Posted on 11/08/2021 7:55:06 AM PST by Right_Wing_Madman
Over the past six decades, the 007 franchise has put its stamp on cinema like no other movie run of films. Arriving in the midst of the Cold War, it invented and continued to define the Hollywood action movie. There were groovy gadgets, sensational set pieces, luscious locales, sinister seductresses, venomous villains, and, of course, Bond…James Bond as the straw that stirs the drink (a vodka martini shaken not stirred, naturally).
During that time, only six men have played the British superspy, and each brought their own unique interpretation to the role—often for good, occasionally for ill. Now on the eve of the franchise’s 25th installment, Daniel Craig’s final 007 outing No Time To Die, Esquire went back and ranked the entire series from worst to best.
So sit back, grab a cocktail (you know which kind…), and see if your opinion lines up with ours.
(Excerpt) Read more at esquire.com ...
I could agree with the list if was ordered in chronological order... Oldest to newest...
I like the Craig emotionless thug. Maybe it’s a sign of the times now that things are a bit less “gentlemenly” than they were back in the day. I’d rather a guy have no issues schwacking someone, then knocking down a few martini’s before he gets the girl, then someone who is warmer and more charming.
Either way, I’ve watched them all and will continue to watch them over and over.
#1: Goldfinger. #2: Dr. No. #3: From Russia With Love. #4: Thunderball. #5: You Only Live Twice. #6: Diamonds Are Forever. That’s all.
Next, the best Bond Song?
‘Goldfinger’ (Shirley Bassey)
‘Live and Let Die’ (Paul McCartney and Wings)
‘You Only Live Twice’ (Nancy Sinatra)
‘Skyfall’ (Adele)
‘Nobody Does it Better’ (From ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’) (Carly Simon)
The same one actually. You could think of it as alternate universe.
Kevin McClory rather than Ian Fleming was awarded the movie rights to Thunderball.
McClory did come to a deal with Broccoli and Salzman to make Thunderball (1965). McClory pushed the envelope even further, claiming that SPECTRE and Blofeld were his ideas too.
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) was going to feature a return of SPECTRE and Blofeld but due to McClory the lead villain was renamed Stromberg.
Then the teaser of For Your Eyes Only (1981) presumably kills off Blofeld, only to be revived by McClory in Never Say Never Again (1983). No reference is made to the Broccoli/Salzman (sp?) movie.
McClory later tried to remake it yet again with Timothy Dalton - Working titles were Warhead 2000, Warhead 2001, and maybe even Warhead 1999 -those never came to fruition.
McClory eventually died - I thought his heirs sold the rights to the Broccoli/Wilson production company and that
Never Say Never Again would be considered canon. Maybe not exactly.
I think the character should’ve been permanently set in the 1945-1970 era. Having watched it since I was a kid (the mid-to-late Rog Moore era) and then seeing the transition to Pirs BonBons (my loving nickname for him from the old James Bond newsgroup from 23 years ago) made me realize it just really didn’t fit. Dalton could still pull it off with the Miami Vice-esque “Licence to Kill”, but I felt like it just died with that 6 year gap. The culture changed too much from 1989 to 1995, and not for the better.
Dr. No.
“Underneath the Mango Tree...”
OHMSS remains my favorite Bond Film.
OHMSS is the best Bond film. It would’ve been curious to have seen Connery in that one and how he’d have handled the last scene especially. Even with the criticisms of Lazenby, his scene holding his lifeless wife was heartbreaking.
Nailed it!
I’m with you on that intro, for sure.
One thing I do not like about anything Bond these days are these marathons they do. One movie after another all day long.
I remember, back in the late 80s if I’m right, ABC had the rights to the movies. Played on every Sunday night during the summer.
That was the beez-kneez, back in the day.
Oh hey now - thanks for the spoiler alert. What next? Darth Vader is Luke's father?
Just kidding. All the Bond movies, even the lesser ones, have their shining moments. The Louisiana sheriff in "Live and Let Die". Grim Dan Craig Bond partying at the beach bar in "Casino Royale'". Xenia Onnatop. And my personal favorite: the opener where Bond short-circuits remote controls in a helicopter, scoops up Blofeld in his wheelchair and dumps him down an industrial smokestack in "For Your Eyes Only". (I SO think Soros here.)
We have all these real-life supervillains and nary a Bond in sight.
Craig is my favorite Bond. And Moore was a cartoon character.
Yep, not a bad one at all. Better than Billy Elish breathing her song.
Agreed! Shirley Bassey also sang the themes for Diamonds Are Forever, and Moonraker
This is a never ending topic.
Sean Connery was the first and had the best scripts. Except “Diamonds”, which is dreck.
Roger Moore gets roasted, but IMHO, he did the best with what he had to work with. “FYEO” and “TSWLM” are both top 10 to me.
Lazenby: What could have been. “OHMSS” was damn good.
Dalton: What could have been, 2. Liked both his 007 movies.
Brosnan: Ick. “TND” and “TWINE” are the best of his 007s. “Goldeneye” is ok. The invisible car one = dehydrated doggie doo.
Craig: Still haven’t seen any of his Bonda.
I just knew someone would say that... :-P
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