Top 10 Bond Films
By Connor Eyzaguirre
"The name's Bond. James Bond." These words have been said by every man ever deemed worthy to step into the shoes of 007, the agent known as James Bond. There have been 23 Bond films since Dr. No first premiered in 1962, and there have been hits and misses. However, there have been some that are not only the best in the series, but have remained timeless action films since their debut. These are my top 10 James Bond films. Grab a martini (shaken, not stirred), holster your Walther PPK, and let's get started.
10.) GoldenEye (1995)
Kicking things off here is Pierce Brosnan's first bout as 007, 1995's GoldenEye. This film was a perfect introduction to the Bond of the 90's, making him less ruthless than Timothy Dalton but more suave and debonair. Brosnan played Bond with such finesse that he became the first Bond whom you believed could get laid that often. With Sean Bean as the evil counterpart to Bond and a vicious femme fatale played by Famke Janssen, GoldenEye was the perfect start to a fun era of Bond films that didn't take themselves too seriously.
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9.) You Only Live Twice (1967)
You Only Live Twice was Sean Connery's last film before George Lazenby took the role (prompting a Connery return to form afterwards) and it stands out as one of his best. After four films of teasing the villainous head of SPECTRE, we finally get to see the brains behind the global terrorist organization: Ernst Stavro Blofeld, played memorably by Donald Pleasence. YOLT features Bond learning the ways of the ninja and being integrated into Japanese society, plus an iconic score by John Barry and a timeless theme by Nancy Sinatra.
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8.) Live and Let Die (1973)
Following Connery's permanent departure from the role, Eon Productions cast Roger Moore as the next 007. With big shoes to fill and a reluctant group of fans, Moore more than proved himself with his inaugural film, Live and Let Die. It features Bond going up against a Harlem gangster named Mr. Big and a gorgeous fortune teller played by Jane Seymour. While Roger is more remembered for his later films where he was reaching retirement age, true fans will never forget how awesome his first few films were.
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7.) Licence to Kill (1989)
While Timothy Dalton's first run as Bond was good, it was with 1989's Licence to Kill that he became one of the best actors to play the legendary spy. This film features, for the first time ever, a rogue 007 seeking revenge against the mutilation of a good friend. The villain, Franz Sanchez played by Robert Davi, is one of the most sadistic S.O.B.'s that Bond ever goes up against and his henchman Dario is a young Benicio del Toro. Dalton proved to be too dark for the time after this film and he was recast with Pierce Brosnan. I really wish Dalton had gotten to go further as I believe that if he had, he might have even surpassed Sean Connery.
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6.) Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Connery's last film became one of my personal favorites. The film tries to establish some thread of continuity with the series by having Bond pursue Blofeld for the murder of his wife at the end of the previous film, giving us a far darker Sean Connery than we've seen before. DAF features my favorite incarnation of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, with Charles Gray taking over the role. While all of this adds up to an awesome Bond film, what made it one of the best was the two creepy hitmen, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, played by Bruce Glover and Putter Smith. These two murderous sociopaths were easily the best part of the movie and the music that played whenever they were on screen still gives me chills.
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5.) Skyfall (2012)
Skyfall did something no other Bond film has ever done. It made Bond seem vulnerable and human. Craig delivered the performance of his career with this film, playing a damaged James Bond that we as an audience had never seen before. Judi Dench gives her best performance as M, making the character far more than just 007's boss, and Javier Bardem plays one of the greatest and most psychotic villains in the franchise, Raoul Silva. Actually, the showstealer in this film is Adele, with her incredible theme that made this the first Bond film to win an Academy Award. There's no doubt in my mind that this will one day be put on the same pedestal as the classics.
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4.) From Russia With Love (1963)
Connery's second adventure was when the Bond films became their own genre. It entirely lives up to the first film and gives us a deeper look at the mysterious terrorist organization, SPECTRE. Plus, FRWL is the film that introduced us to Desmond Llewelyn's legendary portrayal of Q, the gadget master who supplies Bond with all his toys. Lotte Lenya's villain, Rosa Klebb, is ruthless and Daniela Bianchi's lovely Tania is a perfect Bond girl. But the star of the show is definitely Robert Shaw as the psychotic and dangerous Donald Grant, whose showdown with Bond is one of the best scenes in the franchise.
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3.) Casino Royale (2006)
2006 saw the long-awaited return of the Bond franchise, with the then unknown Daniel Craig cast as 007. After seeing Casino Royale (and its badass rock theme by Chris Cornell), I became certain that Craig has potential to be the greatest Bond of all time. His intro film was gold, giving us a perfect blend of action, suspense, and of course one-liners. Eva Green played the captivating Vesper Lynd, giving Bond a perfect leading lady. Mads Mikkelsen stole the show as Le Chiffre, the terrorist/poker genius who provided us with one of the most cringe-worthy torture scenes ever. Overall, this film became one of the best in the franchise upon its release and is on its way to becoming a classic.
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2.) Dr. No (1962)
The film that started it all. When Ian Fleming's spy series was picked for adaptation, I doubt anybody knew what they'd begun. Sean Connery delivered one of the most iconic lines in movie history with his simple introduction of "Bond. James Bond." Not to mention Monty Norman's iconic score that has been featured in every film since Dr. No. While most of the real action doesn't happen until the third act, the set up is brilliant and looking back, it's really cool to see how they laid all the groundwork for such iconic characters like M, Miss Moneypenny, and Felix Leiter. This film is the reason this franchise has continued for 50 years.
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1.) Goldfinger (1964)
In all the years of Bond films, nothing has ever topped 1964's Goldfinger. With this film, James Bond became a cultural icon that would live on forever. From Shirley Bassey's legendary theme to Oddjob's hat, everything about this film is iconic. Honor Blackman's Bond girl, Pussy Galore, is one of the best and Gert Frobe's Auric Goldfinger is still considered one of the best Bond villains of all time. Well, there you have it. Ten gems that have been polished out of a handful of rocks. Feel free to check out more countdowns by Filmgazm. I'm gonna go grab a martini.
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