007 Favourite Bond Films

In preparation for the coming release of Skyfall, I spent most of last weekend watching my way through the last five decades of James Bond movies. It has been quite a year for James Bond with 2012 marking the 50th year since Dr. No was released in 1962. While I had intended to watch a couple of Bond films a month since the summer, I only made it through the first four, and so in a last minute rush I piled through a total of 6 this weekend, (one per actor), in preparation. Instead of reviewing them all, I'll instead list the top seven films in the series.



1. From Russia With Love (1963)

The second Bond film will always be my favourite, and you can read my review of it from the summer if you want a more indepth review. However, in my eyes, From Russia with Love will always remain the pinnacle of 007 movies, the very first rough cut of everything Bond would continue to be for the next 5 decades, without the polish or self parody that could later occur in the series. That, and Connery will always remain my favourite.

2. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

George Lazenby had some big shoes to fill, with 5 great and consistently so, Sean Connery Bond films to follow. While, some may not be fans of Lazenby's one film turn as her majesty's greatest secret agent I think On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a great refresher that helped to reinvent the series and prove that Bond could survive beyond Connery. With beautiful locales, action packed chase scenes, evil villains, and gorgeous women On Her Majesty's Secret Service delivers all Bond promises and more, with the only woman to ever get Bond to settle down, and "that would have never happened to the other fella."

3. GoldenEye (1995)

Interestingly the top three slots have all gone to the films that featured the greatest changes in the series. GoldenEye came out after a six year lull, where many thought that the end of the cold war meant Bond would disappear into the stone age, GoldenEye proves that Bond was not going to go the way of the dinosaurs, producing some of the most memorable Bond characters if throwing subtlety to the wind in some cases. Xenia Onatopp, Borris, Alec Treveylan, General Arkady Grigorovich Ourumov, and their GoldenEye weapon make for one of the best rosters of Bonds film ever assembled, and the success of GoldenEye on the N64 definitely introduced Bond to the next generation.

4. The Living Daylights (1987)

The Living Daylights was the last classic Bond mission to feature Bond tangling with the Soviets as the cold war came to an end. It was a little more real than some of the more outrageous adventures the Moore years had left us but still had an plot of exciting twists and intricate plans, as well as another Bond love story with Mariam D'abo and Timothy Dalton showing some of the best chemistry between Bond and his girl.

5. Goldfinger

Goldfinger is considered by  many to be the best Bond movie, and as a Bond movie it is perfect. Goldfinger is completely sure of itself, with formula for all Bond movies worked out and when ideas were still plenty. Goldfinger is the Bond movie anyone can enjoy and no one can argue with, and the one that doesn't require a knowledge of the rest of the series to enjoy.

6. Skyfall

It's a little early, but the movie is just amazing, with beautiful visuals and action sequences dripping style. After Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, Skyfall is the movie that makes a smooth transition after the reboot while still imagining where it comes from. Read the full review which was posted a couple days ago.

007. For Your Eyes Only

After the over-the-top mission that was Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only took Bond back to a more  realistic tone, taking more from Ian Flemming's source material and creating a rather interesting plot. Like all Bond films For Your Eyes Only has Bond everywhere from under the water to clifftop fortresses to car chases and ski chases. In the end do you really ever want more from Bond than that?