This year marked the 50th anniversary for the James Bond film series. Between Dr. No in 1962 and this November’s Skyfall, there have been twenty-three official movies (and one bastard child). I have never been a big fan of the series, but I really enjoyed the recent films with Daniel Craig as a grittier version of the classic character. So, as someone who hadn’t seen a Bond film prior to GoldenEye, I decided to watch all 24 films in just over a month. Read my thoughts and my Top 10 list after the break.
James Bond has become an icon in the film industry by pretty much creating the spy movie as we know it. When you think espionage, you think James Bond. Despite being a cinemaphile, I never bother diving into the historic series. I’m not entirely sure why, since I hadn’t disliked any Bond movies yet. Between just having seen Skyfall (which I loved) and knowing about the film’s 50th anniversary, I finally decided to sit down and watch the whole bloody thing. For full disclosure, I didn’t want to spend the money just yet to get the new Blu-Ray set
For those who need a bit of background, James Bond started out as a literary character in a series of spy novels from British author Ian Fleming. Fleming used his military and journalism backgrounds for the series, which began in 1953 and included twelve novels and two short story collections. James Bond, code name 007, was a British Secret Service agent working for MI6, Britain’s version of the CIA. As a “Double 0”, he was a specialized agent with a license to kill.
Eon Productions released their first James Bond film in 1962. Dr. No starred Scottish actor Sean Connery in the title role, which he would return to five more times, along with one non-canon turn in the non-Eon film Never Say Never Again (1983). The Connery films established James Bond as a playboy who always got the girl and the villain, while always being a gentleman. Bond had a fondness for vodka martinis, caviar, gambling, and tuxedos, and was cultured enough to understand foreign languages and cultures. Other recurring characters were introduced in these first films as well, including M, head of MI6, Miss Moneypenny, M’s secretary, Q, supplier of Bond’s famous gadgets, and Felix Leiter, a CIA agent who often works with Bond. We are also introduced to terrorist group SPECTRE, whose leader Ernst Stavro Blofeld became Bond’s arch nemesis.
While there has been a certain formula for James Bond, each actor who has taken over the role has made the character their own in at least some small way. George Lazenby’s single turn in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) was more playful and youthful than Connery’s version, as to be expected with the 9 year age difference. Roger Moore played the spy from 1973 to 1985 in 7 films, more than any other actor (excluding Connery’s 7th time in the unofficial Never Say Never Again). Moore brought a bit more sophistication and emotion to the role, having more of a gentleman’s smile than a playful smirk. Unfortunately, instead of creating trends like the first movies did, Moore’s films often ripped their style and plots from the headlines of the time. Timothy Dalton had a brief stint as Bond in 1987 and 1989, losing much of the charm of the character and making him more angry, which worked in one film, but not the other. After some legal issues, Bond came back in 1995 with Pierce Brosnan playing 007 in four films until 2002. Brosnan seemed to model his take after Connery, though his one liners were a bit over the top (as was the use of CGI in these films). Finally, Craig has starred as Bond for three films since 2006, in what has effectively been the first reboot for the series. As all Bond films have been, the reboot is a product of the times, so we now have a grittier Bond.
Watching these films back-to-back while reading about the history has been fascinating. I’ve definitely become a fan of the character now. While I do have favorites and disappointments, I can at least say I’ve enjoyed every single film. Even when they get pretty ridiculous like Moonraker (1979) or Die Another Day (2002). Even when it looks like Connery is sleepwalking through Diamonds are Forever (1971), or Dalton is angry for no reason throughout The Living Daylights (1987). Even when Quantum of Solace (2008) almost takes away all the goodwill from Casino Royale (2006) by becoming a Bourne Identity ripoff. At least it’s a Bond movie.
The villains are very hit and miss, but I love the big schemes they come up with. They are actually smart plans quite often, usually dealing with the topical Cold War, but the way they go about them doesn’t really make sense. Sometimes the schemes are too big, and we get something like Moonraker, which has astronauts fighting in space. I’ve found I prefer when the plot of the films are more grounded, though a few over the top plans are fun now and again. However, I do like to see Bond travel more (just not into space), so I’ve come to really appreciate the way most of the films in the series highlight different locales around the world.
It’s hard to say which portrayal of Bond is my favorite, but if you twist my arm, I’d say Connery. He had the perfect mix of swagger and sophistication, and he never had to work to get the girl. Speaking of girls, Bond girls have become another iconic component to the series. Up until the Brosnan films, pretty much all the Bond girls were perfectly cast. While they were sometimes terribly written characters, the actress’ beauty and charm pulled me in every time. Fortunately, the Craig films have gotten back to the superb casting after some of the odd choices from the Brosnan era like Denise Richards and Halle Berry.
My favorite Bond girl will always be Tracy Bond (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service), not only because Diana Rigg infused that character with such spirit, but also because of the meaning of her storyline to Bond himself. Spoiler Alert: Tracy and Bond fall in love over the course of the film and get married. While leaving their wedding, Blofeld does a drive-by and kills Tracy, crushing Bond emotionally. We see the direct result of this in the next film, Diamonds are Forever, and it comes up a few more times in the series as a way to connect the films between different actors and dig a bit into Bond’s psyche.
So, now for my rankings. It’s incredibly challenging to rank films that span a period of literally fifty years. Filmmaking has changed so much, and the budgets have just skyrocketed. As you’ll see, I prefer newer installments, as I’ve never been a fan of older movies in general. However, I think I have a pretty good mix, including some titles that might surprise you. Without further ado, my top ten favorite James Bond films in order are on the next page (warning: some spoilers ahead).
CLICK HERE FOR DAN’S TOP TEN JAMES BOND FILMS
Dan’s Top 10 Favorite James Bond Films
1. Casino Royale (2006)
As I said, I prefer modern filmmaking, so this reboot of the franchise was right up my alley. It’s not the “classic” Bond that I usually prefer, considering the exclusion of Q (and thus gadgets), Moneypenny, and a strong villain, but I really liked the modernization of the character. The film shows Bond before he’s “Bond”. He could still be the womanizing, smug, gentleman, spy eventually, but now we are seeing what it will take to get him there. Craig was a great choice for this version of the character. There were some similarities to him losing his only love both to betrayal and death and Tracy Bond’s death in OHMSS. I find breaking down the man is more interesting than just letting him float above it all. Also, we finally get to see Bond drink the Vesper Martini he invented in the novels.
2. Skyfall (2012)
I promise that these aren’t all recent movies. Skyfall harkens back to the golden age of Bond. We finally get to see all the big things Casino Royale was missing, Q (though no gadgets), Moneypenny, and a great villain played by Javier Bardem. We also finally get a little background on Bond, once again breaking down the character to be more realistic. The storytelling is even a bit better than Casino Royale, but I just can’t make myself put it above it on my list.
3. From Russia With Love (1963)
If you want classic Bond, look no further than the second film in the series. Here we are introduced to SPECTRE and Blofeld, and we get our first gadget, a briefcase rigged with tear gas and other weapons. While some of the Bond plots can get rather grandiose, this movie keeps it simple by having Bond look for a cryptographic device. Connery is now comfortable in his title role, but it’s still fresh enough that he seems to enjoy it.
4. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
This is the third Moore film, and the first I really liked. It took me a while to get used to Moore deliberately trying to be different from Connery (for instance, Moore never orders a Vodka Martini), but this film sold me on him. I love the dynamic between Bond and KGB Agent Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach), who have to work together to find a stolen submarine tracking system.
5. Licence to Kill (1989)
In Dalton’s second turn as Bond, there’s finally a reason for him to be angry. His best friend Felix Leiter, former CIA Agent turned DEA Agent, is getting married in Miami, but of course Leiter’s arch nemesis and drug lord Franz Sanchez has to get in the way. After Sanchez’s crew kills Leiter’s bride on their wedding day, which mirrors almost exactly what happened to Bond in OHMSS. This puts Bond over the edge, but since MI6 has no jurisdiction, he has to go rogue in order to catch Sanchez and get justice for Leiter. Throughout the series, Bond’s dead wife Tracy has come up in small doses to help prove there is a continuity, but this time it plays a major role in establishing Bond’s rage. The movie is also impressive for its clever plot, and I loved Wayne Newton’s hilarious cameo.
6. GoldenEye (1995)
The Cold War was the golden age of espionage, so Eon had to figure out a way to make Bond relevant in 90s. GoldenEye, directed by Casino Royale’s Martin Campbell was just he answer. We’ve seen a few Bond films deal with the idea of Bond and/or espionage in general being outdated (Never Say Never Again, Skyfall), but each time Bond proves the critics wrong. This was the highest budget Bond film at its time, and it shows with great production value. The series rarely showed other 00 Agents, and when it did, they usually died right away. So, it was interesting see another 00 Agent be Bond’s main antagonist. The two were like opposite sides of the same coin.
7. You Only Live Twice (1967)
My only other Connery movie on the list gets a big boost by the great score and title song. While Blofeld’s plan is hard to justify as logical, the film once again was very classic Bond. They showed off Japan well, and the action directing really went up a notch. The climax in Blofeld’s Volcano base was the first big action scene of the series, with dozens of stuntmen as ninjas coming down from the roof.
8. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
After the silliness that was Moonraker, I was just relieved to see Bond in a normal spy situation again. There’s a really nice plot twist midway through, and Chaim Topol as smuggler Milos Columbo stole the show.
9. A View To A Kill (1985)
This the entry that I know will get me some flack. Many Bond lists will put this film near the end, and I can understand why. It’s one of the over-the-top films, and it’s very 80s. For some reason, none of that bothered me. I enjoyed this more than fan favorites Octopussy and Thunderball, and I think the negative opinions make me like it more.
10. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
The film itself is nothing amazing, but as I told you many times earlier, the love story is what makes this one special for me. Lazenby plays a solid, if maybe too playful, Bond, and despite some continuity errors, the film had good action. Telly Savalas is one the better Blofelds (there have been six overall), and plot was a bit far-fetched, but perfect for Bond.
Well, those are most of my thoughts on the James Bond film series. I could go on for pages, but I tried to restrain myself. If you want to talk more about Bond, leave a comment below with your thoughts and favorite movies in the series. You can always reach me on Twitter, and I follow the James Bond /r/ on Reddit.