10 James Bond Movies That Are Incredible From Start to Fi...

10 James Bond Movies That Are Incredible From Start to Finish Goldfinger

Image via United Artists

By Michael Block Published 38 minutes ago Michael Block is a 14 time GLAM Award nominated writer, producer, and host of the podcast Block Talk. Throughout his time in the entertainment industry, he has worked on and off Broadway as a stage manager, written several produced plays, critiqued hundreds of theatrical performances, drag and cabaret shows, and has produced events randing from drag competitoons to variety concerts! On Block Talk, he interviews nightlife personalities, covers the wide world of entertainment through features, ranking episodes, and recaps ALL of Drag Race, as well as Dragula and Survivor. He has interviewed hundreds of RuGirls that span the globe at DragCon NYC, DragCon LA, and DragCon UK. In his free time, he makes one-of-a-kind jewelry and gift baskets with his mom. He is a proud member of the LGBTQ+ community. Sign in to your Collider account Summary Generate a summary of this story follow Follow followed Followed Like Like Thread Log in Here is a fact-based summary of the story contents: Try something different: Show me the facts Explain it like I’m 5 Give me a lighthearted recap

There are very few characters as iconic as James Bond. You know him by name and number. You know his drink order by heart. You even repurposed his infamous quote as your own when the timing is right. Since 1962, the British spy character created by Ian Fleming has dazzled audiences across 27 films.

Beginning with Dr. No starring, with the most recent film being No Time to Die in 2021, James Bond films have played a major part in cinema. Though not every film has been perfect from start to finish, there are ten that deserve special recognition for being incredible all the way through. As we await the next era of Bond (I'm throwing my hat behind a Jonathan Bailey casting in the role), here are ten high-octane 007 films that keep your heart pounding and adrenaline rushing with incredible action, devious villains, and sexy Bond girls.

10 'The Living Daylights' (1987)

James Bond runs through the snow carrying a cello case as Kara Milvoy runs alongside him in 'The Living Daylights' (1987).Image via MGM/UA Communications Co.

We begin our journey with a Timothy Dalton-led entry: The Living Daylights. In this film, Bond helps KGB officer Georgi Koskov (Jeroen Krabbé) defect, who reveals that the new KGB head, Leonid Pushkin (John Rhys-Davies), has implemented apolicy of assassinating defectors. But as 007 explores this new threat, he soon learns of a counterplot involving shady American arms dealer Brad Whitaker (Joe Dean Baker) and a pair of Russian assassins, Necros (Andreas Wisniewski) and Kara Milovy (Maryam d'Abo). The Living Daylights is an international extravaganza that is smartly paced, even with its heavy-handed Cold War-era diamond-for-drugs plotline. From desert to snow, the action keeps you on the edge, no matter where on Earth Bond is.

Though Dalton didn't have the longest tenure comparatively, his interpretation of the debonair Bond is grossly underrated. Bringing an overall serious approach to the character, matching the tense plot, Dalton's Bond marked a unique shift. It's hard to accept change, but Dalton felt closer to Fleming's image of the character. In The Living Daylights, all the classic Bond tropes are presented amongst the fabulous set pieces. Rather than undercutting the action with smarmy silliness, The Living Daylights maintains its darker tone. Maybe Whitaker isn't a top-tier Bond villain, but there's a bit more reality than a diabolical bad guy. The Living Daylights serves as a more realistic version of the Bond saga. The film is exciting and gives you the stunts you're looking for without the camp you've come to adore.

9 'Live and Let Die' (1973)

Baron Samedi adorned in voodoo skeleton paint and a top hat stands before a graveyard in 'Live and Let Die'

Image via United Artists

When you start off with a Paul McCartney and Wings song, you know you're about to be in good hands. Music aside, Live and Let Die is a dazzling Bond film. It has more, much more: Roger Moore. Thank you, trailer for that everlasting tag line. Heading from New Orleans to the Caribbean, James Bond is assigned to investigate the deaths of three British agents. Trapped in a world of gangsters and voodoo, Bond pursues a drug lord named Mr. Big, who is actually the alter ego of Dr. Kananga (Yaphet Kotto), a corrupt Caribbean dictator who rules San Monique, an island where opium poppies are secretly farmed. Bond must put a stop to Kananga's plans, using the assistance of a beautiful tarot-card reader, Solitaire (Jane Seymour).

The Moore debut is a visual stunner despite being a bit more on the bizarre side. Falling into the Blaxploitation era of cinema at the time, Live and Let Die may illicit a certain reaction today, yet you'll be thoroughly entertained. Still in the era of cheeky Bond, the film has everything you want and more. The wedding boat crashing scene is quite camp, and highlights that cheeky charm. Between a stunning Bond girl in Solitaire and a hook-handed henchman in Tee Hee (Julius Harris), Live and Let Die is a wonderful start into the Moore reign. If you like watching the bad guy get their comeuppance, Kananga's death is quite satisfying. It's, well, explosive!

8 'The Spy Who Loved Me' (1977)

Roger Moore and Barbara Bach posing for the camera in The Spy Who Loved Me

Image via MGM

Keeping it in the Roger Moore era, The Spy Who Loved Me gives us James Bond trying to prevent nuclear war. In this film, when British and Soviet submarines carrying nuclear warheads disappear, Bond teams up with a KGB agent, Anya Amasova aka XXX (Barbara Bach), to stop a shipping magnate, Karl Stromberg (Curt Jurgens), as he plans to start a new civilization underwater by destroying the world's nuclear submarines. Easily Moore's best performance as Bond, The Spy Who Loved Me is an exceptional entry from start to finish. Who doesn't love that showstopping ski chase sequence? And can we talk about the Lotus Esprit? It's iconic! A submersible! It's one of the best gadgets we've ever had. Needless to say, The Spy Who Loved Me is why we love James Bond films.

From the title alone, we know that Bond will be engaging in work and pleasure, and who better to do that with than Bach's stunning spy. From there, the action remains engaging, using a variety of terrain to achieve cinematic success. With water sequences being a crucial element in this story, the scenes are remarkable. Now, to the baddies. Though Stromberg is our main bad guy, his sidekick, Jaws (Richard Kiel), is one for the history books. A seven-foot giant with terrifying steel teeth? That's what henchemen are built for! As a Bond theme aficionado, The Spy Who Loved Me deserves extra praise for the sensational song, which is Carly Simon's "Nobody Does It Better." Though it does stray from the typical title as song title trend, it's a more fitting title for Simon. Oh, and thank you, Marvin Hamlisch for the score. The Spy Who Loved Me is a strong film with every element.

7 'GoldenEye' (1995)

007 (Pierce Brosnan) holding several guns while coming out of a tank in Goldeneye

James Bond (Pierce Brosnan) emerges from a tank wielding an AK-47 machine gun in 'GoldenEye' (1995).Image via United International Pictures

As to not necessarily date myself, my entry point into the James Bond world was thanks to the Nintendo 64 game GoldenEye. As the hottest game in school, the tie-in to the film helped introduce Fleming's character to a brand-new generation. So, perhaps I have a soft spot for the Pierce Brosnan era of Bond, finding it difficult to see him as anything but. Even while he's attempting to sing in Mamma Mia. Anyway, in Brosnan's debut as the character, Bond is on a mission to stop a criminal syndicate from using a stolen satellite weapon known as "GoldenEye." Having fallen into the hands of Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), aka Agent 006, only Bond has the power and knowledge to stop him from destroying the world. As Bond races to stop Trevelyan, he soon comes face to face with his ultimate ally, the insatiable Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), who uses pleasure and seduction as her ultimate weapon. There's non-stop action and stunts, including the infamous 007 bungee jump from the dam.

GoldenEye didn't draw on Fleming's library, but it still brought the essence to the forefront. The friend-to-foe story is a fantastic premise. With a top-rate villain who makes Bond question his morality by recalling all the men he has killed, GoldenEye draws on decades of films and novels to craft a new story that maintains the integrity that makes us adore the franchise. Even after a long hiatus in between Bond flicks, the Brosnan tenure started off strong by hooking viewers with nonstop action. As an actor, Brosnan hits the acting beats with a vulnerable sensibility that will continue on into our next guy in the tux, while also keeping the action hero present. Brosnan's Bond is charming and naturally suave. There's something about kickstarting a run as Bond that I adore. Perhaps it's the intrigue of seeing something new. It's why GoldenEye is an enticing entry that really slaps all the way through.

6 'From Russia With Love' (1963)

An unseen Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Anthony Dawson) stroking his white cat in 'From Russia with Love'Image via United Artists

Scratch what I just said about beginning a run as James Bond for this entry, and let's pretend Dr. No only set us up for the brilliance that came next: From Russia With Love. In the second installment, Sean Connery's Bond is battling the secret crime syndicate Spectre (The Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion). Russians Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) and Kronsteen (Vladek Sheybal) are out to take control of the Lektor, an encryption device. They call upon the ravishing Tatiana (Daniela Bianchi) to lure Bond into helping them. Willingly traveling to Istanbul to meet with Tatiana, 007 must rely on his wits to escape a series of deadly encounters, including the assassin Red Grant (Robert Shaw). This was an espionage film as it was meant to be done.

Truly the first thrilling film from start to finish, From Russia With Love truly jump-started the intrigue of where Bond can and will go. The action in the film is phenomenal. Bond's brawl with Red Grant aboard the Orient Express is mind-blowingly brilliant. The way Lenya transforms her double double cross as Rosa Klebb with ease is a tour de force. Even the naivety coming through Tatiana in the steamy romance is engaging. But in the overall arc of James Bond, this film sets us up for the future with No. 1. That, in itself, makes this a wonderful rewatch, heightening just how excellent it is.

5 'Licence to Kill' (1989)

Timothy Dalton as James Bond wearing a tux and looking off-camera in License to Kill

EON Productions

Perhaps one of the most recognizable names of any James Bond titles, Licence to Kill was Dalton's second and last time in the tux. Taking on a daring adventure, this film follows Bond as he goes rogue to hunt down drug lord Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi), one of the cartel's most powerful leaders, after he brutally attacks CIA agent Felix Leiter (David Hedison) and murders him and his wife after their wedding. Being stripped of his "license to kill" by MI6, Bond infiltrates Sanchez's organization with the help of CIA pilot Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell) to exact revenge. A film focused on revenge, Licence to Kill is an action thriller that seemed closer to the latter Connery films.

The stakes are higher than ever simply because he is without the shield of MI6, but that only elevates how extraordinary an agent he is. One of the most violent Bond films, Licence to Kill, may have been a reaction to the decade of explosive R-rated action films. Taking vengeance as its central theme, the film creates a darker atmosphere and adds a lot more flair. A truly relentless movie, this film maintains its serious essence for a quality action film with a soul. You're getting a bit of a break from the sexy Bond in exchange for complete thrill. Who doesn't love a vendetta story to keep us entertained?

4 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969)

George Lazenby and Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty's Secret ServiceImage via Britannica

We all adore 007, but I'll go out on a limb here and credit Diana Rigg as to why On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a remarkable film. On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a unique entry in many respects. It's the first and only appearance by George Lazenby as 007 and the only time Bond has ever been married. Kudos to you, Contessa Teresa di Vincenzo (Rigg), for earning that coveted title! Now, to the film. In On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Bond is pursuing Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas) as he meets and falls in love with Tracy. Bond goes undercover at Blofeld's Swiss Alps clinic, which is a front for a plan to hold the world for ransom by using brainwashed "angels of death" to unleash a deadly virus that would destroy the world's food supply. Emotionally tinged and brilliantly performed, On Her Majesty's Secret Service is one of the best.

If you're looking for astonishing action, this film has a death-defying ski chase down a snowy mountain. It's perfectly intense and uses the Alps' scenery wonderfully. But you're coming to On Her Majesty's Secret Service for the vulnerability out of Bond, thanks to the relationship he forms with Tracy. Lazenby, who had no acting experience, explored a part that other Bonds don't. And that's what makes this film remarkable. Sadly, this is a one-and-done situation for many involved, including the death of Tracy at the hands of Blofeld. It's a truly devastating blow, as Rigg truly was sensational as the ultimate Bond girl. For his part, Savalas is exceptional as No. 1. Oh, and yeah, Connery came back after this one.

3 'Goldfinger' (1964)

Shirley Eaton and Sean Connery in Goldfinger Image via MGM

Perhaps the most recognizable film in the classic age of James Bond, Goldfinger is what really put the franchise on the map. James Bond comes face to face with one of the most notorious villains of all time, Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe). As he sets out to investigate the gold magnate who plans to contaminate the United States Bullion Depository at Fort Knox, Bond must outwit and outsmart his enemy from cashing out with his devious scheme. Filled with gadgets and cars, and lots of beautiful women, Goldfinger sets up where you can expect the franchise to go. It's going to be over-the-top, and you're going to be mesmerized by it. And it all begins with Bond emerging from the water, unzipping from his wetsuit into a crisp dinner jacket.

There is a lot of tongue-in-cheek humor in Goldfinger, playing very much into the tropes of the classic films. A brazenly diabolical gold-obsessed villain who is out of his mind, turning a woman into solid gold? That's what legends of made of. Plus, how can we not mention his bowler hat bodyguard, Oddjob (Harold Sakata)? As far as Bond girls, we get two legends in this one: Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore and Shirley Eaton as Jill Masterson. And you cannot go wrong with the title theme performed by Shirley Bassey. You simply see the title and can hear that brassy voice. As Bill Hader's Stefon might say, this film has everything! A wonderful entry point for those interested in trying out the franchise, Goldfinger is a shining option. It's, well, the gold standard. Pun very much intended.

2 'Casino Royale' (2006)

Daniel Craig with a gun looking down in Casino Royale

Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

It took us a while to reach the Daniel Craig era of Bond, but his films are in the top spots because, well, if you're looking for exceptional action and extraordinary filmmaking, the 21st-century advancements are in full force once Craig donned the tux. It's time we dive into and reclaim Casino Royale. And no, not the 1967 parody non-Eon film. For his debut,after diving into the Bond origin story, Bond is sent to Madagascar, where he discovers a link to Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a financier of terrorist organizations. Learning that he is to raise money in a high-stakes poker game, Bond heads to Montenegro as he sets out to bankrupt him at the poker table. As he sets out to defeat his new enemy, he falls in love with Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), a British Treasury agent, who becomes entangled in a dangerous cat-and-mouse game.

Years after Die Another Day, Craig rebooted the franchise despite his divisive casting. A blonde-haired, blue-eyed actor? He not only had the ability to tackle the iconic role, but he also did so with such vigor. Despite the boyish good looks, he was still rough around the edges, making him an engaging character. Between his devastatingly wonderful chemistry with Green's Vesper as well as his ability to elevate Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre into a formidable and terrifying presence, Craig proved his worth as the 21st-century Bond. As far as the action, Casino Royale has everything you may desire. It's graphic. Especially the torture scene. Yet, that's why Casino Royale stands out as the next generation. Also, pour one out to the graphics team for the way the first trailer utilized the film's title to connect the O's in Casino Royale to transform into 007. Hooked from the trailer!

1 'Skyfall' (2012)

Raoul Silva standing in a wrecked space in Skyfall (2012)

Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) stands in a white suit jacket and brown pants by a fallen and crumbling statue in 'Skyfall' (2012).Image via Sony Pictures Releasing

I promise you, my obsession with Bond songs is not why I think certain films are incredible from start to finish, but again, you can hear Adele in the title of Skyfall. There's a reason why the song won the Academy Award. Anyway, now to the film. In Skyfall, after an assignment goes terribly wrong, Bond's loyalty to M (Judi Dench) is tested when a terrorist attack on MI6 forces him to track down a villain from M's past, determined to destroy everything they hold dear. With MI6 compromised inside and out, Bond is aided by a field agent, Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), as he follows a trail to one of the most vile villains, Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem), who is dead set on settling an age-old score. 50 years after the first film, the franchise found literal perfection.

The old-fashioned secret agent world is turned on its head by the threat of Silva, who is portrayed with ferocity by Bardem. He's ruthless and intense in a way we've never seen before. As the story unfolds, Bond must face the reality of MI6 and what it truly means to him. Is it worth fighting for? Skyfall is a wonderful epic. It's brought into the modern age with technology while still maintaining its integrity of the past. From a visual perspective, this film is a spectacle. Its large-scale grandeur is a thrill to watch. The film also introduces Ben Wishaw's Q, the MI6 quartermaster, who is quite brilliant in the role. He deserves a spin-off, right? Sam Mendes does the unthinkable and defies 50 years of history with this sexy, riveting, dangerous thriller.

Like Follow Followed Skyfall PG-13 Action Adventure Thriller Release Date November 9, 2012 Runtime 143 minutes Director Sam Mendes Writers Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, John Logan, Ian Fleming

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