Simply because I got a lot of movies to cover. The unofficial Bond movies will get their own review in another blog. Also this movie franchise still going over fifty years. Not many movie franchises have been going for that long.
1. Dr. No (1962)
Believe it or not, Dr. No wasn't originally going to be the original Bond movie. They were going to start with Casino Royale but eventually decided to do Dr. No. In this movie Sean Connery plays James Bond who an spy of MI6 that has to stop terrorist attacks especially those towards his country. Dr. No also introduces the beginning of the long standing rivalry between Bond & Blofeld.
Dr. No is one of Blofeld's top people in his organization. He also so happens to have metal hands. I would say this is a fantastic spy movie everyone needs to see. I would say it's one of the finest Connery performances to date. This is a great way to start a long standing movie franchise. It is a great early 60's movie that stands the test of time.
2. From Russia With Love (1963)
Now this is interesting because a couple years ago. Connery reprise his role as Bond in a licensed game based on this movie. Even if that didn't happen, this is a great movie. Connery does an amazing job once again. I do like how they went about the twists. It may not be as good as Dr. No but a solid movie.
From Russia With Love in just title wise gets parodies a lot. I would say this is still a great early 60's movie. Connery shows you how Bond is meant to be done. I do apologize it's been awhile since I last seen this movie. I do recall this being one of my favorites among his portrayals for sure. I do recommend this movie to fellow Bond fans.
3. Goldfinger (1964)
This is in my opinion one of the absolute best Bond movies ever made. Goldfinger is a true classic that very likely made him more of a household name than any ever Bond movie. Obviously Gold Member from the third Austin Powers movie is a parody of Auric Goldfinger. Whose obsessed with making everything gold including a laser.
Yes a laser actually golden that cuts now that's just weird. From start to finish you really want to watch it all play out repeatedly. It is really that damn good of a movie. Of course I need to mention Oddjob whose still one of my favorite henchmen characters. This hat has a metal hand whose tough as nails.
4. Thunderball (1965)
Thunderball is interesting since it was the first Bond movie based on a particular book. Yes I will be reviewing the other Bond movie later. This has the second highest person in Blofeld's organization. This has more of a water theme that works very well. Connery delivers yet again as everyone's famous spy.
Honestly this is a great Bond movie I highly recommend. Thunderball reveals more about Blofeld's organization. You probably notice that the last few Bond movies. Everything in this movie is done very well. Easily among the best of his take on Bond hands down. Thunderball is a true timeless classic among spy movies.
5. You Only Live Twice (1967)
I remember being confused by the intro scene. Where it looks like Bond got killed. Usually when someone tries to kill Bond they end up dying. You might think by the title the movie might be saying you got a new life away from danger or something similar. Nope Blofeld attempted to have Bond assassinated.
Interesting enough Donald Pleasence later appeared in Halloween as Dr. Loomis played Blofeld in this movie. This so happens to be the very appearance of him Dr. Evil from Austin Powers is parodying. Honestly this is one you have to pay close attention to fully get what's going on. I do like how they are connecting them.
6. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
The second Bond actor George Lazenby only Bond movie. This movie is usually very high among fans. The main reason this was his only movie was because he didn't like how they went about it. Also he wasn't crazy being James Bond. This is unusual since most Bond actors play Bond in a couple movies.
This is where the famous rivalry gets more serious. Bond does whatever he can to stop Blofeld from succeeding. I would even say this is a very good Bond movie. It is a solid take from another actor that still remains to be one of the finest Bond movies ever made. Not only that it has a lot going on making it a little tricky to follow but trust me it's worth watching.
7. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Diamonds Are Forever is the last official Bond movie with Connery. Trust me he still got in this movie. Two particular henchmen characters inspired a lot of characters in shows alone. There is one scene where Bond had to choose to kill Blofeld or his clone. Yes the concept that got parodied the second Austin Powers movie came from this.
Personally I'm a bigger fan of Mini Me. I would say this is a great Bond movie to go out on. He came back after Lazenby wasn't happy with production on the previous movie. So they asked him to come back one more time as Bond. Obviously it is up there among his Bond movies. Diamonds Are Forever does spice things up.
8. Live and Let Die (1973)
In my opinion this is the second strangest Bond movie I ever seen. They bring in voodoo culture with Baron Samedi. For those that doesn't know Baron Samedi is a god figure in their culture. It isn't clear if Baron Samedi character in this movie actually him or several people. I do need to bring up there's a hidden level in GoldenEye 007.
Where you kill him three times in the same level yet still appears during ending cutscene. OMG some of the weirdest Bond moments you will ever seen. Like someone gets forced to bite on a bullet that essentially turns em into a balloon. Yes I'm not kidding, Roger Moore is the third Bond actor whose very great at it.
9. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
One of my favorite Moore Bond movies. The Man with the Golden Gun has Christopher Lee whose in so many movies. As the title says yes there is a golden gun. The same golden gun has appeared in several Bond games including GoldenEye 007. This guy can only fire one bullet but will kill anyone. Mini Me is also parodying this guy's henchman Nick Nack.
This is a solid movie that never fails to amaze or disappoint. I would even say it likely might be in my personal Top 10 Bond movies. Keep in mind, this is going during the 70's. The Man with the Golden Gun has the strongest firearm ever seen in any Bond movie before & after. A similar golden magnum in Perfect Dark with tiger stripes as well as Gold PP7 in GoldenEye 007 do the same thing.
10. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
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The second Austin Powers movie title parodied this movie's title. This also has a famous henchman named Jaws. He is a tall guy with metal sharp teeth. He also appears in a hidden level of GoldenEye 007. I would say he is among some of the absolute tallest any Bond actor ever faced. Jaws is sorta like Leatherface in The Texas Chainsaw Massacre movies since he is only following orders.
Deep down he isn't that bad of a guy. Moore once again delivers a solid performance. I would say this is one of his finest Bond performances hands down. Honestly it's a great movie that has just about everything you love about the franchise. Also Moore has some great moments in this. By now you are noticing a major change let's see whose paying attention.
11. Moonraker (1979)
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Moonraker is a hidden level in GoldenEye 007 with Jaws. They essentially put the movie into one level. This is the only time a henchman returns. Jaws is now helping someone else whose stealing space shuttles & satellites. Jaws gets one of the most mixed reacted scenes in the entire franchise. He finally found love but ends up dying in an explosion in space.
I also like we get to see laser guns getting fired. I also got to give them respect for even attempting a space theme spy movie. Which likely was the main inspiration for the second Austin Powers movie. Moore delivers yet again in such a great performance. It's hard to believe the movies are still very good at this point right.
12. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
This returns to Bond against Blofeld story. It turns out the reason why the last couple Bond movies went away from that story arc. Believe it or not was over a lawsuit. The same one that led to us not fully seeing Blofeld at all in this movie. At least he gets to be more mysterious this time so I'll take it. I would say this is a good movie that could've been just a little bit better.
I am still say it's worth rewatching often. For Your Eyes Only is essentially the last to follow this story arc. It isn't clear what happened to Blofeld at the end. I got to be honest it is a solid Moore Bond movie. There's a lot of positives to help cover some of it's negatives. I do think if things were different this would've been up for the very best Bond movies.
13. Octopussy (1983)
Octopussy is actually referring to a particular female character. No not that you sick bastards lol. It literately is her name in this movie. This is up there among Moore Bond movies. I would actually say it is better than half of them without question. Octopussy does a few things a bit differently but still comes off being familiar at the same time.
Moore delivers another solid performance as Bond. I swear nothing can stop Connery or Moore when they're playing Bond. Honestly Octopussy if I remember correctly goes a little bit into the 00 system MI6 has. This is a solid Bond movie everyone needs to see. Especially for being an early 80's movie aka the period of best horror movies.
14. A View to a Kill (1985)
Believe it or not, this was the first Bond movie to get a game based on it. A View to a Kill was sadly Moore's last Bond movie. Christopher Walkern, one of my favorite actors ever appears in this movie. I always remember that famous poster picture that's in this cover growing up. Mayday was suppose to appear in GoldenEye 007 but only later played in multiplayer.
Honestly it is a great Moore movie but just isn't as good as some of his Bond movies. I will say it is a great Bond movie regardless. I always liked this movie's title because I felt it was interesting. A View to a Kill is something you don't expect from spy movies. More on the lines of a hitman/assassin films. Moore does go off with a bang with his final performance.
15. The Living Daylights (1987)
The fourth actor Timothy Dalton takes over from Moore. I will say he is one of the better Bond actors. Obviously no body can hold a candle to both Connery & Moore. I will say he is better than other Bond actors not to piss anyone off. The Living Daylights in name is an option in GoldenEye 007's multiplayer where you or your team or your opponents must steal the other's flag.
Dalton gives us an amazing performance as Bond. I would say this is his best Bond movie in many ways. He started out with a bang in his first Bond movie nailing it. I would also say the story to this movie is more interesting than our next entry. I would say it is likely among the top 20 possibly top 25 Bond movies easily.
16. License to Kill (1989)
License to Kill in name gets referenced in many Bond games. License to Kill for this movie is Bond loss that license. Therefore he wasn't allowed to kill anyone on duty like he usually does when it is necessary. So I will say that's a great twist to the format. Bond is trying to stop this guy by getting dangerously close.
Some great actors are in this Bond movie. This is also Dalton's final Bond movie. By this point, he didn't want to do Bond after this movie. But clearly he had a lot of fun making both those movies. License to Kill is an unusual in other ways too. I would say very likely around Top 25 at least on my list.
17. GoldenEye (1995)
The fourth Bond actor Pierce Brosnan started off with a great movie. GoldenEye is easily one of my favorite Bond movies period. Sure it may not hold up as well as other Bond movies. But I really love the twist that the master mind is a former MI6 agent whose a higher rank than Bond. Yes he has to beat one of his own whose likely to kill him.
Hands down Alec is one of my favorite Bond villains of all time. He was a close friend to Bond to end up betraying him. I don't need to further mention the game based on this which is better. I will say this is an awesome Bond movie that's surprisingly refreshing in concept with great actors. Sadly Electronic Arts with the game license attempted to cash in on the game with GoldenEye: Rogue Agent.
18. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
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Let's all forget that god awtiful PlayStation 1 game. The movie is way better end of story. Honestly I would say it's better than Die Another Day. It isn't Brosnan's best performance but does have some of his best lines. I felt for a late 90's movie it was good enough to get the job done. Tomorrow Never Dies is a great movie in what it brings to the table.
Sadly it kinda gets over looked by other Bond movies with it's similarities. I'm not saying this movie wasn't original enough. I am only stating some felt parts of that concepts are done better in other Bond movies. I will say they did a great job with how the story plays out. Yes it does become predictable more than it should.
19. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
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This is one of my favorite Brosnan Bond movies. The World Is Not Enough also got a great game on N64. Two people let me try it, one of the best Bond games. It felt more like a sequel to GoldenEye than Tomorrow Never Dies. Back on topic, this has one of the strangest Bond villains ever. This guy survived a bullet to the head to no longer feel pain.
Obviously he becomes crazier since he no longer hesitates doing anything. Like holding a hot rock in his hand with no problem. We technically have a good & bad Bond girl. Not the first time but it's still interesting to see. The World Is Not Enough killed off a great support character too. Do I even need to mention that helicopter with circular saws cutting through things?
20. Die Another Day (2002)
This is one of the absolute worst Bond movies ever. Die Another Day already makes me question another Brosnan Bond movie's title. Tomorrow Never Dies so wait it goes from tomorrow never dies to die another day how does that make any sense? Maybe I'm just over thinking those titles in my mind, but I'm very sure I'm not the only one.
Die Another Day has Halle Berry whose in a lot of movies. This is hands down the worst Brosnan performance by far. I honestly can't say a lot of positives about it. The story itself is more laughable than what you expect from a spy movie. Like using a satellite like a giant sun laser to burn through the ice during a chase come on you are better than this.
21. Casino Royale (2006)
Due to how poorly Die Another Day done. Casino Royale is actually a reboot to the franchise. Thank god someone out there actually cares. The next current Bond actor is Daniel Craig whose also in a lot of movies. I would say he probably works the hardest since he does do some of his own stunts. This isn't as based on the book of the same name but it a new beginning.
No we don't learn much about his past here. Craig delivers a solid performance in every since of the word. Casino Royale is a great reboot that does many things differently from the previous Bond movies. This is one of the best among newer Bond movies. Craig could probably be the only actor worth comparing to Connery & Moore.
22. Quantum of Solace (2008)
Quenatum of Solace got a game based on it with a few portions pulled from Casino Royale. This is his second time doing the character. Where we start seeing how resourceful he actually is. Craig does deliver a good performance for what it is. I would say among his movies it is not as good as the previous movie.
This also led to things getting very serious. Bond isn't taking any crap from anyone including people he works with. I would say Quantum of Solace is a great Bond movie that's currently getting over looked. Maybe that's just me but not a lot of Bond fans talk about it. Honestly Craig did the best he could for this movie.
23. Skyfall (2012)
OMG Skyfall was a great movie in every sense of the word. This reminds me of GoldenEye since it sorta plays out like that. Obviously there's several major differences. We do get to learn more of Bond's past. Which is rare in these movies then again it's about a spy after all. I guess they wanted to kept that a mysterious or what they do reveal with not everything coming out.
Skyfall does improve many ways over the last Bond movie. I absolutely love the action scenes in this movie. It comes off almost like John Wick but John is more of a killer by trade. Bond is more like let's prevent the world going into chaos. Craig delivers a solid performance indeed worthy of the name Bond.
24. Spectre (2015)
I have to be honest this is one of the worst Bond movies. I am glad they finally took their sweet time bringing back his nemesis. By now you are probably noticing we are actually going in full circle. The first couple Bond movies connects to Blofeld with one later Bond movie. While all Craig Bond movies is re imagining all of that.
Some parts like the drill to the brain scene didn't make a lot of sense to me. It is true there's a particular part in your skill if you drill there. You can survive with some problems you'll have for the rest of your life. But how do you survive a drill that can go into a particular section of your brain & live?
Trust me this movie is better left forgotten. Most Bond movies with these two are excellent movies. I felt they could've did many things differently. Instead we got something they tried to be different with a poor result because of it. Spectre is by all means Craig's worst performance although he's among the best actors in the movie if that makes any sense.
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