Ten
Best James Bond Movies
By James Riswick
No
other film franchise can have an entire Top 10 list
devoted to it and still have ten films not make the
cut. Okay, so there’s Godzilla and a few series
that pre-date World War II, but no modern, mainstream
franchise is longer-running or more successful than
James Bond. The unforgettable settings, villains,
girls, gadgets, cars, music and all those other intangibles
make Bond a modern cultural icon.
The
legacy that began in 1962 with “Dr.
No” has entered yet another phase with a new
Bond. The latest 007, Daniel Craig, took the helm
in 2006’s “Casino Royale,” a sort
of "Bond Begins" that tells the story of how the
world’s most famous secret agent achieved his
license to kill. To honor this 21st installment,
we present the Top 10 Best James Bond films, which
have all been re-released with never-before-seen
features, deleted scenes and commentary. Only Albert
R. Broccoli-produced films were considered for our
list, so forget about seeing “Thunderball” remake “Never
Say Never Again” or the terrible, spy-spoof
original “Casino Royale.” There was no
specific effort made to include all five Bonds, but
as it turns out, each happened to make at least one
of the best, most significant and most fun 007 films.
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Plot: Roger Moore's Bond teams up with a sexy
Russian spy to stop a madman intent on starting
a nuclear armageddon in order to create a new
world beneath the sea.
 Perks: The top of the poster says it all.
From the opening teaser's spectacular ski-parachute
jump to the climactic epic battle inside Carl
Stromberg's submarine-swallowing supertanker,
this Bond has it all. It was outlandish without
being completely ridiculous like "Moonraker"
or "Diamonds are Forever." Highlights
include Barbara Bach's tough and sexy Agent
Triple-X, iconic henchman Jaws with his metal
teeth, the Lotus submarine car, exotic Egyptian
locales, spectacularly elaborate sets and of
course, Roger Moore's incomparable charm. "Goldfinger"
established the Bond formula, but "Spy"
took it to a new level. |
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Plot: In Pierce Brosnan's first film, 007 takes
on a former friend and double-O who hijacks
a Russian nuclear space weapon.
Perks: This is the movie that introduced
James Bond to a new generation of fans. The
film's edgier, darker feel is a testament to
director Martin Campbell and gives the movie
a unique quality setting it apart from other
007 adventures—in a good way. The reason
it works so well is that the line between realism
and outlandish action is toed perfectly, never
going too far in either direction. The entire
supporting cast is memorable, particular Bond
girls Izabella Scorupco and Famke Janssen, whose
characters are as strong as they are beautiful.
Throw in Judi Dench as M and this is one film
where women are not just eye candy. |
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Plot: Sean Connery's Bond must stop the titular
character's crazy scheme to irradiate the American
gold depository at Fort Knox.
Perks: Although it was the third Bond film,
this is the movie that established the so-called
"Bond Formula": Exotic locales, beautiful
women, outlandish plot, spectacular sets, over-the-top
villain, bizarre henchmen (Oddjob), teaser opening,
title song over the credits, gadgets and cars
(the famous Aston Martin DB5). After "Goldfinger"
all movies bearing that iconic number had to
live up to this formula. This was also the film
that made 007 a world-wide phenomena that continues
to this very day. Never mind Bond films, this
is one of the Top 10 Action Movies of all time
simply because of its tremendous significance. |
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Plot: George Lazenby's Bond tries to stop arch-enemy
Ernst Stavro Blofeld's germ warfare plot. Plus,
Bond actually falls in love.
Perks: "OHMSS" is a great movie
that deserves far better than to only be remembered
as a casting blunder. If Connery or Moore had
done this movie, it would have been his best.
However, Lazenby was a good Bond despite his
off-screen immaturity that caused him to quit
the series. As it stands, his and director Peter
Hunt's lone movie is a winner beginning to end.
The breathtaking ski sequences, fast-paced fight
scenes and Swiss Alp scenery complement the
emotional backdrop driven by Diana Rigg's Tracy.
If you liked the down-to-earth, book-based Bond
character on display in "Casino Royale,"
the same one is in "OHMSS." |
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Plot: Connery's 007 is chased by SPECTRE after
being lured to Istanbul by a beautiful Soviet
agent who promises him a top-secret encryption
device.
Perks: This is the best of the "realistic"
Bond films, telling a story very similar to
that told in Ian Fleming's novel. While the
first 007 adventure "Dr. No" never
quite feels like a full-fledged Bond movie,
"From Russia With Love" lays much
of the formula groundwork that would be ironed
out one film later in "Goldfinger."
Connery shines as 007, while supporting actors
Lotte Lenya and Pedro Armandáriz (who
was literally dying during filming) provide
some of the franchise's most memorable characters. |
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Plot: Timothy Dalton stars in this down-to-earth
thriller where Bond becomes tangled in a web of
Soviet defectors, Afghan freedom fighters and
an American weapons dealer.
Perks: As Dalton's first movie, this is a
bare-bones Bond that brought realism back to the
series after the light-hearted, sometimes ridiculous
Moore era. It is a complex quasi-thriller with
twists and turns that are consistent with the
original Fleming novels. The plot and characters
aren't over the top, while the Bond girl is a
low-key Slovakian cellist (who never actually
has sex with Bond!). There are still plenty of
fun action scenes, though, including a car chase
with a gadget-festooned Aston Martin and a thrilling
airplane fight scene over the Afghanistan desert. |
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Plot: When a fellow double-O turns up dead, Moore's
Bond must discover the connection between a mad
Soviet general and a mysterious jewel smuggler.
Perks: This film, with its exotic Indian setting
and memorable characters is more than just a risqué
title. For the record, it comes from the leading
lady (Maud Adams), who got her nickname from her
Octopi-expert father. Anyway, although it has
plenty of outlandish elements (Bond dresses like
a clown, a mini-jet emerges from a fake horse's
rear end), "Octopussy" is actually a
fairly believable tale of jewel smuggling, a greedy
Afghan prince and a rogue Soviet general hell-bent
on invading the West. The chemistry between Moore
and Adams is undeniable, while Octopussy herself
is one of the series' better characters. |
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Plot: Connery's 007 finally meets his nemesis, Blofeld,
who is capturing American and Soviet space craft
from his secret volcano base in Japan.
Perks: Ten years ago, this probably wouldn't
have made the list. But thanks to Austin Powers,
"You Only Live Twice" has re-established
itself as a cultural icon, since most of Mike Myers'
spoof was inspired by this 007 film. Dr. Evil's
bald head and scar are obvious homages to Donald
Pleasance's Blofeld, while the "hollowed out
volcano" speaks for itself. Austin Powers aside,
"You Only Live Twice" is an over-the-top
tale filled with Connery charm, epic action sequences
and a setting that is almost a character itself:
Japan. Special credit also goes to John Barry's
excellent theme song by Nancy Sinatra. |
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Plot: After long-time ally Felix Leiter is brutally
maimed by a drug lord, Dalton's 007 turns in his
license to kill and seeks revenge.
Perks: This is a controversial choice. Many
criticize "Licence to Kill" because
it is too serious, too violent and strays too
far away from the "Goldfinger" formula.
But five-time Bond director John Glen considers
this his best work, and it's easy to understand
why. This is a gritty tale that shows Bond is
human (kudos to Dalton), while the action sequences
and "Count of Monte Cristo"-like plot
keep you riveted. Robert Davi is captivating as
drug lord Franz Sanchez, while a very young Benicio
del Toro hams it up as his henchman. Meanwhile,
Carey Lowell proves once again that strong women
often inhabit the best Bond films. |
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