Rank all the Bond Films!

Good to see Octopussy getting some love. So to speak.

FieldsMan wrote:

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

TWINE was a direct reaction to TND. It was what people *claimed* they wanted: a story that was more complex, less wall-to-wall action, and some real acting with some real scenery to be chewed. Other than the flat performance of Denise Richards' obscenely under-written character and one or two puns that went over like a cement balloon, I thought the film delivered on everything. Brilliant performance by Sophie Marceau; so much so that, I think, it would've really shaken up the series some if there had been no Christmas Jones character at all and, instead, viewers are stunned to find out that the only Bond Girl in the movie is going to be an irredeemable villainess. Not every Bond film has to end with 007 in bed with the Bond Girl, and M spying/interrupting 007 having sex (a cliche you'd have thought would have been over with and done by 1999).

Christmas Jones was a very minor character; contributed almost nothing to the storyline, and all her lines (what few of them were there) could have been given to any other existing character, or you could have had a male scientist that is either killed off or written out not long afterwards. Because, I think, most audiences knew Denise was going to be the Girl Bond ends up with; so that means Marceau is either a villain, or she dies, which then means the audience is one step ahead of the movie and the element of surprise is now gone. But I digress....

Denise Richards took a pathetically under-written role and........made nothing out of it. Better actresses would have done more with less, but Denise has never claimed to be a great actresses. The character is less of a distraction than, say, Stacy Sutton, and is certainly more useful to Bond than Stacy or Mary Goodnight ever was, but still, in the pantheon of great Bond Girls, she's lower down on the list. Killer body....explosive rack.....beautiful lips......but...I think its been shown before, and after TWINE, that you *CAN* have drop-dead beautiful actresses that also have talent.

Back to my original paragraph: Bond fans screamed bloody hell that TND was too violent, too stupid, not enough characterization.....one huge cliche...over-the-top...without any sort of grounding....and yet what do they do when TWINE comes out? Well, maybe not immediately, but eventually they slag off on the film. Somehow, 15 years later, TND gets more respect and admiration, and TWINE is treated like a red-headed step-child.

Hilly KCMG wrote:

Good to see Octopussy getting some love. So to speak.

Octopussy was an instant hit with me when I first saw it, and it's never really left my TOP 5. Conversely, TLD was a big disappointment for me, but gradually over time I not only enjoyed it, but I think it's practically the best of them all. Conversely to TLD, I immediately liked LTK (though admitting it had a few flaws), but repeated viewings began to really reveal the flaws in the film, and it's never really left the bottom of my list since 1995 or so.

Some films have gained traction with me as I've gotten older and want more story and less explosions (FRWL comes to mind; maybe even OHMSS a little bit). But few films have diverged from my initial opinion of them quite the way the Dalton films did. The Moore films...the Brosnan films...the Connery films....they all managed to pretty much stay in the same place I ordered them mentally, but not Dalton's. He had a great film, and an awful film, but I didn't view them that way at first.

And I will always have a soft-spot for FAVTAK, because I know what it could have been; it had a lot of potential, and just missed being the greatest of them all. A tweak here...a tweak there...who knows.

I agree on what you say of Denise Richards, and because her character is so underwritten she's definitely the least of my problems with TWINE. I disagree that the film delivers on what it sets out to do. The way they play it out feels so false and contrived. One may say "hey, it's a Bond film", but the film is certainly trying to aim higher than its predecessor by going for a romantic thriller. It shouldn't try employing the same nonsensical plot development as MOONRAKER. What really kills it for me is that scene with Bond breaking in Elektra's bedroom. Bond is acting out of character, the dialogue is trite and the actors behave like they're in some bad soap opera. This scene is part of the reason I find the flick to be very unenjoyable, enough that I rank it as the worst of the series.

Makeshift Python wrote:

I agree on what you say of Denise Richards, and because her character is so underwritten she's definitely the least of my problems with TWINE. I disagree that the film delivers on what it sets out to do. The way they play it out feels so false and contrived. One may say "hey, it's a Bond film", but the film is certainly trying to aim higher than its predecessor by going for a romantic thriller. It shouldn't try employing the same nonsensical plot development as MOONRAKER. What really kills it for me is that scene with Bond breaking in Elektra's bedroom. Bond is acting out of character, the dialogue is trite and the actors behave like they're in some bad soap opera. This scene is part of the reason I find the flick to be very unenjoyable, enough that I rank it as the worst of the series.

What plot development are you referring to from MOONRAKER?

The only thing that really irritated me about Bond and Elektra was when Bond initially confronts her with his suspicions; it's too easy. He hasn't had to work for it. He puts it all together because of some off-handed remark that Renard makes that is apparently something Elektra is fond of saying. Also, the more you watch Brosnan's films, the more you see that he's good at making light quips ("We're strictly plutonic....now.") and handling the action, but he's not as good when the scene calls for drama. He's completely out-acted by Dench, Marceau, and to a lesser extent Carlyle. In fact, I'd argue some of the best bits of drama in the movie come between M and Elektra, with Bond in almost a supporting role in his own film.

If anything, SKYFALL (which I find immensely enjoyable) just outright steals half the plot from TWINE, right down to the aggrieved villain with a personal connection to M. If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, then I think Michael Apted should be gratified that SKYFALL "borrowed" so much from him.

Nothing specific from MR, just a general contrivance like having Cigar Girl shoot at Bond for no reason other than to kick start a boat chase. As for Bond putting it together, I'm kind of amazed that at no point did Bond realize that sooner after the Parahawks attacked, because they only went after Bond and left Elektra all alone after the two split up. That should have been what helped put it together, rather than that phrase Renard uttered.

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

SKYFALL (which I find immensely enjoyable) just outright steals half the plot from TWINE

Didn't Purvis and Wade plot both? Is it possible to steal your own IP?

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Denise Richards took a pathetically under-written role and........made nothing out of it. Better actresses would have done more with less, but Denise has never claimed to be a great actresses. The character is less of a distraction than, say, Stacy Sutton, and is certainly more useful to Bond than Stacy or Mary Goodnight ever was, but still, in the pantheon of great Bond Girls, she's lower down on the list.

I think that part of the problem with the character is her age. She's dangerously close to the Hollywood stereotype that if you're blond and pretty, you can be a world expert on nuclear fission by the age of 22. The role really demanded an older actor, just to sell the idea that she could be an expert.

Having said that, I seem to remember reading somewhere that the original draft envisioned the character as an idealistic graduate student whose dreams of making a better anti-nuclear future quickly turned to cynicism and frustration over the political wranglings associated with nuclear disarmament, and so she becomes a jaded, over-worked and under-experienced team leader taking apart rudimentary nuclear devices in a token gesture to the disarmament treaties. If so, she would have been a very interesting character in the Bond canon, but as the lead Bond girl, she would have had qualities that are not particularly audience-friendly, and so, like the mystery over Renard's relationship to Elektra, it was cut out in the Bruce Feirstien rewrites.

Prisoner Monkeys wrote:

Gravity's Silhouette wrote:

Denise Richards took a pathetically under-written role

I think that part of the problem with the character is her age. She's dangerously close to the Hollywood stereotype that if you're blond and pretty, you can be a world expert on nuclear fission by the age of 22. The role really demanded an older actor, just to sell the idea that she could be an expert.

The whole role is ludicrous. There are women in the nuclear sciences, but very few in the Anglo-Saxon world despite immense social engineering efforts and wishful thinking.

That apart, Monkeys, I realise women don't interest you, but you know that Denise Richards isn't blonde, don't you? Blonde with an e, I mean.

Ludicrous, certainly. But what's the alternative? To have Bond be extremely familiar with the inner workings of a Soviet-era warhead?

And while I accept that you have reverted back to your default arsehole mode, I wasn't aware that you forgot how to read. I said that Richards was CLOSE to the stereotype, not that she WAS the stereotype.

So, CLOSE to the blonde-and-pretty stereotype is brunette-and-pretty? How about black-and-pretty? Is that CLOSE enough too?

Gotta love that uppercase. As for forgetting how to read, I do that for a living, cunty. You just talk about it.

Monkeys and I are longtime friends. And you should be pleased to be so close to the blonde-and-pretty stereotype, Sabs; you could be Denise Richards if only you tried harder.

I should add that I am grey-and-grizzled. However, I was once blonde-and-pretty as my arsehole can testify.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Monkeys and I are longtime friends. And you should be pleased to be so close to the blonde-and-pretty stereotype, Sabs; you could be Denise Richards if only you tried harder.

I should add that I am grey-and-grizzled. However, I was once blonde-and-pretty as my arsehole can testify.

Not enough plastic.

Not that I was ever a big contributor 'round here but I'm back and since my list has changed considerably I figured I'd post it up here again once I'm finished going through the movies once more. Started this past week.

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

OHMSS is flawed but still my number one. Dalton was perfect when he came to Bond with TLD, wish he had taken over after TSWLM or MR though. Brosnan comes late in the pack and I'm no fan of GF either.

It's been a while and there have been a few notable changes, here is my brand spanking new Bond ranking:

01) From Russia with Love
02) Casino Royale
03) The Living Daylights
04) Thunderball
05) For Your Eyes Only
06) GoldenEye
07) Octopussy
08) Dr No
09) Licence to Kill
10) Goldfinger
11) The Spy Who Loved Me
12) Skyfall
13) Live and Let Die
14) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
15) The Man with the Golden Gun
16) Moonraker
17) Diamonds Are Forever
18) Tomorrow Never Dies
19) A View to a Kill
20) Die another Day
21) You Only Live Twice
22) The World Is Not Enough
23) Quantum of Solace

FRWL has managed to budge TLD from number 1, a place it has coveted for a good few years now. CR has also shot up several spots and also somehow managed to overtake TLD with FYEO not far behind. Casualties I'm afraid however are OHMSS and TWINE, I'm still a lover of OHMSS but damn it, there are just some better Bond films out there. Not really happy with my ranking of SF so just leaving it in the middle for now, it might only be two years ago but I am still unable to view it as anything other than 'the new one'.

Shame OHMSS and TWINE have moved down in your list JB!

My 2014 ranking, now that I've seen them all!

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

Some bigger changes here. TSWLM just outside the top 10 - which is a first because it's usually near the bottom. A View to a Kill and Quantum of Solace has gone down a lot - these viewings were at the start of the year and it wasn't as enjoyable this time round. Casino Royale is one that popped up quite a bit. When I first discovered TLD all those years ago, it was number 2 Bond film, but subsequently moved down and down - not because I don't like it as much, but because I like others more - kind of like JB and OHMSS. And then GF enters my top 10 for the first time as well! TWINE stepped down a few places, and GE jumped up - the latter bringing me back to Bond after a little hiatus. I have to say GE and TB were the two Bond films I had the most fun watching this time round.

Looking forward to doing a rewatch again in 2015 as a countdown to SPECTRE.

Haven't done this in a while but I guess things have changed on my list:

-----5 out of 5-----
1. From Russia With Love
2. The Living Daylights
3. GoldenEye
4. Skyfall
5. Octopussy
6. Licence to Kill
7. Diamonds Are Forever
8. Moonraker
9. Thunderball
10. The Spy Who Loved Me
11. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

-----4 out of 5-----
12. Tomorrow Never Dies
13. Live and Let Die
14. Casino Royale
15. A View to a Kill
16. You Only Live Twice
17. The Man with the Golden Gun
18. Goldfinger
19. The World is Not Enough
20. For Your Eyes Only
21. Dr. No

-----3 out of 5-----
22. Quantum of Solace

-----*looks at bottle wondering what I just saw*-----
23. Die Another Day

This is all from re-watching them throughout the year, some rankings might be heresy to some but ... don't care. Their tears make good martinis.

So, here I go. This was a tough thing for me to complete as I weight some Bond films higher due to their music IMO of course. IE: OHMSS over GE or YOLT over Dr. No. You know, to me Connery LOOKS like Bond to me, but Craig ACTS like Bond to me. If only we could meld the two together. I think Craig has edged out Connery just slightly, but this may be because the Craig films are newer and I haven't seen them 100 times over in my life. I just don't know. I will always have a top spot for Connery, but for me, Craig is just tits right now.


1) Casino Royale (not the Woody Allen movie, although Bacharach did a good job in 67!)
2) From Russia With Love
3) Thunderball
4) Goldfinger
5) Diamonds Are Forever
6) The Living Daylights
7) For Your Eyes only
8) The Spy Who Loved Me
9) Live and Let Die
10) You Only Live Twice
11) Dr. No
12) Octopussy
13) Skyfall
14) Moonraker
15) On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
16) Goldeneye
17) Licence to Kill
18) The Man With the Golden Gun
19) Tomorrow never Dies
20) The World is Not Enough
21) Die Another Day
22) A View to a kill
23) Quantum of Solace

Strangways&Quarrel wrote:

Haven't done this in a while but I guess things have changed on my list:

-----5 out of 5-----
1. From Russia With Love
2. The Living Daylights
3. GoldenEye
4. Skyfall
5. Octopussy
6. Licence to Kill
7. Diamonds Are Forever
8. Moonraker
9. Thunderball
10. The Spy Who Loved Me
11. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

-----4 out of 5-----
12. Tomorrow Never Dies
13. Live and Let Die
14. Casino Royale
15. A View to a Kill
16. You Only Live Twice
17. The Man with the Golden Gun
18. Goldfinger
19. The World is Not Enough
20. For Your Eyes Only
21. Dr. No

-----3 out of 5-----
22. Quantum of Solace

-----*looks at bottle wondering what I just saw*-----
23. Die Another Day

This is all from re-watching them throughout the year, some rankings might be heresy to some but ... don't care. Their tears make good martinis.

Bit late to the party here, but didn't realise you consider TND and TWINE to be '4/5' Bond films!

FieldsMan wrote:

Bit late to the party here, but didn't realise you consider TND and TWINE to be '4/5' Bond films!

I think most of my previous Brosnan film disdain came from them being follow-ups to GoldenEye which in hindsight was a hard one to follow especially as a debut film. But now just watching the films without that sort of expectation TND is a lot of fun in a classic Moonraker-type way and TWINE I like a lot more because they attempted to make a more atmospheric Bond film which leaned in a darker direction especially with who was the main Bond girl for most of the film turning out to be a main villain.

Hey it's fine by me… The more love for TND and TWINE, the better! TND is the last traditional, fun Bond film without putting in all the 'personal' nonsense.

The 2015 ranking:

Top Shelf:
1. Tomorrow Never Dies
2. From Russia With Love
3. Goldeneye
4. Thunderball
5. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
6. Dr. No
7. The World Is Not Enough
8. For Your Eyes Only
9. Skyfall
10. Goldfinger
11. A View to a Kill
12. The Living Daylights

Almost there:
13. Octopussy
14. You Only Live Twice
15. The Spy Who Loved Me

Flawed but fun:
16. Quantum of Solace
17. Licence to Kill
18. Casino Royale
19. The Man With The Golden Gun
20. Live and Let Die
21. Die Another Day
22. Moonraker
23. Diamonds Are Forever

And then SP will come and fuck it all up.

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