82 replies to this topic

[Simon]

I can't rate the whole film series due to how differently the actors and the eras have had their affect on the final product.

 

But of Craig's;

 

1. SPECTRE

2. Quantum of Solace

3. Casino Royale

4. Skyfall.

[The Shark]

1. Skyfall

2. SPECTRE

3. Casino Royale

4. Quantum of Solace

 

With a crater-sized gap between 1 and 2.

[sharpshooter]

I rank them like this.

1. Skyfall
2. Casino Royale
3. SPECTRE
4. Quantum of Solace

Hopefully I'm adding one or two more Craig films to this list in the coming years, because I've liked them all.

[tdalton]

Having gotten in a viewing of all of Craig's Bond films over the last month or so, I'd have to re-evaluate and rank them this way:

 

1. Quantum of Solace
2. Skyfall
3. Casino Royale
4. SPECTRE

[Tiin007]

 

Having gotten in a viewing of all of Craig's Bond films over the last month or so, I'd have to re-evaluate and rank them this way:

 

1. Quantum of Solace
2. Skyfall
3. Casino Royale
4. SPECTRE

 

 

If I remember correctly, you used to find Skyfall severely overrated, and you had been pleasantly surprised upon first seeing SPECTRE. What caused you to change your mind? 

 

And you now rank Skyfall above Casino Royale?

[tdalton]

Gave Skyfall a rewatch within the last week or so and enjoyed it much more than I ever did before.  Perhaps it took the script problems of SPECTRE to overlook the script issues found in Skyfall, but for whatever reason, the problems the film has, which are mostly centered around how Silva's plan seems implausible, didn't really spring to the forefront for me the way that the usually did while watching the film.  

 

As for Casino Royale, it just depends on the day as to whether I'll rate that one high or low.  It's enigmatic that way.  I have a hard time forgiving the writers on that film for essentially tacking a Brosnan-film onto the beginning of an adaptation of my favorite novel.  

 

With SPECTRE, further analysis of the film basically showed that everything I liked about the film was essentially tied to the Swann character.  Basically, if Lea Seydoux weren't in that film, it would be a mid-to-lower tiered Bond film.  She made everything about SPECTRE work for me, so with the entire film basically riding on her in that way, I couldn't continue to rank it ahead of films like Skyfall or Casino Royale, which are just more solid all around than SPECTRE is.

Edited by tdalton, 04 January 2016 - 05:41 AM.

[Tiin007]

Fair enough.

 

This is one of the things I love most about the Bond films. I can rewatch them time and time again, and somehow my rankings are constantly changing. Except for my top four and bottom two, all the others in between are somewhat fluid when pitted against one another. A lot of it really depends on my mood. 

[tdalton]

A lot of it really depends on my mood. 

 

I think that's pretty much it for me as well.  Aside from my top five or six films and my bottom three or four, the other rankings can be heavily influenced by my mood while watching the films.  Skyfall worked for me this time around for some reason whereas it didn't in my theatrical viewing or in any of the other 3-4 viewings I'd given it on Blu-ray prior to my latest viewing of it.  Why?  I doubt I could tell you as I'm not really sure myself.  

[mattjoes]

1. Casino Royale

2. Spectre

3. Quantum of Solace

4. Skyfall

[Dustin]

Gave Skyfall a rewatch within the last week or so and enjoyed it much more than I ever did before. Perhaps it took the script problems of SPECTRE to overlook the script issues found in Skyfall, but for whatever reason, the problems the film has, which are mostly centered around how Silva's plan seems implausible, didn't really spring to the forefront for me the way that the usually did while watching the film.

The difference is, Silva's motive was a sound one, you could easily understand his reasoning and the basic drive behind his actions, so his plan is really just a detail. Bloferhauser's motive is ridiculous at best, and then not even explained or much used, so even if all his actions were perfectly plausible and realistic - which they certainly aren't - you can't help but notice they are much more confused and illogical than most of what you get served in SKYFALL.

My 'ranking':

SKYFALL
CASINO ROYALE
QUANTUM OF SOLACE & SPECTRE sharing third. Both have some fine moments but evidently didn't use their potential to best effect.

[Jim]

Skyfall strikes me as having a story - Silva is out to kill M - that is strong enough to still be potent and possess interest and momentum no matter how crazed the plot machinations.

SPECTRE has lots of plot points arguably - just - more credible than its predecessor but the story is... I appear to have forgotten. Loads of stuff happened; still not sure why, though.

[RMc2]

Loads of stuff happened; still not sure why, though.

 

That's a perfect summation

[sharpshooter]

Skyfall strikes me as having a story - Silva is out to kill M - that is strong enough to still be potent and possess interest and momentum no matter how crazed the plot machinations.
SPECTRE has lots of plot points arguably - just - more credible than its predecessor but the story is... I appear to have forgotten. Loads of stuff happened; still not sure why, though.

I'd say the crux of SPECTRE is removing the secret service and replacing it with Blofeld's Nine Eyes information program. Completing Silva's desire to bring M and her organisation to its knees.

[Tarl_Cabot]

1. Spectre : I loved this film. I loved the score, leading and supporting ladies and the henchmen, villain, locales....it's an all time great Bond film. The song has even grown on me.

 

2. Quantum Of Solace: lousy song but I love it's lean, efficient running time(Casino Royale is bloated *but great*) and the clichés that were discarded in this entry work for me. Still room for improvement but I don't get all the hate for it as it's just two films removed from Die another Day.

 

3. Casino Royale: Welcome back Ian Fleming's James Bond. A bit too long but sets up great things to come.

 

4. Skyfall: Not a knock to be #4 here...someone had to be last but I still love this film. I think the noticeable lack of action and real love interest makes it my 4th but has lots to love. I love the score and the scenes in the China high-rise are the highlights. And the song is pretty great.

[The Dove]

1. Spectre : I loved this film. I loved the score, leading and supporting ladies and the henchmen, villain, locales....it's an all time great Bond film. The song has even grown on me.

 

2. Quantum Of Solace: lousy song but I love it's lean, efficient running time(Casino Royale is bloated *but great*) and the clichés that were discarded in this entry work for me. Still room for improvement but I don't get all the hate for it as it's just two films removed from Die another Day.

 

3. Casino Royale: Welcome back Ian Fleming's James Bond. A bit too long but sets up great things to come.

 

4. Skyfall: Not a knock to be #4 here...someone had to be last but I still love this film. I think the noticeable lack of action and real love interest makes it my 4th but has lots to love. I love the score and the scenes in the China high-rise are the highlights. And the song is pretty great.

 (Nice Tarl! By the way...hope you are hanging in there for the soon to be L.A. Chargers.. )

 

Right...my ranking..

 

1. Skyfall

 

2. Casino Royale

 

3. SPECTRE

 

4. Quantum of Solace

[Professor Pi]

#1 Casino Royale -- Though I was originally reluctant to have a change in Bond actors, Craig gave a performance that I just don't see Brosnan pulling off.  Martin Campbell and David Arnold both upped their game too.  Great to see Rene Mathis, finally, and some original Fleming material back on screen.

 

#2 Skyfall -- I'm not as big a fan of this as many, but it is a really good film.  It works symbolically (especially the Tennyson speech when Bond emerges from the undergraound), Roger Deakins cinematography is gorgeous, and Berenice Marlohe brings an exotic beauty only legendary Bond women can.  Javier Bardem is a great actor for a Bond villain.  But there are some plot holes, and the Aston Martin's appearance, complete with ejector seat, is logically perplexing.  Great setup of new M, Moneypenny,and Q, though he's a bit of an incompetent in this one.  Kleinman returns with a great title sequence for a perfect Bond song.

 

#3 SPECTRE -- After setting up something new with the previous three films, EON went back and embraced the old.  Casting Christoph Walz was a coup, writing a Donald Pleasance/Charles Grey role for him a waste.  And the whole brotherhauser thing ... ugh.  But it's good to see Mr. White's arc wrapped up, liked his daughter connection in it.  Some of the Bond tropes are welcome returns.  Lea Seydoux is solid.  Ben Wishaw almost steals the show as Q.  But it's 20 minutes too long and can't resolve its script issues.  Great title sequence from Kleinman for an imperfect title song.

 

#4 Quantum of Solace --  This was really close.  It's a more cohesive film than SPECTRE, but SPECTRE's set pieces are better than Quantum's.  Olga Kurylenko might be my favorite Bond girl of the Craig era. This script was rushed, albeit prescient about water rights issues.  The skydiving stunt is unbelievable in an otherwise realistic Bond adventure.  And I get the Goldfinger body reference, but what's with all the Spy Who Loved Me callbacks?  They're not even original Fleming, and they take me out of the movie in a way that the other films' references do not.  With its editing and rogue agent theme, it still feels more Bourne than Bond.  Great music score, horrible title song.  On their third try (DAF, LTK), EON almost pulled off a Bond revenge flick. 

 

Maybe for Bond 25 ...

[Guy Haines]

I commented earlier on this and I'm going to expand on my comment about the four Craig films, because something's occured to me about the (it is to be hoped) fifth Craig film.

CR set up Bond on his first "00" mission, revealed his strengths and weaknesses, his first love, the tragic loss of the same and the organisation he opposes is hinted at.

QoS is really CR Part II - attempting to tie up the loose ends of the previous mission whilst Bond seeks closure over what happened to Vesper. Which he does, but the loose ends are still not tied up.

Skyfall is the start of the Bond we knew and loved before becoming that person. He's shot, apparently dies, comes back a wreck but redeems himself by going back to his roots even as his attempt to save M's life fails tragically. And in the background, the regular supporting cast - M, Q, Moneypenny - assembles.

SPECTRE has a more fully formed Bond, including a dry and sarcastic sense of humour. Despite the "Nine Eyes" subplot, it's main purpose is to reveal the real adversary and Bond's nemesis, even if it does so in a controversial way.

Missing from all these are two typical types of previous Bond film - the spy-v-spy type like FRWL and the grand epic in the style of YOLT or TSWLM. I wonder if we will see either style in the next film? It would round off the development of 007 - Bond becoming Bond - which has been the theme of the Craig era. Given the return of Blofeld and SPECTRE, my money would be on something like YOLT/TSWLM, with a possible personal angle added between 007 and ESB.

My ratings remain the same as before - CR, SF, SP and QoS. Three out of four of those are in my top ten, with QoS only just outside it. That's how good the Craig era has been, imho.

[DaveBond21]

I like them all. I think QOS suffered because it was a direct sequel to CR and you kind of need to see the first one to understand the second. With SPECTRE, they tried to make a movie that was linked to the previous but also stands on its own, This is important because lots of people just want to watch a 007 adventure and don't want to have to remember who Vesper was, or who Mr White is.

 

Having said that I really like QOS - to me it's an arty experiment, and if you view it that way it works. Editing is still bad though.

[PrinceKamalKhan]

I like them all. I think QOS suffered because it was a direct sequel to CR and you kind of need to see the first one to understand the second. With SPECTRE, they tried to make a movie that was linked to the previous but also stands on its own, This is important because lots of people just want to watch a 007 adventure and don't want to have to remember who Vesper was, or who Mr White is.

 

I think they succeeded. SP is the film I wished that QOS had been.

As for ranking it, I put SP as Craig's 2nd best after CR. As far as the series as a whole goes I'd probably put it in the 15-18 range. Not in my top half but a solid mid-range entry.

[Matt_13]

Out of Craig's four films I have it tied with Quantum in third. All of Daniel's movies are good. SPECTRE is a bit of a disappointment but it's still a perfectly well made piece of pop entertainment. I just hope we get a smarter script next time.

[robby]

I would give rank #5 following CR, Goldfinge, Skyfall, and  TSWLM, But I have to say that this is best performance of Daniel Craig I've seen so far. He is one of my best actors who portrayed 007, but he really nailed and remind suaveness of Connery and Brosnan. I would rate this is the best Craig movie on his performance but the weak storyline and mess-up with Blofeld was very disappointing for me. By the way guys I've been looking for the three piece suit Dave Bautista wore in train fight scene, I searched it on the google and only found this site http://www.jbsuits.c...Piece-Suit.htmlsorry for the irrelevant question. But do anyone know about the original suit features or designers ?? 

[jmarks4life]

I have it 6-10

[jamie00007]

1. Casino Royale 

2. SPECTRE

3. Skyfall

4, Quantum of Solace