Ranked · by Marcus Reyes

James Bond Movies Ranked: All 25 EON Films, Best to Worst

James Bond movies ranked best to worst puts Casino Royale (2006) first and Die Another Day (2002) last among the 25 EON films, in my opinion. Goldfinger and From Russia with Love follow, and every film gets its own reasons below. Casino Royale (1967) and Never Say Never Again are unofficial, non EON productions, so they are left out of the ranking.

Image: TMDB

Key Takeaways

Casino Royale (2006) is the best James Bond movie in this ranking of the 25 EON films, ahead of Goldfinger and From Russia with Love.
Sean Connery's first three films, Dr. No, From Russia with Love and Goldfinger, all place in the top nine.
Daniel Craig's five films range from first (Casino Royale) to 21st (Spectre).
Moonraker is the silliest Bond film in this ranking, and Die Another Day sits last at 25.
Casino Royale (1967) and Never Say Never Again are unofficial, non EON films and are not ranked.

Hot Takes

Marcus Reyes, opinion: From Russia with Love is a tighter spy film than Skyfall, even though Skyfall earned $1.11 billion worldwide, the most in the series.
Marcus Reyes, opinion: Licence to Kill deserves a top 10 place and sits above Dr. No, because Timothy Dalton's revenge story is the most personal Bond plot before Casino Royale.
Marcus Reyes, opinion: George Lazenby's single film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, beats all seven of Roger Moore's films.

Opinion, by Marcus Reyes.

1
Casino Royale
In my opinion, Casino Royale (2006), directed by Martin Campbell, is the best Bond film because it rebuilds the character from the day he earns 00 status in Prague. The Miami airport sequence around a prototype airliner and the poker game in Montenegro against Mads Mikkelsen's Le Chiffre give it a clear shape, and Eva Green's Vesper Lynd gives Bond something to lose. It earned $606 million worldwide on a $150 million budget, and it is the film I would hand to a newcomer first.
2
Goldfinger
Goldfinger (1964), directed by Guy Hamilton, set the template that later films kept copying: a card cheat in Miami, an Aston Martin loaded with gadgets and a golf match against Gert Fröbe's Auric Goldfinger. Harold Sakata's Oddjob and Honor Blackman's Pussy Galore are two of the best supporting characters in the series, and Shirley Bassey's title song suits the tone. It earned about $125 million worldwide on a $3 million budget, which made it a runaway hit.
3
From Russia with Love
From Russia with Love (1963), directed by Terence Young, is the most grounded spy story in the series. Istanbul, the Lektor decoding machine and a defection offer from Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi) that turns out to be a SPECTRE trap keep the plot moving without big gadgets. Robert Shaw's Red Grant and Lotte Lenya's Rosa Klebb are properly threatening, and the budget of $2 million was double that of Dr. No.
4
Skyfall
Skyfall (2012), directed by Sam Mendes, gives Judi Dench's M her biggest role, and Javier Bardem's Silva is the best villain of the Craig era after Le Chiffre. The film opens with a chase in Istanbul that ends with Bond falling into a river, and then turns into a personal story about MI6 itself. It earned $1.11 billion worldwide, the highest total in the series, and Adele's title song won the Oscar.
5
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), directed by Peter R. Hunt, is the best proof that Bond can work with an emotional center. George Lazenby is paired with Diana Rigg's Tracy and Telly Savalas's Blofeld, and the mountaintop clinic in the Swiss Alps is one of the best locations in the series. At 142 minutes it is long, but the pace holds, and Louis Armstrong's We Have All the Time in the World remains one of the best songs in any Bond film.
6
GoldenEye
GoldenEye (1995), directed by Martin Campbell, brought the series back after six years and set Pierce Brosnan up well. Sean Bean's Alec Trevelyan is a villain with a real link to Bond, and Famke Janssen's Xenia Onatopp is memorable, while Judi Dench makes her debut as M. It earned $352 million worldwide on a $60 million budget, and the post Soviet setting gave the series a new reason to exist.
7
The Spy Who Loved Me
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), directed by Lewis Gilbert, is the best Roger Moore film because it gives him a real partner in Barbara Bach's KGB agent Major Anya Amasova. Richard Kiel's steel toothed Jaws is the best henchman since Oddjob, and Curd Jürgens makes Karl Stromberg a calm, plausible threat. The Lotus Esprit that turns into a submarine became so famous that the prop sold at auction for $989,000 to Elon Musk.
8
Licence to Kill
Licence to Kill (1989), directed by John Glen, is the hardest edged film of the Timothy Dalton years. Bond refuses M's order to drop a revenge mission after Felix Leiter's wedding day ends in tragedy, and Robert Davi's drug lord Franz Sanchez is a villain with no grand scheme beyond money and cruelty. It carries a 15 rating in the UK, and I think its $156 million worldwide gross undersold it.
9
Dr. No
Dr. No (1962), directed by Terence Young, is a lean 110 minute thriller built around Jamaica, Ursula Andress's Honey Ryder and Joseph Wiseman's title villain. It earned about $60 million worldwide on a $1 million budget, and Monty Norman's James Bond Theme debuted here. I rank it ninth because the sequels improved on nearly everything it started.
10
Thunderball
Thunderball (1965), directed by Terence Young, is the biggest Connery production of the early years, with a $9 million budget and a 130 minute runtime. The hijacked bomber, the Bahamas and the underwater battle against Adolfo Celi's Emilio Largo are the main attractions, and John Stears won the Oscar for Special Visual Effects. The underwater scenes slow the middle, which keeps it just outside the top nine.
11
The Living Daylights
The Living Daylights (1987), directed by John Glen, starts Timothy Dalton's run with a more serious Bond. The Bratislava defection, where Bond spares the sniper Kara Milovy (Maryam d'Abo) because he sees she is a cellist and not a professional, is the best character moment in the film. Jeroen Krabbé's General Koskov is more slippery than threatening, and the film earned $191 million worldwide on a $40 million budget.
12
No Time to Die
No Time to Die (2021), directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, runs 163 minutes, the longest in the series, and closes Daniel Craig's five film arc. Lashana Lynch's Nomi and Ana de Armas's Paloma bring fresh energy, and Rami Malek's Lyutsifer Safin is memorable more for his look than his plan. It earned $759 million worldwide on a $250 million budget, and Hans Zimmer's score and Billie Eilish's title song suit its mood.
13
For Your Eyes Only
For Your Eyes Only (1981), directed by John Glen in his first Bond film, pulls Roger Moore back to a grounded plot about the lost ATAC system after a British ship sinks in the Ionian Sea. Carole Bouquet's Melina Havelock has a real motive, and Topol's Milos Columbo is a fun ally. It earned $195 million worldwide on a $28 million budget, and Sheena Easton's title song was a hit.
14
Live and Let Die
Live and Let Die (1973), directed by Guy Hamilton, is Roger Moore's debut and mixes New York, New Orleans and the Caribbean island of San Monique. Yaphet Kotto's Dr. Kananga (also Mr. Big), Jane Seymour's Solitaire and Geoffrey Holder's Baron Samedi give it a vivid supporting cast, and Clifton James adds Sheriff J.W. Pepper. The Wings title song by Paul and Linda McCartney is among the best in the series, and the film earned $162 million worldwide on a $7 million budget.
15
You Only Live Twice
You Only Live Twice (1967), directed by Lewis Gilbert, sends Bond to Japan after he fakes his own death in Hong Kong. Tetsuro Tamba's Tiger Tanaka and Donald Pleasence's Blofeld are good additions, and the story of a captured spacecraft raised the scale of the series. It earned $112 million worldwide on a $9.5 million budget, but the plot feels thinner than the four Connery films above it.
16
Tomorrow Never Dies
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), directed by Roger Spottiswoode, is the leanest Brosnan film at 119 minutes. Jonathan Pryce's media tycoon Elliot Carver is a modern villain who starts a crisis in the South China Sea, and Michelle Yeoh's Wai Lin is an equal partner for Bond. It earned $333 million worldwide on a $110 million budget, and I think the middle of the film is stronger than the finish.
17
Quantum of Solace
Quantum of Solace (2008), directed by Marc Forster, is the shortest film in the series at 106 minutes and picks up straight after Casino Royale with Mr. White in custody. Olga Kurylenko's Camille gives it a good revenge mirror for Bond, but Mathieu Amalric's Dominic Greene and his water scheme feel small after Le Chiffre. It earned $590 million worldwide on a $200 million budget, and the fast cut action is harder to follow than in Casino Royale.
18
The Man with the Golden Gun
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), directed by Guy Hamilton, has one of the best villains, in Christopher Lee's Francisco Scaramanga, and the film's AMC Hornet astro spiral jump holds a Guinness World Record as the first of its kind on film. Hervé Villechaize's Nick Nack is memorable. Much of the rest is slack, and the film earned $97.6 million worldwide on a $7 million budget.
19
Octopussy
Octopussy (1983), directed by John Glen, mixes a fake Fabergé egg, a clown in East Berlin and an auction in London before moving to India. Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan's Kamal Khan and Vijay Amritraj's Vijay give it a strong cast, but the tone swings between serious and comic. It earned $187.5 million worldwide on a $27.5 million budget, in the same year as the unofficial Never Say Never Again.
20
The World Is Not Enough
The World Is Not Enough (1999), directed by Michael Apted, opens with a boat chase on the Thames and has a good pairing in Sophie Marceau's Elektra and Robert Carlyle's Renard. Denise Richards's Christmas Jones is a weak part of the casting, in my opinion, and the plot loses focus in the second half. It was Desmond Llewelyn's last film as Q before his death in December 1999, and John Cleese appears as R.
21
Spectre
Spectre (2015), directed by Sam Mendes, opens with a stunning Day of the Dead sequence in Mexico City and set a Guinness World Record for the biggest film explosion in Erfoud. Christoph Waltz's Blofeld and Dave Bautista's Hinx are good choices, but the film tries to tie every Craig film together and the links feel forced. It earned $879 million worldwide on a $245 million budget, and Sam Smith's Writing's on the Wall is a weaker song than Adele's.
22
Diamonds Are Forever
Diamonds Are Forever (1971), directed by Guy Hamilton, brings Sean Connery back for his sixth film, sending Bond from Amsterdam to Las Vegas on a diamond smuggling trail. Jill St. John's Tiffany Case and the assassins Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd are the highlights, and Charles Gray is cast as Blofeld after playing Dikko Henderson in You Only Live Twice. The tone is jokier than it needs to be, though $116 million worldwide on a $7.2 million budget made it a hit.
23
Moonraker
Moonraker (1979), directed by Lewis Gilbert, is the silliest Bond film, in my opinion, with a hijacked space shuttle, Hugo Drax and Jaws returning after The Spy Who Loved Me. Lois Chiles's Dr. Holly Goodhead and Michael Lonsdale's Drax are good casting. It earned $210 million worldwide on a $31 million budget, the highest of the seven Roger Moore films, but the scale outruns the tension.
24
A View to a Kill
A View to a Kill (1985), directed by John Glen, has a memorable villain in Christopher Walken's Max Zorin, a strong henchwoman in Grace Jones's May Day and a theme song by Duran Duran. The plot, built around doped racehorses and a Silicon Valley scheme, takes a long time to build, and Tanya Roberts's Stacey Sutton is given little to do. It earned $153 million worldwide on a $30 million budget.
25
Die Another Day
Die Another Day (2002), directed by Lee Tamahori, comes last in my opinion, even though it is Pierce Brosnan's highest earner at $432 million worldwide on a $142 million budget. The opening in North Korea, where Bond is captured and held for 14 months, is a strong idea, and Halle Berry's Jinx and Rosamund Pike's Miranda Frost add energy. The later film's heavy reliance on digital effects and Toby Stephens's Gustav Graves plot pull it below every other entry for me.

James Bond Movies Ranked: How I Judge All 25 Films

I judge each of the 25 EON films on five things: the story, the villain, the set pieces, the leading man and how well it plays today. Casino Royale (2006), directed by Martin Campbell, takes first place. Where a pick is close I say so, because a ranking that hides its doubts is not much use to someone choosing a Friday night film.

What Counts as a Bond Film in This Ranking?

Only the 25 official EON films are ranked. Casino Royale (1967) was a spoof made by producer Charles K. Feldman, who owned the rights to Ian Fleming's novel, and Never Say Never Again was made independently by Jack Schwartzman's Taliafilm with Kevin McClory as executive producer, as a retelling of the Thunderball story. Both star famous Bonds (David Niven in the first, Sean Connery in the second), but neither belongs to the official series, so each keeps its own page. The full count is on the page How many James Bond movies are there?

What Are the Top 10 James Bond Movies?

My top 10 James Bond movies are Casino Royale (2006), Goldfinger, From Russia with Love, Skyfall, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, GoldenEye, The Spy Who Loved Me, Licence to Kill, Dr. No and Thunderball.

The top four are separated by very little, and a case can be made for swapping Goldfinger and From Russia with Love. I put Goldfinger higher because it gave the series its template of a gadget car, a golf match, a henchman with a lethal hat and a villain with a plan, all in 110 minutes. That being said, From Russia with Love is the more believable spy story, with Istanbul, the Lektor decoding machine and a SPECTRE trap built around Tatiana Romanova.

Which Bond Actor Ranks Best?

The best Bond actor, in my opinion, is Daniel Craig by a short margin over Sean Connery. Craig's films cover the full range, from the first place of Casino Royale (2006) and the fourth place of Skyfall to Quantum of Solace at 17 and Spectre at 21. Connery has four films in my top ten, in Goldfinger, From Russia with Love, Dr. No and Thunderball, but also Diamonds Are Forever at 22. Roger Moore made seven films and his best, The Spy Who Loved Me, lands at seventh, ahead of For Your Eyes Only, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, Octopussy, Moonraker and A View to a Kill. Timothy Dalton's two films, Licence to Kill and The Living Daylights, place eighth and eleventh, and Pierce Brosnan's best, GoldenEye, places sixth. George Lazenby made one film, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and it sits fifth.

Where Do the Daniel Craig Films Land in the Ranking?

The five Daniel Craig films rank first (Casino Royale), fourth (Skyfall), twelfth (No Time to Die), seventeenth (Quantum of Solace) and twenty first (Spectre). Casino Royale and Skyfall earned their places on story and cast, with Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench and Javier Bardem all given real material. Quantum of Solace is the shortest film in the series at 106 minutes and moves quickly, but its villain plan is the least memorable of the five. In my opinion, the later films suffer from tying a five film story together.

Which Bond Film Is the Silliest?

Moonraker (1979), directed by Lewis Gilbert, is the silliest Bond film, because a story that starts with a hijacked space shuttle and ends with Bond among astronauts stretches the series furthest from spy fiction. It is also the highest earning of the seven Roger Moore films, at $210 million worldwide on a $31 million budget, so audiences clearly did not mind. I rank it 23rd because the scale outruns the tension, not because it lacks fun.

A Note on UK and US Release Dates

For most Bond films the UK release and the US release fall on different dates, and the table shows each pair with its confidence marked. Casino Royale (2006): UK release 16 November 2006 (reported), US release 17 November 2006 (confirmed). Dr. No (1962): UK release 7 October 1962 (reported), US release 8 May 1963 (reported).

Premieres can come days earlier than releases. Skyfall had its London premiere on 23 October 2012 (confirmed) and reached UK theaters on 26 October 2012 (confirmed). The UK release of The Spy Who Loved Me (1977) is still to be confirmed; its US release is reported as 13 July 1977.

If you would rather watch in release sequence than in my order, start with James Bond Movies in Order, and for the whole series in one place go to the James Bond Movies hub. Anyone waiting for the next film can follow the Next James Bond Movie page.

FAQs

What are the best James Bond movies?

In my ranking of the 25 EON films, the best James Bond movies are Casino Royale (2006), Goldfinger (1964), From Russia with Love (1963), Skyfall (2012) and On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), in that order. Casino Royale wins because it combines a rebuilt Bond, a strong villain in Le Chiffre and a heartfelt love story with Vesper Lynd. It was directed by Martin Campbell, runs 144 minutes and earned $606 million worldwide on a $150 million budget. This is my opinion and not a score.

What is the silliest Bond film?

Moonraker (1979) is the silliest Bond film in my opinion. It follows a hijacked Moonraker space shuttle, the industrialist Hugo Drax and the return of Jaws, and it takes Bond furthest from ordinary spy work. It still earned $210 million worldwide on a $31 million budget, so the silliness was popular.

Who is the best James Bond girl?

Vesper Lynd, played by Eva Green in Casino Royale (2006), is the best Bond girl in my opinion. She is a Treasury agent who goes to Montenegro to watch MI6's money and challenges Bond rather than simply following him. Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress), Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) and Tracy (Diana Rigg) are close behind.

Which James Bond actor is the best?

Daniel Craig is the best James Bond actor in my ranking, with Sean Connery a close second. Craig starred in my number one film, Casino Royale, and my number four, Skyfall, while Connery led Goldfinger, From Russia with Love and Dr. No. The other four actors are Roger Moore, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan, and each has at least one film in my top eleven.

What is the highest-grossing James Bond movie?

Skyfall (2012) is the highest-grossing James Bond movie, with $1.11 billion worldwide. Sam Mendes directed it on a $200 million budget, and it ranks fourth in my list. Goldfinger is the classic many fans choose, so the best film depends on taste.

What is the lowest rated Bond film?

Die Another Day (2002) is the lowest rated Bond film in my ranking of the 25 EON films, which makes it the worst James Bond movie in my opinion. It was directed by Lee Tamahori. My ranking is an opinion and not an aggregate of critic scores, and Die Another Day still earned $432 million worldwide on a $142 million budget. A View to a Kill (1985) is 24th and Moonraker is 23rd.