Who doesn’t love James Bond movies? Clearly, we do. You can check out our recent article ranking the actors who portrayed the ultimate spy. So, we thought another fun thing to do as we prepare for the release of the next Bond film (No Time To Die), would be to rank the existing James Bond movies, from worst to first.
A few caveats. We obviously won’t include No Time to Die, because it hasn’t been released yet. We also skipping two Bond movies that aren’t in the official canon. Casino Royale (the 1967 version with David Niven) and Never Say Never Again (featuring Sean Connery, but made by a different studio in 1983).
First off, here is a chronological list of the canonical Bond films, by release date,
- Dr. No (1962)
- From Russia with Love (1963)
- Goldfinger (1964)
- Thunderball (1965)
- You Only Live Twice (1967)
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
- Live and Let Die (1973)
- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- Moonraker (1979)
- For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- Octopussy (1983)
- A View to a Kill (1985)
- The Living Daylights (1987)
- License to Kill (1989)
- GoldenEye (1995)
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
- The World Is Not Enough (1999)
- Die Another Day (2002)
- Casino Royale (2006)
- Quantum of Solace (2008)
- Skyfall (2012)
- Spectre (2015)
- No Time To Die (2021)
Now, on to the more controversial list! Worst to First!
24. A View to a Kill (1985)
Has to be my least favorite Bond movie. Sily villains (even for the Roger Moore time period) and a generally forgettable plot makes this the worst on the list.
23. Moonraker (1979)
Completely nuts. I mean, there’s a secret space station. Crazy recurring villain Jaws falls in love and switches sides to join Bond. It’s ridiculously over the top.
22. Die Another Day (2002)
Why is Madonna in this movie as a fencing instructer? It was a bit of a snooze, and all so the super villain could use a space-based solar weapon to destoyr the demilitarized zone between North and South Korea.
21. Octopussy (1983)
This movie has not aged well. Even beyond the absurd title, it seems like more of a checkmark that they had to make a Bond movie and just didn’t have much to go on.
20. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
Christopher Lee as the villain is solid, but the dialogue and plot are just adequate. It’s a less than memorable outing for 007.
19. The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Despite Pierce Brosnan being a solid Bond, some of the films just aren’t that great. This is one of them. It did however have some good action sequences.
18. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Not a bad entry, but also not a memorable one. It’s a toned down film for the Roger Moore run, with fewer of the outlandish Bond elements. But, it still doesn’t quite hit the mark for me.
17. The Living Daylights (1987)
The first Timothy Dalton entry. It marked a more serious tone, that Daniel Craig would perfect in later installments. But, Dalton never quite did it for me as Bond.
16. License to Kill (1989)
The second and last Dalton as Bond film, One again a bit dark for it’s time, but I had to actually go back and remind myself what this one was even about. Not a real keeper for me.
15. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
This one was just starting to show the bits of crazy, over-the-top plots that were to come. But, it was just grounded enough to still be a solid entry.
14. Thunderball (1965)
The least interesting of the Sean Connery films, with a lot of slow-moving underwater combat. It has Connery in it, which is really the only reason to watch.
13. You Only Live Twice (1967)
It’s fun at times and the idea that Bond has been killed and then in hiding while training Japan has some fun elements, but it only comes in here around the middle of the Bond franchise.
12. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Not a great Bond flick, but it did introduce US audiences to Michelle Yeoh, which is no small achievement. It also includes some great action sequences, often letting Yeoh show off her already established martial arts film acumen.
11. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
Considering George Lazenby was a largely unappreciated James Bond, coming in here around the middle of the pack isn’t bad for his only film. But, a lot of that goes to one of the best ‘Bond Girls’ of all time in Dianna Rigg.
10. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
A largely unremarkable Bond film in many ways, but you still can’t go wrong with Connery in the lead role – even if this one is a bit by the numbers.
9 – Live and Let Die (1973)
We’re starting to get into some solid movies here. This one wasn’t a huge box office draw, but it had some fun action sequences and might have been Moore’s best portrayal of James Bond.
8 – Quantum of Solace (2008)
The second Daniel Craig film wasn’t bad in any way, but it felt like a bit of a letdown after Casino Royale. Enjoyable, but not a classic.
7 – GoldenEye (1995)
The best of the Brosnan films, with an enjoyable twist for the villain, Bnod’s usual witty banter, and some solid action.
6 – Spectre (2015)
Action and lots of it. It’s an interesting take on the Bond legend, as we start to learn more of the enigmatic spy’s backstory.
5 – Skyfall (2012)
Once again, Craig brings the action and the gravitas to the role. It’s arguably the most personal Bond film to date.
4 – Dr. No (1962)
We’re back to the glory days of Connery with the first Bond film, Dr. No. It’s wonderfully over the top for its time. Funny, filled with action, and simply set up Bond for the future. A great thriller.
3 – From Russia with Love (1963)
The second Bond film is one of the best. Great action, and the developing Bond character as Connery really took ownership of the role.
2 – Casino Royale (2006)
The initial Daniel Craig entry was a groundbreaker. It took Bond’s level of action to entirely new heights. Gone are the gadgets and silliness and ni comes a much more intense, serious take on James Bond. Not everyone loved it, but I sure did.
1 – Goldfinger (1964)
And here is our favorite (and most people’s as well). Goldfinger introduced us to “Shaken. Not stirred.” and brought in some of the early fun gadgets that would become a staple. It’s a knockout classic.
