Rank all the Bond Films!

I'd like to state that i love all of the Bond films (Except for DAD and OP - I don't exactly hate them, just can't stand to them) and that my personal list ain't from the best to the worst, but the best ones in a very small downgrade for percentage of enjoyability. - Except for the last two ones, which are very the worst ones.

1 - GE
2 - SF
3 - CR
4 - GF
5 - FRWL
6 - QOS
7 - TSWLM
8 - LTK
9 - TLD
10 - MR
11 - AVTAK
12 - TMWTGG
13 - DN
14 - TND
15 - TWINE
16 - FYEO
17 - LALD
18 - TB
19 - YOLT
20 - OMHSS
21 - DAF
22 - OP
23 - DAD

Interesting how Brosnan is your favourite Bond, but three of his films in the bottom half.

I like Craig as Bond, but hate 2 of his 3 films.

I enjoy GE a lot and think Brosnan gave his best performance in DAD, but those latter three films of his are weak. Even Brosnan doesn't think so highly of those three anymore.

Python wrote:

I enjoy GE a lot and think Brosnan gave his best performance in DAD, but those latter three films of his are weak. Even Brosnan doesn't think so highly of those three anymore.

I like TWINE a lot. I even think TND and DAD are entertaining films but I don't enjoy them as much as TWINE. Anyways after having watched quite a few of the Blu-rays these past 3-4 weeks I'm gonna' rank these up by each Bond because I don't wanna' have to think about putting them all together right now:

Sean Connery

1. Dr. No
2. From Russia With Love
3. Goldfinger
4. Thunderball
5. Diamonds Are Forever
6. You Only Live Twice

Roger Moore

1. The Spy Who Loved Me
2. Live and Let Die
3. Octopussy
4. A View to a Kill
5. Moonraker
6. For Your Eyes Only
7. The Man With The Golden Gun

Timothy Dalton

1. Practically tied after a recent viewing of TLD

Pierce Brosnan

1. GoldenEye
2. The World Is Not Enough
3. Die Another Day/Tomorrow Never Dies

Daniel Craig

1. Casino Royale
2. Skyfall
3. Quantum of Solace

For me, of the three DAD is the best as that at least has some color and style to it, while TND is dull and TWINE is both dull and stupid.

Python wrote:

For me, of the three DAD is the best as that at least has some color and style to it, while TND is dull and TWINE is both dull and stupid.

I've noticed that for all its flaws DAD is now probably clearly ahead of TND for me. I can see the arguments against TWINE but I've always thought it to be an excellent film if you kick back and enjoy it as a Bond flick.

DAD on the other hand is in that small handful of movies that I know are very flawed but I find extremely entertaining. I'll pop that in more than almost any other film in the canon if I just wanna' kick back, turn my brain off, and watch Bond.

Xenia93 wrote:

Python wrote:

For me, of the three DAD is the best as that at least has some color and style to it, while TND is dull and TWINE is both dull and stupid.

I've noticed that for all its flaws DAD is now probably clearly ahead of TND for me. I can see the arguments against TWINE but I've always thought it to be an excellent film if you kick back and enjoy it as a Bond flick.

DAD on the other hand is in that small handful of movies that I know are very flawed but I find extremely entertaining. I'll pop that in more than almost any other film in the canon if I just wanna' kick back, turn my brain off, and watch Bond.

I respect that Die Another Day is trying to do something different or new while at the same time still attempting to qualify as a fully fledged Bond film, it is ambitious but flawed, whereas TND is a case of just going through the motions and more often than not playing it safe. On balance the two films achieve about the same but DAD is perhaps the more laudable effort.

lachesis wrote:

I respect that Die Another Day is trying to do something different or new while at the same time still attempting to qualify as a fully fledged Bond film, it is ambitious but flawed, whereas TND is a case of just going through the motions and more often than not playing it safe. On balance the two films achieve about the same but DAD is perhaps the more laudable effort.

I agree. I think TND is my least favorite Brosnan Bond after my most recent re-watching. It has some of the best action sequences of the Brosnan-era but other than a strong performance from Brozzy I think it falls pretty flat.

I think the characters of both Carver and Wai Lin were woefully underwritten and I just don't buy Bond and her getting together at the end. And while I'm on that topic that ending/climax just feels "pushed" upon us doesn't it? I felt thrown into the climax and then after some machine gun fire Bond kisses Wai Lin and the credits roll.

23. Skyfall
22. Quantum of Solace
21. Die Another Day
20. Tomorrow Never Dies
19. Casino Royale
18. The World is Not Enough
17. Goldeneye
16. Live and Let Die
15. Diamonds Are Forever
14. Licence to Kill
13. The Man with Golden Gun
12. Goldfinger
11. View To A Kill
10. You Only Live Twice
9. The Living Daylights
8. Dr No
7. Thunderball
6. From Russia with love
5. The Spy Who Loved Me
4. Moonraker
3. Octopussy
2. For Your Eyes Only
1. On Her Majesty’s Secrey Service

1. GoldenEye
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3. Casino Royale '06
4. From Russia With Love
5. Skyfall
6. Die Another Day
7. The World Is Not Enough
8. Tomorrow Never Dies
9. For Your Eyes Only
10. Licence To Kill
11. Dr. No
12. Goldfinger
13. The Living Daylights
14. The Spy Who Loved Me
15. Quantum of Solace
16. Never Say Never Again
17. Casino Royale '67
18. The Man With The Golden Gun
19. Diamonds Are Forever
20. Thunderball
21. Moonraker
22. A View To A Kill
23. Octopussy
24. Live And Let Die
25. You Only Live Twice

What an interesting top 10! I looked at your first 5 and thought that it was just another fan's ranking with what the general public think as the best Bond films, then you include the rest of Brosnan's Bond films! Love it! :)

Though DAD near the top...?

Yeah, I like TWINE and TND more than DAD, however I find DAD so more entertaining.

Here's my personal list (for today):
1. TLD
2. LTK
3. TND
4. GE
5. TB
6. DN
7. YOLT
8. TWINE
9. QOS
10. LALD
11. OP
12. FRWL
13. TMWTGG
14. FYEO
15. CR
16. OHMSS
17. GF
18. TSWLM
19. DAF
--------------
20. SF
21. DAD
---------------
22. AVTAK
23. MR
Here's an attempt at an objective list leaving out my personal preferences:
1. FRWL
2. CR
3. OHMSS
4. GE
5. GF
6. TLD
7. TB
8. YOLT
9. TND
10. TWINE
11. SF
12. DN
13. LTK
14. TSWLM
15. FYEO
16. LALD
17. OP
18. TMWTGG
19. QOS
20. DAF
21. AVTAK
22. MR
23. DAD

I don't believe any of us, or indeed anyone can arrive at an objective list.....tbh even if they could what possible meaning might it hold? Here's a list of what's best but what you like is different...eh? how does that work?

I think realising our personal preferences are just that and keeping them in proper perspective is the most genuinely worthwhile thing we can do.

Nice to see Dalton's films at the top for a change - the diversity of Bond fans is a wonderful thing I think and one that is almost unique in terms of film franchises.

lachesis wrote:

Here's a list of what's best but what you like is different...eh? how does that work?

I'll put in Gung Fu terms: I can see a technique from Brazillian Ju-Jitsu that's more effective in general than one in my own style (Wing Chun), but prefer my own style's 'version' of it for me anyway. If one cannot at least attempt objectivity, one is blinded to ways other than one's own. So, while I can see that FRWL is a #1 class Bond film, I can also say that TLD is my personal favourite.
See?

chrisisall wrote:

lachesis wrote:

Here's a list of what's best but what you like is different...eh? how does that work?

I'll put in Gung Fu terms: I can see a technique from Brazillian Ju-Jitsu that's more effective in general than one in my own style (Wing Chun), but prefer my own style's 'version' of it for me anyway. If one cannot at least attempt objectivity, one is blinded to ways other than one's own. So, while I can see that FRWL is a #1 class Bond film, I can also say that TLD is my personal favourite.
See?

At the end of the day your list of favourites is relevant to you and meaningful to others in what it says about your comparative tastes. However a list that attempts to remove yourself from the equation, somehow seems both less realistically attainable (insofar as there are to my knowledge no objective measures we can refer to) and also less informative?

Which is the real list for you, which one do you really believe in actually then becomes the pertinent question?

lachesis wrote:

I don't believe any of us, or indeed anyone can arrive at an objective list.....tbh even if they could what possible meaning might it hold? Here's a list of what's best but what you like is different...eh? how does that work?

I don't know about that, Lachesis. I can easily see and say that Lawrence of Arabia is a brilliant film and the better film when compared to Gladiator. But I can also say that Gladiator is my favourite of the two. It's not historically accurate nor is it filmed as beautifully, but it just tickles me. However, the tickle scale isn't what I'd use to define great film.

As for Bond, great and favourite may be similar but I suspect that DAD would be lowest on my favourites though higher on the better film list than a Moore Bond (or two).

1. From Russia With Love
2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
3. Doctor No
4. Thunderball
5. The Living Daylights
6. Casino Royale
7. Live And Let Die
8. The Spy Who Loved Me
9. Goldeneye
10. For Your Eyes Only
11. Licence To Kill
12. Octopussy
13. Skyfall
14. Goldfinger
15. You Only Live Twice
16. Diamonds Are Forever
17. Moonraker
18. The Man With The Golden Gun
19. Quantum Of Solace
20. The World Is Not Enough
21. A View To A Kill
22. Tomorrow Never Dies
23. Die Another Day

Not bad. The top five is probably similar to what I had awhile back.

[quote="retrokitty"]

lachesis wrote:

I don't know about that, Lachesis.  I can easily see and say that Lawrence of Arabia is a brilliant film and the better film when compared to Gladiator.

The problem imo is that its not just a case of agreeing something is brilliant (and I'd agree with you on Arabia) but going on to relatively assess the degree of 'brilliantness' etc. Equally there is one particular value, that of creative originality, which may in any objective measure simply place Dr No head and shoulders above all others. But all that agreed and done I'd still have to go back and ask, what would such a list tell anyone, it always seems much less than a simple and honest 'what do you like'?

Mine would be something like this these days:

1. Tomorrow Never Dies
2. From Russia With Love*
3. Goldeneye (really, really enjoyed it this time round)
4. Thunderball (likewise)
5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service*
6. Dr. No*
7. The World Is Not Enough
8. Skyfall
9. For Your Eyes Only
10. Goldfinger*
11. The Living Daylights*
12. Quantum of Solace
13. Octopussy
14. A View to a Kill
15. You Only Live Twice
16. Casino Royale*
17. Licence to Kill
18. The Man With The Golden Gun*
19. Diamonds Are Forever*
20. The Spy Who Loved Me*
21. Moonraker
22. Live and Let Die (seems my uber enjoyment of LALD only last for one year: last year)
23. Die Another Day

*still need to do a rewatch this year

Posted the above post just as I returned. Will do an updated one once I finish but I realised that 16 or so Bond films are contenders for the top 10…

#1 The Living Daylights
#2 Skyfall
#3 Octopussy
#4 The World Is Not Enough
#5 Thunderball

Honorable Mention: A View To A Kill

Great top 5! Different to the usual, but good to see love for TWINE :)