To close out this year and sequence of James Bond movie reviews, I wanted to rank all the movies as a reference and give a straightforward set of recommendations. This includes my top 10, the honorable mentions that I believe are still worth seeing, and the films that I think are worth skipping altogether. My bias for my favorite Bond actor is probably pretty clear in this list, but I think most of the actors (sorry, Lazenby) are well represented in my top 10.

Each entry will get its own summary, but if you want more details about the plot and my thoughts, click the images for a lengthier review of the movie.

Top 10 Favorite James Bond Films

10. License to Kill (1989)

The second Timothy Dalton film in the franchise was a great surprise for me because I had extremely low expectations before I saw it for the first time. For whatever reason, friends and family who had seen it told me it was the worst one of the entire franchise. However, I think they were getting that mixed up with the overall profit the film made as it was a box office bomb. That might have been due to the shift in tone to make James Bond movies more like the ‘80s action films of Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone, but I think License to Kill still works. It’s far from perfect, but it has some great moments, cool stunts, and a vengeful Bond whose quest for revenge makes him more cunning and ruthless than ever.

9. For Your Eyes Only (1981)

For Your Eyes Only was a movie that, admittedly, I had completely forgotten after I watched it the first time. I attribute that more to my own memory than any faults of the film because everything came rushing back as to what I enjoyed about it after watching it a second time. It’s one of Roger Moore’s best outings and keeps getting better every time I see it. Aside from a few unbelievable events, For Your Eyes Only is a relatively grounded affair for Roger Moore’s Bond. Bond has to do a fair amount of investigating to find a missing piece of technology before the Soviets do, while taking out some pesky drug smugglers, as well as wrangling the revenge-fueled impulses of a fiery young woman. There are some really tense moments and impressive stunts that make this a great entry.

8. You Only Live Twice (1967)

The last Sean Connery Bond film of the 1960s squeaks its way ahead of For Your Eyes Only because it has a lot of memorable moments that I associate with the franchise, and it’s just a fun time. It’s probably the least believable of the Connery movies with the overall plot involving the secret rocket silo hidden inside a dormant volcano in Japan that captures astronauts in space and brings them back down to earth directly in said volcano. However, there is a fair amount of charm to its tone and style that makes me enjoy this movie. It has a great climax, an iconic villain, and a pretty catchy theme song.

7. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

This is the quintessential James Bond movie, in my opinion. Even though it’s not my favorite on this list, if I were to be asked, “What is the single James Bond movie I should see to get a broad understanding of the entire franchise?” I would recommend The Spy Who Loved Me. It has all of the tropes that are associated with Bond movies: fancy gadgets, unrealistically massive evil lairs, over-the-top villains, cool stunts, lots of explosions, and romance. The first half has some good espionage between Bond and the Russian agent, Asamova, and the latter half gets more explosive and exciting. The theme song is pretty dang good too.

6. Goldfinger (1964)

Arguably the other quintessential film on the list and one of the most epochal films of the entire franchise, Goldfinger still holds up sixty years later. For a long time, this was my favorite of the entire franchise, which makes its spot in 6th place even more surprising, but our tastes change over time. It’s fun and bombastic with some solid action and cool gadgets for the ‘60s. It’s also the movie with the line that everyone remembers:

“Do you expect me to talk?”

“No, Mr. Bond. I expect you to die.”

The plot goes in some interesting directions and it manages to stay pretty entertaining up to the end. The evil plot of Goldfinger was so good, they copied it more than once in other Bond films. This is the movie where many of the Bond tropes would be established and set for the franchise going forward. With the iconic characters and song, Goldfinger is one of those films you cannot easily forget. Just look the other way during the Pussy Galore “romance” scene.

5. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

My favorite of the Roger Moore Bond movies, The Man with the Golden Gun is a solid balance between grounded espionage thriller and over-the-top action the franchise is known for. Bond has to investigate and follow the trail of a missing piece of technology while avoiding being killed by the man who never misses. Christopher Lee’s Scaramanga is an iconic villain. Lee brings a lot of that charming menace he was known for to this villainous role. There are still some less realistic sci-fi elements like a solar-powered laser gun residing in a secret island base, but the tension is grounded by the ever-lurking presence of Scaramanga. The movie does a great job of building up their inevitable encounter with some solid action and chase sequences sprinkled here and there. My only recommendation is to watch the car chase with the sound off, or while blasting your own music, so you don’t hear that annoying sheriff from Live and Let Die talk or the stupid slide whistle that undermines a really cool stunt at the end.

4. Goldeneye (1995)

Three golds in a row! Maybe if more Daniel Craig Bond films had ‘gold’ in the title I would have liked them more, but probably not.

As I mentioned in my review, I do not remember which James Bond movie was the first I saw, but I know which one made me a fan. Goldeneye blew me away as a kid with its memorable opening, ending, stunts, villains, and everything in between—including Famke Janssen squeezing dudes to death with her legs while she got off. It also helped that the N64 video game based on the movie added to my fandom the same way the Star Wars video games did.

Goldeneye, when compared to the other Pierce Brosnan films, stands well above them due to being a well-crafted action film that playfully skirts the line of unrealistic while showcasing some fun stunts. Brosnan acts like he’s been playing Bond his whole life and fits right into the role despite this being his first outing as the character. The digital effects have not aged well, and the villain’s reveal, which contradicts a thing Bond witnessed, is kind of stupid. Nonetheless, there’s a fun mystery, cool gadgets, and exciting moments to carry the film through.

3. The Living Daylights (1987)

The Living Daylights goes in a lot of interesting and unpredictable directions. It starts strong with the allusion to a secret plan to wipe out agents in the double-o program, which then leads to another plot involving a defecting Soviet general seeking asylum who is then kidnapped. Then, there are multiple assassination attempts made on Bond and the young Russian girl he’s protecting as he tries to figure out the bigger plot. The story manages to stay interesting without getting confusing. The romance between Kara and Bond feels more natural than most other movies in which the notorious spy ends up with the girl. The stunts are memorable and exciting. And, Timothy Dalton simply nails the role of James Bond in this movie.

2. Casino Royale (2006)

The movie that made me a James Bond fan all over again after the Brosnan movies jumped the tidal wave of ridiculousness, Casino Royale blew me away when I first saw it. It was a fresh new and serious take on the character and his adventures. While the seriousness of the franchise opened it up more to scrutiny, Casino Royale managed to be a competent film that was tightly crafted and mostly believable, with complex characters allowed to make mistakes, including Bond. This is his first time as a double-o agent and Bond is more headstrong and ambitious, willing to break into his boss’ home and go off the books or make rash decisions in the field. Le Chifre, meanwhile, is a great villain, not just because of Mads Mikkelsen’s performance and ability to evoke menace in a scene, but because he’s a villain with his own story arc and motivations, adding to his complexity. If this was the last James Bond movie, it would stand out from the rest of the entire franchise as a shining gem unique to the other films with its tone and style. For two years, it was…and then it was all downhill from there.

1. From Russia with Love (1963)

It was completely unintentional when I was arranging these movies in my top ten, but it pleases me that I have one film from each actor who played the role more than once in my top five—sorry again, Lazenby. And who better to top off the list than my favorite Bond of them all: Sir Sean Connery.

I thoroughly enjoy this movie, partially because I am biased, but also because I think it is the best at being a balanced spy thriller with fun Bond mischief. After Goldfinger, the franchise started focusing more on outlandish gadgets and memorable villains to satiate audiences. I preferred the grounded movies that had some down-to-earth villains and consequences for Bond to face. The tools he gets from Q in this movie are basic but believable for the technology of that time, and they’re rather practical when compared to watches with grappling hooks and lasers. The plot is a constant tug-of-war between the U.S.S.R. and MI6 over a decoding device with the secret organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E. facilitating the situation. The blonde assassin, Grant, is always lurking in the background waiting for Bond to outlive his usefulness so he can finally do what he’s been training for and kill him. Even during the slower moments, From Russia with Love has enough charm, suspense, and intrigue to keep things interesting as it’s a movie in which you simply don’t know who Bond can fully trust.

Bond Movies Worth Watching

Dr. No (1962)

See where it all began! Even though it’s the first of the film series—and there were still a lot of lessons to be learned—Dr. No is a movie that manages to transcend the decade in which it was made and continue to be entertaining to this day. There are no gadgets. It’s just James Bond being a spy and doing some detective work. It’s a simple and straightforward movie that doesn’t have the over-the-top action the franchise would later be known for, but that is no fault against it. Connery establishes Bond as the smart, witty, and charming spy worthy of a franchise to his name and quickly gets the movie series going.

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

Despite not making it into my top 10, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is still a movie that I recommend anyone who has a cursory interest in James Bond see. George Lazenby may have gotten in over his head in the making of this movie to the point of reneging on his contract to do more Bond films, but I think he does a commendable job for an amateur actor and is probably the actor who looked the most like how the character is described in the books. It does take a while for the plot to get going—and it’s especially odd if you thought this story took place after You Only Live Twice with how Bond and Blofeld do not recognize each other—but there are some good, exciting espionage and action scenes scattered throughout the film. The scene in which Bond is breaking into a safe is a quiet, but slightly tense scene. The chase sequences with him skiing down a mountain, racing down a bobsled, or getting away in a car are all fun, action-packed moments that draw you in. And the way the film ends with tragedy is impactful and stays with you…so long as you mute it before the upbeat James Bond theme ruins the moment.

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

While I find this to be one of the weaker Sean Connery films, Diamonds Are Forever still has some redeeming qualities to make it fun. The car chase sequence in the streets of Las Vegas is one of the best chases with Connery. The two rogue hitmen add a lot of menace and personality to the mystery surrounding the diamonds. The creative methods of smuggling the diamonds make up for the somewhat needlessly convoluted plot. And, this movie has enough of its style to make it stand out from the other Bond films.

Live and Let Die (1973)

The first of the Roger Moore James Bond movies was a solid launchpad for the era and quickly established Moore as a suitable successor to Connery. Moore turns up the English charm and settles into the role immediately, especially when he’s a fish out of water in Harlem. It’s a big departure from the Connery films in both tone and style with some very recognizable villains that stand out from the rest. Even though I find the villainous plot somewhat disappointing in comparison to others, there’s still enough fun and spectacle to keep you interested, including an epic boat chase that gets better every time I see it.

Octopussy (1983)

There’s more to this movie than its stupid name. The plot manages to be intriguing, particularly because there are multiple villains working together and potentially double-crossing one another. The titular character manages to be the most interesting of the bunch with how she fits into everything. It’s a relatively grounded film with Bond having to do a lot of investigating and baiting out the villains to uncover the ultimate plot. I find it to be a little forgettable in comparison to other Moore entries, but it’s still a fun time.

A View to a Kill (1985)

If you like Goldfinger, you’ll probably like A View to a Kill because they’re practically the same movie. Replace gold with microchips. Replace Goldfinger with Zorin. Replace Oddjob with Mayday. The pacing, mystery, villainous plot, and characters are all very familiar re-imaginings. Zorin is far more over-the-top—thanks to Christopher Walken’s performance—and he’s arguably more malicious in how he ruthlessly kills people, including those who work for him. Mayday is the right-hand to Zorin, just like Oddjob was for Goldfinger, but she is allowed to have more personality and impact in the story. I still prefer Goldfinger for one reason or another, but the core foundation of the movie is here in Roger Moore’s final outing as Bond.

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

I am slightly biased for this movie just because it was the first Bond movie I saw in theaters. The plot is kind of dumb if you think about it, but there are some cool stunts and action sequences to make up for it. Michelle Yeoh manages to be one of the best Bond girls in the franchise because she is probably the most believable female spy who is able to keep up with Bond. I also enjoy Johnathon Pryce’s hammy performance as the villain—I have a theory that he inspired Steve Jobs in how to dress and give speeches when he made his dramatic return to Apple. It’s a very flawed movie, with two theme songs that suck, but I still enjoy watching it for one reason or another.

The World is Not Enough (1999)

While this is probably my least favorite of the Brosnan films, it’s difficult for me to say this is one you should skip. I was originally considering putting this in the “skip” category, but then I watched the last three Daniel Craig Bond movies and my opinion of it improved. Its main issue is that it is just one of the more forgettable Bond movies of the bunch. The villains are a little underwhelming and the villainous plot is a messy reinterpretation of Goldfinger. Apart from Christmas Jones and the opening sequence involving a spectacular boat chase on the River Thames, The World is Not Enough struggles to be as memorable as other Bond films from Brosnan’s run. All that being said, it’s still an enjoyable experience despite all its faults and it gave us the best theme song of the franchise.

Die Another Day (2002)

Hear me out. Yes, this is a terrible movie. Yes, it is probably the lowest-rated of all the official James Bond movies on all the review websites. Yes, it’s so bad that the franchise essentially had to reset with Casino Royale. However, I think it’s important to see the series at its most ridiculous point so you can understand what makes the best entries that much more special. That, and I also find it entertainingly bad. There are a lot of nonsensical moments and some really bad acting, along with poorly aged visual effects to make any fan of bad movies giggle away. The plot is dumb and the villain is utterly absurd, made even better by the hammy acting. Halley Berry is just awful in this movie too. Am I selling you on it?

Look, you may not be into laughing at stupid movies, but Die Another Day provides a lot of perspective on the franchise as a whole and is more worth seeing than some of the more forgettable or bizarre entries.

Skyfall (2012)

The only other Daniel Craig movie I’m willing to recommend, Skyfall has its reasons for being worth a watch. I’m not against having Daniel Craig as Bond. I just think that, after Casino Royale, he was saddled with movies with either incomplete scripts, or with scripts that were written by people who do not respect the character of James Bond or understand why people like him in the first place. Skyfall is not respectful to Bond either. I also can’t say I like this movie. However, it does manage to stand on its own and not be connected to the previous films (even though they try to connect it later in Spectre). Javier Bardem does a great job as the villain, even if his ultimate plan is garbage. It’s a very pretty film with great action sequences. I wouldn’t call it a good Bond movie, but at least it doesn’t overstep its boundaries too much.

Bond Movies You Can Skip

Casino Royale (1967)

This movie is weird, and not in a good way. It’s meant to be an ensemble comedy film with Peter Sellers and David Nivin leading the charge. Instead, it’s a bunch of half-baked moments that were surely written by people who were baked out of their minds. The Monty Python movies had more coherent plots and much better jokes. This movie is shockingly bad. I watched it alone for the first time years ago and then I forced someone else to watch it with me a second time and they had the same reaction of utter shock and confusion. Do not waste your time with this.

Never Say Never Again (1983)/ Thunderball (1965)

This is probably the hottest take on this list.

I put both Thunderball and Never Say Never Again down here because they’re both probably my least favorite Bond films to have Sean Connery in the role. They are both the same movie, more so than how A View to a Kill is essentially Goldfinger. If you’ve seen Thunderball, you’ve seen Never Say Never Again, and vice versa. Some might think it’s blasphemy to talk so little of Thunderball, and don’t get me wrong, I still like the story of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. stealing a nuclear device and holding the world hostage. I just don’t think either movie does enough to keep the action exciting or the espionage interesting, especially with the abundance of slow-moving underwater sequences between the two films.

There are certainly some differences since the movies are twenty years apart from each other in terms of when they were released. The villains are slightly different, the action scenes vary in quality, and they find new ways to abuse their sharks. However, the plot is still the same. The villain is still named Largo. The primary Bond girl is still named Domino. I’d say you’re better off just choosing one to watch instead of both. Each has its own pros and cons. I prefer Never Say Never Again slightly for my own reasons, but I still wouldn’t recommend it.

Moonraker (1979)

Moonraker suffers from being the film that came directly after The Spy Who Loved Me. While it is not exactly the same plot, the similarities between the two are undeniable, and everything that Moonraker copies, The Spy Who Loved Me does it better. If you are binge-watching the Bond movies, I strongly recommend taking a break between Moonraker and The Spy Who Loved Me because you will get severe deja vu. On its own, Moonraker isn’t terrible. There is some spectacle to it. There are some fun moments and highlights. It just happens to be the movie that feels the most recycled of all Bond films from that era.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Despite The World is Not Enough’s and Octopussy’s best efforts, the winner for the “most forgettable James Bond film” goes to Quantum of Solace. There are sequences and details I like about this movie. Unfortunately, the plot is incomplete, and the lack of cohesion between scenes makes it difficult for the movie to stay in your mind for very long. All I can do is recall individual scenes. Since it was in production during a writers’ strike, I give it something of a pass in terms of how I feel about it in comparison to movies like Skyfall, Spectre, or No Time to Die which had full-time writers and actively made me mad. In fact, my viewing of No Time to Die upset me so much that I considered moving this film into the recommendable category simply because it isn’t an insult to James Bond like the others I mentioned. However, it’s still not really worth seeing because you’ll forget you watched it by the morning of the next day. Not to mention, everything it sets up doesn’t amount to anything by the time Craig’s run is over.

Spectre (2015)

Much like Skyfall, there are qualities about this movie that I like. Unfortunately, the positives get overshadowed by the negatives in how this film manages to screw up the portrayals of Bond, Blofeld, and S.P.E.C.T.R.E. I do not like Skyfall, but I don’t actively dislike it as I do Spectre.

Spectre is stupid. Its villain is stupid. Its hero is stupid. If this were as cheesy as Die Another Day, those details would be more forgivable because I don’t have to take it seriously; I can just laugh at the absurdities. Unfortunately, Spectre is a serious movie that wants to be taken seriously, so those flaws are far more glaring. There’s so much potential in this movie that is just wasted because no one bothered to make a third or fourth draft of the script with some scrutinous eyes present to point out all the flaws and provide some suggestions on how the writers could write themselves out of the holes they dug.

It’s so much worse than Skyfall it has to belong in the Skip list. The main sticking point in Skyfall for me—ignoring the disrespect for Bond and the new young versions of Moneypenny and Q—is how dumb Silva’s master plan is. Had Silva’s plan been refined, I wouldn’t have quite such a negative perspective on Skyfall. Spectre, however, needs a whole rewrite to work.

No Time to Die (2021)

The Casino Royale spoof can be forgiven for the injustice it did to James Bond because it was an unfunny comedy that had no relation to the other films. No Time to Die deserves no forgiveness for what it does to James Bond. This movie does its best to break Bond down and destroy him on a literal and figurative level to the point of replacement. The people responsible for this movie don’t just lack an understanding of James Bond and what makes him popular. They actively dislike the character and the fans. I will not be watching this one again if I have a choice.

The James Bond movie review blitz has finally ended. When a new entry in the franchise comes out, I’ll of course see it eventually and add it to the collection listed here. Will it make its way into the watch-worthy category? I have my doubts. Regardless, I’m interested to hear how others feel about this list. Are you a die-hard Craig fan who hated the Bond films before they were serious? Do you think that Roger Moore was the best there ever was or will be again? Do you think that Moonraker is the most brilliant film of them all? Let me know in the comments and give me your top 10!