What’s the Best Bond Movie?

James Bond had a remarkable character evolution. The character was built in the novels written by Ian Fleming. Fleming used his knowledge of being a naval intelligence officer to his advantage. As a result of this, we have some great Bond movies. So what’s the best bond movie till date.

What’s the Best Bond Movie?

1. The Goldfinger

 This is hands down, the best James Bond movie you will find. It was released in 1964. However, at that time, it took a while for the movie to set in. It did not get fame immediately. This was also an introductory movie. The characters are introduced here. If you have not read any of the books, it is okay. Since this is the first movie, they start it from scratch. A rough character sketch of James Bond would be an extremely smart man with a high sexual drive.

Throughout his missions, he meets various women. Very few James Bond movies have a stable love interest. This doesn’t mean that Bond is devoid of affection. As the movies succeed, you will unravel many things that will make you fall in love with his personality. The movie has high-technology, machine guns, and other similar things. This film serves as the foundation for future films.

Every other film has a plot or a reference from this film. However, over the years, people have started to highlight the problems with the films. There is a strong objectification of women. Along with this, there is a rigorous reinforcement of gender roles too. However, James Bond is a legendary icon, so the films overshadow the negative aspects. 

2. Skyfall (2012)

 This is the most popular James Bond movie. Due to the received popularity, the film was known far and wide. Another striking aspect of this film is the change in the cast. A new James Bond was cast. Skyfall is a great amalgamation of everything you want to see in a Bond film. There are spies and great stunts.

The highlight of this movie, along with the action is a moving story about one of Bond’s relationships. We do not believe in giving out spoilers, so we will not mention who this is about. This film procured a huge budget to play with. The cinematographer, Roger Deakins has done justice to the budget. The film is shot at exotic locations. This s another factor that plays an important role in James Bond movies.

One of the strongest characters in the film is that of the villain. The role is played by Javier Bardem, named Raoul Silva. In the movie, Silva’s role and performance resemble that of Heath Ledger from “The Dark Knight”. Skyfall is the movie of the Millenials. Even if they have not seen any other Bond film, they have surely watched this one.

3. On Her Majesty’s Service (1969)

This is another Bond film that goes beyond just stunts and actions. It aims to tell a story far deeper and emotional. In the film, Blofled is feeding off money. Much like anyone else, he aims to be a billionaire. Of course, he wants fast money. This means resorting to illegal means and min games. However, in this movie, he wants to get rid of it all and lead a simple life. He attempts to undertake a new identity.

He has only one chance to live and experience normalcy. The case to solve and find Blofled is now under Bond. On his mission, he meets a woman. This is Tracy di Vicenzo, played by the iconic Diana Rigg. Bond, who claims to avoid attachment and emotions, falls madly in love with her. The two get married after Bond exposes Blofled. To start a happy life with Tracy, Bond makes the greatest decision of his life.

He decides to quit his job at secret the secret service. The movie takes a leap when we discover that Blofled is still alive and is back with a vengeance. In the most brutal way, he kills Tracy. The movie ends with a cliffhanger, but this only means that there will be more Bond movies to come. Since the movie is more romance-centric, the soundtrack is incomparable. Composer John Barry has done his best to convey Bond and Tracy’s love through the music. 

4. From Russia, with love (1963)

 You will not believe this is a James Bond movie. Perhaps, this is one of the most romantic films of the franchise. James Bond has once again outdone himself. Be it action, stunts, or even romance. This movie made him the heartthrob of the 60s. The story is cliché, but the dialogues and delivery make it exceptional. The love story was not the primary plot of the film. James is on a mission to unfold a Russian gang of spies.

For this, he has to move to the Soviet Union with a secret identity. This is where he meets Tatiana Romanova. She works as a clerk at the Russian consulate. As you can guess, initially, she was just a pawn for him. But you can guess what happened hereafter. Many hardcore Bond fans disapproved of this movie. According to them, it was not an original Bond vibe. However, our website will give you diversity.

The story is based in Russia with prime locations. The name itself will make you brawl if you love action-romance films. The only drawback is that due to the love story, Bond is sidetracked. It takes him a while to get to the crux of the film. However, Bond never fails any mission. He successfully sneaks the Russian spies and hands them over. A James Bond movie without a successful case is incomplete. 

5. Casino Royale (2006)

 A brilliant film that was much needed. The film that was released before this was “Die Another Day”. Bond fans were utterly disappointed with this film. Therefore, Casino Royale was a much-needed upgrade. This is a massive shift in Bond’s character too. This film experimented with the main protagonist, and it was a huge success. Bond is not depicted in the cliché bad-boy manner. His character shows maturity and sophistication.

This is something that all lady Bond fans have always wanted. At the same time, the movie retains Bond in his true roots. The action has not been compromised here. In fact, the movie starts with an action-stunt scene. This is one of the best scenes directed. It shows Bond while displaying his parkour skills during a chase. The whole scene is enigmatic and beautifully captured. The film might seem like two different parts to the audience.

The first half before the interval is action-packed. The latter half takes a slower pace. This is actually an important part of the film. Another setback is that the film ends in a very haphazard manner. For a Bond film, the bar for the climax is set quite high. However, the best part is still the development of characters. The effort is visible after the sad downfall of “Die Another Day.”

6. The Spy Who Loved me (1977)

 This is the third time Moor plays James Bond. His performance got better with every movie. This is a classic Bond movie with thrill and romance. The audience loved what was served in this film. The villain, Karl Stromberg, and his crew too are quite creative. Very few movies have a plot where the villain manages an underwater lair. The villain operates from the sea. This is what makes the movie stand out.

Karl has heavy tankers and submarines. These are big enough to destroy other aquatic tankers. Some people thought that Karl might have some mental illness during the film. This was exposed when he expressed his desire of destroying life on Earth. He wanted to build a better life under the sea. Yes, it might sound illogical, but Karl played it smart throughout the film. The best part about the movie is its innovation.

The creators are always trying to better Bond’s character. Very few of them work on supporting artists’ roles. Therefore a huge credit goes to the whole underwater sequence of the film.

7. License to Kill (1989)

To be honest, this movie should have been a crossover of all the action heroes. The movie seems to be inspired heavily by the top action movies of Sylvester Stallone. In this movie, 007 adopts a more fierce role. He has to catch the cocaine and drug mafia. This mission is also personal to Bond because one of the gang mates had killed his partner. James Bond with a vengeance? This has got to be good.

The movie has some very bulky and muscular villains. Part of you will even wonder whether Bond will make it alive. It is more inclined towards a spy-series genre. The best part of License to Kill is the final chase. Every James Bond movie has a great chase towards the climax. This movie takes that up a notch. It is not just one villain Bond is fighting against. It is an entire ring with drugs worth million dollars.

The climax involved a furious Bond chasing a drug-truck. This was filled with cocaine and gasoline. The problem of gender equality once again comes up in this movie. It is safe to say that the movie is not as sexist as it was in the first one. 

8.  Never say Never again (1983)

 This film is the Bond crossover you did not know you needed. It has all the components of a good Bond movie. The film has Sean Connery back in action. His acting and performance improved in this film. There is a villain who is one step ahead of Bond in everything. He is planning the most dangerous plot and Bond is about to fall into the trap. There are heavy weapons shown in the film.

Most of the content is centered around these stolen weapons. Every Bond movie has beautiful women. This movie is no less in that aspect. Compared to the other Bond movies, this one might just be ales satisfactory. Although we see the efforts, Connery could do much better. James Bond is an iconic character. Therefore whoever plays it is expected to do justice to the character. In terms of production too, the movie could have been better. However, the plot is excellent. 

9. Moonraker (1979)

 This is one of the few Bond films with a completely different aura. The locations are different from the typical Bond movie. The starting scene itself will have you on your toes. It is a skydiving scene where Bond is introduced. A great introduction to a great character. The very first scene has a face-off with a villain, Jaws.

All this happens while they are plummeting from an airplane. Jaws is not any ordinary villain. Much like The Incredibles, he has a backstory. It’s the typical good boy turned bad story. While the movie started with Jaws thirsting for Bond’s blood, the end changes drastically. Jaws turn into a good guy. This is one of the unique endings a Bond film has had. You can see that the directors and writers are constantly trying to give us something unique. This is one of the times it worked n their favor.

Jaws even has a love interest towards the end of the film. The finale might not be favored by Bond fans. This is because it is set up at a space station. It has a very Star-Wars ring to it. The attempts to try something new worked in favor of Jaws, but not for the movie overall. You might lowkey feel that Bond was sidelined throughout the film. 

10. The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)

 This movie has one of the best actors as a villain. This is none other than Christopher Lee. His husky voice and stature compliment his personality to make a terrifying villain. His name in the movie is Scaramanga. The name might not scare you as much as he will. The on-screen chemistry between Bond and the villain is something indigestible. It is bitter-sweet. Once again, the movie has a great plot with a good climax. This film also has the biggest stunt any of the movies have seen. 

Final Thought

We hope this article helps you discover some quality Bond movies. If you like spy tv series you can check our post on it.  If you’re on Netflix, We have a whole list of some best Netflix Spy movies for you. Our article helped maintain a balance between the different sub-genres of Bond films. We covered gender roles, history, mental illness, and some breathtaking characters.