James Bond Franchise Breakdown

It’s hard not to love the James Bond franchise. Running for more than 50 years, it remains the most iconic franchise in cinema history. It’s had its ups and downs, sure, but there’s a comfort in knowing no matter how bad a Bond film may be, he’ll always be back for more.

A few weeks ago, I decided to watch every Bond film in a row. I crushed them all out in 10 days, and I thought it be fun to share my thoughts on each film here. I hope you enjoy the post, and feel free to comment on which Bond films you love, hate, and love to hate. There’s never a bad time to talk Bond.

Dr. No (1962)

Bond: Sean Connery

The James Bond franchise kicks off with Bond being sent to Jamaica to investigate the sudden disappearance of a British Intelligence agent. Once there, Bond encounters players and entities featured throughout the duration of the franchise, including a helpful CIA contact named Felix Leiter, and a threatening terrorist group known as SPECTRE. The titular Dr. No represents SPECTRE in this film, and his plan is to alter a space launch with his radio beam. In addition, Dr. No is notable for its extended closing sequence in Dr. No’s lair, and the presence of Ursula Andress as premiere Bond Girl, Honey Rider.

Dr. No is a great slow-brew James Bond film. There aren’t many gadgets or tricks or quips; it’s a real movie about a sexy spy, as opposed to a send-up flick with caricatures. It’s funny, watching Dr. No, it’s almost as if the filmmakers didn’t quite know what the franchise was yet. The film is a fun ride; a worthy introduction of what’s to come. A-

Highlights: First James Bond Film; introduction of Bond, SPECTRE, and Felix Leiter; Ursula Andress and her white bikini

From Russia with Love (1963)

Bond: Sean Connery

From Russia with Love is my favorite James Bond film. Connery is much more relaxed here, having eased comfortably into the role. The gadgets are simple but fun, and the villains are intimidating and iconic.

SPECTRE, pissed at Bond for killing Dr. No last time, sends a few people to off 007. This includes a tiny and vicious operative named Rosa Klebb, and a blonde haired badass, Donald “Red” Grant (yep, that’s Robert Shaw, Quint from Jaws). The film is essentially a cat-and-mouse thriller, one that is taking serious cues from Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest. In fact, a sequence in which Bond dodges a low-flying helicopter remains one of the franchise’s best thrills. Simply put, there’s nothing I don’t love about From Russia with Love. A

Highlights: Robert Shaw = blonde Russian badass; introduction of Desmond Llewelyn as Q; introduction of Ernst Stavro Blofeld; dagger shoe

Goldfinger (1963)

Bond: Sean Connery

I like my Bond films one of two ways: as a genuinely good movie, or so absurd, it’s actually entertaining. Goldfinger, of course, belongs in the former category, as it is perhaps the most iconic James Bond film ever made. The golden and lifeless body of Jill Masterson, Pussy Galore, Oddjob, the botched gin game, the sneaky golf match, snipers and chases, and, of course, Auric Goldfinger and his wonderfully phallic laser.

Goldfinger was the first wildly successful Bond film (netting $125 million against a $3 million budget), and watching it today, it’s easy to see why its popularity has never diminished. After all, you can never have too much of a good thing. A

Highlights: Body painted gold; Oddjob; “No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die”; pimped-out Aston Martin; Pussy Galore

Thunderball (1965)

Bond: Sean Connery

Thunderball marked a gradual shift to the more action-friendly Bond film. This is prevalent in the film’s cold open, in which Bond punches a helpless woman (who is actually a male SPECTRE agent), before fleeing on a jetpack strapped to his back.

After two atomic weapons are stolen by SPECTRE, the organization demands $100 million in diamonds, or else they will destroy a major city. Bond is tasked with finding the nukes, leading him to the famed Emilio Largo, better known as SPECTRE’s eye patch-wearing second in command, Number Two. In addition to its heightened action, Thunderball is notable for its increase in puns (“She needs to sit this one out, she’s just dead”),  awkward English dubbing, and a gorgeous Panavision aspect ratio, perfect for the film’s extended underwater battles. B+

Highlights: Underwater fights; jetpack; Panavision; return of SPECTRE

You Only Live Twice (1967)

Bond: Sean Connery

You Only Live Twice begins in space, with an amusingly phallic sequence of a small American aircraft being swallowed whole by a larger aircraft. The U.S. and Russia suspect each other for the attack, but the Brits think it’s Japan pulling the strings in an effort to pit America and Russia against each other.

After faking his own death to get prior bad guys off his back, Bond is sent to investigate Japan’s suspicious activity, where he soon learns that Blofeld (the guy with the white cat) is actually behind the whole ordeal. From there, Bond’s mission leads to an exciting helicopter duel, adventures around an extinct volcano, and most notably, Bond training to become a ninja (he even alters his figure to “become Japanese”). It’s definitely silly shit, but the climactic battle between Bond’s ninjas and Blofeld’s goons is a lot of fun. Plus, the set design of that empty volcano rocks. B

Highlights: Blofeld returns; volcanic underground lair; Bond becomes Japanese; bitchin’ helicopter battle

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

Bond: George Lazenby

This one never got the credit it deserved. Sean Connery checked out during You Only Live Twice, and when he said he wouldn’t return, the producers took a chance in casting unknown Aussie, George Lazenby, as Bond. The change didn’t sit well with audiences, which is a damn shame, as On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is one of the finest films in the 007 canon.

Lazenby seamlessly takes over the role (less brutish than Connery, not as cute as Roger Moore), while the editing and staging allows for one of the most controlled Bond pictures ever. Set mostly in the Swiss Alps (with Bond attempting to find Blofeld for a criminal under lord), the action scenes are consistently exhilarating. Extended ski chases (with one ski, no less), avalanches, bobsleds, bombs and guns and grenades – solid action, genuine emotion. The film also features Bond falling in love for one of the only times in his life, leading him all the way to the alter. Even up to its shocking and melancholic ending, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service maintains its maturity throughout, something that is sorely missing in subsequent films. A

Highlights: George Lazenby as Bond; Blofeld is back; Swiss Alps; skiing with one ski; Bond gets married!

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Bond: Sean Connery

Connery is back as Bond (thanks to a then-record paycheck), looking a little older, moving a little slower, but still about his wits. The plot for Diamonds are Forever is hilariously over complicated, but basically Bond must keep a large amount of diamonds out of Blofeld’s hands, as the stones will help Blofeld create a giant laser that wreaks havoc on the world. Diamonds are Forever is an elaborate tale of hot potato – it’s all about who has the diamonds at any given time, not what is being done with the. The film is notable for an extended car chase in downtown Vegas, and for a fight with two badass babes named Bambi and Thumper. We’re definitely in silly Bond territory now, but I’ve always had fun with this entry. B-

Highlights: Connery is back; driving on two wheels; Bond in Vegas; (really lame) Moon buggy chase; Bambi and Thumber; Blofeld, again

Live and Let Die (1973)

Bond: Roger Moore

It’s Roger Moore’s first at bat as everyone’s favorite spy. This time, a ruthless gangster named Dr. Kananga plans to distribute two tons of heroin for free in the United States, thereby hooking thousands of people and becoming rich by exploiting their future addictions.

Much of the strength or failure of this film (and the subsequent six official Bond films) comes down to whether or not you like Roger Moore. Moore plays Bond as if he’s in on the joke. As if the actor, Roger Moore, is aware that the character, James Bond, is essentially a shtick. I’ll always be a Connery guy, but the mantle had to pass at some point, and I’m glad the producers didn’t try to mimic Connery’s performance by casting someone similar. But still, Live and Let Die has to get points for one of the best main villain kills in the history of the franchise. Blowing up like a balloon, soaring into the air, ka-POW. Awesome. C+

Highlights: Roger Moore as Bond; heroin; voodoo; tarot cards; New Orleans; best villain kill ever

The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

Bond: Roger Moore

It’s rather refreshing to see a 007 movie with a modest scope. The Man with the Golden Gun is about Bond trying to find a deadly assassin named Francesco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee, loving it) before the assassin finds him first. That’s it, really. No space or lasers. No sharks or gadgets. Okay, sure, something called a “Solex agitator” comes into play, but essentially, The Man with the Golden Gun is an exotic catch me if you can flick. And I dig it for that.

Problem is, the premise is too small, and the filmmakers don’t know what to do with it. This film is proof that, although we often love to hate how extreme some Bond films are, that can be what makes them fun. C-

Highlights: Christopher Lee; Nick Nack; the golden gun; the duel; Mary Goodnight

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Bond: Roger Moore

The Spy Who Loved Me is by far Moore’s best outing as Bond, and also the best Bond film featuring Moore (they aren’t always the same). The film begins with one of the franchise’s most iconic cold opens – a ski chase-turned free fall – that still wows to this day. The movie gets us back to big Bond plot territory by introducing a villain who wants to destroy the world and start his own civilization underwater. For dramatic weight, Bond’s partner/love interest is a KGB agent whose lover was actually killed by Bond.

But The Spy Who Loved Me is best known for introducting Jaws, the towering villain who remains one of Bond’s most memorable advisories. Fighting Jaws, Moore’s Bond seems genuinely scared and vulnerable. Bonus fun includes a car that turns into a submarine, and a thrilling helicopter chase. The Spy Who Loved Me is Bond done right. B

Highlights: Iconic cold open; Moore’s best Bond; Jaws; Atlantis; Egyptian setting; submarine car

Moonraker (1979)

Bond: Roger Moore

James Bond in space! The cold open is a perfect indication of where things are going. Bond and Jaws fight while skydiving. Bond escapes and Jaws breaks his parachute. Instead of falling to his death, Jaws spots a giant circus tent and stars air swimming so that he can land on the tent. Thrilling to laughably absurd, all in the span of a minute. Moonraker is one of the silliest Bond films, but if you know that going in, I suppose you can have fun with it.

The plot has Bond trying to stop hyperbolic super villain, Hugo Drax (Poppa from Munich!), from wiping out every human on Earth, thereby creating a master race based on genetically modified people. It’s so huge it’s downright dumb. But hey, Jaws gets to fall in love in this one, so I guess it isn’t all that bad. D+

Highlights: Bond in space!; Jaws falls in love!; laser fights; Hugo Drax aka space Hitler; Holly Goodhead

For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Bond: Roger Moore

It’s never a good sign when the cold open is the best scene in the film. And although this one is great – Blofeld remote controls a helicopter with Bond inside of it – For Your Eyes is as dull as James Bond films get.

After the stupidity of Moonraker, the producers tried to ground 007 with a more realistic plot. Problem is, there’s nothing particularly interesting about this movie. It goes on and on, never earning its 128 minute running time. The main plot is about Bond trying to recover a missile transmitter before the Russians do, but a far more interesting subplot of a Bond girl avenging the murder of her parents should have been explored more. Moore seems bored throughout, reminding us that, for better or worse, he was having a lot more fun in Moonraker. D+

Highlights: Boring Bond; hockey assassins; final official Blofeld appearance; gripping rock climbing sequence

Octopussy (1983)

Bond: Roger Moore

This is arguably the least memorable film in the entire James Bond franchise. It isn’t good, it isn’t so bad it’s good, it’s just plain stupid. Plot? Jewel smugglers try to start a nuclear war by, in part, detonating a nuke at a… circus. I have nothing more to add, except the insanely random collection of highlights below. Octopussy is 131 minutes long and shortly after beginning, you’ll just want it to be over. D

Highlights: Fabergé eggs; red spandex jump suits, jungle fights, the Tarzan scream, “That’s my octopussy”; gorilla costumes; Bond. As. A. Circus. Clown.

A View to a Kill (1985)

Bond: Roger Moore

Widely regarded as the worst Bond film of all time (most recently on the How Did This Get Made? podcast), A View to a Kill is, yes, the James Bond franchise at its most ridiculous, but that kind of deserves a bit of credit.

Make no mistake, this is a horrible film, but isn’t it an accomplishment to make the most absurd Bond film ever? How Did This Get Made? spent more than an hour trying to dissect the nonsensical plot of A View to a Kill, and I certainly can’t do any better. Something about a drugged horse racing scandal, and one of the horse’s owners, Max Zorin (Christopher Walken, in pure caricature mode), trying to destroy Silicon Valley so he can monopolize microchip technologies. This film is a disaster by its third minute – James Bond snowboarding to a bad cover of “California Girls” was never going to be a good idea. D-

Highlights: Christopher Walken (duh); Grace Jones (and her flattop); microchips; blimps; Eiffel Tower skydive; Golden Gate Bridge showdown; is Roger Moore like… ill?

The Living Daylights (1987)

Bond: Timothy Dalton

Timothy Dalton’s ice cold, humorless take on James Bond was bound to be polarizing, especially having followed Moore’s increasingly silly incarnation. I personally think Dalton was given too much flak for his Bond. Dalton is a drastic change, but certainly a welcome one. Ultimately, though, The Living Daylights fails him. Aside from its fantastic cold open – in which Bond and other 00 agents skydive onto the Rock of Gibraltar, before a car chase ensues – the story of Bond trying to protect a deflected KGB agent is just too tame. It’s also worth mentioning, with respect, that the plot involving Britain helping Afghanistan fight against the Russias really doesn’t stand up well today. D+

Highlights: Rad cold open; Timothy Dalton’s scowl; sexy snipers; the Ghetto Blaster; Afghans vs. Ruskies

Licence to Kill (1989)

Bond: Timothy Dalton

I love how dark Licence to Kill is. I love Dalton’s furious and enraged portrayal of Bond. And I absolutely love how simple the plot is. Licence to Kill is all about good old fashion revenge. After Bond’s longstanding confidant, Felix Leiter (and his new wife), are brutalized by drug lord Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi, the best), Bond makes it his personal mission to hunt Sanchez down. Bond’s boss, M, doesn’t agree with Bond’s tactics, so he strips 007 of his MI6 status, leaving our famed spy to go rouge.

Licence to Kill is the darkest Bond film yet. It features brutal murders, an implied rape, remorseless villains, and a bloodthirsty Bond we rarely get to see. Oh, and there’s a lot of cocaine. Like, a lot of cocaine. Licence to Kill is probably the Bond film I most disagree with the masses on. Today, it is remembered as a dark but deeply flawed inclusion to the franchise. Me? I love damn near everything about it. And although I really enjoy the subsequent Bond, I would have liked to see where Dalton took the character. B+

Highlights: Cocaine; leg-eating-sharks; baby-faced Benicio Del Toro; cocaine; mean Bond; huge role for Q (!); Wayne Newton; epic truck chase

GoldenEye (1995)

Bond: Pierce Brosnan

After enduring the biggest gap in the history of the franchise, 007 returned with one of the best films in the series. Like most people my age, GoldenEye was my real introduction to the world of James Bond. I had seen a handful of the other films prior to this one, but GoldenEye was the flick that made me a fan. It is also, without question, the Bond film I’ve seen the most, for the very simple reason that it still holds up today. Pierce Brosnan moves effortlessly into the role (a part that was supposed to be his in 1987, were it not for his Remington Steele contract), the plot is timely for the era (Britain vs. Russian post-Cold War), the stunts are spectacular, the humor is on point, and the cold open is fucking epic. Sean Bean proves to be a worthy advisory, helping James Bond announce, with vigor, that he is back, baby. A-

Highlights: Famke Janssen; Famke Janssen’s legs; “For England, James?”; Judi Dench as M; giant satellites; fatal sex scenes; tank chases; train explosions; chopper ejections

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Bond: Pierce Brosnan

GoldenEye is a tough act to follow. It’s something we’ve seen a lot in this franchise: a great and redefining entry that is immediately followed by a subpar effort. That’s how I’ve always regarded Tomorrow Never Dies, but I was pleased to discover that upon revisiting it for this post, it held up rather well. Sure, the plot of a media mogul trying to start a war between China and the UK (just so he can boost his ratings) is a pretty lame one, and there have certainly been better villains and Bond girls, but ultimately, there are enough thrills in Tomorrow Never Dies to make it worthwhile. B-

Highlights: Cell phone that can remote control a car; ship-sinking drills; handcuffed motorcycle chase; Jonathan Pryce and his white hair; awkward Teri Hatcher

The World is Not Enough (1999)

Bond: Pierce Brosnan

It’s such a waste to watch Brosnan struggle through the foolish plot of The World is Not Enough, which has Bond trying to protect the daughter of an assassinated billionaire from a tech terrorist named Renard. The boat chase/hot air balloon cold open is pretty fun (and the longest in the franchise’s history), but things go south from there. In an attempt to capitalize on her “It Girl” status, Denise Richards was cast as the main Bond girl, which was a disastrous choice. Brosnan seems slightly bored (though not in his solid scenes with Dench), but the real problem here is Renard. Though he’s played by the excellent Robert Carlyle, the character is laughably hyperbolic. An anarchist with a bullet lodged in his head, thereby destroying his senses. “The bullet will kill him,” M says at one point, “But he’ll get stronger every day until he dies.” I mean really, what’s next? A villain who doesn’t sleep in an attempt to take over the world? D+

Highlights: Denise Richards’ line readings; garrote torture device; plutonium; pipelines; pools of caviar; reactors; the cane gun

Die Another Day (2002)

Bond: Pierce Brosnan

Laser fights, diamond faces, back flip dives, KITE. SURFING., lame costumes, bad CGI, invisible cars, the sun mirror laser weapon… thing, Michael Madsen hamming, Madonna “acting,” Halle Berry struggling, Pierce Brosnan checking out – it’s bad news all around. Brosnan himself has commented on how bad this movie is. As have the longtime producers, and plenty of other people involved. Die Another Die is absurd even for Bond standards. I’m hard pressed to think of a single redeeming quality. I suppose, if I’m reaching, some of the scenes before they get to Iceland aren’t so bad, but once they’re at that ice palace, holy shit, look out. D

Highlights: See the first sentence of my description.

Casino Royale (2006)

Bond: Daniel Craig

Everyone has an opinion about James Bond films, and many of those opinions were quite vicious following The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day. Instead of letting the negative feedback cripple them, producers Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli took them to heart. They listened, they delivered. But this delivery was met with its fair share of vitriol. Many Bond elitists were furious at the casting of the blonde haired, blue eyed Daniel Craig as 007. Wilson and Broccoli wisely stuck with their choice, adopting a “Yeah, just you wait and see,” attitude. We waited, and what we saw was one of the greatest Bond films ever made.

Casino Royale is stylish and sexy, dangerous and exciting. Craig absolutely kills it, delivering the best initial Bond performance ever, Eva Green oozes sexuality, Mads Mikkelsen perfectly inhabits the tough guy who’s actually scared shitless, and Jeffrey Wright is a delight as a smooth-talking Felix Leiter. The most entertaining James Bond film made yet. A

Highlights: Black and white cold open; Daniel Craig’s first tux shot; the Vesper cocktail; a chair with no bottom (fucking hell); the parkour chase; “Job’s done, the bitch is dead.”

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Bond: Daniel Craig

Quantum of Solace begins with a thrilling car chase scene set minutes after Casino Royale’s conclusion. Cars whiz down a small, twisty road, guns blaze, tempers flare – awesome, right? (But at just four minutes long, it’s one of the shortest cold opens of the franchise.) Problem is, once you’ve seen the whole film, it becomes clear that everyone involved hoped that this opening sequence would hold viewers’ attention for the film’s remaining 102 minutes. As I’ve said, I either like my James Bond films good or so bad they’re good. Dullness is unacceptable, and Quantum of Solace is the dullest Bond film ever made. I loathe this film, and have no earthly idea how it could be sandwiched between two of the franchise’s most successful efforts. We should all pretend Quantum of Solace never happened. F

Highlights: The cold open; Mathieu Amalric’s unintentionally hilarious screaming

Skyfall (2012)

Bond: Daniel Craig

Here we are again, bouncing back from a disaster with a truly great entry. Director Sam Mendes injected so much energy and panache into Skyfall; this flick is booming with class and thrills. Putting Bond back on a simple plot of get-him-before-he-gets-us was a wise move, because it allowed for character to shine. Although I prefer Casino Royale as a whole, Craig has never been better as Bond (nor has Dench as M). Javier Bardem is an exquisite villain, one of the franchise’s best ever. No gadgets, no tricks, no lame Bond girls or cheap puns – really, what Skyfall amounts to is standing your ground and protecting what’s yours by any means necessary. That’s the maxim the producers have followed from the beginning, and although it doesn’t always work out for them, Skyfall is proof that when a Bond film hits, boy, does it hit so good. A-

Highlights: “Well, first time for everything, yes?” “What makes you think this is my first time?”; Roger Deakins’ cinematography; Albert Finney kicking ass; Ralph Fiennes playing nice

Unofficial Entries

Many “James Bond” films have been made outside of the Eon Production label, here are my brief thoughts on two of the more famous ones.

Casino Royale (1967)

Bond: Several (it’s stupid)

This parody take on Bond is a nearly unfinishable misfire. It’s a five minute sketch that goes on for an additional 120. No amount of talent involved (including Peter Sellers, David Niven, Woody Allen and Orson Welles) could make this thing work. It’s like that movie Valentine’s Day meets Monty Python meets shit. I can think of no reason to recommend this movie, only to say that you’ve seen a James Bond film that really isn’t a James Bond film. D-

Highlights: Watching really good actors bomb through really bad material

Never Say Never Again (1983)

Bond: Sean Connery

The most infamous non-Eon Bond film is Never Say Never Again, a title inspired by Connery’s insistence that he would never again fill Bond’s shoes. The film feels off from the beginning. No shot of Bond shooting down the barrel directly at us, no cold open, no extended credit sequence. And while it’s great to see Connery again, dude is just too old to handle this. Plus, he’s obviously phoning it in for the paycheck.

Apparently a remake of Thunderball, Never Say Never Again brings back SPECTRE, Ernst Blofeld (Max von Sydow, in a near career low), missiles, nukes – the whole standard formula. There’s nothing to set this film apart, except Connery’s return and the fact that it isn’t part of the real franchise. Though few things top Sean Connery and Kim Basinger jumping off a building into the water while riding a horse. Backflip into the sea and everything. Jesus, what a disaster. D

Highlights: Connery is… back?

Further Reading

Everything or Nothing (2012)

Everything or Nothing is a fabulous documentary about the history of the James Bond franchise. It includes entertaining and informative interviews with every Bond (except Connery, naturally), producer Barbara Broccoli, and many Bond girls and villains. In Everything or Nothing, you’ll learn how Bond came to life via author Ian Fleming, and how 007 finally made it to the screen due to the efforts of Albert R. “Cubby” Broccoli and Harry Saltzman. The most notable thing about the documentary, however, is that it doesn’t shy away from the controversy that has surrounded the franchise. Both on-screen disasters and behind the scenes feuds are detailed greatly. And seeing Pierce Brosnan laugh his way through describing Die Another Day is enough to make this documentary worth watching. B+

Ranking James Bond

23. Quantum of Solace (2008) F

22. A View to a Kill (1985) D-

21. Die Another Day (2002) D

20. Octopussy (1983) D

19. For Your Eyes Only (1981) D+

18. Moonraker (1979) D+

17. The Living Daylights (1987) D+

16. The World is Not Enough (1999) D+

15. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) C-

14. Live and Let Die (1973) C+

13. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) B-

12. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) B-

11. You Only Live Twice (1967) B

10. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) B

9. Thunderball (1965) B+

8. Licence to Kill (1989) B+

7. Dr. No (1962) A-

6. Skyfall (2012) A-

5. Goldeneye (1995) A-

4. Goldfinger (1963) A

3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) A

2. Casino Royale (2006) A

1. From Russia with Love (1963) A