Every James Bond Movie, Ranked Worst to Best

The year: 1985

The 007: Roger Moore

The (non-UK) location(s): San Francisco, Russia, Paris

The theme song: "A View to a Kill" performed by Duran Duran

Easily the worst Bond film, A View to a Kill has one clear highlight: a terrific theme song by peak-popularity Duran Duran—the only Bond theme to chart at #1 in the U.S. But not even a welcome turn by Grace Jones as the henchwoman May Day (who received better reviews than Christopher Walken, playing the main villain Max Zorin after the role was turned down by both David Bowie and Sting) could salvage an overlong, by-the-numbers film that appeared to represent a series—or at least a character—on its last legs.

At the time it was just the second Bond film with a completely original story, with no connection to a particular Fleming work save for the borrowing of a title (and even that was incomplete; Fleming's title was "From a View to a Kill"). Critics felt the plot borrowed too heavily from Goldfinger (as well as 1978's Superman, another film in which a villain hopes to destroy California by triggering a massive earthquake) and failed at its attempts at humor, and also were quick to poke fun at 007's advanced age. A View to a Kill was the final Bond film to star Moore, who turned 57 just before the film's release, as well as the final one to feature Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny, ending a 14-film run.

"There is some magnificent stunt work, which only underscores how inadequate Moore has become. Moore isn't just long in the tooth -- he's got tusks, and what looks like an eye job has given him the pie-eyed blankness of a zombie. He's not believable anymore in the action sequences, even less so in the romantic scenes." —Paul Attanasio, The Washington Post

The year: 1974

The 007: Roger Moore

The (non-UK) location(s): Hong Kong, Beirut, Bangkok

The theme song: "The Man With the Golden Gun" performed by Lulu

Moore's second outing as 007 was even worse than his first—and one of the least-liked entries in the entire franchise. Golden Gun is the fourth and final Bond film directed by Guy Hamilton (whose best was Goldfinger), but he lacked the golden touch with his adaptation of Fleming's final Bond novel—though the novel itself was the recipient of mediocre reviews. Set mainly across Southeast Asia, the film finds Bond targeted by the expert three-nippled assassin Francisco Scaramanga (played by Christopher Lee) as he searches for a device called a solex agitator. And who doesn't love a good solex agitator search?

"Mr. Moore functions like a vast garden ornament. Pedantic, sluggish on the uptake, incapable of even swaggering, he's also clumsy at innuendo. If you enjoyed the early Bond films as much as I did, you'd better skip this one." —Nora Sayre, The New York Times

The year: 1967

The 007: David Niven (among others)

The (non-UK) location(s): West Berlin

The theme song: "Casino Royale Theme" performed by Herb Alpert & The Tijuana Brass

Ian Fleming's first 007 novel is one of two to be filmed twice. (If you count a one-hour 1954 TV adaptation, it was actually filmed three times.) And this first big-screen attempt is easily the strangest, goofiest, and most incoherent James Bond movie in history. One of two non-canonical Bond films from an outside producer (Fleming originally sold the rights to the novel separately from a later deal with Eon Productions for the full franchise, though production was delayed for years by numerous disputes), this Casino Royale is, for one thing, a straight-up comedy—in fact, it's a satire of the Eon-produced Bond films, and one that manages to include both a flying saucer and Frankenstein's monster (played by future Darth Vader, David Prowse).

In addition to boasting five credited directors (including John Huston!) and a script written in part by an uncredited Billy Wilder and Terry Southern, the 1967 release features one of the oldest Bonds ever (David Niven was 57 when Casino Royale was filmed, but so was Roger Moore for his final Bond film) and an insane ensemble cast that includes Peter Sellers, Orson Welles (who so despised Sellers that he eventually refused to film scenes with him), Woody Allen (also an uncredited co-writer), William Holden, George Raft, Deborah Kerr, Jacqueline Bisset, Peter O'Toole, and original Bond girl Ursula Andress. Oh—and many of those actors (including Andress) play James Bond, or at least a version of him. Needless to say, it's not the best film for any of those stars, though the soundtrack (by Burt Bacharach) is pretty great.

"A film of astounding sloppiness, an insult to the Bond name (most likely deliberate) and a dark spot on the resumes of all involved (surely unintentional)." —Variety

The year: 1997

The 007: Pierce Brosnan

The (non-UK) location(s): Saigon, Hamburg, unspecified location at Russian border

The theme song: "Tomorrow Never Dies" performed by Sheryl Crow

The first Bond film following the death of longtime producer Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli (whose family, including daughter Barbara Broccoli, still controls EON Productions, which continues to produce the 007 films), Tomorrow Never Dies was also the worst-reviewed of Brosnan's four Bond films.

Jonathan Pryce—playing a Rupert Murdoch-like media mogul who attempts to start World War III—Michelle Yeoh, and Teri Hatcher (plus, in very small roles, future Downton Abbey creator Julian Fellowes and Abbey star Hugh Bonneville) also starred for Turner & Hooch director Roger Spottiswoode (directing his sole Bond film), and the unenthusiastic reviews did little to dent the film's strong box office performance (which likely would have been even stronger had it not opened the same day as Titanic).

The title, by the way, comes not from any Fleming work or the author's life, but from a typo: It was originally written as "Tomorrow Never Lies," a reference to a newspaper (Tomorrow) owned by the film's villain. But the studio preferred the mistyped version.

"Tomorrow Never Dies works too hard to keep the James Bond franchise going, sacrificing Bond's signature light comedy and stylish playfulness to become just another hectic action movie." —Jay Carr, The Boston Globe

The year: 1981

The 007: Roger Moore

The (non-UK) location(s): Moscow, Madrid, Corfu, Albania, Italy

The theme song: "For Your Eyes Only" performed by Sheena Easton

New director John Glen (helming the first of five consecutive Bond films) introduced a slightly darker and more realistic edge to the franchise with this 1981 entry—Moore's fifth—that opens by killing off (unofficially, due to contractual disputes) longtime Bond villain Blofeld and spends the bulk of its time following Bond across Europe as he tracks down a stolen military device—a far cry from attempting to thwart a genocidal maniac in space (as Bond did in the prior film, Moonraker). The title and story are taken from Fleming's 1960 short story compilation of the same name—a book that would also influence the titles of two later Bond films (A View to a Kill and Quantum of Solace), the plots and characters of even more, and whose stories were originally intended for a Bond television series that was never produced.

"For Your Eyes Only is one giant second-unit film, an anthology of action episodes held together by the thinnest of plot lines. Most of these episodes are terrific in their exhilaratingly absurd energy: Steven Spielberg himself would not sneer at them." —Jack Kroll, Newsweek

The year: 1977

The 007: Roger Moore

The (non-UK) location(s): Austria, Cairo/Egypt, Moscow, Sardinia

The theme song: "Nobody Does It Better" performed by Carly Simon

Following a rare (at the time) three-year break between films caused by the departure of longtime co-producer Harry Saltzman, Moore returned as Bond for a third time in 1977 in a film that uses only the title (and nothing else) of Fleming's tenth 007 novel. Instead, the original story (written by series veteran Richard Maibaum and newcomer Christopher Wood, who would return for Moonraker) finds Bond teaming up with a rival KGB agent/love interest (played by Barbara Bach) to hunt down their common enemy.

Considered an improvement over Moore's two prior Bond outings and featuring a memorable ski chase as well as nearly as many underwater sequences as Thunderball, the big-budget Spy was directed by Lewis Gilbert (who previously directed You Only Live Twice) after frequent 007 director Guy Hamilton opted out and producers balked at the demands of their next choice for director, Steven Spielberg. But the director of the recent hit Jaws influenced the film nevertheless, as Jaws was the name selected for the 7-foot-tall, steel-toothed henchman (played by Richard Kiel) in The Spy Who Loved Me—one of the franchise's most iconic villains.

"For the first time in three films, Roger Moore starts to unearth a personality for Bond." —James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The year: 1973

The 007: Roger Moore

The (non-UK) location(s): New Orleans, Harlem, Jamaica

The theme song: "Live and Let Die" performed by Paul McCartney & Wings

After Sean Connery's second retirement from the 007 franchise, the job went to Roger Moore, who beat out runner-up Michael Billington—after Burt Reynolds first turned down the part. Live and Let Die is an adaptation of Fleming's second 007 novel, dealing with a voodoo kingpin with links to Soviet spies, so naturally returning director Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger) turned it into ... a blaxploitation film about a Harlem drug lord (who is also a Caribbean ruler). Also starring Yaphet Kotto and Jane Seymour, Live was the worst Bond film released to that point—and poor reviews would become a staple of the Roger Moore era, with a few exceptions. At least the theme song is great.

"It has all the necessary girls, gimmicks, subterranean control rooms, uniformed goons and magic wristwatches it can hold, but it doesn't have the wit and it doesn't have the style of the best Bond movies." —Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The year: 2002

The 007: Pierce Brosnan

The (non-UK) location(s): North Korea, Cuba, Hong Kong, Iceland

The theme song: "Die Another Day" performed by Madonna

Halle Berry (fresh off her Oscar win for Monster's Ball) co-stars as an American NSA agent who works with 007 in Brosnan's final turn as James Bond. Designed as a sort of celebration of the franchise in honor of its 40th anniversary and 20th film installment, the Lee Tamahori-directed Die Another Day makes visual references to classic scenes from many of the prior films and also borrows story elements and characters from multiple Ian Fleming stories—especially the novel Moonraker, which features a similar plot. (The actual Moonraker film uses little from that book, so this film isn't a major rehash.)

While Berry's Jinx proved popular—so much so that at one point MGM considered giving her a spinoff movie—the film as a whole failed to impress reviewers (thanks to lackluster special effects and a weak third act) and is generally considered one of the lesser films in the series.

"Another Bond film that turns out to be an unspectacular spectacle, at times winking and fun but too often plodding and hackneyed. That said, as usual Brosnan is terrific, walking through dunderhead moments and a tedious plot with grace." —Kim Morgan, The Oregonian

The year: 1999

The 007: Pierce Brosnan

The (non-UK) location(s): Spain, Azerbaijan, Istanbul (not Constantinople)

The theme song: "The World Is Not Enough" performed by Garbage

Brosnan's third Bond film was directed by Michael Apted (best known for Coal Miner's Daughter and the groundbreaking documentary 7 Up and its many sequels) and scripted by fellow franchise first-timers Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, who would go on to write each of the next six Bond films (including Daniel Craig's entire run as 007). Robert Carlyle, Sophie Marceau, and Denise Richards (widely lambasted for her portrayal of a nuclear physicist) also starred in a film that received slightly better reviews than its predecessor but still managed to finish dead last in a later Entertainment Weekly ranking of every Bond film. (And they aren't alone; other publications have also ranked it toward the bottom.)

The film marked the final performance by Desmond Llewelyn as the quartermaster Q. Llewelyn, who died in a car crash later that year (and would be replaced in the films by John Cleese), still stands as the actor with the most appearances in the franchise with 17.

"007 is undone by villainous scripting and misguided casting and acting in a couple of key secondary roles." —Todd McCarthy, Variety

The year: 1989

The 007: Timothy Dalton

The (non-UK) location(s): Key West, South America, "Isthmus City" (fictional)

The theme song: "Licence to Kill" performed by Gladys Knight

The fifth and final Bond film directed by John Glen (and no one has directed more) and the second and final outing for Dalton as Bond, Licence to Kill was the first film in the series that didn't take its title from a Fleming work. It's also the first entry in the series to be filmed entirely outside the UK.

The film has even less humor than the prior Dalton film, taking on a darker, more violent approach (and earning the first PG-13 rating in the series) as it finds Bond going rogue to avenge an attack on his friend and colleague, CIA agent Felix Leiter (played here by David Hedison). It also lacks any big-name actors (save Benicio del Toro, though he was unknown at the time the film was released). A commercial as well as critical disappointment, Licence to Kill was the lowest-grossing Bond film in 25 years in the United States—and the lowest ever, if you adjust grosses for inflation. Due to yet another legal battle over the film rights to Fleming's work, the franchise would next undergo a six-year hiatus, and the delay would cause Dalton to opt out of the final film in his contract, paving the way for his replacement by Pierce Brosnan.

"James Bond might as well be any of a dozen movie cops. For whatever reason, writers Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum have given us a hero without the suavity, the urbanity, the sophistication of the James Bond who set these particular movies apart. And when Bond is just another hero, the result is just another action movie. It's sometimes exciting, but it misses all the lovely touches that previous films in the series have provided." —Joe Pollack, St. Louis Post-Dispatch

The year: 2008

The 007: Daniel Craig

The (non-UK) location(s): Italy, Haiti, Austria, Bolivia, Russia

The theme song: "Another Way to Die" performed by Alicia Keys and Jack White

The Bond franchise was always episodic in nature, but that changed in 2008 with the franchise's first true sequel. Picking up directly following the events of 2006's series reboot Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace finds Bond seeking to avenge the death (in that prior film) of his love interest Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), who was killed by the criminal organization known as Quantum. (The film's somewhat awkward full title comes directly from an Ian Fleming short story.)

But the Marc Forster-directed film was a commercial and critical disappointment compared to its predecessor, undoing much of the goodwill that Casino Royale created in the critic community with an overly convoluted and dour story. Reviewers also felt that Forster, who had previously directed dramas like Monster's Ball and The Kite Runner, didn't have the mastery of action sequences that a Bond film requires (though he would later do a somewhat better job on World War Z).

"This is 007 in mid-story crisis; a festival of blaring action set-pieces propping up a scrappy script and undercooked characters." —Andy Lowe, Total Film

The year: 1971

The 007: Sean Connery

The (non-UK) location(s): Las Vegas, Baja California, Amsterdam, Cairo, Japan

The theme song: "Diamonds Are Forever" performed by Shirley Bassey

No, 007's first trip to outer space was still eight years away. But in 1971's Diamonds Are Forever, which saw Sean Connery returning to play Bond after a single film featuring George Lazenby in the role, he does attempt to thwart a plot by Blofeld (played this time by Charles Gray) to launch a laser weapon into space—and the action takes him through a test facility where a moon landing is being staged. The rare Bond film set almost entirely in the United States, Diamonds also returned Goldfinger director Guy Hamilton and even that film's opening theme vocalist, Shirley Bassey, but failed to match that earlier film's critical or commercial success.

Connery returned to the role after being tempted with a big payday and a greenlight for two additional non-Bond films of his choice, but it would be his final appearance as 007 in canon—though he would return to the character one last time in the 1980s for Never Say Never Again.

"Apart from a clumsy climax, a wry and exhilarating bit of entertainment." —Time Out London

The year: 1987

The 007: Timothy Dalton

The (non-UK) location(s): Gibraltar, Vienna, Czechoslovakia, Afghanistan, Tangier

The theme song: "The Living Daylights" performed by a-ha

Taking over the role of James Bond from Roger Moore, British stage actor Timothy Dalton would appear in just two 007 films, including this, his debut, in 1987. Based loosely on a 1962 Fleming short story, The Living Daylights was originally conceived as a full series reboot, though producers opted against the idea (which would be revived later for Casino Royale). Instead, it's just another standard Bond adventure, with Dalton bringing a much more serious approach to the role than his predecessor but many critics finding the resulting film relatively lifeless.

The villains here are played by John Rhys-Davies and Joe Don Baker; the latter, interestingly, would return for two additional Bond films but as a different character. Daylights is also notable for being the final film in the series for longtime composer John Barry, who had been with the franchise since Dr. No (and who makes a cameo appearance at the end of this film).

"Dalton has training in classical theater; he has pedigree, looks, class. But as Bond he is — face it — dull as dirt. Too much spoofing is bad (see Moore), none is deadly (see Dalton)." —Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

The year: 2015

The 007: Daniel Craig

The (non-UK) location(s): Mexico City, Vatican City, Rome, Austria, Morocco

The theme song: "Writing's on the Wall" performed by Sam Smith

Despite returning the director and writers (and obviously the star) of the previous film, Skyfall, the follow-up Spectre failed to achieve a similar level of critical acclaim or box office glory—though you can't exactly call an $880 million-grossing film a disappointment. Here, Christoph Waltz takes on the iconic role of criminal mastermind Blofeld, the head of the titular Spectre organization that has also been a staple of the franchise, but critics think the film plays out in an incoherent, superficial jumble while lacking the specialness and emotional depth of Skyfall.

"Watching Spectre unfold, lumbering and slumbering, on the heels of a franchise high is a shock, so much talent coasting this time." —Steve Persall, Tampa Bay Times

The year: 1967

The 007: Sean Connery

The (non-UK) location(s): Hong Kong, Tokyo, Hawaii, Cape Cod

The theme song: "You Only Live Twice" performed by Nancy Sinatra

The fifth official Bond film finds Sean Connery's 007 faking his own assassination so that he can travel to Japan, undergo ninja training (!), and infiltrate Blofeld's secret base inside a volcano from which the SPECTRE baddie (played by Donald Pleasence) hopes to start a nuclear war. It almost sounds like a Bond parody, but for that you'd have to watch the non-canonical Casino Royale, which opened in theaters just a few months before Twice.

It was the first of three Bond films directed by Lewis Gilbert (Alfie, Educating Rita) but the only one to feature a screenplay by author Roald Dahl (best known, of course, for writing children's books like Charlie and the Chocolate Factory but also a former British intelligence officer). Dahl took great liberties with Fleming's book, keeping very little save for the title and a few locations.

Twice was also thought at the time to mark Connery's final appearance as Bond. A different actor (George Lazenby) did indeed star as 007 in the following film, but Connery would return to play Bond two more times in each of the next two decades.

"Among the weakest of the early Bond films, although Connery is in peak form." —James Berardinelli, ReelViews

The year: 1969

The 007: George Lazenby

The (non-UK) location(s): Swiss Alps, Lisbon

The theme song: "On Her Majesty's Secret Service [instrumental]" performed by the John Barry Orchestra

When Sean Connery retired (for the first time) from the role of 007, he was replaced by Australian model George Lazenby, whose prior acting experience consisted solely of a few TV commercials (and who was reportedly selected from hundreds of names including Dick Van Dyke, Adam West, Michael Gambon, Oliver Reed, John Richardson, and Timothy Dalton—who would get the part much later in his life). The latter's tenure as Bond encompassed just one title: 1969's wintry On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which also featured a first-time film director, Peter R. Hunt.

Hunt opted for a very faithful adaptation of Fleming's 10th Bond novel after recent Bond films had taken great liberties with their source material, and though the result wasn't well-liked at the time of its release, the film eventually earned the respect of critics and is perhaps best remembered for its extended ski chase scenes set in the Swiss Alps as well as for its strong supporting cast that also included Telly Savalas (taking over the role of the villain Blofeld, temporarily) and Diana Rigg (who plays Bond's love interest and gives the film its tragic ending, making it a rarity in a series that usually finishes on an upbeat note). Under contract for seven films, Lazenby did not enjoy his experience making OHMSS and opted not to come back for a sequel, paving the way for Connery's return.

"On Her Majesty's Secret Service is the only Bond film that gets beyond the dirty boy's-book spirit of the series to a core of real emotion. It also has what are probably the best action sequences of any 007 adventure." —Charles Taylor, Salon

The year: 1983

The 007: Roger Moore

The (non-UK) location(s): West Berlin, East Berlin, Moscow, India

The theme song: "All Time High" performed by Rita Coolidge

Roger Moore's penultimate Bond film (released just months before Never Say Never Again, a competing Sean Connery-starring Bond film, in the only head-to-head matchup in the history of the franchise) features what might be the most memorable title in the series. (It's taken from the title of a Fleming short story, though the film borrows elements both from that story and another, "The Property of a Lady.") In fact, it's also the name of the main "Bond girl" in the film: a jewel smuggler played by Maud Adams, who had portrayed a different Bond girl (Andrea Anders) in The Man With the Golden Gun. Despite that silly title, it's one of Moore's better Bond outings—though Never Say Never Again is better.

"Octopussy ... isn't as exhilarating as The Spy Who Loved Me. But it's the most enjoyable since then, in large part because it's not trying to be the ultimate anything." —David Ansen, Newsweek

The year: 1965

The 007: Sean Connery

The (non-UK) location(s): Bahamas, Paris, Florida coast

The theme song: "Thunderball" performed by Tom Jones

Adapted from Fleming's ninth Bond novel (which would later be filmed again as Never Say Never Again), the fourth 007 film returned director Terence Young after sitting out the previous installment, but it couldn't match the greatness of its predecessor, the Guy Hamilton-directed Goldfinger. Still, an extended underwater sequence (part of Bond's attempt to recover a pair of nuclear warheads stolen by SPECTRE) that took up a quarter of the film's running time impressed reviewers.

"Connery [is] cruising by this point and the movie doesn't quite match the swagger of Goldfinger, but still effortlessly plies the glory Bond years, concluding with a stunning underwater battle." —Kim Newman, Empire

The year: 1995

The 007: Pierce Brosnan

The (non-UK) location(s): Russia, France, Monaco, Cuba

The theme song: "GoldenEye" performed by Tina Turner

Released following the longest gap (six years) in franchise history (at least until the pandemic struck decades later), GoldenEye marked the debut of Pierce Brosnan—then best known as the star of the 1980s NBC detective dramedy Remington Steele—as 007. Brosnan had actually been signed to play Bond two movies prior (for The Living Daylights) but had to give up the role (to Timothy Dalton) when he couldn't get out of his TV contract. But it worked out for the best: GoldenEye is a better film.

Directed by Martin Campbell (who would later return for Casino Royale), GoldenEye didn't exactly reinvent the idea of a James Bond movie, but it did breathe some new life into a franchise that had gone stale, thanks to a well-received performance by Brosnan (and by Judi Dench as the first female M) and some strong action sequences. The result, at the time, was the highest-grossing Bond film to date and the best-reviewed title in Brosnan's four-film tenure as Bond.

But hese days the word "GoldenEye" (originally, the name of a planned but not executed WWII operation to be led by Ian Fleming and later the name of the author's Jamaican estate where he wrote his Bond novels) is perhaps most closely associated with a 1997 spinoff videogame. Though there had been over a dozen James Bond-related games released previously, none before (or since) matched the commercial or critical success of GoldenEye 007, considered one of the best games ever released for the Nintendo 64.

"A mildly successful attempt at updating a relic, its appeal depends greatly on an audience's willingness to go along for a familiar ride." —Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

The year: 1979

The 007: Roger Moore

The (non-UK) location(s): Los Angeles, Florida, France, Venice, Brazil, and in orbit around Earth

The theme song: "Moonraker" performed by Shirley Bassey (her 3rd Bond theme, a record)

It was probably inevitable that cinema's most famous globe-trotting series would finally go the extra 200 miles and leave the globe entirely. And even though it recycles a villain (Richard Kiel's Jaws) from the previous Bond film, boasts an absurd plot that finds an evil mastermind scheming to wipe out the human race save for a handful of perfect specimens that he is spiriting away in a secret space station, and features special effects that, viewed today, are best described as "amusing," Moonraker stands today as Moore's best-reviewed outing as 007 and was the highest-grossing film in the series until 1995.

Yes, there is a Fleming novel called Moonraker, but it certainly doesn't doesn't feature any trips aboard a space shuttle (though it does include the same villain, Hugo Drax).

"Moonraker is a satisfying blend of familiar ingredients, from the highly polished to the barely adequate." —Gary Arnold, The Washington Post

The year: 1983

The 007: Sean Connery

The (non-UK) location(s): Bahamas, France

The theme song: "Never Say Never Again" performed by Lani Hall

By far the better of the two widely released non-canonical Bond films (and released in theaters almost concurrently with an official Roger Moore-starring Bond installment, Octopussy), this surprisingly good 1983 film found a then-52-year-old Sean Connery returning to the role that made him famous for the first time in 12 years. In fact, it's a remake of 1965's Thunderball, which also starred Connery, and the property became available to an outside producer due to a dispute over the authorship of the Thunderball novel (upon which both films were based), with a resulting settlement splitting the film rights.

Also starring Max von Sydow (as SPECTRE head Blofeld) and Kim Basinger, and featuring fights choreographed by Steven Seagal, Never is directed by Irvin Kershner, whose previous film was the under-the-radar space drama The Empire Strikes Back. (That is how you use the phrase "under-the-radar," right?) And though Never doesn't quite veer into sci-fi, it does boast one very forward-looking scene where Bond and his nemesis Maximillian Largo (played by Klaus Maria Brandauer) engage in an elaborate videogame battle.

Even though it's not part of the EON-produced 007 canon, the film rights to Never Say Never Again eventually found their way to MGM (home to the full series), which means the film is usually available to stream. And the rights to the Thunderball story are now fully owned by EON, so there are no chances of another outside production based on that book—though, before the transfer, another remake almost did happen in the late 1990s, with Roland Emmerich the rumored director.

"As directed by Irvin Kershner, Never Say Never Again has noticeably more humor and character than the Bond films usually provide. It has a marvelous villain in Largo." —Janet Maslin, The New York Times

The year: 2019 2020 2021

The 007: Daniel Craig

The (non-UK) location(s): Italy, Cuba, Jamaica, Norway, unnamed Russian/Japanese island

The theme song: "No Time to die" performed by Billie Eilish

Thanks to multiple release date delays stretching across years, Daniel Craig officially became the longest-tenured actor to inhabit James Bond—by time (15 years), not by number of films (Roger Moore played Bond seven times, as did Sean Connery if you count the unofficial Never Say Never Again)—with this fifth and final film during his run. And it seems to be a big improvement over the previous film, Spectre, even if it returns two of that film's newcomers, Christoph Waltz (as SPECTRE head Blofeld) and Lèa Seydoux (as Bond girl Madeleine Swann). Here, however, the main villain is a new character played by Rami Malek, while Lashana Lynch plays the British agent who inherited the 007 number after Bond retired. (Much of the action here takes place five years after the events of Spectre.) Also new to the series are director Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective, Beasts of No Nation) and co-screenwriter Phoebe Waller-Bridge. The latter—best known for her TV shows Fleabag and Killing Eve—is just the second female writer in the history of the James Bond franchise (following Johanna Harwood, who co-wrote the first and third 007 films).

If you are sad that Craig is turning in his license to kill, you may be reassured that it is definitely a long goodbye: No Time to Die clocks in at 2 hours and 43 minutes, surpassing previous franchise record-holder Spectre by 15 minutes. Who will replace Craig? Not only has a successor not been named, but the search won't even begin until 2022.

"If not necessarily the Craig era's resounding victory lap some might wish, it's still an exceptional time in a cinema, begging for the largest screen possible. More importantly, a bold, exciting gesture of good faith in 007's path forward." —Dan Mecca, The Film Stage

The year: 1962 (UK) / 1963 (USA)

The 007: Sean Connery

The (non-UK) location(s): Jamaica

The theme song: "James Bond Theme" performed by the John Barry Orchestra

The first film adaptation of Ian Fleming's 007 character—though, oddly, it adapts Fleming's sixth James Bond novel rather than the first, Casino Royale—Dr. No is a relatively quiet, slow, and low-budget affair, but it would establish the template for all of the films to follow in the series.

Among the aspects of the film that would go on to become standards in the series include Bond's choice of cocktail (vodka martini) and weapon (Walther PPK), his use of exotic automobiles, a graphically vibrant opening title sequence with the iconic gun-barrel imagery, an unusually named "Bond girl" (here, Honey Ryder, who is portrayed but not voiced by model Ursula Andress), the existence of the criminal organization SPECTRE, and the main "James Bond Theme," composed by Monty Norman and arranged by the John Barry Orchestra.

Unusually for a Bond film, Dr. No does not have an opening pre-title action sequence or an opening credits song with vocals performed by a pop star (though it does segue from the standard Bond theme into a calypso version of "Three Blind Mice"), it also lacks 007's usual gadgets (which would be introduced in the following film), and it provides a rare look inside 007's residence.

"All of the elements of the formula are there, but in pleasing moderation." —Dave Kehr, Chicago Reader

The year: 2006

The 007: Daniel Craig

The (non-UK) location(s): Prague, Uganda, Madagascar, Miami, Montenegro, Bahamas, Italy

The theme song: "You Know My Name" performed by Chris Cornell

Adopting a much grittier and more serious tone than the franchise norm—an approach that had been tried (unsuccessfully) in the past, to some extent, with the two Timothy Dalton films—Daniel Craig's debut as 007 was intended to serve as the first complete series reboot in franchise history, resetting the character and story from scratch (despite one holdover cast member, Judi Dench as M). It's also the first Bond film in nearly two decades to be a direct adaptation of a Fleming work—in this case, appropriately enough, the author's very first James Bond novel, 1953's Casino Royale, whose rights were unavailable to EON during the earlier years of the franchise. (As you remember, that book was theoretically adapted to the big screen once before, but as a non-EON-produced spoof.)

Director Martin Campbell had previously helmed GoldenEye—the best of the Brosnan films—and his work here received even better reviews. Critics especially liked seeing the beginning of Bond's career and the film's emphasis of character over gadgetry, and they were particularly impressed with Craig's performance. Audiences, too, seemed ready for a reinvented, more realistic Bond, Casino Royale easily set the mark (which would be exceeded by a few of its sequels) as the highest-grossing film in the franchise.

"This is Bond as we've never seen him, more naked, alive and mysterious than ever." —Stephanie Zacharek, Salon

The year: 2012

The 007: Daniel Craig

The (non-UK) location(s): Turkey, Shanghai, Macau

The theme song: "Skyfall" performed by Adele

Easily the highest-grossing film in the franchise (as the only Bond film to take in more than $1 billion worldwide), Skyfall is also Daniel Craig's best-reviewed outing as 007—an impressive comeback from his previous Bond film, which was his worst.

Director Sam Mendes (American Beauty) made his series debut with this lengthy film that finds Bond pitted against Javier Bardem's villain Raoul Silva, with the film taking its title from the name of Bond's childhood home where the pair's final showdown unfolds. A completely original story not tied to a particular Fleming work, Skyfall was filmed by the great Roger Deakins (with more than one critic singling out his visuals for praise) and written by the team of Neal Purvis and Robert Wade (who scripted every Daniel Craig Bond film), joined by John Logan (Hugo, The Aviator).

"Skyfall triumphantly reinvents 007 in one of the best Bonds ever. This is a full-blooded, joyous, intelligent celebration of a beloved cultural icon, with Daniel Craig taking full possession of a role he previously played unconvincingly. I don't know what I expected in Bond No. 23, but certainly not an experience this invigorating." —Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times

The year: 1963 (UK) / 1964 (USA)

The 007: Sean Connery

The (non-UK) location(s): Istanbul, Venice, Yugoslavia, and the Orient Express

The theme song: "From Russia With Love" performed by Matt Munro

The second Bond film (adapted from Fleming's fifth Bond novel) returned Dr. No director Terence Young, but this time he had twice as much money to play with. He used it to stage more elaborate action sequences, including boat and helicopter chases (with the latter going on to become a franchise staple). The result was a huge box office hit—which meant that more films would follow—and stands today as one of the best-reviewed titles in the series.

"It may seem grainy and fusty compared to the all-action tongue-in-cheek spectaculars that came later, but it's the Bond closest to my heart." —Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

The year: 1964

The 007: Sean Connery

The (non-UK) location(s): Geneva, Baltimore/Washington D.C., Kentucky, Miami Beach

The theme song: "Goldfinger" performed by Shirley Bassey

The best-reviewed Bond film to date was the third in the series and the first to find 007 visiting the United States, where he must prevent the evil Auric Goldfinger from robbing Fort Knox. From the unbeatable Shirley Bassey theme song (which kicked off a trend to open each Bond film with a big pop number) to standout characters like henchman Oddjob and Bond girl Pussy Galore, and to Bond's Aston Martin with rotating license plates and iconic moments including an escape from a deadly laser beam and a woman murdered by gold paint, it may just be the most memorable film in the entire franchise. If you've ever seen a spy movie spoof, it's probably spoofing this movie, at least in part.

"Of all the Bonds, Goldfinger is the best, and can stand as a surrogate for the others. If it is not a great film, it is a great entertainment, and contains all the elements of the Bond formula that would work again and again." —Roger Ebert, Chicago Sun-Times