pieces and is sexy and stylish, but it moves so slowly, it lacks the urgency of other outings.
21. The Man With The Golden Gun
Maybe too ridiculous of a plot, Bond battles the idea that the sun will be used as a weapon. The dialogue is way too over the top, just like the story.
22. Tomorrow Never Dies
I actually like the idea of the media being a villain here, and Bond trying to stay ahead of the headlines. And I like the action set pieces and gadgets in this film. I am not sure why I have this at 20, I think it’s just the vibes feel weird inside the movie at times.
23. Moonraker
This is a Bond movie I think everyone should see because it is crazy to do Bond in space. I have it lower because it feels so unlike other Bond movies, but also, I sort of love it.
24. Die Another Day
This has all the elements of a classic Bond movie as we bid farewell to Brosnan. There’s a dangerous laser, hot Bond gals, and a lot of globetrotting. Still, these are things we’ve seen before in the universe.
25. The World is Not Enough
There are no Bond movies I hate or even actively dislike. This one is just bananas and sort of leans into the fun Bond versus the thrilling ones. The Denise-Richards-is-a-nuke-expert-named-Christmas thing is, like, peak camp.
26. View to Kill
The introduction of computers and microchips into the universe feels radical for the time, but the best part of this movie is Grace Jones playing a bad-ass bodyguard. Roger Moore’s final Bond film kind of makes him look tired.
27. Casino Royale (1967)
- Directors: by John Huston, Ken Hughes, Val Guest, Robert Parrish, Joe McGrath
- Screenplay by Wolf Mankowitz, John Law, Michael Sayers
- Starring Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, David Niven, Woody Allen, Joanna Pettet, Orson Welles, Daliah Lavi, Deborah Kerr, William Holden, Charles Boyer, Jean-Paul Belmondo, George Raft, and many more.
Not considered part of the canon, this is a comedic spy film starring David Niven as James Bond. It’s totally fine.
Summing Up
That’s my ranking of the James Bond movies. I really do like watching any and all of them. they all are fun and I don’t think there are really any bad ones.
You sort of just get to live in this world and appreciate each movie for its worldview and perspective on Bond as a character.
If you have a different order, I’d love to hear from you.
Let me know what you think in the comments.
Author: Jason Hellerman
This article comes from No Film School and can be read on the original site.
