Ranked: 60 Years of Bond – Part 1
The birth of the James Bond film franchise took place on October 5, 1962 when Dr. No premiered in London and it would be the first film in in a franchise that has to date spanned six decades and produced twenty-five films.
The birth of Bulletproof Action is much less impressive. It took place eight years ago when the site launched on August 29, 2014 and now every year around this time we celebrate mega-post style. Truth be told, we were originally going to do our James Bond countdown last year for our 007th Anniversary. The worldwide pandemic altered those plans when No Time to Die was pushed back a third time, so we opted for Plan B and presented our Ultimate Ninja Movie Countdown instead.
That delay ended up being serendipitous because now our James Bond countdown can be a part of the year long celebration that is 60 Years of Bond!
Now I am a casual James Bond fan at best and certainly far from an expert on the character or the movies, so I enlisted the help of seven James Bond film fans to help compile and analyze this list ranking all 25 James Bond films. Scroll down for 25 – 16. Click here for the Top 15!
- Matt Spector: Our resident James Bond expert, Matt has been a life long 007 fan and his home office is a shrine to the movies.
- Will Slater: How could we possibly have a list celebrating James Bond without some UK influence? We got that from our friend and colleague Will from Exploding Helicopter.
- Dominik Starck: Is it really a Bulletproof Action Actionversary celebration without filmmaker and author Dominik Starck? We don’t think so.
- Andrew Babcock: Andrew is not only a friend of the site and physical media enthusiast, he is also a man with strong opinions on the Bond franchise that don’t necessarily match those of the status quo.
- Ryan Campbell: Bulletproof Action contributor and our man with his finger on the pulse of nerd culture.
- Ian Garriott: I knew Ian was a huge fan of movie scores and soundtracks, so it was really no surprise to learn he was also a longtime James Bond enthusiast, a franchise filled with memorable music.
- Chad Cruise: Last but not least my fellow Bulletproof Action founder, Chad Cruise.. who roped me in to creating this site eight years ago.
With the introductions out of the way, lets get on with the countdown…
Ryan Campbell: In the final of Pierce Brosnan’s Bond roles yes we get the infamous “giant wave surfing” scene which is in the awful CGI hall of fame. But in between some kinda cringy moments are some great action sequences. The fencing battle was really good and the Aston car chase on the frozen ice is one of the most unique Bond action sequences in history. If you can look past Halle Barry’s acting and the terrible Madonna theme song this can provide some really great action set pieces.
Chris the Brain: My earliest James Bond memory took place in the lobby of a movie theater in May of 1983. I was in line waiting with my dad to get in to see Return of the Jedi. In the theater’s lobby stood a huge Octopussy standee featuring the dashing Roger Moore as 007 in his trademark tuxedo and an eight-armed Maud Adams behind him. Upon seeing this masterpiece of movie advertising a 9 year-old me loudly declared “I want to see Octopussy next.” Now I am not sure if I put a little extra oomph on the second half of the title or my dad’s own dirty mind making my innocent comment into something not so innocent but he shut that shit down immediately.
I never did get to see Octopussy in the movie theater, but I do remember renting the movie when it hit the video store shelves and it officially became my first James Bond movie experience. I revisited the film in recent years for the first time since the 80s and while it may not be everyone’s cup of tea, Octopussy will always hold a special place in my heart and still has its share of great Bond moments. From the plane escape at the start of the film, to the taxi chase with Bond’s sidekick Vijay (played by real life tennis champ Vijay Amritraj) wielding off attackers with his tennis racket like his name was James E. Cornette. And where else are you going to see James Bond in a crocodile suit!?! I need to mention Louis Jordan as Kamal Khan. Khan was as suave and charming as Bond himself and that made him a formidable foe.
Matt Spector: The Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion, or SPECTRE for those in the know, has had a long history as the antagonists for James Bond and MI6. Finally, in 2015 the terrorist organization got their chance to be the headliners. Spectre features Christoph Waltz in the role of Ernst Stavro Blofeld, the head of SPECTRE. There is always explosive action when SPECTRE and Bond meet but Spectre delves into the history more than any of the other films. Blofeld began as a mystery in the Bond films and his face wasn’t shown for several films. In Spectre we learn some of the personal connection between Blofeld and Bond, and how he got his trademark look.
Matt Spector: No matter what you think about Dr. No there is one thing everyone can agree on and that is Dr. No was first. Do you like the James Bond theme, stylized opening credits and seeing Bond through the barrel of a gun? All originated in Dr. No and that fails to mention Sean Connery as 007. The novel Dr. No was the sixth by Ian Fleming but chosen to be the film debut because of the simple plot, just a plan for Dr. No and SPECTRE to disrupt a space launch using a nuclear powered radio beam. Your typical run of the mill world domination ploy. Dr. No did not start the series off on a good footing with its racial insensitivity with Joseph Wiseman playing the Chinese-German Dr. No but it was a simpler time. Women have also have had a a unique role in the Bond series but starting it off with Ursula Andress emerging out of the water as Honey Ryder is still iconic to this day.
Chris the Brain: There really is no scientific way to prove which James Bond movie is the best James Bond movie. Many of you reading this article are probably already in disagreement with the placement of movies on this list. Some may not have even made it this far, but that’s okay because like any art form, movies are subjective and hit differently with different people. With all that said there is one Bond movie on this list that I think we can officially declare the most divisive movie in Bond history, 2021’s No Time to Die… a movie filled with emotion that humanized the almost mythical James Bond in more ways than one.
For some, No Time to Die was a fitting swan song for Daniel Craig as James Bond. For others, it was the movie that killed James Bond at the end and now there is no coming back from that now… which I suppose would be true if you looked at the movies as one continuous timeline but if that was the case James Bond should have been north of 90 years old by the time of No Time to Die and the social media outrage should have been that Daniel Craig was stealing a part from a qualified nonagenarian. Can we at least all agree that the motorcycle action at the start of the movie is awesome and Ana de Armas’ Paloma was a wonderful addition to the pantheon of Bond Girls?
Ryan Campbell: GoldenEye for many is the premiere Brosnan bond film but I always preferred The World is Not Enough. For me it struck a good balance of seriousness but still some of the classic Bond camp. Add in an excellent twist with the “Bond girl” being the baddie and using all of James’ weakness for women against him. Speaking of Bond girls whew Denise Richards… I won’t even fault her for the fantastic “I thought Christmas only came once a year” line. It also finds a unique way to give us one of the last gimmick bosses with Renard who cannot feel pain. This makes him a worthy adversary for James. An underrated Bond film.
Matt Spector: Diamonds may be forever but Sean Connery is not. After George Lazenby’s one outing as 007, Sean Connery was convinced to come back to the role of James Bond, with the help of fee over a million dollars, in his last Eon Production Bond film. Diamonds are Forever might not be as exotic, as least to Americans, with his pretty straight forward diamond heist plot that is set in Las Vegas for much of the film. That doesn’t mean there isn’t a lot to like. A car chase in downtown Vegas is fun, but a moon buggy chase might be even more fun. Diamonds are Forever is surprisingly progressive with Bond getting into a physical fight with two women, named Bambi and Thumper, and two of the henchmen, Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, are implied to be a same sex couple even shown holding hands. Diamonds are Forever also proves that Shirley Bassey is the G.O.A.T. when it comes to Bond movie theme songs and name one other Bond movie that makes you want to eat breakfast sausages. Thanks, Jimmy Dean!
Dominik Starck: Surprisingly down-to-earth but not without wit, Roger Moore presents himself in his last really good Bond film. Great set-pieces like the chase in the yellow small car, the strange farewell to Blofeld, the ski sequences, all the way up to the mountaineering finale. Sure, you can see Bond aging and somehow it’s more Melina’s revenge story, but when Moore makes what is probably his most serious appearance it just has a special significance. Bill Conti’s score is one of my favorites in the whole franchise. Also; I melt at Sheena Easton’s theme song. Stay away if it’s playing in my car. I might sing along.
Ian Garriott: Who doesn’t enjoy a “James Bond Right out of the Gate Car Chase Scene”?
The close camera shots, shifting of gears, broken glass, smashed cars, machine gun fire, and of course the unforgettable sound of a car spinning out of control over a ledge. I invite you to watch this opening again, and again, and again.
Who doesn’t enjoy a “James Bond Duet Opening Song”?
Jack White and Alicia Keys rocked the house, making it the first James Bond film which featured a duet.
Who doesn’t enjoy a “James Bond Boat Fight Scene”?
I know Roger Moore demanded boat scenes in his films, but it took Quantum of Solace to get it right. The perfectly timed music married with colorful action, and Bond preforming superior to his counterparts, even though his boat was clearly outmatched. Classic Bond!
Andrew Babcock: The introduction to Timothy Dalton as James Bond. It is a shame he didn’t get the love at the time, but it seems that fondness has grown over the years and his two films are put up on the pedestal they deserve. Maybe the audiences weren’t ready for the more serious, ruthless and gritty version of our beloved 007. I do remember enjoying this one growing up, and it is one I’ve liked more with each watch. It is still a lot of fun seeing Dalton and Bond girl Maryam D’Abo running around in the snow. Plus you have Joe Don Baker and the always great John Rhys-Davies chewing up the screen. Dalton brought a good physicality to the role that made him very believable. There is a cool atmosphere and it is topped off by a memorable final score.
Click here for our rankings of the Top 15 James Bond films. But before we wrap up Part 1, here’s an Honorable Mention…
Ryan Campbell: Yes, yes I know this is arguably not a proper Bond film but kid me didn’t know that. It has Connery…playing Bond…in a spy film. Seems like enough for me. I have always loved the idea of an older aging Bond trying desperately to prove he still has it. We’ve seen it done a few times but this was one of the first. Add in rival spy agencies and nuclear weapons and it feels like if people counted this as a “official” Bond film it would get more love. I also think it’s superior to Thunderball.
