1. The 60's
2. The 00's
3. The 80's
4. The 70's
5. The 90's
Let me guess your ranking of the Bonds:
Connery
Craig
Dalton
Lazenby
Moore
Brosnan
You'd be incorrect. My bond actors list tends to be in flux depending on mood and which movies are most fresh in my mind. But my top and bottom are usually Dalton and Moore respectively. Positions 2 through 4 is a fluid dance between Lazenby, Connery, and Craig. This was not always the case, but as I watch the films more and more over the years, different things jump out at me.
Also, my ranking of films and eras does not completely line up with how I rank the actors' characterizations of Bond.
Interesting.
"Hostile takeovers. Shall we?"
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
1. 60's
Fantastic decade for Bond, even some of my lesser favroites like ThunderBall and Dr. No are still good Bond films. Connery was the best bond, and his best movies were here.
2. 80's
Roger Moore's Bond only got much better from what was a not-so-great start to me. FYEO, OP, and AVTAK were all great films to me, proving to me Moore can really do a great job as Bond, since I disliked LALD and TMWTGG. If we count NSNA, I actually liked that one too. Not to mention I liked Timmy Dalton's take on Bond, with TLD and LTK very high ranked on my list of Bond films.
3. 90's
I really loved Brosnan in GE, and GE is in my top 5 Bond films. TND and TWINE are okay, but GE is the one that really shines.
4. 10's
SF was great, but SP was mediocre, though not bad movies by any means.
5. 70's
It hurts me to classify TSWLM so low, but the rest of the films from this era really drags it down. DAF was okay, but seeing Sean Connery bored and out-of-shape in the movie didn't help it's already mediocre plot, I really felt like this movie could have been so much better. LALD and TMWTGG are basically my least favorite Bond movies. I don't dislike MR.
6. 00's
CR is an amazing Bond movie, but with DAD, and QOS-- the only Bond movie I actually dislike and don't like to watch-- it really makes for my least favorite era of Bond.
1. The 80's - This is my favourite decade for Bond, hands down. I loved every official Bond film released, with Octopussy taking the rear. Roger Moore was fantastic on For Your Eyes Only, and Octopussy was fun for what it was, then A View To A Kill was terrific due to the plot & main villain. Then you have The Living Daylights which is almost equal to Eyes Only, and ends nicely with Licence To Kill. Timothy Dalton is for me the greatest actor to play Bond.
2. The 60's - When you've got movies like Dr No, From Russia With Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service, you can't really go wrong. Also to a lesser extent, Goldfinger and Thunderball. You Only Live Twice was the only stinker in the decade.
3. The 70's - It was a close call between this and the 10's. I liked every Bond released in the 1970's, with The exception of the horrible abomination that is Diamonds Are Forever. The Spy Who Loved Me was a classic, and The Man With The Golden Gun was only good enough for a pass for me as the worst of the good ones.
4. The 2010's - Mainly because of Spectre. Without it, it would only be above the 90's. Although I do like Skyfall, Spectre is a great Bond film and I like where the series is headed.
5. The 00's - Yeah, I am really not a fan of any of the Bond films released during these years. Not one. Die Another Day is garbage, and Quantum Of Solace is a boring prototype of a movie.
6. The 90's - I don't enjoy Brosnan's Bond at all, and while Goldeneye is acceptable, the others are borderline unwatchable for me with poor writing, directing and performances by the cast.
Includes 3 of my overall top 6 at the moment. The film at 19 is on the rise as well and likely to move into the top 15 over the next year or so. Love the era overall and is personified as when Bond really took it to the next level as a spectacle, with stunts and action pieces that always leave me in awe, and over the top plots with deliciously memorable characters who eat up the screen.
2.) The 60's: Ranks - 5/7/11/13/14/15
The decade that started it. Also the decade that had the most varied changes going from serious spy thriller to over the top romp back to serious love story. If stranded on an island with only one decade of Bond films, you can't go wrong here as there is enough variety to keep you entertained. Also, the only decade having 6 films helps!
3.) The 80's: Ranks - 2/10/12/18/20
Before adding my composite rankings, I thought he 80s would appear second on my list. The strongest of the 80s surpasses the strongest of the 60s for me, but the 60s has a lot of consistent mid-pack entries on the list that puts it ahead. Similar variety makes the 80s a very strong contender.
4.) The 00's: Ranks - 3/22/24
A large gap between the top 3 and the bottom 3. A lot has to do with the unfortunate sheer lack of volume in the latter decades. But what a belter of a film CR is which is enough alone to put the 00s at #4.
5.) The 90's: Ranks - 9/21/23
Also hit or miss like the 00s; however, the best of the 90s is not as good as the best of the 00s. I grew up with Bond in the 90s, so the nostalgia factor may increase as years go by, but right now it ranks 5th. While I love all Bond films, even those ranking in the 20s, what is a detractor for me in the 90s is how studio bound the films feel. Unlike previous decades, I don't feel immersed in the locales and instead feel like I'm in a movie set.
6.) The 10's: Ranks - 8/17
If you were to take my average ranking of each decade, the 10s would appear 4th instead of 6th. However, this is simply a battle of quality. 3 Bond films > 2 Bond films. If I had to take one decade to take with me on a vacation, I'd prefer the extra film. The quality would have to be a massive difference for me to the the 10s over the 90s or 00s. I do approve of the overall direction of the franchise and the leaders at the helm, so if Bond 25 is released in 2018 or 2019, it will likely leapfrog both the 90s and 00s.
1960's - The classics. With the exception of YOLT, these are the strongest Bond films.
1980's - Remarkably consistent. AVTAK is the weakest link, but that is mainly down to Moore's age. The film itself holds up.
2010's - A work in progress, but my fondness of Skyfall overcomes my relative disappointment with Spectre. The [presumed] third movie of this decade will determine whether it stays here or drops.
2000's - A mixed bag. CR saved the franchise from irrelevance, and QoS was an interesting concept, but DAD is my least favorite Bond film by a long shot.
1970's - Big and fun, but difficult to take it seriously. DAF and MR are good for a laugh, but have to be considered creative low points. TSWLM elevates the decade out of the cellar for me.
1990's - Overprocessed and sterile. These films - from the Brioni suits to Brosnan's performance - looked good on the surface, but didn't have any soul.
Comments
Interesting.
New 2020 ranking (for now DAF and FYEO keep their previous placements)
1. TLD 2. TND 3. GF 4. TSWLM 5. TWINE 6. OHMSS 7. LtK 8. TMWTGG 9. L&LD 10. YOLT 11. DAD 12. QoS 13. DN 14. GE 15. SF 16. OP 17. MR 18. AVTAK 19. TB 20. FRWL 21. CR 22. FYEO 23. DAF (SP to be included later)
Bond actors to be re-ranked later
Fantastic decade for Bond, even some of my lesser favroites like ThunderBall and Dr. No are still good Bond films. Connery was the best bond, and his best movies were here.
2. 80's
Roger Moore's Bond only got much better from what was a not-so-great start to me. FYEO, OP, and AVTAK were all great films to me, proving to me Moore can really do a great job as Bond, since I disliked LALD and TMWTGG. If we count NSNA, I actually liked that one too. Not to mention I liked Timmy Dalton's take on Bond, with TLD and LTK very high ranked on my list of Bond films.
3. 90's
I really loved Brosnan in GE, and GE is in my top 5 Bond films. TND and TWINE are okay, but GE is the one that really shines.
4. 10's
SF was great, but SP was mediocre, though not bad movies by any means.
5. 70's
It hurts me to classify TSWLM so low, but the rest of the films from this era really drags it down. DAF was okay, but seeing Sean Connery bored and out-of-shape in the movie didn't help it's already mediocre plot, I really felt like this movie could have been so much better. LALD and TMWTGG are basically my least favorite Bond movies. I don't dislike MR.
6. 00's
CR is an amazing Bond movie, but with DAD, and QOS-- the only Bond movie I actually dislike and don't like to watch-- it really makes for my least favorite era of Bond.
1. Roger 2. Timmy 3. Connery 4. Craig 5. George 6. Pierce
2. The 60's - When you've got movies like Dr No, From Russia With Love and On Her Majesty's Secret Service, you can't really go wrong. Also to a lesser extent, Goldfinger and Thunderball. You Only Live Twice was the only stinker in the decade.
3. The 70's - It was a close call between this and the 10's. I liked every Bond released in the 1970's, with The exception of the horrible abomination that is Diamonds Are Forever. The Spy Who Loved Me was a classic, and The Man With The Golden Gun was only good enough for a pass for me as the worst of the good ones.
4. The 2010's - Mainly because of Spectre. Without it, it would only be above the 90's. Although I do like Skyfall, Spectre is a great Bond film and I like where the series is headed.
5. The 00's - Yeah, I am really not a fan of any of the Bond films released during these years. Not one. Die Another Day is garbage, and Quantum Of Solace is a boring prototype of a movie.
6. The 90's - I don't enjoy Brosnan's Bond at all, and while Goldeneye is acceptable, the others are borderline unwatchable for me with poor writing, directing and performances by the cast.
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
Includes 3 of my overall top 6 at the moment. The film at 19 is on the rise as well and likely to move into the top 15 over the next year or so. Love the era overall and is personified as when Bond really took it to the next level as a spectacle, with stunts and action pieces that always leave me in awe, and over the top plots with deliciously memorable characters who eat up the screen.
2.) The 60's: Ranks - 5/7/11/13/14/15
The decade that started it. Also the decade that had the most varied changes going from serious spy thriller to over the top romp back to serious love story. If stranded on an island with only one decade of Bond films, you can't go wrong here as there is enough variety to keep you entertained. Also, the only decade having 6 films helps!
3.) The 80's: Ranks - 2/10/12/18/20
Before adding my composite rankings, I thought he 80s would appear second on my list. The strongest of the 80s surpasses the strongest of the 60s for me, but the 60s has a lot of consistent mid-pack entries on the list that puts it ahead. Similar variety makes the 80s a very strong contender.
4.) The 00's: Ranks - 3/22/24
A large gap between the top 3 and the bottom 3. A lot has to do with the unfortunate sheer lack of volume in the latter decades. But what a belter of a film CR is which is enough alone to put the 00s at #4.
5.) The 90's: Ranks - 9/21/23
Also hit or miss like the 00s; however, the best of the 90s is not as good as the best of the 00s. I grew up with Bond in the 90s, so the nostalgia factor may increase as years go by, but right now it ranks 5th. While I love all Bond films, even those ranking in the 20s, what is a detractor for me in the 90s is how studio bound the films feel. Unlike previous decades, I don't feel immersed in the locales and instead feel like I'm in a movie set.
6.) The 10's: Ranks - 8/17
If you were to take my average ranking of each decade, the 10s would appear 4th instead of 6th. However, this is simply a battle of quality. 3 Bond films > 2 Bond films. If I had to take one decade to take with me on a vacation, I'd prefer the extra film. The quality would have to be a massive difference for me to the the 10s over the 90s or 00s. I do approve of the overall direction of the franchise and the leaders at the helm, so if Bond 25 is released in 2018 or 2019, it will likely leapfrog both the 90s and 00s.
1980's - Remarkably consistent. AVTAK is the weakest link, but that is mainly down to Moore's age. The film itself holds up.
2010's - A work in progress, but my fondness of Skyfall overcomes my relative disappointment with Spectre. The [presumed] third movie of this decade will determine whether it stays here or drops.
2000's - A mixed bag. CR saved the franchise from irrelevance, and QoS was an interesting concept, but DAD is my least favorite Bond film by a long shot.
1970's - Big and fun, but difficult to take it seriously. DAF and MR are good for a laugh, but have to be considered creative low points. TSWLM elevates the decade out of the cellar for me.
1990's - Overprocessed and sterile. These films - from the Brioni suits to Brosnan's performance - looked good on the surface, but didn't have any soul.
TWINE - those suits still look great.
"Better make that two."
2. 00s
3. 10s
4. 70s
5. 80s
6. 90s