My Top 10 Favorite James Bond Girls

Nothing says clichéd damsel in distress or clichéd action heroine like a James Bond Girl. It’s one of the biggest trademarks of the series, you just can’t have a 007 adventure without a token Bond Girl to steal the show, or perhaps I should say “supply the eye candy”. It’s not always about who’s the most well developed character, who’s the strongest fighter or even the most attractive, for this list it’s all about who’s the most memorable and who left the biggest impact. Now this all is subject to personal opinion, so forgive me if I leave off some of the classic Bond Girls. 

#10 Pussy Galore (played by Honor Blackman) – Goldfinger (1964)

Obviously she’s one of the franchises most famous and beloved leading ladies, but personally, I never liked her that much. I just found her to be kind of generic, and even forgettable. So why is she on my list, because her name is “PUSSY GALORE”, that's the definitive silly yet awesome name for a 007 girl. It’s become a tradition that Bond girls have a name with some kind of sexual pun built in, but they all pale in comparison to this hilarious title, even James Bond has a funny reaction to how obscured her name is.    

  

#9 Domino (played by Kim Basinger) – Never Say Never Again (1983)

Before Kim Basinger shined as one of Batman’s most memorable girl friends in the 1989 “Batman” classic and before winning a Golden Globe for the 1984 film “The Natural”, she was first a note worthy James Bond Girl friend that often gets overlooked. The character herself may come off like your typical, one note Bond Babe, but she has some memorable scenes, including an upbeat tango dance with 007 and a note worthy finally where she saves the day by rescuing James Bond and axing off the main villain, not to many Bond girls do that.

#8 Mary Goodnight (played by Britt Ekland) – The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

No other Bond girl is as conventional or as clichéd as Mary Goodnight. This young blond has all the traits of your classic token female, and yet somehow she stands as one of the most memorable of the series. While a little dimwitted, she proves she can rescue herself before our hero can get the chance and of course no other Bond girl rocks a bikini like her. Sure there have been others, but honestly I think Goodnights blue swim suit even out matches the iconic figure of Ursula Andress from “Dr. No”, yeah, I said that.     

    

#7 Octopussy (played by Maud Adams) – Octopussy (1983)

Actress Maud Adams was featured as a Bond girl once before in the 1974 film “The Man with the Golden Gun”, but her character was killed before she could make a lasting impression. She got her second chance as the title character Octopussy whose name might just be the most memorable sense Pussy Galore. This joule smuggler is yet another Bond girl originally employed by the bad guys, but then struck out on her own and became one of the franchises most iconic ladies. She’s just the girl to put 007 in double O Heaven.  

#6 Tracy Di Vicenzo (played by Diana Rigg) – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)

While I wouldn’t call her one of the most attractive Bond girls, she’s definitely one of the most intriguing and helped make George Lazenby’s single Bond picture a classic amongst fans. While James Bond always has a relationship with his girls, no one stole his heart like Tracy. To further prove the point, she’s the only Bond girl that our hero has ever married. Unfortunately, their honeymoon is cut short in one of the most tragic and unforgettable endings of the whole series. 

#5 Jinx (Played by Halle Berry) - Die Another Day (2002)

Born on Friday the 13^th, this Bond girl was appropriately nicknamed “Jinx”, and is regarded as a bad luck charm to all but James Bond, who had the best luck in the world receiving her as a partner. She’s a sword fighting, bikini warring babe that pays omega to some of the classic Bond girls, while creating her own traits and can kick some serious ass.

#4 Colonel Wai Lin (played by Michelle Yeoh) – Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

I might have mentioned earlier that I really like Asian woman ... well, this chick has a lot more to offer then your typical Asian good looks. She’s a martial arts master, doesn’t fall for seductive tricks, has surprisingly good chemistry with our main spy hero and is just a strait up awesome character. This Chinese spy is widely regarded as one of the best Bond Babes, and her character was so successful that MGM tinkered with the idea of giving her a standalone spin-off movie. It also helped launch the carrier of Michelle Yeoh, leading her to star in awesome films like “Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon”.

#3 Solitaire (played by Jane Seymour) – Live and Let Die (1973)

Now here’s one of the more interesting Bond girls, with Solitaire you can never tell if she’s good, evil or both. She’s a girl with psychic powers, is under the employ of an evil drug lord, but meets her match when she fails to predict that her heart will be stolen by 007. Jane Seymour was in her mid 20’s when she took on the role of Solitaire, making her one of the youngest Bond girls, but also one of the most beautiful and had a note worthy carrier in films like “Somewhere in Time” and she also stood out as Sinbad’s love interest in “Sinbad and the Eye of the Tiger”. With one heck of an attractive figure, and always shrouded in mystery, she’s one Bond girl to watch out for.

#2 Vesper Lynd (played by Eva Green) – Casino Royale (2006)

Probably the most complex and tragic of the Bond girls, Vesper has trouble deciding where her elegance lies, but one thing’s for sure, she’s one of the phew woman to really win the heart of James Bond. Launching the carrier of Eva Green, this captivating agent proves to be both a valuable ally to Bond and also his greatest weakness. Their back and forth relation is one of the highlights of the series, and concludes with the most tragic ending sense “On Her Majesties Secret Service”.  

Before I crown my #1 girl, here are some honorable mentions ...

Kissy Suzuki – You Only Live Twice (1967)

Mata Bond – Casino Royale (1967)

Tiffany Case – Diamonds are Forever (1971)

Lupe Lamora – Licence to Kill (1989)










#1 Agent XXX (played by Barbara Bach) – The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

Of all the memorable Bond girls, my absolute favorite by far who stands proud and tall among them is the Russian KGB agent Anya Amasova, code named XXX from “The Spy Who Loved Me”. This was a chick that could put up a fight and had a sly demeanor. Her relation with Bond was also really good, instead of just falling in love with him, she actually hated his guts because he was responsible for her husband’s death and that built conflict between them. Under the circumstances, she had no choice but to work with 007 and that made for a far more interesting character than what we’re use to seeing in Bond films. She had great chemistry with Bond, owned every scene she was in and helped make “The Spy Who Loved Me” my favorite of the entire Bond film series.

James Bond Countdown will return in “My Top 10 Favorite 007 Theme Songs”

My Top 10 Favorite 007 Action Scenes

James Bond has been in some crazy action scenes and has survived more than a dozen un-survivable situations. With 26 movies, it’s really hard to narrow down his best action scenes because there’s so many good ones to choose from. However, I’ll keep the list simple and fast as I count down my personal top 10 favorite James Bond action scenes.

10. Bike Chase – “Never Say Never Again” (1983)

When Bonds partner is found dead at a hotel, he’s quick to pursue the assassin who turns out to be none other than the beautiful but deadly Fatima Blush. What follows is a thrilling motorcycle chase, complete with long jumps, awesome stunt work and several moments in which Bond is almost captured, but he and his chopper make a potent mix. There won’t be to many action scenes from the Sean Connery films, but this is one chase that’s more than worthy to be placed among the best.

9. Airplane Take Down – “Die Another Day” (2002)

When the sinister Gustav Graves and his deadly female assassin Miranda Frost take to the sky in a huge cargo plan, they quickly put their plans into motion to start a war on a global scale. Little do they know that James bond and his partner Jinx have stowed away on the vessel with the intent of bringing it down for good. What follows in one of the most over the top, yet thrilling finales of the whole series as Bond battles an enemy wearing super powered robotic suit, and our two leading ladies get into a sword fight. There’s lots of destruction, high stakes, terrific fight choreography, narrow escapes and no shortage of eye candy in this exciting climax.   

  

8. Chase through Madagascar – “Casino Royale” (2006)

Talk about starting your movie out on a high note. As Bond is in hot pursuit of a criminal, it leads into a thrilling chase on foot throughout various areas in Madagascar. Featuring some impressive stunt work, a heart stopping fight on a crane, and some really big jumps, this is hands down the best opening action scene of any 007 movie and set the tone for Daniel Craig's grittier Bond series. Not much else to say here, it’s just a fast passed, beautifully shot and very well choreographed fight scene that stands as one of the films biggest highlights.

7. Marines in the Stratosphere – “Moonraker” (1979)

Holly Crap, it’s James Bond in outer space with no shortage of laser shoot-out’s and high-tech space station goodness. Never has a 007 adventure featured an action scene as wild and out of control as this, in fact it doesn’t even feel like it belongs in a James Bond movie, but here it is in all its Sci-Fi glory. When the evil Drax threatens to wipe out the planet and start a new, perfect civilization is space, James Bond leads an assault on the station to destroy it from within, while space marines are waging war outside with laser cannons and jet packs. It’s an all out space war with the fate of the world in the balance, and while it’s extremely over the top even for 007, it’s still entertaining as hell and the coolest battle scene of the series.

6. Boat Chase – “Live and Let Die” (1973)

The car chase is one of Bonds most classic action movie conventions, but sometimes it’s best to change things up a little, and arguably one of his most thrilling chasses is this boat chase from “Live and Let Die”. After Bond makes a desperate escape from a group of evil voodoo priests and drug lords, 007 finds himself racing down the river with armed bad guys not far behind. As if things weren’t complicated enough, a dopy redneck police officer named Sheriff Pepper gets cot up in the chase and is determined to capture both Bond and his pursuers, only to be humiliated at every turn. It’s a good long chase scene with memorable stunts, lots of excitement and one of the funniest supporting characters to be featured in the franchise.   

5. Fiery Climax – “Quantum of Solace” (2008)

With the bad guys hiding in an Eco Hotel in the desert, James Bond and his female partner Camille launch an attack in an effort to stop their evil plans and seek vengeance for personal reasons. As soon as they attack the hotel it starts a chain reaction in which everything but the kitchen sink decides to spontaneously explode. Seriously, it’s the most flammable bad guy lair in film history, but it’s deeply thrilling to watch, with some high stakes, griping action and it’s more than satisfying to see our two anti-heroes’s put the bad guys in their proper place.

4. Red Neck Car Chase – “The Man with the Golden Gun” (1974)

When 007’s beautiful partner is captured and locked in the back of a car by the evil Scaramanga, Bond doesn’t hesitate to pursue. The catch is that Bond has taken an unexpected passenger with him for the ride, and that someone turns out to be none other than the goofy redneck Sheriff Pepper. Unlike the boat chase from “Live and Let Die”, Sheriff Pepper is thrilled to be with James Bond on this adventure. Complete with silly banter, cartoony sound effects and improbable stunts, this car chase is a perfect mix of awesome and hilarious. This has always been the classic formula for a James Bond style chase in which he has to pursue a villain who kidnapped a woman, but it’s just so much more memorable here and features one of 007 most enjoyably over the top stunts as he literally launches his car off a bridge and across a lake, making it perfectly to the other side.  

3. Last Stand at Skyfall Manner – “Skyfall” (2012)

Yet another exciting climax but this time it has less to do with over the top spectacles and more of a subtle cat and mouse chase. As 007 and his accomplices are held up at Bonds old stomping grounds called the Skyfall ranch, they set up various “Home Alone” style traps and Bond pulls out his classic car which is armed to the teeth. The villains soon launch an all out house attack, covering lots of ground, raising the stakes with lots of explosions, gun fire and a villain hell bent on vengeance. It’s one of the most subtle, yet genuinely thrilling showdowns of the series, which builds to a devastating character death that nobody saw coming.    

2. Ninja Assault – “You Only Live Twice” (1967)

Only a James Bond villain would build a base at the center of a volcano, and none other than the evil SPECTRE who’s got a deadly surprise at the center of his headquarters. Well, if you know James Bond, you know he won’t let the bad guys nuke the world, at least not without a fight. Instead of going in alone, James Bond has a team of armed ninjas at his back and that evens the odds a bit. It’s gun firing cronies versus well trained ninjas with swords and samurai stars. To sum things up, it’s an awesome climax and the best action scene to be featured in any of Sean Connery’s 007 films.  

    

1. Remote Control BMW – “Tomorrow Never Dies” (1997)

Whenever I think of action scenes from James Bond, immediately the two things that come to mind are his gadgets and the car chases, so it’s no wonder that for my personal favorite 007 action scene it would be a combination of both. Now “Tomorrow Never Dies” has quiet the collection of memorable, Bond worthy action scenes, including a thrilling chase in which 007 and his Asian girlfriend are handcuffed together while driving a motorcycle and trying to outrun a helicopter, but the big one is the lobby chase. With bad guys filling up a massive indoor parking lot, Bond finds himself trapped and running low on options. Fortunately for Bond, he’s got a remote control BMW that’s equipped with missile launchers, sharp spikes and just about every accessory an agent needs. He doesn’t even need to be in the front seat, he just sits back as the car powers through various obstacle put in its path by the villains. It’s almost like a video game with each level of the parking lot delivering a new challenge to get past, and it all ends with one heck of an awesome stunt involving a car sailing off a high ledge. It’s inventive, it’s fast passed, it’s the definitive James Bond action scene and my absolute favorite from the series.

James Bond countdown will return in “My Top 10 James Bond Girls”.

     

James Bond: Each Actors Series Ranked

                       

Good old James Bond, for so many years I’ve wanted to do posts regarding him, and with the new Bond film coming out this year marking his 26^th motion picture, I’ve decided to dedicate this month entirely to 007. There have been seven different actors who played James Bond and each of their films feel like their own mini-franchises, each with their own distinct feel, style, tone and charm. Rather than rank all seven Bond actors based on their performances, I’m ranking them on their individual film collections, and they’ll be ordered from least favorite to my personal favorite James Bond Series.

(7) David Niven – 1 Bond Film - Casino Royal (1967)

Pore David Niven, it’s bad enough that he only stared in one single Bond film, but that specific Bond film has the distinct reputation for being the absolute worst of the whole series, and for good reason. While all the names and characters were the same, his 1967 movie titled “Casino Royal” played out like an overly frantic and overly silly comedy with a noticeable lack of any real laughs.  

(6) George Lazenby - 1 Bond Film - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Of all the actors to play James Bond, George Lazenby was always my least favorite, he just didn’t look the part, and lacked the charm of his predecessor. It’s no wonder he only had one Bond outing, but to be fair his 1969 film titled “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was a respectable entry in the Bond cannon. Not much to say here, it was a one film series, and didn’t leave that much of an impact on me as a 007 fan.  

(5) Sean Connery – 7 Bond Films - Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) & Never Say Never Again (1983)

What’s this, Sean Connery’s classic Bond series ranks at number 5 on my countdown, how’s that possible, especially when he’s widely regarded as the best actor of the series, and has had the most respected entries in the whole franchise? Well, to be perfectly honest, there are only 3 Sean Connery Bond films that I really like, while the others just feel tired and dated. Sure, Sean Connery is awesome in the role of 007 but his films have only come off as okay good when compared to the other Bond films, at least for me.


(4) Roger Moore - 7 Bond Films - Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) & A View to a Kill (1985) 

To be perfectly honest, I was first introduced to James Bond through Roger Moore’s film series, so they have come off stronger with more nostalgia value and re-watch-ability. Most of my favorite Bond movies come from the Roger Moore films, including “The Spy Who Loved Me”, which is my favorite of the whole series. 


(3) Timothy Dalton - 2 Bond Films - The Living Daylights (1987) & Licence to Kill (1988)

He may have stared in only two Bond movies, but in my opinion Timothy Daltons film series marks some of the sharpest and slickest films 007 has to offer. His films are a little darker but with just enough of the same charm and wit that made the originals so fun. Timothy Dalton himself is also a very underappreciated Bond actor in my opinion, personally I think he’s one of the best actors of the whole series. 


(2) Daniel Craig - 4 Bond Films - Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) & Spectre (2015)

Timothy Dalton started the notion of darker Bond films, but it was Daniel Craig who perfected the craft, making Bond come off more like a complex anti-hero, with more realistic storytelling, less over the top gadgets, and some thrilling action scenes. His film series came very close to being my favorite, but the only thing missing is the overall fun factor of the previous films. 

(1) Pierce Brosnan - 4 Bond Films - GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999) & Die Another Day (2002)

I know the Pierce Brosnan films weren’t the most critically successful, but personally I think his films are the most consistently ... maybe not the best made, but certainly the most entertaining of James Bond. Their fun, their over the top, their action packed, their stuffed with gadgets, catchy theme songs, and lots of eye candy. While Pierce Brosnan isn’t my favorite actor to play Bond, I think he looks and feels the part more than anyone else, and his series is always what comes to mind first when I think of James Bond.

The End