Best to Worst: James Bond Movies
Bond... James Bond. Through the years, the character has gone through many changes: various actors' portrayals, a wide array of villains, and movies ranging from campy fun to suspenseful espionage to gritty action thrillers. There's a lot to love. Here's my personal list, best to worst.
List activity
129K views
• 344 this weekCreate a new list
List your movie, TV & celebrity picks.
27 titles
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsDaniel CraigEva GreenJudi DenchAfter earning 00 status and a licence to kill, secret agent James Bond sets out on his first mission as 007. Bond must defeat a private banker funding terrorists in a high-stakes game of poker at Casino Royale, Montenegro.A perfect origin story for James Bond and one of the greatest action thrillers ever made. Casino Royale manages to make a card game exciting thanks to a clever script and ace performances by Craig, Green, and Mikkelsen.
- DirectorPeter R. HuntStarsGeorge LazenbyDiana RiggTelly SavalasBritish agent James Bond goes undercover to pursue the villainous Ernst Stavro Blofeld, who is planning to hold the world to ransom.Lazenby’s only Bond outing happens to be one of the best in the franchise. Majesty’s reminds us that, as badass as Bond is, he’s still a human being.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigJavier BardemNaomie HarrisJames Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost.Another winner from Craig, Skyfall has everything you'd want in a James Bond movie: a strong story, memorable villain, gorgeous title sequence and song, fluid action choreography, and a sleek James Bond back with his classic quirks and one-liners.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsSean ConneryGert FröbeHonor BlackmanWhile investigating a gold magnate's smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.Classic Bond, plain and simple. Goldfinger has some of the franchise's most iconic moments, quotable lines, and possibly the best villain (and henchman) in the entire series (with a surprisingly brilliant plan to boot). It's an endlessly entertaining quintessential spy thriller. When you think James Bond, you think Goldfinger.
- DirectorMartin CampbellStarsPierce BrosnanSean BeanIzabella ScorupcoYears after a friend and fellow 00 agent is killed on a joint mission, a secret space based weapons program known as "GoldenEye" is stolen. James Bond is assigned to stop a Russian crime syndicate from using the weapon.Brosnan's first and best outing as 007, this is another one that has classic Bond written all over it. Also, James Bond in a tank.
- DirectorTerence YoungStarsSean ConneryRobert ShawLotte LenyaJames Bond willingly falls into an assassination plot involving a naive Russian beauty in order to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E.From Russia with Love highlights espionage above all else; secret agent 007 with an emphasis on secret. There are enough fight scenes to keep us entertained and enough clever dialogue to keep us invested. It's a brilliant spy thriller all around.
- DirectorCary Joji FukunagaStarsDaniel CraigAna de ArmasRami MalekJames Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.The landscapes are beautifully shot, the action is expertly executed, and it features Craig’s best Bond performance. It’s also the most emotionally driven Bond film, which may prove divisive among fans.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsTimothy DaltonRobert DaviCarey LowellA vengeful James Bond goes rogue to infiltrate and take down the organization of a drug lord who has murdered his friend's new wife and left him near death.A grounded Bond story that is more personal than professional, a welcome change of pace from previous over-the-top installments. Dalton gives another great performance in his second and final Bond film.
- DirectorLewis GilbertStarsRoger MooreBarbara BachCurd JürgensJames Bond investigates the hijacking of British and Russian submarines carrying nuclear warheads, with the help of a K.G.B. agent whose lover he killed.Before Moore's movies turned into unadulterated camp, he had the opportunity to put out this gem. The Spy Who Loved Me is pure class: a classy Bond and a classy Bond girl, a classy villain who relaxes to classical music as his pet shark(s) devour whoever he pleases, with a classy plot to rebuild humanity underwater. Great fun.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreMaud AdamsLouis JourdanA fake Fabergé egg recovered from the body of a fellow agent leads James Bond to uncover a jewel smuggling operation led by the mysterious Octopussy, and a plot to blow up a NATO air base.An often overlooked gem in the franchise, Octopussy benefits from having a jovial tone on top of its intricate spy plot and inventive action sequences. Easily one of Moore’s best outings.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsTimothy DaltonMaryam d'AboJeroen KrabbéJames Bond is sent to investigate a KGB policy to kill all enemy spies, and uncovers an arms deal that potentially has major global ramifications.An underrated action romp with Dalton embodying the role of 007. The movie suffers from a pair of unremarkable antagonists, but Kara makes up for it as the wholesome Bond Girl whose chemistry with Bond keeps the film afloat.
- DirectorLewis GilbertStarsSean ConneryAkiko WakabayashiMie HamaJames Bond and the Japanese Secret Service must find and stop the true culprit of a series of space hijackings, before war is provoked between Russia and the United States.You Only Live Twice is a fun, fantastical adventure with the most epic villain lair in the franchise. But James Bond becoming Japanese is a series low point.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsRoger MooreYaphet KottoJane SeymourJames Bond is sent to stop a diabolically brilliant heroin magnate armed with a complex organisation and a reliable psychic tarot card reader.Fit with a great theme song, exciting action set-pieces, and a charismatic villain, this is a lower-stakes Bond adventure that continues to entertain on repeat viewings.
- DirectorMichael AptedStarsPierce BrosnanSophie MarceauRobert CarlyleJames Bond uncovers a nuclear plot while protecting an oil heiress from her former kidnapper, an international terrorist who can't feel pain.While Goldeneye is a far better movie, The World Is Not Enough has Brosnan's best performance as Bond. It also features the best boat chase in the franchise during its stellar pre-title sequence.
- DirectorRoger SpottiswoodeStarsPierce BrosnanJonathan PryceMichelle YeohJames Bond sets out to stop a media mogul's plan to induce war between China and the UK in order to obtain exclusive global media coverage.Over-the-top to the Nth degree, Tomorrow Never Dies is a masterful exercise in action cinema. As a Bond film, it disregards subtlety for style, which can be a good thing if you like your action sleek and exciting.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreCarole BouquetTopolSecret service agent James Bond is assigned to find a missing British vessel equipped with a weapons encryption device and prevent it from falling into enemy hands.A grounded Bond film with some impressive action sequences, marred by a forgettable villain.
- DirectorMarc ForsterStarsDaniel CraigOlga KurylenkoMathieu AmalricJames Bond descends into mystery as he tries to stop a mysterious organisation from eliminating a country's most valuable resource.Quantum has a lot going against it: incoherent editing, shoddy writing, pretentious direction, an awful theme song, and a muddled story. But it functions well as a low stakes Bond-Bourne hybrid with some entertaining action, a unique villain, and another stellar David Arnold soundtrack.
- DirectorTerence YoungStarsSean ConneryClaudine AugerAdolfo CeliJames Bond heads to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme.In spite of its asinine plot and dull underwater sequences, Thunderball is a fun watch thanks to a lively score, a fierce femme fatale, and another top form Connery performance.
- DirectorTerence YoungStarsSean ConneryUrsula AndressBernard LeeA resourceful British government agent seeks answers in a case involving the disappearance of a colleague and the disruption of the American space program.Dr. No features excellent performances and an enigmatic villain, along with franchise staples that are still used to this day.
- DirectorLewis GilbertStarsRoger MooreLois ChilesMichael LonsdaleJames Bond investigates the mid-air theft of a space shuttle, and discovers a plot to commit global genocide.This one is full on camp, and although it has a fun villain and the return of henchman Jaws, Moonraker only comes to life in fits and starts.
- DirectorLee TamahoriStarsPierce BrosnanHalle BerryRosamund PikeJames Bond is sent to investigate the connection between a North Korean terrorist and a diamond mogul, who is funding the development of an international space weapon.Die Another Day has some great moments that keep it out of the gutter: the opening sequence, the sword fight, and the gadget-ridden car dual, but it's truly a mess of a movie. As a shut-off-your-brain action movie however, there's plenty of fun to be had here.
- DirectorSam MendesStarsDaniel CraigChristoph WaltzLéa SeydouxA cryptic message from James Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover the existence of a sinister organisation named SPECTRE. With a new threat dawning, Bond learns the terrible truth about the author of all his pain in his most recent missions.Bombastic and bloated, Spectre pays homage to the classic elements of Bond, including the return of his iconic arch-nemesis, with mixed results.
- DirectorJohn GlenStarsRoger MooreChristopher WalkenTanya RobertsThe recovery of a microchip from the body of a fellow British secret agent leads James Bond to a mad industrialist scheming to cause massive destruction.As funny/disturbing as it is watching 60-year-old Roger Moore make out with girls young enough to be his granddaughters, A View to a Kill has very little in its favor. Though Walken and Jones are a terrific pair of villains and John Barry delivers one of his best scores.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsRoger MooreChristopher LeeBritt EklandJames Bond is targeted by the world's most expensive assassin, while he attempts to recover sensitive solar cell technology that is being sold to the highest bidder.Christopher Lee saves this movie from mediocrity.
- DirectorGuy HamiltonStarsSean ConneryJill St. JohnCharles GrayA diamond smuggling investigation leads James Bond to Las Vegas where he uncovers an evil plot involving a rich business tycoon.Connery's most cheeky outing, and it's arguably cheeky to a fault. The film’s anticlimax is its ultimate undoing.
- DirectorIrvin KershnerStarsSean ConneryKim BasingerKlaus Maria BrandauerA S.P.E.C.T.R.E. agent has stolen two American nuclear warheads, and James Bond must find their targets before they are detonated.An ill-advised Thunderball remake that does little to improve on the original.
- DirectorVal GuestKen HughesJohn HustonStarsDavid NivenPeter SellersUrsula AndressIn an early spy spoof, aging Sir James Bond comes out of retirement to take on SMERSH.An incoherent mess and a criminal waste of talent.