My Top 10 Favorite James Bond Movies

Here we go, all throughout August 2015 I’ve been doing nothing but James Bond related posts, and now we finally come to the big one ... here are my top 10 personal favorite Bond films. Now the James Bond series has always been one of my favorite film franchises ever, and is one of the longest lasting franchises of all time, with a total of 26 theatrical movies. It goes without saying that this is a very personal list, not a countdown of the best reviewed or most iconic Bond films of all time ... in fact, you may even notice some lesser regarded 007 outings among my personal favorites. Well, I have to be honest don’t I, and if I say it’s a personal favorite then so be it, no one has to agree with me. So, agree or disagree here are my own personal top 10 favorite Bond movies. 

#10. Live and Let Die (1973)

Roger Moore to date is the longest running actor to play James Bond, he was the actor who initially introduced me to the character, and this is the movie that started it all for him. In this adventure, 007 finds himself battling his most frightening enemies ever, a Voodoo clan that aims to take over the Western Hemisphere by converting everyone into heroin addicts. These are some of the most unique villains in the series, creating an atmosphere in which Bond can’t trust anyone, and every road leads to a deeply thrilling death trap scenario that 007 must avoid. The film also boasts a colorful cast of memorable supporting characters, including the goofy redneck Sheriff Pepper who always gets tangled in 007’s wildest chases, the beautiful Solitaire who can read the past, present and future with her tarot cards, and a supporting villain with a metal claw for a hand. Throw in a classic theme song, a riveting boat chase, and you get a criminally underrated classic in the Roger Moore era.  

#9. Die Another Day (2002)

After spending 14 months in a North Korean prison, James Bond ditches the agency and circles the world on a personal quest to unmask a traitor, and prevent a war of catastrophic proportions. Most fans would call “GoldenEye” the best of the Pierce Brosnan Bond films … and objectively yes, it is … but personally, “Die Another Day” was a childhood favorite, and the movie that introduced me to Pierce Brosnan’s 007 in the first place. Universally regarded as the most outlandish and non-sensical Bond movie, I’ve always found it one of the most entertaining Bond outings as a result. With a villain that has a diamond scared face, Halle Berry as the seductive agent nicknamed Jinx, a palace built entirely out of ice, an invisible car, and the most over the top, yet extremely entertaining action scenes of the whole franchise … “Die Another Day” just stands out to me as a memorable and enjoyable piece of popcorn fun.      

8. Sky fall (2012)

Daniel Craig hits it out of the park again with another smart, character driven, action thriller. The plot is less of a spy flick, and more of a redemption story, as Bond battles a former agent seeking revenge. Along the way, Judi Dench is given a layered story arc, as she deals with this rouge. For her final portrayal of M, she hits it out of the park, and it makes for a satisfying sendoff to one of the franchises best characters. Throw in some lavish locations, a slick direction, dazzling set pieces, subtle nods to classic Bond outings, a catchy theme song, and an exciting cat and mouse climax, it’s enough to make “Skyfall” a winning entry in the series, and one that 007 fans can be very pleased with.

7. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

This is perhaps the only Bond film to make my list purely and simply for nostalgic reasons. To be perfectly honest, this was the very first 007 movie I ever saw in my lifetime, and it’s the one that got me watching the series. This is where my fan base all started, and it’s still a fun entry in the Bond canon. Besides, you just can’t go wrong with a villain played by Christopher Lee … who is personally my favorite of all the Bond villains. Christopher Lee is the master of playing classy bad guys, which makes this one of the most memorable Bond villains of all time. Plus, you’ve got to love his midget accomplice named Nick Nack. This is also the one Bond film that really banks on some colorful eye candy, with lots of exotic locations, a villain lair full of bright colors, unique designs, lots of cool set pieces … and an attractive Bond girl who spends the entire third act of the movie running around in a blue bikini. Agree or disagree, this one will always stand out for me as a minor-classic entry in the series.  

6. You Only Live Twice (1967)

James Bonds most elusive enemy SPECTRE is up to no good again, and is secretly plotting in Japan. Now Bond must go undercover, and find out what his arch nemeses Blofeld is planning. To make sure his deception is full proof, he fakes his own death to throw off his enemies. This is easily one of Sean Connery’s best Bond films, as it’s fast passed, the effects are quite impressive for the time, and it put Bond face to face with one of his most iconic villains. Blofeld had been present in previous Bond films, but he was always in the shadows, and identified only by his signature pet cat. This was the movie that changed the game by putting him in the spot-light, and in my view, no-one tops Donald Pleasence in the role. I especially love the films setting of Japan, because it provides the movie with beautiful locations, armies of ninjas that will follow 007 into the most bombastic of fire fights, and there’s no shortage of sexy Asian girls.

5. Licence to Kill (1989)

Timothy Dalton is easily the most underrated actor to play 007, giving the character a less jokey, and more intense tone. His second (and only other Bond picture) titled “License to Kill” is also one of the more underrated gems in the 007 cannon. It still has the silly charms, explosive chase scenes, and attractive woman that make the series so fun to watch, but this was one of the first to add a darker layer to both the story and tone. Bond this time is out for revenge and has even abandoned his organization, which makes things a little more exciting than the usual Bond fair. Seeing Bond go rouge is such an intriguing concept, I'm surprised it wasn't utilized earlier, but better late then never ... and the concept is executed masterfully in this underrated Bond film. 

4. Goldfinger (1964)

People often associate Sean Connery as the absolute best actor to play James Bond, and while I certainly wouldn’t call him my personal favorite, he is unmistakably the most iconic. No-one else is quiet as sly, witty and charming as him. Admittedly, I never cared for Sean Connery’s overall film series, as I honestly find them to be boring and dated … all with the exception of some select films. “Goldfinger” in particular absolutely deserves its status as one of the franchises greatest. While I described “The Man with the Golden” as something that felt classic, “Goldfinger” absolutely is “the classic” 007 movie that brought all of his famous trademarks, and phrases to the screen. This is the one that exploited all of his fancy gadgets, this is the one with the most memorable imagery (like the naked gold girl on the bed), this is the film that Bound coined his famous line “A Martini, Shaken, not stirred”, and this is the film with the all around most famous leading villain … as well as an equally memorable supporting villain. Even though “Dr. No” was the first Bond film, I feel that this one will last till the end of time as a great classic in film history. Having said that, there are still three others that I personally enjoy more.

3. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

On this exciting adventure, Bond finds himself trying to prevent “World War III”, and has to stop a mad man who’s corrupting the media, and deceiving the British Government to go into battle against China. This is personally my favorite of Pierce Brosnan’s Bond films by far. It’s all about the thrill of the chase as 007 finds himself constantly on the run with an especially attractive Asian spy on his side, and a remote-control BMW at his command. The action scenes in this film are some of Bonds best ever, including my two favorite car chase’s in the entire series. It may not be as much of a covert spy movie, but seeing Bond prevent a Global War is a thrilling experience, and Pierce Bronsnan has never looked better in the role. 

2. Casino Royale (2006)

Taking place at the beginning of Bond's career as Agent 007, he is earning his license to kill and is on an assignment to bankrupt terrorist financier Le Chiffre in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale. Along the way, Bond falls in love with femme fatale Vesper Lynd, who's a treasury employee assigned to provide the money he needs for the game. This film may not have the same silly charm, or over the top gadgetry that usually makes 007 so much fun, but the writing, tone, a compelling center romance, and especially Daniel Craig’s performance in the leading role are a lot more mature, intense and smarter than every single Bond movie that proceeded it. The film still provides some exhilarating action scenes, but with competent storytelling, and intriguing characters to boot, it makes this the first consistently serious, and dark Bond outing. Beyond being a winning entry in the series, I’d go even further and call “Casino Royal” one of my all-time favorite crime thrillers.

Before I reveal my #1 Favorite Bond Movie, here are some honorable mentions ...

Diamonds are Forever (1971)

The World is Not Enough (1999)

Octopussy (1983)

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Moonraker (1979)

1. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

When a mad man threatens to destroy life on Earth in order to build an underwater Kingdome for humanity to inhabit, British agent James Bond must form an alliance with a female Russian KGB operative named Agent xXx. Right off the bat, this movie features my favorite Bond girl of the whole gallery. Having a British Agent work with a Russian operative is already a great setup, but their relationship is actually more complicated, and far more interesting. While this Russian agent obviously falls in love with 007, she also hates his guts because Bond was responsible for her late husband’s death. This built conflict between the two, and it puts Bond in a more personal situation. As for agent xXx, she has no choice but to work with him, and has to decide between vengeance or a new lover. Aside from that, this film offers all the good stuff … terrific locations, a stylish direction, thrilling action scenes, lots of sly wit, a car that can transform into a submarine, and a memorable villain named Jaws who’s got a mouth full iron teeth. Over the years, “The Spy Who Loved Me” has often been described as the best of the Roger Moore era, which it certainly is, and it’s my personal favorite of all the James Bond movies.                                                                                                                               

 And James Bond will return ... someday ... with another winning adventure.   

My Top 10 Favorite Bond Villains

Like any classic Hollywood hero, James Bond has a classic adversary, actually a whole gallery of classic adversaries, from the midgets, to the mad men, here are my personal top 10 favorite Bond villains.

10. Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd from “Diamonds are Forever”

I really couldn’t care less about two gay hetman and their barrage of silly buns, however these two are so recognizable that they’ve been parodied in the media and recreated on multiple TV programs, and it’s kind of hard to forget them.  

9. May Day from “A View to a Kill”

A ferocious, super strong henchwoman serving under a villain played by Christopher Waken, what’s not to like. She pretty much steals the show with a menacing scowl, and a last minute reformation that leads to a nodal sacrifice.  

8. Mr. Tee from “Live and Let Die”

Any villain should be considered armed and dangerous, but for this guy it’s quiet literal. If his size and wicked smile didn’t scare you, the metal claw for a hand certainly will.  

7. Zao from “Die Another Day”

An Asian assassin with a scared face all smothered in diamonds, that’s awesome. Oh, and he’s not the typical comedic relief villain either, he's about as threatening and lethal as they get.

6. Xenia Onatopp from “GoldenEye”

Before she terrorized the X-Men as the Dark Phoenix, Famke Janssen was a Russian assassin with a tight grip. Onatopp has sense become one of the most famous female villains in the 007 roster, and personally, I couldn’t agree more because she’s every bit as breath taking as she is ... well, breath taking. 

5. Oddjob from “Goldfinger”

So, I’ve mostly comprised this list with the supporting villains, but they always seem to be the most fun anyway. For example, take this Asian assassin armed with a super sharp boomerang hat that can cut through statues and fists that can brake gulf balls, he’s every bit as awesome as he is iconic.  

4. Jaws from “The Spy Who Loved Me” & “Moonraker”

He’s probably the most famous supporting villain in the whole series, thanks to his formidable size, refusal to die and of course his big mouth full of supper sharp, supper strong metal teeth.

3. Blofeld AKA Specter from “You Only Live Twice”, “Diamonds are Forever” and various other Bond Films

No other villain has been a pain in 007's side like the evil Specter, the mysterious cat stroking mastermind behind several diabolical plots. He is the biggest, most frequent reoccurring villain in the franchise and the one who always gets away to do more evil another day.  

2. Scaramanga from “The Man with the Golden Gun”

A Bond villain played by Christopher Lee, need I say anymore. It’s the late great Christopher Lee, and he’s never been more awesome then as this third nippled assassin with a Golden Gun, and he pretty much steals the whole show, even from James Bond himself. Oh, and he’s also got that unforgettable little midget who would be the inspiration for Mini Me of Austin Powers fame.

1. Goldfinger from “Goldfinger”

Of all the classic James Bond villains, none of them come off quiet as iconic or as memorable as this gold smuggler who aims to become the richest villain of them all. He may not look like much of a threat but he sure makes good on his demands, is very smart and has one of the franchises most memorable remarks as he expects Bond to just “DIE!”  

James Bond Countdown will conclude with "All Individual Bond Actors Series Ranked" 

My Top 10 James Bond Theme Songs

Of course the instrumental James Bond theme music is classic, but the beauty of 007 is that he gets a catchy new theme song for every one of his movies, and that’s awesome. So, keeping in my monthly tradition of pulling out the best of what Bond has to offer, here are my personal top 10 favorite James Bond Theme Songs. Now I can’t talk in too much detail about a song, you really just have to listen to it yourself, but if that’s the case, here are the ones that I’d highly recommend you listen too. 

10. Paul McCartney and Wings "Live and Let Die" theme from “Live and Let Die” (1973) 

It’s the famous theme song with the creepiest opening credit segment of them all. It stars nice a pretty at first, but then it gets wilder, more bombastic and as stated above, has no shortage of crazy imagry that help set the tone for the film.  

9. Madonna’s “Die Another Day” theme from “Die Another Day” (2002) 

Fans seem to either really hate or love this song, and if I’m putting it on my list, that probably means I like it. I especially like the opening credit scene, as the upbeat tempo of dance, pop and electric music clash brilliantly with the disturbing imagery of Bond being tortured and surviving in prison. I can understand why many hate this song, but I find it a catchy tempo that I just can’t get out of my head.

8. Nancy Sinatra’s “You Only Live Twice” theme from “You Only Live Twice” (1967) 

The contemplative lyrics mixed with moody music and an almost beautiful overtone make this a memorable and atmospheric song from the James Bond cannon.

7. Carly Simon’s “Nobody Does It Better” theme from “The Spy Who Loved Me” (1977) 

Many artists have given this song a go, but nobody sings it better then Carly Simon. It’s a subtle, quieter theme song, and like so many other 007 themes, it got an Oscar nod.

6. Duran Duran’s “A View to a Kill” theme from “A View to a Kill” (1985) 

It’s bouncy, it’s flashy, it’s got a cool techno beat and it’s a seriously underrated gem from Bonds collection of theme songs. It’s a mix of rock and new wave that help generate both excitement and tension for this theme, and the 3 minuet music video opening offers some colorful imagery.  

5. Tina Turner’s “GoldenEye” theme from “GoldenEye” (1995) 

I know a lot of people are going to kill me for saying this ... but in all honesty, forget about Shirley Bassey’s Goldfinger theme, the real golden track that disserves all the attention is Tina Turner’s GoldenEye theme. It’s slick, it’s sly, it’s got an awesome opening credit scene, and it’s just a downright sexy track that just fits along with Bond perfectly

4. Adele’s “Skyfall” theme from “Skyfall” (2012) 

Now here’s a much darker and eerier theme song from the James Bond Cannon and the first to actually win the Oscar for best original song. With an appropriately creepy opening that features all kinds of twisted imagery, this theme song is all haunting atmosphere, and I just love it.   

3. Sheryl Crow’s “Tomorrow Never Dies” theme from “Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997) 

This was the era in which every James Bond music video style opening credit segment was chalk full of flashy visual effects and sensational music. Somehow it’s Sheryl Crow’s “Tomorrow Never Dies” theme song that just hits all the right notes. It has the cool build up, the sweet tone, the powerhouse vocals and lots of cool imagery.

2. Sheena Easton’s “For Your Eyes Only” theme from “For Your Eyes Only (1981) 

While Sheena Easton’s face is a little to frequent in the opening credits, I honestly find this theme song to be the most beautiful and spell binding of all the Bond themes. While this has never been one of my favorite Bond movies, this Oscar nominated song is hands down the bright spot of the film and the most captivating of 007 themes.

1. Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name” theme from “Casino Royale” (2006) 

This is it, no other James Bond theme song gets me more hyped for action then Chris Cornell’s “You Know My Name”. Right from those awesome electric guitar notes in the beginning, this song pumps up the action, gets you energized, has just enough subtle moments to allow the audience to catch their breath, and I honestly think if features the coolest opening credit sequence of the whole series. The music, the visuals, the beat, the lyrics, it’s just the perfect song to go along side James Bond.

James Bond Countdowns will return in "My Top 10 Bond Villains"