Top 10 James Bond Movies
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He’s got a license to thrill. Welcome to WatchMojo.com and today we’ll be counting down our top 10 favorite James Bond movies.
#10- “GoldenEye” (1995)
Kicking off our list is Bond 17, the film that not only made us believe that Pierce Brosnan could deliver in a squeeze, but inspired a videogame classic! The first adventure not based upon Ian Fleming’s works, it had Bond preventing a former Double-O agent from using a satellite weapon to cause a global financial meltdown. It also did the most progressive move yet, changing M’s gender by putting Judi Dench in charge of MI6.
#9- “Thunderball” (1965)
The fourth film in the franchise, penultimate to star Connery, it had Bond out to find two NATO atomic bombs stolen by SPECTRE, who are hoping to use them to hold the world hostage. Interestingly, this Bond really submerged itself in the material with a quarter of the screen time dedicated to underwater scenes. While some may complain it ran a little too long, it did give us Tom Jones, a shocking twist and unforgettable jetpack goodness.
#8- “For Your Eyes Only” (1981)
Bond 12, and the fifth to star Roger Moore, it had the secret agent search for a lost missile command computer, with his love interest accompanying him to avenge the murder of her parents. As the film that followed up the cartoonish “Moonraker”, this one grounded Bond in a much more terrestrial, gritty and realistic adventure. Well, perhaps save for his cars’ aggressive anti-theft feature. It also finally tied up loose ends from the Sean Connery era…
#7- “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977)
The tenth Bond flick, this one centered on a megalomaniac’s plot to destroy the world and create a new civilization under the sea. This prompted Bond to join forces with a Russian agent, aptly codenamed agent XXX. Of course the real showstopper here is Bond’s encounter with one of his most iconic villains; the metal toothed giant assassin, Jaws.
#6- “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969)
When Sean Connery bowed out of the franchise, it was up to this former fashion model to pick up the slack. While he only kilted up once, his gripping adventure saw Bond finally track down bald SPECTRE chief Blofeld to the Swiss Alps, while meeting the one woman he would ever marry, as short as their union was. And thus, the series was given its most heart wrenching moment.
#5- “Skyfall” (2012)
A flick celebrating the 50th anniversary of the franchise, this one delved deeper than any other into the pathos and creation of the Queen’s loyal agent. While elements were borrowed previous entries, it did so intelligently, with unexpected twists, and gorgeous eye candy. It also brought in the theme of family, loyalty and showcased a villain straight out of the glory days in an attempt to bring the series full circle.
#4- “Dr. No” (1962)
This is the Bond film that launched the beloved action espionage franchise and made its star a household name. That’s due to its tongue-and-cheek style, and thrills which were unlike anything that had come before it. While its plot had Bond investigate the murder of a fellow agent in Jamaica before uncovering a sinister organization hell-bent on causing a nuclear catastrophe, we can’t stop thinking about that landmark Bikini shot.
#3- “From Russia With Love” (1963)
The second film in the series, it introduced many of the more refined elements of the Bond we know and love today, including its post intro music video. A cold war thriller, it had Bond travel to rendezvous with a Russian turncoat to seek out a decoding device, and being targeted for assassination by the vengeful SPECTRE. With the latter part of the film confined to a train, it kept the action and suspense unusually intimate.
#2- “Casino Royale” (2006)
After several decades and several Bonds, this is the film that went back to basics and the original Ian Fleming novel that started it all. Daniel Craig delivered as the franchise’s first blond and blue eyed 007, while campy gadgets were dropped in favor of hard hitting practical effects and stunt choreography. An intense re-introduction to the timeless character, it showed us that there’s still plenty of life in the old boy, as well as room for emotional depth.
#1- “Goldfinger” (1964)
Taking the top spot on our list is the third film in the series, and the gold standard for what a James Bond adventure should be! All about a gold smuggler setting his sights on Fort Knox, it’s got everything a 007 flick requires at its best. This ranges from its memorable villains, to a provocatively named love interest, iconic one-liners, super sleuthing, the introduction of spy gadgets and of course, Connery at his best.
Do you agree with our list? Which James Bond movie is your favorite? For more Martini filled top 10s, be sure to subscribe to WatchMojo.com.
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