This is my rankings as of now but I am just about to rewatch all of these films in order so I strongly suspect it will change as does my preferences overall do over time.
1.TLD
2.FYEO
3.OP
4.AVTAK
5.LTK
I enjoy all five of them really though and it is close between some of the numbers.
I think mine is the same. TLD and FYEO are about equal for me and may switch.
2. The Living Daylights- Decent enough plot, Dalton tries hard, but he's just too excitable for me.
6. License to Kill- Offensive in so very many ways. Felix all jovial on the phone at the end being maybe the worst of it.
Evidence that he had taste and sense 11 days after signing up here.
From then on he went downhill all the way
Sorry, I was still deep into my poly-dichloric-euthynol addiction. Once I cleaned up I saw the light.
:v
For me this was the best decade of James Bond, so it is very hard to rank them all. However, here they are.
1. For Your Eyes Only
Not only the best 80's Bond, but also my favourite in the series. This movie just did everything right for me such as it being a fresh take on the series and John Glen's directorial debut which was unavoidably excellent. Beautiful locations (arguably the best), best score by Bill Conti, best action scenes (car chase, ski chase, Albania chase), great villain (not the best but realistic and believable) and just so many pleasant surprises. My only flaw is the PTS and the way Blofeld goes out, it's not a really big thing as they didn't own the rights to his character in 1981. Aside that, I give the film a perfect 10/10.
2. The Living Daylights
Not far behind, and third on my overall rankings of Bond. Timothy Dalton was in my opinion, Ian Fleming's Bond and the greatest 007 we've ever had. In both of his portrayals he performed amazingly, and his movies were so awesome because of himself. While I found Koskov and especially Whittaker to be quite underwhelming, everything else in the film was just spectacular. You have Dalton's Bond, the diverse locations (Slovakia, Austria, Morocco and Afghanistan), John Barry's best and last score, great action scenes and a highly realistic and serious Bond. The PTS is the best introduction to a new 007, and while it can spend too long in Afghanistan, it is one amazing ride. 9/10.
3. A View To A Kill
This is going to be a very unpopular opinion but I love this movie. Although some may argue that Sir Roger had stuck around for two films too long, he went wonderfully here and something about this film - you know you're watching his last movie. Maz Zorin is my favourite villain of the series, and I loved the microchips plot even more than GF. The locations were also up there, with France and the nice San Francisco. Roberts was a good Bond girl, not one of the best but I enjoyed her presence. I like it how two of Bond's allies get killed this time (on all John Glen films his main ally dies), and I never got bored, not even with the horse plot in the first half. The climax is one of the best I've seen in film history, and it ends with a bang. If it had not been for the visible stunt doubles, and maybe Dalton's first Bond, this would have been at #1. 9/10.
4. Licence To Kill
I hate to put this one all the way at number four because I love it as well! I just prefer the other three a bit more over this. Timothy Dalton shines again at his absolute best once again, and the plot is perhaps the best we've had until the arrival of Daniel Craig. Bond goes rogue in this very Bondian adventure, which feels like it came out of an Ian Fleming book that was never made. Despite the fact that 'M' is a total reject in this film, 'Q' makes up for that and while the Bond girls aren't great, they work just fine. Sanchez and the tank chase with Bond is freaking outstanding! I love the ending, and while the locations are pretty weak, along with the lack of M16, this film gets a 9/10.
5. Octopussy
This is the only official 80's Bond film that didn't quite make the 9/10 range. It was Roger Moore's sixth performance, and the PTS is one of the best of the series, no doubt. What puts this in last place are the minor stupid things, such as the Tarzan yell which is clearly not Roger Moore shouting it out, and the second half of the movie - which kind of drags on in Berlin, Germany. Loved India, and the final plane sequence, and it follows the realistic style that Glen brought along in FYEO. Coming right after FYEO, it is quite a drop in quality, but I still love and enjoy it. Just not as much. 8/10.
For me this was the best decade of James Bond, so it is very hard to rank them all. However, here they are.
1. For Your Eyes Only
Not only the best 80's Bond, but also my favourite in the series. This movie just did everything right for me such as it being a fresh take on the series and John Glen's directorial debut which was unavoidably excellent. Beautiful locations (arguably the best), best score by Bill Conti, best action scenes (car chase, ski chase, Albania chase), great villain (not the best but realistic and believable) and just so many pleasant surprises. My only flaw is the PTS and the way Blofeld goes out, it's not a really big thing as they didn't own the rights to his character in 1981. Aside that, I give the film a perfect 10/10.
2. The Living Daylights
Not far behind, and third on my overall rankings of Bond. Timothy Dalton was in my opinion, Ian Fleming's Bond and the greatest 007 we've ever had. In both of his portrayals he performed amazingly, and his movies were so awesome because of himself. While I found Koskov and especially Whittaker to be quite underwhelming, everything else in the film was just spectacular. You have Dalton's Bond, the diverse locations (Slovakia, Austria, Morocco and Afghanistan), John Barry's best and last score, great action scenes and a highly realistic and serious Bond. The PTS is the best introduction to a new 007, and while it can spend too long in Afghanistan, it is one amazing ride. 9/10.
3. A View To A Kill
This is going to be a very unpopular opinion but I love this movie. Although some may argue that Sir Roger had stuck around for two films too long, he went wonderfully here and something about this film - you know you're watching his last movie. Maz Zorin is my favourite villain of the series, and I loved the microchips plot even more than GF. The locations were also up there, with France and the nice San Francisco. Roberts was a good Bond girl, not one of the best but I enjoyed her presence. I like it how two of Bond's allies get killed this time (on all John Glen films his main ally dies), and I never got bored, not even with the horse plot in the first half. The climax is one of the best I've seen in film history, and it ends with a bang. If it had not been for the visible stunt doubles, and maybe Dalton's first Bond, this would have been at #1. 9/10.
4. Licence To Kill
I hate to put this one all the way at number four because I love it as well! I just prefer the other three a bit more over this. Timothy Dalton shines again at his absolute best once again, and the plot is perhaps the best we've had until the arrival of Daniel Craig. Bond goes rogue in this very Bondian adventure, which feels like it came out of an Ian Fleming book that was never made. Despite the fact that 'M' is a total reject in this film, 'Q' makes up for that and while the Bond girls aren't great, they work just fine. Sanchez and the tank chase with Bond is freaking outstanding! I love the ending, and while the locations are pretty weak, along with the lack of M16, this film gets a 9/10.
5. Octopussy
This is the only official 80's Bond film that didn't quite make the 9/10 range. It was Roger Moore's sixth performance, and the PTS is one of the best of the series, no doubt. What puts this in last place are the minor stupid things, such as the Tarzan yell which is clearly not Roger Moore shouting it out, and the second half of the movie - which kind of drags on in Berlin, Germany. Loved India, and the final plane sequence, and it follows the realistic style that Glen brought along in FYEO. Coming right after FYEO, it is quite a drop in quality, but I still love and enjoy it. Just not as much. 8/10.
Not precisely MY ranking, but very respectable nonetheless.
Basically, they're all good!
For me, A View To A Kill and Licence To Kill are practically a tie in my overall rankings. While I also love From Russia With Love, On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Spectre, it's the 80's that had the longest run of amazing consecutive Bond films so I tend to focus on them a lot more.
1. THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
Dalton's debut performance is his best. Barry gives us his best score too. The only issue I have is the weak villains.
2. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
Similarly, FYEO has weak villains, but makes up for it with a great espionage plot, a beautiful Bond girl, a fantastic score by Conti, some great set pieces, and Moore, although starting to look a bit old, puts in a great perfomance, maybe his best.
3. OCTOPUSSY
A good balance of fun and more serious antics. Great villains, especially Kamal Khan, and Maud Adams works really well with Moore. The title song is weak and the score is pretty bland.
4. A VIEW TO A KILL
While the production values are low, Moore's showing his age, and the second half sags, there's no denying it's a fun film. Walken is a great villain, Barry's score is one of his best, and the banter between Bond and Tibbet is great. It used to be one of my favourites.
5. LICENCE TO KILL
I prefer Dalton's Bond to Moore's, the villains are wonderful, the extended time with Q is great, and Cary Lowell is a great Bond girl, but the film is too serious, Kamen's score is weak, and it feels too much like a generic action film than a Bond film.
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6. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
Shocking. Positively shocking.
^ Really good write up about the films. Have to agree with many of your points. I will say that I think Barry's score on the face of it isn't as bombastic as FYEO or AVTAK/TLD on either side of it - but it still has an iconic, deep Cold Warish sound.
I think Barry's OP score is brilliant, from the main song being used as a great romantic theme throughout the score to the suspenseful action music, beautiful music at Octopussy's palace and great arrangement and frequent use of the James Bond Theme. And most importantly, the score serves the film very well by helping it feel like a proper James Bond film and cold war thriller, as heartbroken_mr_drax pointed out.
1. FYEO - Moore is in good form, his deeper and more muted performance is satisfying to watch. There are some excellent, tense scenes like the ATAC recovery, dragging behind the boat and the rock climbing that still stand-up well. The 2CV chase is brilliant irony and is about Bond's skill, much of the film is centred around his own wits, and isn't brash about that either. The casino scenes are some of the best in the series and the quality of the production is evident throughout. Conti's score adds a great, fresh atmosphere and Easton's title song is fantastic too.
2. TLD - I love the plot, it's intricate, classy and remains interesting as both a Cold War throwback and something that could still occur in different guises. Dalton's performance is exceptional and his falling in love with Kara is the most convincing "love-plot" in the series. The action set-pieces are excellent (Gibraltar in particular). I like the oddities of the villains and John Rhys Davies brings one of the best performances from a sub-character in the series. Barry's best work too.
3. OP - The most consistently entertaining Bond film, ever. Plus the best, balanced performance from Moore full of nuance, determination and true blockbuster material. The plot is brilliant and the film maintains its excitement all the way until the end (beating TLD on that front). Great villains, excellent locations, funny, serious - it has it all. Plus, it beat NSNA at the BO.
4. AVTAK - A recent viewing propelled this back into my top 10. AVTAK isn't perfect, but I can never articulate exactly why. Grace Jones is perfect as May Day, Moore puts in a charming swan-song performance and you cannot beat Duran Duran's title song. The plot never has a dull moment and the ending is satisfying. One of those Bond films that remains entertaining up on repeat viewings.
5. LTK - One of the least watched in my collection, but not ranked that lowly (16th). I don't find the revenge plot that satisfying, plus it's inconsistently humorous (bar fight, one liners) alongside its dark nature. David Hedison is an annoying actor and the film comes across as too Miami Vice. Dalton's performance is good, but I don't like this style of Bond. I find the film comes across as forgettable. Perhaps it will mature IMO with my age -{
Overall 4/5 of the 80s films feature in my top 10. It's easily my favourite decade. Great writing, good performances and Moore help.
1. LTK - One of the finest Bond's ever.
2. FYEO - Moore's best Bond.
3. TLD - Too many Moore leftovers in this entry make this an average Bond.
4. AVTAK - Moore too old - terrible Bond girl - MacNee very good.
5. OP - Bond as a clown says it all.
Yeah, well, sometimes nothin' can be a real cool hand.
Always difficult to rank as with most of us on here our ranks change on a monthly if not weekly basis and we love all the Bond films but here goes anyway.
1. FYEO- Prefer the grittier Bonds and this was certainly one of them
2. LTK- Again grittier and loved Dalton's performance. Does feel a little too 80's action movie though
3. AVTF- Would be ranked higher if it wasn't for Stacey and Rog being a little too old. Some of the fight scenes are laughable and so obviously a stunt man.
4. TLD- A bit underwhelming but some good performance's from Dalton, John Rhys Davies and Thomas Wheately
5. OP - Again an enjoyable Bond film but just not as enjoyable as the ones above
1. For Your Eyes Only - My favourite bond movie, has everything I like in a 007 film. It might not have a great big plot but the director wanted to bring it back to realism and make a harder edged thriller. Gorgeous locations, best bond girl in Melina, best ski sequence and action scenes, best score by Bill Conti, great allies, great villain and a true cold war story. 10/10
2. The Living Daylights - Loved by many, including me. This is the last cold war thriller of the series, and Timothy Dalton makes an awesome performance as Bond. Great plot fill of intrigue, and builds up right until Afghanistan. Great bond girl, beautiful European locations, a realistic thriller and just an overall well directed movie. Best PTS and an amazing score by John Barry - R.I.P. Like FRWL and FYEO, this one is highly outstanding cold war spy thriller. 9/10
3. Licence To Kill - I saw it again recently, because while I was a little put off by a past viewing, I couldn't resist but see it again. It really is an awesome bond movie, and while I was and still am disappointed by the lack of MI6 appearing and some of the locations, it just is and still is JAMES BOND. I can really see a human bond here with the amazing Timothy Dalton, and has great support by Carey Lowell throughout. People say Dalton was too serious, but that's just it, there is a lot of humor here such as the ninja scene or Bond's first interaction with Sanchez. While I still prefer FYEO and TLD, this movie solidifies why I love the 80's most in Bondum. 9/10
4. Octopussy - Moore's penultimate Bond film gets a lot of flack, and I hate it. Yes there are many silly moments, but that's how Moore shines. The plot here can be confusing but you understand after a few views, but it's a damn fun film that feels kind of like a Timothy Dalton film before his time. India is gorgeous and while East Berlin slows it down a bit, I can't help but love it. Great villain and henchmen, great girls, great Moore performance and still follows a relatively serious tone (unlike TMWTGG and MR - MR is still a great film though). The only reason why this film is lower than the top three is because after a perfect serious performance from Moore, this one reverts back into silliness. I like campy moments, don't get me wrong, but I just prefer Dalton's portrayal more. 8/10
5. A View To A Kill - As I have grown older, and wiser, my opinion of this one has severely gone down. It is sad because there are a lot of things I love about it, and with a younger actor like Timothy Dalton it could easily have been one of the best. My main issue with the movie is Roger Moore, and while he still looked great in the previous two films that he did, he looks 20 years older here. Earlier, I was able to enjoy this movie despite his age, but not anymore. He is no longer believable as an agent, lost most if not all of his charm and does not seem like the Roger Moore we knew and loved in any of his previous appearances. I do love the main villain who is easily one of the best, but I feel like he does not get much to do, and in all honesty, the first half of the film is quite irrelevant despite having some great moments, and the second half really goes nowhere until the third act. Tanya Roberts is OK as a bond girl but the producers just did not care about Moore's age in comparison to the four girls in this film, and man those hideous visible stunt doubles are unforgivable, and lazy. Overall, the Bond actor generally holds most of the film and other features, and because Moore is now way too old, it pretty much affects everything else in the movie. 5/10
6. Never Say Never Again - An absolute disgrace and disaster of a movie, and next to Die Another Day are the only two films that are unwatchable, or at least to me. I have not seen the two old Casino Royale films so I cannot really offer an opinion on them, but God is this film utter nonsense. Pretty much everything from the opening sequence to the last scene is terrible, along with the plot, the production, the way everything is handled. The less said about this one, the better, though if there is one scene I did like, it was the car chase through Monaco and Fiona's demise following that.
1. Licence To Kill - My third favorite of the series. It combines elements of Fleming with the action fare of the times and that's why I love it. Dalton and Davi are fantastic. I love the harder edge and it features the best climax of the series. One of the films that gets me nostalgic. 9/10
2. The Living Daylights - The last Cold War Bond film and to me it is a modern version of FRWL along with FYEO. Most of the good stuff is in the first 80 minutes but it's entertaining throughout. Dalton hits the ground running. 9/10
3. For Your Eyes Only - Used to hate it. Now I consider it Moore's best along with TSWLM. 9/10
4. Octopussy - Yes it can be silly at times but I don't care because it's so much fun. 9/10
5. A View To A Kill - The weakest of a very strong decade. I love San Francisco and Moore is still great despite his age. I always have a good time with it. 8/10
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1. For Your Eyes Only
2. The Living Daylights
3. Licence To Kill
4. Octopussy
5. A View To A Kill
6. Never Say Never Again
I love the first three, Octopussy is great but A View To A Kill is mediocre. My opinion in the previous post has been altered to match this one. Never Say Never Again is probably the only bond film that is literally 'unwatchable' to me.
7. '83 NSNA
6. '83 OP
5. '81 FYEO
4. '89 LTK
3. '85 AVTAK - In terms of eighties-nish, the most 80s bond film.
2. '87 TLD
1. '79 MR - It is close enough to the 80s in style to be considered, and a car that came out that year would be called the 1980 model, so that is my reasoning.
My ranking this year has changed, and all the worse for Octopussy.
For Your Eyes Only - My favourite bond film in the series, everything works for me. We have Moore's best performance, the best locations, score by Bill Conti, best action scenes, best bond girl in Melina (only second to Tracy) and a magnificent plot. I especially loved the cast such as Topol and Moore. The plot is more realistic and back to basics, more Fleming like.
The Living Daylights - Dalton's first and best performance. My favourite bond film may belong to Moore, but in terms of bond actors it goes to Dalton. This movie is superb and one of my favourites with a great plot, nice locations, great bond girl in Kara Milovy and a movie that gets better as it progresses and as I watch it more. This is John Barry's best score as well, in my opinion. The only weaknesses is the climax and weak villains.
Licence To Kill - I really need to see this one again to make a fair up to date assessment but for the most part, it is fantastic. Dalton once again shines in a solid performance, the movie is very serious and violent though there are still hilarious moments and this film arguably has the best villain of the series. The revenge story works incredibly well for me unlike DAF and QOS which were supposed to be good in this way. The only weaknesses are the locations which are honestly some of the worst in the series, the score and Carey Lowell who I am not the biggest fan of.
A View To A Kill - This one is actually still great for me and I would have had it a lot higher had this been Timothy Dalton's first performance. My only problems are literally Moore himself and the stunt doubles. Moore was so tired at this point that he was barely in any of the action scenes which was a huge flaw. Him sleeping with four women was way too much and over the top as well. However, those negatives out of the way, this is a terrific movie with a plot I love, one of the best villains in Zorin and May Day, terrific San Francisco locations, a great score and good action. I loved the city hall scenes and even enjoyed the chase that came after it. I do like Tanya Roberts as the bond girl and no I am not kidding - R.I.P. This film has the best final fight scene of the Moore era so there you go.
Octopussy - On my most recent viewing, I just couldn't get through this film and enjoy it. It is really silly, so many things are out of place and the second half is boring. I hated the tarzan yell, bond dressing up as a gorilla, the way the girls killed the men at the Monsoon Palace and the confusing plot. I used to like it, but I cannot really say the same anymore. It does have good aspects, but it is just a weak bond film in my eyes with the best part of it being Roger Moore. A huge disappointment coming after what I considered to be the best bond film, and a weak score by John Barry.
Never Say Never Again - The only 80s bond film I hate, and I absolutely despise this trash of a film. Besides Barbara Carrera who played Fatima Blush, the cast absolutely suck, Connery is badly wasted, the plot is terrible, horrible score, lazy film making, terrible villain and the movie is boring. I also can't stand the dude who had eye surgery at the start - it just looks so cringe. The ONLY good scene in this film for me was the Monaco bike chase and Fatima's demise. Otherwise, I cannot say anything positive, and it is the worst bond film next to Casino Royale '67.
Comments
I think mine is the same. TLD and FYEO are about equal for me and may switch.
:v
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
1. For Your Eyes Only
Not only the best 80's Bond, but also my favourite in the series. This movie just did everything right for me such as it being a fresh take on the series and John Glen's directorial debut which was unavoidably excellent. Beautiful locations (arguably the best), best score by Bill Conti, best action scenes (car chase, ski chase, Albania chase), great villain (not the best but realistic and believable) and just so many pleasant surprises. My only flaw is the PTS and the way Blofeld goes out, it's not a really big thing as they didn't own the rights to his character in 1981. Aside that, I give the film a perfect 10/10.
2. The Living Daylights
Not far behind, and third on my overall rankings of Bond. Timothy Dalton was in my opinion, Ian Fleming's Bond and the greatest 007 we've ever had. In both of his portrayals he performed amazingly, and his movies were so awesome because of himself. While I found Koskov and especially Whittaker to be quite underwhelming, everything else in the film was just spectacular. You have Dalton's Bond, the diverse locations (Slovakia, Austria, Morocco and Afghanistan), John Barry's best and last score, great action scenes and a highly realistic and serious Bond. The PTS is the best introduction to a new 007, and while it can spend too long in Afghanistan, it is one amazing ride. 9/10.
3. A View To A Kill
This is going to be a very unpopular opinion but I love this movie. Although some may argue that Sir Roger had stuck around for two films too long, he went wonderfully here and something about this film - you know you're watching his last movie. Maz Zorin is my favourite villain of the series, and I loved the microchips plot even more than GF. The locations were also up there, with France and the nice San Francisco. Roberts was a good Bond girl, not one of the best but I enjoyed her presence. I like it how two of Bond's allies get killed this time (on all John Glen films his main ally dies), and I never got bored, not even with the horse plot in the first half. The climax is one of the best I've seen in film history, and it ends with a bang. If it had not been for the visible stunt doubles, and maybe Dalton's first Bond, this would have been at #1. 9/10.
4. Licence To Kill
I hate to put this one all the way at number four because I love it as well! I just prefer the other three a bit more over this. Timothy Dalton shines again at his absolute best once again, and the plot is perhaps the best we've had until the arrival of Daniel Craig. Bond goes rogue in this very Bondian adventure, which feels like it came out of an Ian Fleming book that was never made. Despite the fact that 'M' is a total reject in this film, 'Q' makes up for that and while the Bond girls aren't great, they work just fine. Sanchez and the tank chase with Bond is freaking outstanding! I love the ending, and while the locations are pretty weak, along with the lack of M16, this film gets a 9/10.
5. Octopussy
This is the only official 80's Bond film that didn't quite make the 9/10 range. It was Roger Moore's sixth performance, and the PTS is one of the best of the series, no doubt. What puts this in last place are the minor stupid things, such as the Tarzan yell which is clearly not Roger Moore shouting it out, and the second half of the movie - which kind of drags on in Berlin, Germany. Loved India, and the final plane sequence, and it follows the realistic style that Glen brought along in FYEO. Coming right after FYEO, it is quite a drop in quality, but I still love and enjoy it. Just not as much. 8/10.
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
Basically, they're all good!
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
2. The Living Daylights
3. Octopussy
4. For Your Eyes Only
5. A View To A Kill
2. TLD
3. FYEO
5. AVTAK
Easily
2. OP- This is probably my most watched Bond film just for pure entertainment value. Not a fan of some of the humor though.
3. AVTAK- Way underrated. A little uneven in parts, but overall one of the most solid Bond films.
4. NSNA - Great to see Connery back as Bond in a more watchable version of Thunderball.
5. TLD - The first half is near-perfect. The second half is almost a total loss. Bond is really out of his depth in Afghanistan.
6. FYEO - Fans of this film also seem to like Conti's soundtrack and the early 80's fashion.
1. GE 2. MR 3. OP 4. TMWTGG 5. TSWLM 6. TND 7. TWINE 8.DN 9. GF 10. AVTAK
YOLT
OP
AVTAK
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
It was way ahead of its time!
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Dalton's debut performance is his best. Barry gives us his best score too. The only issue I have is the weak villains.
2. FOR YOUR EYES ONLY
Similarly, FYEO has weak villains, but makes up for it with a great espionage plot, a beautiful Bond girl, a fantastic score by Conti, some great set pieces, and Moore, although starting to look a bit old, puts in a great perfomance, maybe his best.
3. OCTOPUSSY
A good balance of fun and more serious antics. Great villains, especially Kamal Khan, and Maud Adams works really well with Moore. The title song is weak and the score is pretty bland.
4. A VIEW TO A KILL
While the production values are low, Moore's showing his age, and the second half sags, there's no denying it's a fun film. Walken is a great villain, Barry's score is one of his best, and the banter between Bond and Tibbet is great. It used to be one of my favourites.
5. LICENCE TO KILL
I prefer Dalton's Bond to Moore's, the villains are wonderful, the extended time with Q is great, and Cary Lowell is a great Bond girl, but the film is too serious, Kamen's score is weak, and it feels too much like a generic action film than a Bond film.
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6. NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN
Shocking. Positively shocking.
8. TMwtGG 9. AVtaK 10. TSWLM 11. SF 12. LtK 13. TND 14. YOLT
15. NTtD 16. MR 17. LaLD 18. GF 19. SP 20. DN 21. TB
22. TWiNE 23. DAD 24. QoS 25. DaF
"Better make that two."
2. TLD - I love the plot, it's intricate, classy and remains interesting as both a Cold War throwback and something that could still occur in different guises. Dalton's performance is exceptional and his falling in love with Kara is the most convincing "love-plot" in the series. The action set-pieces are excellent (Gibraltar in particular). I like the oddities of the villains and John Rhys Davies brings one of the best performances from a sub-character in the series. Barry's best work too.
3. OP - The most consistently entertaining Bond film, ever. Plus the best, balanced performance from Moore full of nuance, determination and true blockbuster material. The plot is brilliant and the film maintains its excitement all the way until the end (beating TLD on that front). Great villains, excellent locations, funny, serious - it has it all. Plus, it beat NSNA at the BO.
4. AVTAK - A recent viewing propelled this back into my top 10. AVTAK isn't perfect, but I can never articulate exactly why. Grace Jones is perfect as May Day, Moore puts in a charming swan-song performance and you cannot beat Duran Duran's title song. The plot never has a dull moment and the ending is satisfying. One of those Bond films that remains entertaining up on repeat viewings.
5. LTK - One of the least watched in my collection, but not ranked that lowly (16th). I don't find the revenge plot that satisfying, plus it's inconsistently humorous (bar fight, one liners) alongside its dark nature. David Hedison is an annoying actor and the film comes across as too Miami Vice. Dalton's performance is good, but I don't like this style of Bond. I find the film comes across as forgettable. Perhaps it will mature IMO with my age -{
Overall 4/5 of the 80s films feature in my top 10. It's easily my favourite decade. Great writing, good performances and Moore help.
"Better make that two."
2. FYEO - Moore's best Bond.
3. TLD - Too many Moore leftovers in this entry make this an average Bond.
4. AVTAK - Moore too old - terrible Bond girl - MacNee very good.
5. OP - Bond as a clown says it all.
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
1. FYEO- Prefer the grittier Bonds and this was certainly one of them
2. LTK- Again grittier and loved Dalton's performance. Does feel a little too 80's action movie though
3. AVTF- Would be ranked higher if it wasn't for Stacey and Rog being a little too old. Some of the fight scenes are laughable and so obviously a stunt man.
4. TLD- A bit underwhelming but some good performance's from Dalton, John Rhys Davies and Thomas Wheately
5. OP - Again an enjoyable Bond film but just not as enjoyable as the ones above
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
2. The Living Daylights - Loved by many, including me. This is the last cold war thriller of the series, and Timothy Dalton makes an awesome performance as Bond. Great plot fill of intrigue, and builds up right until Afghanistan. Great bond girl, beautiful European locations, a realistic thriller and just an overall well directed movie. Best PTS and an amazing score by John Barry - R.I.P. Like FRWL and FYEO, this one is highly outstanding cold war spy thriller. 9/10
3. Licence To Kill - I saw it again recently, because while I was a little put off by a past viewing, I couldn't resist but see it again. It really is an awesome bond movie, and while I was and still am disappointed by the lack of MI6 appearing and some of the locations, it just is and still is JAMES BOND. I can really see a human bond here with the amazing Timothy Dalton, and has great support by Carey Lowell throughout. People say Dalton was too serious, but that's just it, there is a lot of humor here such as the ninja scene or Bond's first interaction with Sanchez. While I still prefer FYEO and TLD, this movie solidifies why I love the 80's most in Bondum. 9/10
4. Octopussy - Moore's penultimate Bond film gets a lot of flack, and I hate it. Yes there are many silly moments, but that's how Moore shines. The plot here can be confusing but you understand after a few views, but it's a damn fun film that feels kind of like a Timothy Dalton film before his time. India is gorgeous and while East Berlin slows it down a bit, I can't help but love it. Great villain and henchmen, great girls, great Moore performance and still follows a relatively serious tone (unlike TMWTGG and MR - MR is still a great film though). The only reason why this film is lower than the top three is because after a perfect serious performance from Moore, this one reverts back into silliness. I like campy moments, don't get me wrong, but I just prefer Dalton's portrayal more. 8/10
5. A View To A Kill - As I have grown older, and wiser, my opinion of this one has severely gone down. It is sad because there are a lot of things I love about it, and with a younger actor like Timothy Dalton it could easily have been one of the best. My main issue with the movie is Roger Moore, and while he still looked great in the previous two films that he did, he looks 20 years older here. Earlier, I was able to enjoy this movie despite his age, but not anymore. He is no longer believable as an agent, lost most if not all of his charm and does not seem like the Roger Moore we knew and loved in any of his previous appearances. I do love the main villain who is easily one of the best, but I feel like he does not get much to do, and in all honesty, the first half of the film is quite irrelevant despite having some great moments, and the second half really goes nowhere until the third act. Tanya Roberts is OK as a bond girl but the producers just did not care about Moore's age in comparison to the four girls in this film, and man those hideous visible stunt doubles are unforgivable, and lazy. Overall, the Bond actor generally holds most of the film and other features, and because Moore is now way too old, it pretty much affects everything else in the movie. 5/10
6. Never Say Never Again - An absolute disgrace and disaster of a movie, and next to Die Another Day are the only two films that are unwatchable, or at least to me. I have not seen the two old Casino Royale films so I cannot really offer an opinion on them, but God is this film utter nonsense. Pretty much everything from the opening sequence to the last scene is terrible, along with the plot, the production, the way everything is handled. The less said about this one, the better, though if there is one scene I did like, it was the car chase through Monaco and Fiona's demise following that.
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
2. The Living Daylights - The last Cold War Bond film and to me it is a modern version of FRWL along with FYEO. Most of the good stuff is in the first 80 minutes but it's entertaining throughout. Dalton hits the ground running. 9/10
3. For Your Eyes Only - Used to hate it. Now I consider it Moore's best along with TSWLM. 9/10
4. Octopussy - Yes it can be silly at times but I don't care because it's so much fun. 9/10
5. A View To A Kill - The weakest of a very strong decade. I love San Francisco and Moore is still great despite his age. I always have a good time with it. 8/10
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1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
1. For Your Eyes Only
2. The Living Daylights
3. Licence To Kill
4. Octopussy
5. A View To A Kill
6. Never Say Never Again
I love the first three, Octopussy is great but A View To A Kill is mediocre. My opinion in the previous post has been altered to match this one. Never Say Never Again is probably the only bond film that is literally 'unwatchable' to me.
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
6. '83 OP
5. '81 FYEO
4. '89 LTK
3. '85 AVTAK - In terms of eighties-nish, the most 80s bond film.
2. '87 TLD
1. '79 MR - It is close enough to the 80s in style to be considered, and a car that came out that year would be called the 1980 model, so that is my reasoning.
My ranking this year has changed, and all the worse for Octopussy.
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan