Here is a complete and VERY detailed Bond film ranking list. Set some time aside for this one!
FIlms are rated out of 4 stars (4 being exceptional)
Films ranked 1-15 are the good ones
Films ranked 16-22 are the not so good ones (Although all Bond movies have redeeming qualities...even Moonraker.)
1. Casino Royale (2006) - ****
It was very difficult for me to put any Bond film over Goldfinger, but there is simply no other place I would put Casino Royale. Daniel Craig’s outing as the super spy is the series’ best film for many reasons. First of all, Daniel Craig is easily the best Bond since Sean Connery, he has style, he does have humor and it almost seems like the man does all of his own stunts! So what if he’s blonde? Eva Green is also the series best Bond girl; she is exactly how a Bond girl should be done. (No pun intended.) She is not Bond’s equal (like Die Another Day’s Jinx), and she is not some dumb screaming bimbo (like A View to a Kill’s Stacey Sutton). She is a very intelligent woman who, under the right circumstances, can handle herself. Mads Mikkelsen is one of the series’ best villains with the sinister Le Chiffre, who bleeds from his eye. (They might as well tattooed “evil” on his forehead.) The rest of the supporting cast is excellent, as well. The action is the best it has ever been and the minimal use of CGI is extremely refreshing. Every scene is entertainment at it’s best, but no scene more so than the now famous torture sequence (which may be the best scene in the film) in where I was laughing out loud due to the pure dark and discomforted humor. Bravo.
2. Goldfinger (1964) - ****
Goldfinger is for sure the definitive Bond movie. After all, this is the film that pretty much started the spy craze back in the 1960s, and for good reason too. Sean Connery is fantastic as he usually is, bringing every trait that James Bond is now known for to the screen. His screen presence is undeniably classic. As far as the rest of the film goes, the word that immediately comes to mind is brilliant. Goldfinger himself doesn’t look all to menacing, yet he makes one of the greatest villains of the entire series. And who can forget his henchman, Oddjob, the series best henchman? Pussy Galore, who may have the greatest name in the history of recorded time, is a great Bond girl who can kick a bit of
too. (She knows karate!) Memorable scenes are at an abundance: the ejector seat, the pre-titles fight, the car compactor, Bond teasing the guard in his cell, and who could forget the line, “No, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die”? Goldfinger is what James Bond is all about; a little bit of camp, some beautiful girls and some thrilling action. And even now, nearing 50 years since its release, Goldfinger is just as exciting as I’m sure it once was in the theaters.
3. From Russia With Love (1963) - ***1/2
When one thinks of James Bond, the phrase “down to earth” may not come to mind, yet From Russia WIth Love is just that: down to earth. It is, without a doubt, the most realistic of any Bond pictures which gives it many strengths. When viewed, a sense of how spying is really done can be felt. Sean Connery is so convincing as the secret agent you might think he was born for the role. The villains are just as good too. The character of Rosa Klebb is so ugly and evil that you just can’t look away. And her henchman, Red Grant (played by the very talented Robert Shaw) is as brutal as he looks. The fight scene between him and Bond aboard the Orient Express is one of the best fight scenes ever filmed for a motion picture. The Bond girl, Tatiana, works very well as the woman sent to seduce Bond through orders of the KGB. Eventually of course, she falls for him and becomes an ally. Kerim Bay, Bond’s ally in the film is beyond likable and Bond’s best sidekick. The discovery of his death is truly a powerful scene. Finally, this film is the first to feature Desmond Llewelyn as the gadget master Q, who would go on to portray the character until The World is not Enough. His scene is immensely memorable and great fun, much like the rest of the film.
4. GoldenEye (1995) - ***1/2
It looked as though James Bond was dead in the early to mid 1990s. Timothy Dalton had just voluntarily left the role, and producers were in legal hell with multiple copyright suits at their door. But finally, through the fire and smoke, emerged GoldenEye, the best Bond film since Goldfinger at the time of its release. GoldenEye, like most great Bond films, has just about everything: a good Bond in Pierce Brosnan, fantastic action sequences, two superb Bond girls, one of the series best villains and just the right amount of camp. Pierce Brosnan gives a very impressive debut, coming only second at the time to Sean Connery (until Daniel Craig). Brosnan is far more convincing than Dalton, Moore or Lazenby ever were in the role. He is handsome, very stylish and looks very much like James Bond. His co stars also do him credit. Sean Bean plays the villain, a former 00 agent himself. Bean could very well be the series’ best main villain, along with his hench-woman Xenia Onatopp chillingly played by Famke Janessen. Bond’s love interest is also how a Bond girl should be: attractive, smart and not Bond’s physical equal. Any fears that James Bond had met the end of the line with License to Kill was blown away with the very entertaining GoldenEye.
5. Thunderball (1965) - ***
Based on ticket sales, Thunderball is the most successful James Bond film to hit the silver screen. As a matter of fact, if converted to current inflation prices, the film’s worldwide gross would be a little over one billion dollars! It’s for good reason that this is the case; Thunderball is for sure a superior Bond film. Sean Connery delivers his best Bond performance in this film. He was always the greatest Bond, but Thunderball for some reason really stood out to me. The line, “Wait until you get to my teeth,” may be the best one liner ever muttered in a Bond film. Connery’s leading ladies are splendid also. Domino, Bond’s ally is a good character despite being slightly underused, and the first Bond villainess, Fiona Volpe is one of Bond’s best girls. While the villain is slightly bland and the underwater scenes go on for a bit too long, Thunderball is still a strong Bond entry, and should not be missed.
6. Dr. No (1962) - ***
The first official James Bond film is not quite the best, but is still a very entertaining piece of work nonetheless. First mention goes to Sean Connery, who plays James Bond to the tee from the very first seconds we see him on screen. Unlike some actors who took a little while to get used to the role (ahem, Roger Moore...), we can immediately see the James Bond in Mr. Connery. Bond’s first leading lady, Ursula Andress is stunning, with a special mention going to her now extremely famous “emerging out of the ocean scene”. She is a solid Bond girl and will for sure be the more memorable ones. I enjoyed the villain, Dr. No as well. Actor Joseph Wiseman perfectly underplays the chilling madman, giving a very relaxed evilness to him. Despite being one of the shortest Bond flicks, Dr. No seems to be the slowest paced of all the James Bond pictures, which works for and against it. The “calmness” the film has gives it a sense of realism, but can bore some audience members riling up for some crazy action scene. Nevertheless, Dr. No introduced us to a film icon and will be remembered for just that.
7. For Your Eyes Only (1981) - ***
For Your Eyes Only may very well be the most underrated Bond film. I myself am not a fan of Roger Moore, as many of his films are at the bottom of this list, however I cannot help myself from really enjoying this movie. For Your Eyes Only was an attempt to bring Bond “back to Earth” and followed the atrocious “Moonraker”. There are so many things in this film that work: the very first scene in where Roger Moore visits his late wife’s grave is pure brilliance, the stunt work and action scenes are some of the best seen in a Bond film, Carole Bouquet is Moore’s second best leading lady (behind Jane Seymour), Julian Glover is a fine villain (nothing at all memorable, but passable nonetheless), Topol is one of Bond’s best allies, Bill Conti’s 80s score is undeniably dated yet I cannot help but love it, and the scene where Bond kicks a car off a cliff containing a helpless thug is Roger Moore’s best moment in his Bond tenure. But a few issues hold this film back from being great. First is the subplot featuring 20 year old Lynn Holly Johnson’s crush on a now 53 year old Roger Moore. This is usually played for laughs, but rarely ever works. And secondly is the lazy ending; Bond and Melina all of a sudden are lovers when the rest of the film doesn’t really construct their relationship to be a “more than friends” type of deal. All complaints aside however, For Your Eyes Only not only is Roger Moore’s best picture, but is a solid spy thriller as well.
8. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) - ***
In terms of performance, Roger Moore had had a shaky start. He played the role fairly conservatively in Live and Let Die and was just plain stiff in The Man with the Golden Gun. It was The Spy Who Loved Me in where I could first see Roger Moore finding his place as the super spy. There are some good Bond moments within this films two hours: namely Bond’s line “What a helpful chap”, the fun competition seen between Roger Moore and Barbara Bach who do in fact have a bit of on screen chemistry, the henchman of Jaws, who ranks as among the best of any Bond henchman (until he was ruined in Moonraker), and all the action with the Lotus (above or under water!). It’s the film’s last third that prevents it from being better. After Bond tells XXX that he was the one who murdered her boyfriend (with an awesome gun built into a ski pole), the film beings a slight march downward. It’s almost embarrassing to see Bond single handedly escape from what seems to be about 15 armed men when he’s about to be imprisoned (Austin Powers, anyone?). Also, the ensuing gun battle and the rest that follows seems somewhat tacked on. Stromberg, the film’s main villain is also not a strong point as he is just some old guy who presses buttons. All in all however, The Spy Who Loved Me will probably always be the Moore movie everyone remembers, and for pretty good reason. The film is a very solid piece and does rank among the best.
9. Quantum of Solace (2008) - ***
I feel somewhat bad for Quantum of Solace. When people realized it was not as good as Casino Royale, it was pretty much crucified. I have heard just about every single criticism in the book against this film, and not many of them hold ground. Let’s start out with the film’s true saving grace: Daniel Craig. If there were any doubts in Casino Royale with him (there weren’t), they are now gone as Craig is near perfect as the secret agent and is easily second only to Sean Connery. His leading lady, Camille is a decent Bond girl, but when compared to Vesper, she is somewhat meaningless sad to say. Bond’s main villain Dominic Greene isn’t menacing nor are his thugs but this isn’t a detriment, as they work fine in relation to the rest of the film. The action scenes, despite what everyone seems to say, are follow-able and are some of the best Bond action bits I’ve ever seen (a special nod going to the pre-titles car chase). At a brief 106 minutes, the short runtime works for and against the film. The movie is literally breathless and is over before you know it, but when it is done, you get the feeling that you’re missing something. The bottom line is this though: Quantum of Solace is saved by Daniel Craig. Without his stellar performance, you’d get an above average action film with a near non existent plot. (The battle for Bolivian water? Please.) Quantum of Solace harks back to the crazy action of the Pierce Brosnan films, but is better because it is Craig who now claims the leading role.
10. License to Kill (1989) - ***
This movie is loved by some and hated by what seems to be more. The praisers say the true Fleming Bond has returned in this film with Timothy Dalton. This is not all true, however. The naysayers claim that this film is lame and contains no soul, which is also not the case. In truth, License to Kill is Dalton’s better film for a few reasons. Firstly is Dalton himself, who shows definite improvement over the bland character he was in The Living Daylights. Secondly is the main villain, Sanchez, who is brilliantly played by Robert Davi. The stunt work is also at a high; who didn’t get chills when Bond was hanging off the bottom of the plane with the James Bond riff playing in the background? The ending tanker chase, while stretched out, is one of the best action scenes in a Bond film, as well. The film is also violent, almost to the point of brutal, which, to the disagreement of some, is a good thing. The upped violence give License to Kill a sense of realism. But, like other good but not great Bond films, there are always a few things that hold it back. Both Bond girls are slightly weak; they’re not horrid, but not anywhere near memorable either. Many claim that License to Kill redefined Bond, but this is also a false statement. The film, with the exception of Felix getting mauled by a shark, is fairly formulaic from the tough CIA Bond girl, to Q, to the battle at the exploding cocaine factory at the end. License to Kill had some potential to change Bond, but eventually ended up falling into the formula which is a half disappointment.
11. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997) - ***
In order to like Tomorrow Never Dies, you need to let a few things slide. Firstly, the amount of bullets fired in this film could probably outnumber a small war. There is a ton of action. Secondly, is a very flamboyant villain, who I found to really enjoy. As a matter of fact, Jonathan Pryce’s Elliot Carver may be one of my favorite Bond villains. He is not menacing at all, but still plays the role splendidly arrogant and evil. And finally, Teri Hatcher who is mediocre at best. Luckily she is not in the movie very much, so her detriment is not all that severe. Tomorrow Never Dies first half is actually excellent. This is because Bond actually gets to do some spying! He goes undercover, he sneaks around and occasionally we are given some really superior action scenes (such as the remote controlled BMW). Also, Bond’s slaying of the quirky Dr. Kaufman is Pierce Brosnan’s best moment as James Bond. It’s the second half that we begin to see some wear. After Bond performs a HALO jump he is inevitably captured and brought to Carver’s main building. What follows is a fifteen minute shootout/motorcycle chase (which is admittedly fun), a karate fight and finally a shootout between all the thugs on a stealth boat and Bond. Where did the spying go? But when one just sits back with a bowl of popcorn, it is hard not to enjoy this ridiculous, yet entertaining Bond picture. And let’s face it, can it be any more ridiculous than The Spy Who Loved Me?
12. Live and Let Die (1973) - ***
Who else finds it odd that the three Roger Moore Bond films I give my highest regards to are the ones in which the great John Barry did not provide the score? (For Your Eyes Only, The Spy Who Loved Me and Live and Let Die) The result of this is that all movies mentioned do feel dated, but that still can’t prevent me from enjoying them all. If anything, Live and Let Die might be the most dated Bond film ever with its disco influenced wardrobe, funky jive talking villains and the United States. You have to be careful when filming in the United States, because it is there where you can see how dated the film really is. Live and Let Die was shot in New York, and back in ’73 it seemed to be the funkiest place around! All funk aside however, Roger Moore is introduced fairly well by this motion picture. He plays the role conservatively, but he is better than some other entries that he would go on to make. Jane Seymour as Bond’s leading lady is Roger’s best and villain Kananga is a fairly solid villain. His henchman, Tee Hee could be the most underrated henchman in the series. Yes, Rosie Carver is dreadful, but she is in the film a whole 10 minutes, so her horridness is soon forgotten. But the workings of a Roger Moore film are being laid into place, nothing more easily seen than JW Pepper. His constant babbling detracts from the action, and is not welcomed back in The Man with the Golden Gun. (What were they thinking?) That being said, Live and Let Die is funky, fun and sure, maybe a little racist, but so what? All films made in that era seem to be!
13. The World Is Not Enough (1999) - ***
The World is not Enough gets the “could’ve been in the top 3 but Denise Richards ruined it” award. The first half of this film is unbelievably strong with a great pre-titles scene, some good down to earth spying and Pierce Brosnan giving one great performance as James Bond. It was also very refreshing to see Valentin back, as he is one of Bond’s best allies. As a matter of fact, this film is nearing four star material up until we get to the nuclear test site scene. Buzz-kill at it’s absolute worst. Okay, I understand that Denise Richards may have looks, but did anyone ever think of giving her a screen test? She is one of the worst Bond girls in history. And that really is too bad, especially because the other supporting cast is strong. I always liked Elektra King, she is very chilling as the film’s real main villain. Renard, the secondary bad guy in this case isn’t particularly memorable but he does a fine job regardless. Writing about this makes me feel even worse; i remember some entertaining action scenes such as the pipeline chase being ruined by Denise Richard’s horribly written and equally horrible delivered lines. Sigh. But look: The World is not Enough does have plenty of strengths that simply cannot be ignored just because of one bad apple. It is for that reason that the film is still fun to watch.
14. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) - ***
Let’s get one thing straight: George Lazenby is the worst James Bond. So what if he is athletic looking and has the same hair do as Sean Connery? He is not an actor, and that is painfully evident while watching On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. I cannot understand why some claim this to be the best Bond film of all, it is missing the key ingredient to success: Bond himself! Before I continue with the Lazenby bash, it is safe to say that the rest of OHMSS might be some of the best items a Bond film has had to give which is why the film still stands at three stars. Telly Savalas is the series’ best Blofeld, Diana Rigg is one of Bond’s best leading ladies and the story, which follows Fleming’s material very closely is very strong. As a matter of fact, had Bond producers gotten a better actor to fill Bond’s shoes, OHMSS might have been one of the best Bonds. And to be fair, some issues are not Lazenby’s fault. Bond is dubbed by a completely different actor for a large portion of the film due to the fact that he is impersonating someone. This, especially for a first time Bond, brings an extreme disconnect with the audience. So for a quarter of the film, Bond isn’t really himself. Lazenby handles action well and he looks young, but that’s about everything he has going for him. He is stiff, and the way he very oddly deliverers “Bond, James Bond” might be the worst it’s ever been muttered. The rest of OHMSS is near perfect, but George Lazenby brings down what could have been the best Bond film.
15. You Only Live Twice (1967) - ***
In the very first moments that you see Sean Connery in You Only Live Twice you can realize two things. Firstly, he is starting to look a little older, but more sad is that he is beginning to become bored with the role. The charm from his previous four films are half missing, which is a real disappointment. That being said however, Connery is still better here than Lazenby, Moore, Dalton and maybe even Brosnan ever were. You Only Live Twice carries a certain classic element while at the same time shows some wear and tear that the Bond films were beginning to feel. The action is still top notch, with a special nod going to the fight between Sean Connery and a thug in the Osato building. The helicopter battle however has not aged well at all and is pretty painful to watch. This scene should go as a lesson to filmmakers even of today: if you have to fake the majority of it, it is not worth doing. Donald Pleasance may not be the best Blofeld, but he is still very memorable and will go down as one of the most menacing villains. Bond’s ally, Tanaka isn’t as strong as the likes of Kerim Bay but is still a good addition to Bond’s long list of allies. Bond’s first leading lady, Aki, is also quite strong and her death is quite a blow to the audience. Her replacement however, was obviously put in last minute. After all, her name is never even mentioned until the end credits. You Only Live Twice pretty much just goes through the motions, but with Sean Connery as Bond, it’s hard not to enjoy the majority of it.
16. The Living Daylights (1987) - **1/2
When Timothy Dalton was introduced as Bond, audiences were promised a harder edged Bond, even a complete re-invention of the series. This is very far from the truth, however. The Living Daylights still seems like a Roger Moore affair: silly villains, silly action scenes (the cello case) and odd gadgets (the key ring and wolf whistle). The only bit of intensity I experienced watching this film was when Bond and a thug fight on a cargo net hanging off the end of a plane. Other than that, the film feels as processed as the likes of Octopussy and A View to a Kill. Timothy Dalton is suffering from the Lazenby syndrome here also: he isn’t particularly interesting and pretty bland. He plays Bond almost as if he were gunning for an Academy Award; it’s just too dramatic and not very fun. At least with some of the better Moore outings came the element of fun (even if cheesy), something The Living Daylights has almost none of. The Bond girl, Kara, isn’t really memorable but her on screen chemistry with Timothy Dalton is actually quite good. The action is good as always too, something not many Bond films have screwed up. However, what exactly is the plot of The Living Daylights? It has something to do with a defecting general who defects twice, and then there’s this arms dealer who is selling guns, but then its about drugs...what? The film is more plotless than Quantum of Solace! And the villains add insult to injury, they are the series worst. What could have been a re-invention of the Bond series proves a dull and unmemorable Bond outing that isn’t too dissimilar from any other mediocre Bond entry.
17. Die Another Day (2002) - **1/2
I feel bad for Pierce Brosnan. The only truly great Bond film he ever did was GoldenEye, yet Brosnan himself was a good Bond. The World is not Enough could’ve been great but was semi ruined by a casting choice, and Die Another Day takes it one step further. Not only does one simple casting choice ruin the entire film, but the horrendous use of CGI is just another punch to the gut. Die Another Day starts off great, however. After a truly fantastic hovercraft chase, Bond is actually captured and held for 14 months where he then sports a Jesus Christ length beard. At first, one thinks that this Bond could be Brosnan’s best, but as soon as a certain someone steps on screen, it is all over. Halle Berry is and probably will remain the worst Bond girl in the history of film. There are just so many things wrong with her character; Berry is a terrible actress and her role in this film might qualify for some of the worst acting I’ve ever seen in a professional motion picture. The fact that she is Bond’s physically equal just makes it even more stupid. It’s really too bad too, because she overshadows everything that was good in the rest of the film; the action scene featuring Bond’s gadget laden Aston Martin and Zao’s gadget laden Jaguar is a fun one, but once you realize it was all for Halle Berry’s character, it detracts from the scene. And finally, the CGI was an embarrassment, all of it. The last straw for me was the PlayStation 2 inspired scene where “Bond” windsurfs over a 200 foot wave. Please. I’ll even ignore the dumb invisible car thing and Gustav Grave’s blandness and this film still is a step away from a complete mess. The only reason why Die Another Day is higher than the films below is Pierce Brosnan, who does a good job, for the most part. Otherwise, it is an embarrassment.
18. Octopussy (1983) - **1/2
It is a statement that has been said over and over, but there is really need to repeat it here: Roger Moore should’ve left after For Your Eyes Only. After all, he would’ve left in his best film and, the majority of his movies would’ve been good. But no, the money was there so he tacked on two more processed and stupid Bond films. Octopussy is a stupid film, and almost ruins everything For Your Eyes Only attempted to do. What makes it even more perplexing is that John Glen, director of For Your Eyes Only directed Octopussy as well, which makes no sense. How can you make your former film so down to earth and serious, only to make your next stupid and juvenile? Moore was starting to look older in FYEO, and is putting on even more wrinkles in Octopussy. Maud Adams as the leading lady was a good idea however; she is a little older herself and doesn’t make Roger Moore look more elderly than he already does. But she is just about the film’s only saving grace. Someone went a little overboard with disguises in this one; Bond disguises himself as a Spanish general, a gorilla and even a clown. Silly sound effects, which For Your Eyes Only was thought to have expelled, are now back via a George of the Jungle inspired wail. You had me there Octopussy! I just love to have all suspense killed by throwing in stupid sound effects at inappropriate times. The whole film feels very mechanical and sometimes feels to have only existed through greed for money making. But what’s that you say? Moore made another Bond film after this one? F*** me.
19. A View to a Kill (1985) - **1/2
I have a hard time believing that people weren’t sick of Roger Moore by 1985. It’s insulting to the audience’s intelligence to think a 60 year old looking Bond would be able to do everything he does in A View to a Kill. Roger Moore’s age is where the film’s main problem lies. All the skiing and running he does is so obviously faked that it takes away from the action scene all together. It doesn’t help that the stunt doubles are incredibly obvious, either. The Bond girl, Stacy Sutton is one of the series worst, also. What is not a good sign is the extent of her acting ability is based around the various pitches of scream she can belt. Christopher Walken as the film’s main villain is quite brilliant however and is literally the film’s only high point. What’s too bad about it all is that Moore himself does a respectable job, despite almost sleepwalking through half of the film. After watching A View to a Kill it is quite obvious that Moore had become “too old and tired for this s***” as the saying goes, yet his maturity in the role can be seen. Another problem with the film is that it starts off very lamely; the skiing chase had been done before (twice) and isn’t one of the better pre-titles sequences. But in an attempt to spice it up, the music department puts in a techno rendition of the Beach Boys “California Girls” while Bond snowboards down a hill being pursued by gunman. It goes without saying this scene qualifies as one of Bond’s worst moments ever. The editing isn’t even good with the song either; it starts, then suddenly fades out awkwardly only to re-introduce John Barry’s score. Give me a break.
20. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) - **1/2
Christopher Lee is one of the best Bond villains, that is for sure. It’s too bad, however that he was in such a lame entry. Roger Moore has actually gotten worse in the role since Live and Let Die. Instead of playing Bond in middle of the road fashion, he attempts to imitate Sean Connery by slapping around women, amongst other things. But Moore cannot do this convincingly at all. When Bond is twisting a woman’s arm to get information out of her, you can clearly see Moore’s personal discomfort with the scene. It just doesn’t work. Moore’s fight scenes are also just not convincing either. Everything Moore does in terms of action is just irritatingly stiff, and is thus extremely fake looking. The action itself is even boring. A would be great Bond stunt is ruined by the inclusion of a do-whop sound effect, introducing the first silly sound effect that would become a standard in most Moore Bond films. Nick Nack, Christopher Lee’s henchman is just stupidly out of place also. JW Pepper is not welcomed back, due to the simple fact he was never welcomed in Live and Let Die. Finally, Bond’s leading lady is apparently an MI6 agent, but is stupider than most of the thugs. And the box office returns for this film reflected the quality; at the time it was the lowest grossing Bond picture, and for good reason.
21. Diamonds Are Forever (1971) - **1/2
You’d think the return of Connery would bring a spectacular motion picture, but it does exactly the opposite. Sean Connery is not looking very good; it seems that since we’ve seen him last he’s gained 50 pounds and about 20 years. To add insult to injury, Connery sleepwalks his way throughout Diamonds Are Forever, even more so than Roger Moore did in A View to a Kill. And because Connery is bored, so is the audience. Shouldn’t Bond be more vengeful? After all, Blofeld just killed his wife! Having Sean Connery’s James Bond going after Charles Gray’s Blofeld because George Lazenby’s wife was murdered by Telly Savalas’s Blofeld is a huge disconnect. Connery can still be convincing in action however; the scene involving him and a thug fighting in an elevator is brilliantly done. But how can one look past the likes of Jill St. John as Bond’s leading lady? Her flat out stupidity and ditziness lead her to be one of Bond’s worst leading ladies. Added to more casting issues, who’s idea was it to change Blofeld’s look completely? Charles Gray is the worst Blofeld of the series and the addition of his gay henchman make one of the weakest Bond villain teams. Diamonds Are Forever is just plain boring, and it was made that way. Sean Connery was going to attract a ton of cash, so there was no reason in making an actual good film and Diamonds Are Forever was the result.
22. Moonraker (1979) - **
As if the Bond films hadn’t already gone into complete self parody with The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker insultingly takes it one step forward. Moonraker is easily the worst Bond film ever made. Where does one even start with this mess? How about the good? The centrifuge scene is ironically one of Moore’s best moments as Bond; you can actually see him venerable. The death of Corrine via Drax’s killer dobermans was also a very chilling scene and accompanied with Barry’s haunting score, is very powerful. But that is literally about all Moonraker has to give. The rest of the film is pure garbage. The Bond girl is extremely bland, as is villain Drax. In The Spy Who Loved Me, Jaws was one of the best Bond henchman, but Moonraker nearly ruins everything about him. Not only does Jaws “fall in love”, but cheesy love music is played when he meets the woman of his dreams who looks eerily similar to Goldie Locks. And he talks! What the!? The hovercraft gondola scene was just plain stupid, not funny at all and ruined the chase that proceeded it. And why does “Magnificent Seven” music play when Bond is riding a horse? Do filmmakers really think that we are that idiotic and juvenile? Oh yeah, outer space. What the hell. The special effects are fine, but why in the lord’s name is James Bond in space? (Because Star Wars was in space just two years earlier.) Just be thankful that For Your Eyes Only was there to bring Bond back to Earth, otherwise, James Bond might not have lasted too much longer. Hopefully, for as long as James Bond is around, there is not another Bond film that remotely is as bad as Moonraker or I may have to stop being a fan.
