With Daniel Craig’s explosive retirement from the franchise in No Time to Die, fans are left wondering who will take up the role of 007 next. James Bond has been played by a whole range of actors in a movie franchise spanning six decades, which shows no signs of stopping any time soon. Until Craig’s successor is announced, there’s never been a better time to revisit the best of Bond’s past adventures, from action-packed ski chases to life-or-death poker games. Here are the top ten films starring the British super-spy so far.
10. Live and Let Die
Sir Roger Moore’s first film playing Bond was one of the better ones he starred in. 007 is sent on a covert mission to break a heroin smuggling ring. This sees him travel to the Caribbean on the trail of the deadly Kananga (Yaphet Koto). After Sean Connery’s departure, Moore injected Bond with much more humor. Live and Let Die also includes one of the bravest stunts ever filmed wherein Bond has to escape certain death by using live alligators as stepping stones.
9. You Only Live Twice
Sean Connery played Bond a total of seven times (including the questionable Never Say Never Again). You Only Live Twice was his fifth outing and, while entertaining, is not one of his best. Bond travels to Japan to encounter his arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld (portrayed by veteran British actor Donald Pleasance). There are some great scenes in the film, including Bond taking to the skies in a single-man, build-it-yourself helicopter. But there are too many slow parts involving Bond being trained by his Japanese counterpart for it to go any higher than nine on this list.
8. Goldeneye
Easily the best Pierce Brosnan outing, Goldeneye has huge action set pieces (including Bond smashing a tank around St. Petersburg), a fast-paced plot, and is just plain fun. Bond is put on the trail of one of his most dangerous enemies to date, an ex-British 00 agent gone rogue. Sean Bean puts in a solid performance as the baddie. Apart from Bond’s over-the-top tank driving, the film is famous for its opening stunt, involving a 220m bungee jump performed at the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland. Goldeneye also sees the appearance of the great Judi Dench as the first female “M.”
7. The Spy Who Loved Me
This was Sir Roger Moore’s favorite Bond film. It certainly had the biggest budget of any Bond film up to that point, over $13.5 million. It has all the Bond hallmarks – a crazed villain out to destroy the world, brilliant gadgets, exotic locations, and a beautiful Russian agent who falls for 007. Moore had hit his stride with the character by this point and is basically playing the role for laughs. Nevertheless, there are enough tense moments (including the epic opening ski chase) to keep the film interesting.
6. Skyfall
Daniel Craig brought Bond firmly into the 21st century and far closer to the literary character. Bond’s troubled childhood is explored, and we find out why he first entered the dark world of covert operations. A welcome return of the Aston Martin DB5 and a tough, gritty plot made Skyfall the highest-grossing Bond film of all time, netting a truly staggering $1.1 billion.
5. Thunderball
With a big budget and even bigger expectations, Thunderball featured gorgeous on-location shooting in the Bahamas. It also includes one of the most dangerous Bond girls in the whole franchise in the form of the murderous Fiona Volpe. When two nuclear warheads are stolen by the evil organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E., Bond must use all his deadly skills to retrieve them before major Western cities are reduced to ashes. It didn’t rank higher because of too many drawn-out underwater combat scenes which, though spectacular, lack tension because of their length. Thunderball is still a great Bond film and deservedly gets number five on this list.
4. Casino Royale
Daniel Craig’s first entry into the series remains his best. His portrayal of a tough but deeply flawed and troubled Bond is more akin to the character in the original novels. Sent on a mission to bankrupt enemy agent Le Chiffre at the card table, Bond must survive long enough to collect his winnings. But Le Chiffre does not play by the rules. With the beautiful Eva Green as the romantic interest, the film made Craig a household name. Casino Royale also includes the most brutal torture scene in any Bond film to date.
3. Goldfinger
To many fans, Goldfinger represents the ultimate Bond film. Connery had made the character his own by this point, bringing just the right level of tough-guy persona mixed with effortless cool. From the opening quip after electrocuting a henchman in the bath – “shocking… positively shocking,” – to the final scenes, just about every line is quotable. And Goldfinger matched Bond with his most loved car – the Aston Martin DB5 (complete with ejector seat). But some of the locations aren’t exactly exotic. Bond first spars with evil villain Auric Goldfinger on a British golf course, before tracking him down to Fort Knox.
2. Dr. No
Jamaica was the favorite place of Bond author Ian Fleming (so much so that he built a house named Goldeneye on the island). This made it the logical location to set the first Bond film way back in 1962. After a spate of other actors turned down the part, the relatively unknown Sean Connery was given a shot. Connery regularly tops the best Bonds list for good reason. His sheer acting presence made Bond into the phenomenon it is today. Dr. No is a great film in its own right. 007 gets sent to Jamaica to investigate the death of a British agent. This leads him onto the trail of the maniacal Dr. Julius No, a man who runs an international criminal operation from his own private island. Several close shaves later, Bond is captured but still somehow manages to destroy No’s evil lair from within. And the film also includes the ultimate Bond girl – Honey Ryder.
1. From Russia with Love
The second Bond outing has it all. It’s one of the tightest, most realistic plots. Bond must travel to Turkey to steal a Soviet encryption device. Along the way, he is dragged into a web of assassination and intrigue by a beautiful Russian girl. Things heat up when Bond boards the Orient Express to escape the assassins hunting them both. Robert Shaw gives an understated but terrifying performance as the super-soldier out to kill Bond by any means. The brutal, claustrophobic fight they have on the train ranks as perhaps the greatest punch-up of any Bond film.