All 27 James Bond movies, from 'Dr. No' to 'No Time to Die,' ranked according to critics
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The James Bond franchise turned 60 years old on October 5. To celebrate, every Bond movie was made available to stream on Amazon Prime. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, see how your favorite 007 stacks up. Advertisement The lowest-rated Bond movie is 1967's "Casino Royale," starring David Niven as the titular spy.
This version of "Casino Royale" is a parody of spy films, rather than a straightforward Bond caper. It's also one of two films about James Bond that wasn't produced by Eon Productions.
"Casino Royale" also starred Peter Seller, Ursula Andress, Joanna Pettet, Daliah Lavi, Barbara Bouchet, and Terence Coop in double roles — all of them play different versions of Bond. Woody Allen also appeared as Bond's nephew, Jimmy.
"Unfortunately, after the introductory sequences, 'Casino Royale' begins a downhill slide. It gets progressively sillier and more incoherent until it's impossible to keep any of the plot elements straight. Worse, with only occasional exceptions, the humor ceases to be funny, and the whole production degenerates into absurdity," wrote James Berardinelli of ReelViews.
Advertisement Roger Moore's final outing as 007 was also his worst, according to critics. "A View to Kill," released in 1985, was his seventh appearance as Bond.
"A View to Kill" sees Bond travel to San Francisco to save Silicon Valley from a rogue KGB agent played by Christopher Walken. His bodyguard and lover, May Day, was notably played by Grace Jones.
The classic "Bond girl" was played by Tanya Roberts, of future "That '70s Show" fame.
"It's not double-oh-seven anymore, but double-oh-seventy, the best argument yet for the mandatory retirement age," wrote The Washington Post's Paul Attanasio.
Advertisement Moore's second out, 1974's "The Man with the Golden Gun," didn't fare much better.
"The Man with the Golden Gun" starred Moore as Bond, and legendary actor Christopher Lee as the titular man with the golden gun, Francisco Scaramanga. Meanwhile, Bond's love interest Mary Goodnight was played by Britt Ekland.
Bond and Scaramanga engage in a game of cat-and-mouse for much of the movie, as no one knows what Scaramanga looks like, outside of the fact that he has a third nipple.
"If you enjoyed the early Bond films as much as I did, you'd better skip this one," wrote Nora Sayre of The New York Times.
Advertisement Rotten Tomatoes called Moore's sixth Bond outing, 1983's "Octopussy," "formulaic."
Let's get it out of the way: Yes, this movie is really called "Octopussy." Its titular character, a successful businesswoman and jewel smugger, was played by Maud Adams. Bond and Octopussy have personal business: Years earlier, Bond arrested her father for treason.
The two form an uneasy alliance to defeat an exiled Afghan prince, Kamal Khan, played by Louis Jourdan.
"It's an easy film to hate (and often paints a big target on its back encouraging you to do so), but it works perfectly as a piece of entertainment, where the good ultimately outweighs the bad," wrote Jake Tropila of Film Inquiry.
Advertisement The worst Bond film starring Pierce Brosnan is 1999's "The World Is Not Enough," Brosnan's third.
In "The World Is Never Enough," Brosnan's Bond shares the screen with an American nuclear physicist named (somehow) Dr. Christmas Jones. Equally improbably, she's played by Denise Richards. His other female co-star is Elektra King, an oil heiress played by Sophie Marceau.
The classic Bond villain, Renard, an ex-KBG agent who became a terrorist, was played by Rober Carlyle.
"What do the James Bond series, the Chicago Cubs, and Master P's No Limit empire have in common? All owe their considerable commercial success more to loyalty, marketing, and tradition than to quality," wrote Nathan Rabin for the AV Club.
Advertisement Brosnan suited up for his second Bond film in 1997 with "Tomorrow Never Dies."
"Tomorrow Never Dies" introduced international audiences to Michelle Yeoh, and for that alone it remains an important cultural moment.
The film follows Bond as he attempts to stop power-hungry media tycoon Elliot Carver, played by Jonathan Pryce, from engineering events to bring upon World War III.
"In the latest James Bond, our hero saves the world from brand-name unawareness. 'Tomorrow Never Dies' is a dramatized trade show, imagine Comdex or the Geneva Automobile Salon with a plot," wrote the Wall Street Journal's Joe Morgenstern.
Advertisement Brosnan's fourth and final appearance as Bond, 2002's "Die Another Day," saw him get overshadowed by Halle Berry.
"Die Another Day" plays as a classic early 2000s film: heavy on the CGI and the product placement. But it's notable for its casting of Berry as Jinx Johnson, an NSA agent, whose entrance in an orange bikini remains iconic 20 years later.
"Die Another Day" was also the first Bond movie in 39 years to not feature Desmond Llewelyn as the head of the British Secret Service's fictional research and development division — in other words, he provided Bond with all of his nifty gadgets. Llewelyn died in 1999, just a few weeks after the premiere of "The World is Not Enough." He was replaced as Q by John Cleese for "Die Another Day," which would end up being Cleese's only appearance as the character.
"In a year when 'Austin Powers' has scoffed at 007 as a joke and 'xXx' has scoffed at him as an anachronism, 'Die Another Day' is a fluffed opportunity to assert that nobody does it better," wrote Nicholas Barber for the Independent.
Advertisement "Moonraker," released in 1979, will always be remembered as the film where Bond goes to space.
It took four movies for Moore's Bond to blast off into space, which he does by the end "Moonraker." He faces off against an all-time Bond villain, Hugo Drax (Michael Lonsdale), who somehow wants to kill the entire population of Earth with nerve gas, and use his own space station as Noah's Ark to repopulate the planet with a "master race."
"The space-age plot is spread dangerously thin, the fights all tend to slapstick, and the wanton destruction has become rather too predictable. But it's held together by likable performances," wrote Chris Auty for Time Out.
Advertisement Sean Connery returned to the role of Bond after skipping "Her Majesty's Secret Service" for the 1971 installment, "Diamonds Are Forever."
After starring in five Bond films, Connery left the role and let someone else take a (relatively successful) crack at the character. But he returned for Bond No. 7, which you might recall from its iconic theme song sung by Shirley Bassey.
Connery would once again leave the role until 1983 when he appeared in the second non-Eon Productions Bond movie, "Never Say Never Again."
In "Diamonds Are Forever," Bond once again goes up against his arch-enemy Blofeld (Charles Gray), the leader of the terrorist organization SPECTRE.
"The movie's momentum is such that one never has much time to react to its lack of reason, only to its sensations of speed and narrow escape, and to the splendor of its crazy gadgets and decor," wrote The New York Times' Vincent Canby.
Advertisement Daniel Craig's lowest-rated Bond movie is 2015's "Spectre."
Coincidentally, "Spectre" was the first Bond film since "Diamonds Are Forever" to be able to include Bond's most famous villain, Blofeld (now played by Christoph Waltz), and his criminal organization SPECTRE.
Also notable was Sam Smith's Bond song, "Writing's on the Wall," which became the second consecutive Bond theme to win an Oscar.
"'Spectre,' Sam Mendes' latest entry in the James Bond franchise, is a real oddity: the first 007 film that's more enjoyable to think about than to watch," wrote FlavorWire's Jason Bailey.
Advertisement Craig's second outing as Bond, 2008's "Quantum of Solace," received a similar critical response.
"Quantum of Solace" picks up almost immediately after the events of Craig's first Bond installment, "Casino Royale." He once again faces off against Jesper Christensen as Mr. White, an assassin. Bond also goes up against an environmental entrepreneur who claims to want to stop deforestation, but is actually trying to stage a coup in Bolivia to take control of the country's natural resources, Dominic Greene, played by French filmmaker and actor Mathieu Amalric.
"Although it's not the most crushing disappointment of all time — finding you have won the lottery but lost the ticket is probably more crushing, I imagine — it is still a crushing disappointment," wrote Deborah Ross for The Spectator.
Advertisement "Live and Let Die" (1973) might've been Moore's first outing as Bond, but it's most remembered for the Paul McCartney song of the same name.
Variety chose McCartney's track as the No. 5 Bond theme of all time — and it lives up to the hype. "Live and Let Die" is also notable for Moore's first outing as 007. In total, Moore played Bond seven times, tying him with the first-ever Bond, Sean Connery.
"Live and Let Die" was released during the height of the blaxploitation movement in cinema, and therefore led to a supporting cast of mainly Black actors, including the first Black Bond girl, Rosie Carver, played by Gloria Hendry.
"It is good, lively, mindless entertainment, slow to warm up but once embarked upon its improbable story quick to appreciate its own absurdity," wrote The Guardian's Derek Malcolm.
Advertisement Next up is 1981's "For Your Eyes Only," starring Moore and Carole Bouquet.
"For Your Eyes Only" is Moore's fifth Bond movie, and a real course correction from the campier, sci-fi tone of "Moonraker." In this installment, Bond's love interest Melina Havelock, played by Bouquet, is dead-set on getting revenge for the murder of her parents. Meanwhile, Bond teams up with a former smuggler, Milos Columbo, played by Israeli actor Topol, to recover a dangerous piece of submarine tech.
"No. 12 in the phenomenally durable James Bond series. 'For Your Eyes Only' is undeniably easy on the eyes. Maybe too easy to prevent the mind from wandering and the lids from drooping," wrote Gary Arnold for the Washington Post.
Advertisement "Never Say Never Again," Connery's final appearance as Bond, received positive reviews upon its release in 1983.
"Never Say Never Again" is the result of some complicated rights issues from the Ian Fleming novels the Bond movies are based on. It's a remake of the 1965 movie "Thunderball," which also starred Connery, which was in turn based on the 1961 Fleming novel of the same name.
Due to conflicts between Fleming and producer Kevin McClory, McClory ended up with the rights to "Thunderball" and anything introduced in that story, including SPECTRE.
So, in 1983, McClory commissioned a remake of 'Thunderball," titled "Never Say Never Again" starring Connery once again, for a non-Eon Bond film. The title was reportedly inspired by Connery's wife who told her husband that he couldn't say he'd "never" return to Bond again.
"In 'Never Say Never Again,' the formula is broadened to accommodate an older, seasoned man of much greater stature, and Mr. Connery expertly fills the bill," wrote Janet Maslin for The New York Times.
Advertisement Timothy Dalton's first entry into Bond lore, 1987's "The Living Daylights," was well-received.
After Moore left behind the role, British actor Dalton stepped into Bond's very prolific shoes. The only constant who remained from Moore's tenure was Desmond Llewelyn as Q.
The plot, as usual, had to do with Bond looking into shady activities done the KGB. In this case, he was looking into suspicious deaths of KGB defectors, putting him directly in the path of Brad Whitaker, an American arms dealer played by Joe Don Baker.
"'The Living Daylights' is different, even from a quarter of a century away, there's nothing to sully the romantic air. It's no coincidence that the most recent Bond films are the closest in tone," wrote The Guardian's Les Roopanarine.
Advertisement "You Only Live Twice," released in 1967, was Connery's fifth appearance as Bond.
Fun fact about "You Only Live Twice": Beloved children's author Roald Dahl, the mind behind "The BFG," "The Witches," "James and the Giant Peach," and "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory," wrote the screenplay.
The biggest legacy from "You Only Live Twice" is the performance of Donald Pleasence as Bond's enemy Blofeld. In just two minutes, you can see where Mike Myers got the idea for Dr. Evil in the "Austin Powers" movies.
"What I can say for sure is 'You Only Live Twice' is the Bond film I have seen most often and I have enjoyed the hell out it every single time," wrote Phelim O'Neill for The Guardian.
Advertisement Dalton's second (and final) outing as Bond, 1989's "Licence to Kill," was even more well-received than his debut.
"Licence to Kill" was, at the time of its release, the darkest Bond movie ever released, as it followed Bond as he was suspended from MI6 in order to help his friend and CIA agent Felix Leiter, played by David Hedison, avenge the murder of his new wife — all while trying to take down a Latin American drug kingpin.
"Dalton revives the cool, ironic detachment of the Connery years, but he also allows a touch of obsession to show through Bond's surface aplomb," wrote the Chicago Reader's Dave Kehr.
Advertisement Brosnan's first Bond film remained his best: 1995's "GoldenEye."
After six Bond-less years, Irish star Brosnan brought the world's most dashing spy back to the big screen with 1995's "GoldenEye." His version of Bond began his tenure taking down a rogue M16 agent played by Sean Bean and romancing a Russian programmer played by Izabella Scorupco.
This movie was also the first appearance of Judi Dench as Bond's boss at M16, M, who would go on to appear in the Craig movies, as well.
The most lasting legacy of this movie, though, may be the Nintendo 64 game based on it, simply titled "GoldenEye 007," released in 1997. It became the third-best-selling Nintendo 64 game of all time. A remastered version for the Nintendo Switch is set to be released in 2023.
"With a dynamite opening reel that showcases the series renewed vigor, 'GoldenEye' is two hours of well-executed thrills, high-tech mayhem and one-of-a-kind comedy," wrote David Hunter for The Hollywood Reporter.
Advertisement "On Her Majesty's Secret Service," released in 1969, was George Lazenby's first and only Bond movie.
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" wasn't critically beloved at the time, but Lazenby's one and only Bond movie has been reevaluated in the following five decades. Now, it's one of the most critically admired Bond films.
Part of what makes this film so different than any other Bond movie, besides Lazenby, is that it ends in true tragedy: After falling in love with Diana Rigg's Countess Tracy di Vicenzo, the two wed at the end of the movie, only for Tracy to get shot by Bond's nemesis Blofeld (Telly Savales) immediately after.
"'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' is pure poetry. It transcends the idea of a Bond film. Gorgeously photographed, thrillingly executed, and wonderfully performed, this is the franchise zenith," wrote Jake Tropila for Film Inquiry.
Advertisement "The Spy Who Loved Me," released in 1977, is the high mark for Moore's time as Bond.
"The Spy Who Loved Me" was Moore's third outing as Bond, and his best, according to critics. It covers similar territory as other Bond movies, including a megalomaniac villain dedicated to starting World War III, this time a shipping tycoon named Karl Stromberg, played by Curt Jürgens.
This movie was also the debut of Jaws, one of the most memorable henchmen in Bond history, played by Richard Kiel.
"The end result is unquestionably one of the Bond series' brightest spots, and includes a good deal of its finest moments," wrote Gerardo Valero for RogerEbert.com.
Advertisement Craig's final appearance as Bond, 2021's "No Time to Die," was generally liked by critics.
After five movies and 15 years, Craig drank his final shaken, not stirred, martini in the epic conclusion to his series, "No Time to Die." And while Craig, as usual, performed his role admirably, everyone came out of "No Time to Die" talking about Ana de Armas' CIA agent Paloma and the new Agent 007 Nomi, played by Lashana Lynch.
The less we say about Rami Malek's performance as the film's nanobots-obsessed villain Lyutsifer Safin, the better.
"No Time to Die" also became the third Bond film in a row to have its theme, this time sung by Billie Eilish, win an Oscar.
"With this fifth and final go-round, it's clear who the best Bond is. It's Craig, Daniel Craig," wrote Mark Feeney for the Boston Globe.
Advertisement Connery's fourth Bond film came in 1965, "Thunderball."
"Thunderball" is the second-highest-grossing Bond film ever, accounting for inflation, only behind "Skyfall." At this point in history, Connery's Bond had become a full-blown phenomenon.
In "Thunderball," Bond's mission was to recapture two atomic bombs stolen by the evil criminal organization SPECTRE. Much of the film's action takes place underwater, an impressive feat for the '60s. Bond also, of course, falls in love with the girlfriend of a SPECTRE agent, Domino, played by Claudine Auger.
"The color is handsome. The scenery in the Bahamas is an irresistible lure. Even the violence is funny. That's the best I can say for a Bond film," wrote Bosley Crowther for The New York Times.
Advertisement The highest-grossing Bond film of all time is 2012's "Skyfall," starring Craig.
"Skyfall" was Craig's third Bond film, and, to many, a high point of his Bond tenure. The film delves into Bond's past in a way that hadn't been done for many years, and introduced viewers to the super-spy's ancestral home in Scotland, fittingly named Skyfall.
Javier Bardem's performance Raoul Silva, a former M16 agent (and now cyber-terrorist), instantly solidified Bardem as one of the top-tier Bond villains. Just watch this scene and try not to shudder.
"Skyfall" also introduced audiences to the new versions of Q (Ben Whishaw) and Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris).
The film's theme, "Skyfall" by Adele, also started the three-film streak of Bond themes winning the Academy Award.
"Bond traditions haven't just been updated — they've been intelligently modified and rethought, giving us the franchise's inherent pleasures in a new package," wrote Tim Grierson of Deadspin.
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