The Best Bond films

October 1, 2:19 PMNew Movie ExaminerMatthew Razak

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The best franchise ever

Can you feel that anticipation? We're only two weeks away from being one month away from the next James Bond film, Quantum of Solace. Fine, so maybe others don't get quite as excited as I do (literally squealing with joy when the trailer comes on in theaters) over Bond films, but that doesn't mean I can't start celebrating the return of the greatest cinematic hero ever as early as possible. So I've decided to break down the greatest Bond films, a subject tackled many times, but worth revisiting often.

You may ask why I've only put eight? Well, considering there are 21 Bond films in total, ten would lead us to covering about half the films and while all Bond films are great I can't in good conscious put half of them on a "best list." Plus, with a month and half to go before the new Bond film these are the eight that you just have to see to get ready for the film to come out, so get to the list and then get your Netflix cued up because time is running out.

8. The Spy Who Loved Me

If you're going to make Bond into an over-the-top superhero then this is how you do it. The Spy Who Loved Me is the quintessential Bond film full of giant enemy bases, witty one liners, a plethora of women and gadgets galore. Most of the time when Bond is taken in this direction it makes for some great action but a serious lack of depth. TSWLM has both, not to mention a strong female counterpoint to Bond in Agent XXX. Jaws is also introduced in this film making it feature on of the most beloved (for better or worse) Bond villains. The movie is also home to the best opening sequence and credit song (Nobody Does It Better) in the series.

7. For Your Eyes Only

I hate to have both the greatest Moore films out of the way off the bat since he was Bond for too so long but I think we can all understand why it is this way. For Your Eyes Only is probably the biggest surprise for most people reading this list as it's the most underrated Bond film released and few truly remember it. After going into space in Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only firmly plants Bond back on earth in what is Moore's most realistic and serious Bond. Not only is the tongue-in-cheek humor that came to epitomize Moore's Bond films happily in check, but the cruel, hard edged Bond that had steadily been disappearing since Diamonds Are Forever returns in full force and Moore nails it surprisingly well. Also of note is a rare opening sequence that ties into previous films by not only featuring Blofeld but also Bond's dead wife.

6. Dr. No

Dr. No didn't define what Bond became, that was left up to Goldfinger, but it did introduce the world to Bond in film. A perfectly executed villain, Sean Connery at his silkiest and iconic scenes that would define action cinema for years to come all make up the film. Ursula Andress coming out of the water is one of the sexiest moments in film and still stands up today, despite the fact that her bikini is rather robust by today's standards. Sounds like it should be at the top of any list, but as far as the best of the best goes Dr. No is lacking in some of the more interesting departments like depth and action. It's an amazing starting point, but in the world of great Bond films it's not the best.

5. GoldenEye

I'm not going to argue that the Brosnan years weren't incredible, but of his four Bond films GoldenEye easily takes the cake. Not simply content with bringing Bond back, the film also updated him for the 90's and made the character of Bond far more human. Alex Trevelyan is one of the best foils to Bond's character since he is Bond gone wrong and Xenia Onatopp has to be one of the greatest female villains in the history of the series. Of course the addition of a female M (Judi Dench) was also a great counterpoint to the playboy spy. Not to mention that the tank chase through St. Petersburg is one of the best action set pieces to ever be placed in a film, Bond or not. I just wish the score wasn't so awkward.

4. Goldfinger

I'm sure their are many raised eyebrows at seeing this film not at number one since many consider it to be Connery's finest outing. Goldfinger basically established who and what James Bond was in films. It has one of the greatest Bond villains in Auric Goldfinger (who also delivers the greatest Bond villain line ever) and one of the greatest Bond heroines in Pussy Galore. It created the opening action sequence that is now a staple of the films and also pretty much every other Bond stereotype you can think of. In short the film is Bond, and as I type this I wonder why it's this high up myself. But it's because of these exact same reasons that I've put it here. The creation of the Bond mythos in Goldfinger led to all those Bond movies that weren't so great. Yes, Goldfinger simultaneously saved and destroyed the Bond franchise. It's hard to complain about this film though.

3. Casino Royale

Is it bad luck to place the most recent Bond film so highly on this list? Shouldn't seniority come into account? Well maybe, but Casino Royale is just that good. Daniel Craig brought back an edge to Bond that hadn't been seen since Connery so effortlessly played the role. The film seems to blend every aspect that has made Bond so great over the years while simultaneously giving him a clean slate. It doesn't lose the humor of Moore, it keeps the edge of Connery, it delivers the serious tone Dalton strived for and it opens up Bond as a person like Brosnan did. Not only this, but the movie keeps you on the edge of your seat from start to finish, despite taking place at a poker table for a good chunk of it. Brilliant.

2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service

OHMSS did everything that I just said Casino Royale did but 37 years earlier. Although overly long and totally loyal to the book the movie is basically the perfect Bond situation. Bond goes undercover to investigate Blofeld and is basically sequestered high up in the alps with a plethora of beautiful women and Blofeld himself (played to perfection by Telly Savalas). Surrounding this is the story of Bond actually falling in love and getting married. The story delivers so well that you have to overlook the films glaring flaw: George Lazenby. Lazenby has the looks and build of Bond but he just can't deliver the performance. I find it best to simply imagine a young Connery in the role and doing so easily catapults this into being one of the greatest Bond films ever made. Also of note is the fact that the film features Louis Armstrong's last recording in the form of "We Have All The Time in the World."

1. From Russia With Love

Nothing will ever top From Russia With Love. The plot is clever and twisted, the villains are plentiful and all iconic (Rosa Klebb, Blofeld, Red Grant) and the Bond woman, Tatiana Romonaova, is beautiful and alluring. It's also one of the most interesting films Bond wise, as the character hadn't become a characature of himself yet. Connery delivers a performance that's silky smooth but with an underlying cruelty and viciousness that is absent from many of the other Bond films. The fight between Bond and Grant in the train car is still one of the best close quarter fights on film, despite some clunky choreography. In short FRWL proves why most people consider Connery to be the best Bond.

Didn't discuss your favorite Bond here? Don't worry. As we get closer to the release I'll be counting down every Bond film and talking about what makes them great, what makes them terrible and what makes them Bond. It should be fun, so stay tuned.