This was supposed to be a significant time for James Bond fans. No Time To Die would not only be the official 25th Bond movie but the swan song for Daniel Craig in the role of the super-spy. Sadly, the coronavirus pandemic has put the film's release off a bit. That's led to embarrassment by several magazines who'd been doing "Bond retrospectives." But, it also gives fans more time to look back at past Bond movies and see how they work.
It's tricky as some folks have a different view on which actor is the best Bond or which movies work better than others. Some films have not aged well in either the action or the tone. Others are genuinely timeless in how well they work. All show how Bond has a vibe no other movie franchise can touch. Here is how the past 25 Bond movies rank to explain why 007 has such a passionate fanbase.
25 Die Another Day Is Like A Cartoon
The beginning of this movie is excellent, with Bond recovering from captivity. Halle Berry is also terrific as Jinx. Then it goes off the rails with an ice palace, a laser satellite, a Madonna cameo, and an invisible car.
The CGI is horrendous, and the villain is one of the lamest ever. It's no wonder the franchise had to reboot with Craig to escape the stench of this film.
24 Never Say Never Again Is Just A Retread
Technically not part of the real series, this 1983 movie was pushed by Connery reprising his iconic role. Sadly, he was stuck in a retread of Thunderball rather than something fun. It also goes too far "modernizing" Bond with him playing a video game at one point.
Kim Basinger is fun as his lady, but Connery's age hampered his attempt at a comeback in the part.
23 Quantum Of Solace Is Just Boring
Daniel Craig's second outing as Bond nearly killed the franchise. The plot is way too complicated with water rights and a secret organization while the villain is downright lame.
The fact is, the movie is just plain dull without any major set pieces to push the action. Even Craig himself seems bored.
22 The Man With The Golden Gun Wastes Its Potential
This movie should have worked. It has a great Thailand setting, and Christopher Lee as a Bond villain should be spectacular. Instead, we get rough action, and the bits of Bond engaging in kung-fu are painful.
Lee hunting Bond would have been fine without the "giant laser" plot thrown in. It's not a terrible film, but wastes the potential to be a great one.
21 Moonraker Is Too Sci-Fi
Influenced by the success of Star Wars, this movie goes too overboard. Hugo Drax is a compelling villain, but it also turns the imposing Jaws into a lovestruck sympathetic figure. There's great scenery, but the story doesn't flow well.
Even by Bond standards, the fight on a space station is over-the-top, and the final scene is dumb. It shows Bond always works much better grounded to Earth.
20 Diamonds Are Forever Overuses Its American Influence
On paper, Bond in Las Vegas should be an intriguing sight. But the movie falters with a bad take on Blofeld and a nonsensical plot. There are also cartoonish bits of the weird assassins and 007 seems more like a cop than a secret agent.
It shows how Bond works better in more exotic settings, and Sean Connery deserved a better send-off in the official films.
19 Octopussy Is As Wild As Its Title
The movie does boast a gorgeous Indian setting, and some intriguing turns in its plot. Also, Maud Adams is fantastic as the titular character who wonderfully clicks with Moore and some intriguing villains.
But, it's also a movie where Bond defuses a nuclear bomb while dressed like a clown and too many bad gags make it a near parody of a Bond film.
18 The World Is Not Enough Doesn't Have Much Fun
The plot of the movie is okay, but it just doesn't click enough on screen. Denise Richards as a nuclear scientist is ludicrous casting, but Sophie Marceau is fun as the cunning Elektra. However, the film doesn't do enough with Robert Carlyle's supposedly tough villain.
It has an excellent farewell to Desmond Llewelyn's Q, but ends with a groaner of a joke for a weaker effort without much fun.
17 Spectre Is A Huge Letdown
The opening is great with a long Steadicam shot of Bond in a Mexican celebration than a helicopter fight. But it goes downhill with a predictable plot line and a blender turn by Craig as Bond.
The film wastes the casting of Christopher Waltz as the villain, and the action lags. It's not that it's bad so much that it had the potential to be something great, but never reached that level
16 Live And Let Die Is Too Exploitive
Roger Moore's first turn as Bond is pretty offbeat. It's more like the "Blacksploitation" films of the 1970s as Bond tangles with a drug lord in New Orleans, and the voodoo aspects are truly bizarre.
Jane Seymour is compelling as the mysterious Solitaire, and there's a fantastic boat chase, yet it doesn't feel like a "true" Bond movie.
