Rank the Bond directors
Absolutely_Cart
NJ/NYC, United StatesPosts: 1,740MI6 Agent
This was a hard list for me to make. A good director needs to be good at setting the stage to accentuate the right things, editing scenes and having an overall concept for the movie. I tried to look at them as directors rather than which had the best movies.
1 - Martin Campbell (GE, CR06) ; Two groundbreaking debuts. Lots of memorable scenes. Marketed each respective actor perfectly.
2 - Lewis Gilbert (YOLT, TSWLM, MR) ; His movies were formulaic but he does a great job at creating an atmosphere with a grandiose idea. The evil lairs were all excellently done.
3 - Terence Young (DN, FRWL, TB) ; Thunderball has some issues, but Dr. No had some of my favorite directing the series.
4 - John Glen (FYEO, OP, AVTAK, TLD, LTK) ; Competent. Consistent track record for sure.
5 - Guy Hamilton (GF, DAD, LALD, TMWTGG) ; Is very good at making the most of the atmosphere in the film and putting emphasis on the right things.
6 - Peter R. Hunt (OHMSS) ; Set issues. He could've worked with Lazenby more. Nonetheless he churned out a classic.
7 - Sam Mendes (SF) ; The man has a way of making even the tiniest insignificant moments look cinematic and epic.
8 - Marc Forster (QOS) ; Unique. Worked through tough ****. Some scenes were too fast-cut; other scenes were brilliant (Tosca & PTS)
9 - Roger Spottiswoode (TND) ; Despite story issues in his movie, the editing and flashy action were well done.
10 - Michael Apted (TWINE) ; Had great ideas but didn't execute them well. Some scenes were cornier than they could have been.
11 - Lee Tamahori (DAD) ; Huge gap in the film to be filled with bad CGI. Somebody has to get the bottom spot.
1 - Martin Campbell (GE, CR06) ; Two groundbreaking debuts. Lots of memorable scenes. Marketed each respective actor perfectly.
2 - Lewis Gilbert (YOLT, TSWLM, MR) ; His movies were formulaic but he does a great job at creating an atmosphere with a grandiose idea. The evil lairs were all excellently done.
3 - Terence Young (DN, FRWL, TB) ; Thunderball has some issues, but Dr. No had some of my favorite directing the series.
4 - John Glen (FYEO, OP, AVTAK, TLD, LTK) ; Competent. Consistent track record for sure.
5 - Guy Hamilton (GF, DAD, LALD, TMWTGG) ; Is very good at making the most of the atmosphere in the film and putting emphasis on the right things.
6 - Peter R. Hunt (OHMSS) ; Set issues. He could've worked with Lazenby more. Nonetheless he churned out a classic.
7 - Sam Mendes (SF) ; The man has a way of making even the tiniest insignificant moments look cinematic and epic.
8 - Marc Forster (QOS) ; Unique. Worked through tough ****. Some scenes were too fast-cut; other scenes were brilliant (Tosca & PTS)
9 - Roger Spottiswoode (TND) ; Despite story issues in his movie, the editing and flashy action were well done.
10 - Michael Apted (TWINE) ; Had great ideas but didn't execute them well. Some scenes were cornier than they could have been.
11 - Lee Tamahori (DAD) ; Huge gap in the film to be filled with bad CGI. Somebody has to get the bottom spot.
Comments
2. Peter Hunt - only did one film but one of the best
3. Sam Mendes - provides drama and pace.Easily the best addition to the franchise?
4. Martin Campbell - Full accolades for Casino Royale. A film which Craig seemed to slip into
5. John Glen - after the seventies he brought the spy back into the mainstream
6. Guy Hamilton - very good at using atmosphere and certainly the most imaginative
7.Lewis Gilbert - rather formulaic. Did tend to do the same films again
8. Marc Foster - Very Austrian. Emphasis on different things. Ready to be re-evalued?
9. Roger Spottiswoode - thought a Bond movie would be easy. Just point the camera at explosians and shoot. Not quite like that was it Roger?
10. Michael Apted - the story was all other the place. Concentrating on Electra while the rest of the film went to ****. Not the directors finest hour..
11. Lee Tamahori - Oh the shame (buries head in hands) The man should ne banned from directing, in fact he should be banned carrying a camera. His interference with script, casting, humour, and dreaded cgi sank the film..
I'll always be grateful for Campbell - imo he saved the franchise twice by making 2 incredible popular and solid movies - CR is close to a masterpiece {[]
Dalton - the weak and weepy Bond!
Your list is a good one but I'd probably put Lewis Gilbert up a few places. His films are shot with the big screen in mind. Compare with Campbell's tedious TV-movie direction of GoldenBalls with its emphasis on close-ups and static camera.
2) Peter Hunt: made the best film of the series
3) John Glen: brought Bond films back to their roots but still kept them modern
4) Lewis Gilbert: directed some of the most fun Bond films
5) Guy Hamilton: set the Bond formula, but didn't always make the best Bond films
6) Sam Mendes: really can make a film look great
7) Michael Apted: Was able to get the best performance out of Brosnan
8) Roger Spottiswoode: Not good, but not bad either
9) Martin Campbell: too much of an action film director and couldn't bring his Bond films down to earth believably
10) Marc Forster: not an action film director and tried too hard to be one. He could have made a good Bond film if he stuck with his talents and didn't try to make something that wasn't his
11) Lee Tamahori: really had nothing good to add to the film
Actually, thats true. The sets were part of the story...
MULTIPLES
1- Terence Young
2- Martin Campbell
3- John Glen
4- Lewis Gilbert
5- Guy Hamilton
SINGLES
1- Peter Hunt
2- Sam Mendes
3- Michael Apted
4- Marc Forster
5- Roger Spotiswoode
6- Lee Tamahori
But on balance, here is the list. The classic 60s directors are at the top, of course, because the industry was still making films back then, and they had the benefit of working with the best talent overall.
Terrance Young -- Bonds as lush and adventurous as a good Hitchcock production, with some David Lean visualness.
Guy Hamilton -- Goldfinger is a near-perfect Bond film, but his contributions are marred by later, lesser efforts like The Man with the Golden Gun.
Lewis Gilbert -- While his Bonds lack the grounding of earlier efforts, he nonetheless brought a scope to the Bond films that has never been equalled.
Peter Hunt -- His artsy take on Bond is both very fresh and modern and also a little strange, especially with his sometimes almost comical sped up action sequences, but he was also probably the wrong director to work with first-time Bond George Lazenby.
Martin Campbell -- While Goldeneye remains ho-hum to me, neither special visually nor narratively, his Casino Royale is a tour de force, marred only by concessions to the modern age.
John Glen -- Easily the most workmanlike of the Bond directors, he somehow managed to make two decent ones, For Your Eyes Only and The Living Daylights.
Sam Mendes -- Overrated as a director -- his action movies are all essentially rehashes of The Road to Perdition -- he was the right guy at the right time to hit the big time with Bond. Hopefully, Spectre will be bigger and more original than Skyfall.
Marc Forster -- Proving that a man who wants to make art films should stay away from action ones, Forster's fundamental lack of understanding of the Bond-watching experience all but guaranteed that Quantum of Solace would be numbing. And it was.
Roger Spottiswoode -- Tomorrow Never Dies is the best of the Brosnan Bonds, but that's not saying much.
Michael Apted -- Basically he's just Roger Spottiswoode with a crappier story.
Lee Tamahori -- In some ways unfairly maligned -- and a director who has proven he can handle action with The Edge -- his baffling choices to take Bond in a more contemporary direction led to a Bond film where half is watchable and the other half dreck.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
It took Moore several movies until the public fully acknowledged him. Dalton and Lazenby, with better directing, could've been utilized better too.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
I agree Roger was in a tough spot, trying to top an intricately crafted and immensely successful movie like Goldeneye with no material from Fleming to work with. That being said, at least as far as the scenes go, he did a good job with it.
AJB007 Favorite Film Rankings
Pros and Cons Compendium (50 Years)
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
2. Guy Hamilton - GF, just marvellous. That movie had a rhythm to it that everyone copied, and I don't mean just Bond movies.
3. Peter Hunt - he has to be number three, since he directed one of the best movies.
4. John Glen - TLD, LTK, and he gave the 80s movies a truly luxurious look.
5. Sam Mendes - I liked SF. If SPECTRE is great, he might be the 4th or even 3rd.
6. Martin Campbell - He directed CR, but he also directed GE, so he's average at best.
7.Lewis Gilbert - He filmed YOLT twice with two different Bonds. Not very inspiring really.
8. Michael Apted - He filmed the best Brosnan movie, in other words, he didn't do much.
9. Marc Foster - He made a weak film with Daniel Craig, which is next to impossible.
10. Lee Tamahori - DAD. Need I say more? well, someone who approves a script with a CGI tsunami and an invisible car can't be very high on this list.
9. Roger Spottiswoode - I'll repeat broadshoulder's take on him verbatim, because he is spot on and also sums up TND perfectly:
" thought a Bond movie would be easy. Just point the camera at explosions and shoot. Not quite like that was it Roger?"
2. Peter Hunt (OHMSS) - One film was enough for him to be my second favourite. Amazing movie, great effort and superb action.
3. Terrance Young (DN, FRWL, TB) - Yeah, he's up there as well of course. The first two were almost flawless, and TB, although flawed, is a run rollercoaster ride. The original director made the series, and gave the 60's a magical look.
4. Lewis Gilbert (YOLT, TSWLM, MR) - While YOLT is a weak entry, I absolutely love TSWLM and I also love MR. He is definitely the most unrealistic of the directors, but kept his films fun, entertaining, campy and enjoyable.
5. Guy Hamilton (GF, DAF, LALD, TMWTGG) - A bit of a mixed bag on this one, he directed the amazing Goldfinger, and the rather enjoyable but silly TMWTGG. DAF was awful... awful awful... And LALD is decent. He was good, but not great.
6. Sam Mendes (SF) - Only one film so far, but he has proven that Bond can go on for many years to come. SF was the first Bond I really enjoyed since LTK in all honesty. I'm excited for Spectre.
7. Martin Campbell (GE, CR) - Not as high on my list as some would have liked, but he made a solid effort in GE, and didn't do a bad job in CR, but I felt his films were lacking in many areas.
8. Marc Forster (QOS) - He should probably be lower for the film he did, but meh, there were still worse...
9. Michael Apted (TWINE) - Slightly weak film with a weak 007 actor (my opinion though), forgettable.
10. Roger Spottiswoode (TND) - Again, not memorable. Like Apted, but even worse.
11. Lee Tamahori (DAD) - Oh god.... Please need I explain why I place him dead last?
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Yes indeed! {[]
Sorry chrisisall, I just don't like any of Brosnan's portrayals or movies, except Goldeneye, which I give a 7/10.
1. Dalton 2. Moore 3. Connery 4. Lazenby 5. Craig 6. Brosnan
2. Martin Campbell (GE, CR) - CR is my favourite Bondfilm with GE on the second place. Campbell did two hells of a great job!
3. Guy Hamilton (GF, DAF, LALD, TMWTGG) - GF is a great classic and I do really like TMWTGG. Guy made some mistakes, but the thing he did right were very right.
4. Sam Mendes (SF, SP) - Although for me personally Skyfall is a bit too much in Bonds private life, it's a good Bond adventure and Spectre looks very promising!
5. Peter Hunt (OHMSS) - Two words: Great film.
6. Roger Spottiswoode (TND) - TND is a great Bondfilm, don't know why people dislike it.
7. Michael Apted (TWINE) - Same goes for TWINE.
8. John Glen (FYEO, OP, AVTAK, TLD, LTK) - LTK is a hard, brutal and great film! Number three on my list. He did fine with the others, but he it would have been nice if he made the last three Moore film just a tiny bit more seriously.
9. Lewis Gilbert (YOLT, TSWLM, MR) - OK.
10. Marc Foster (QOS) - QOS is a fine Bondmovie, but not even close to CR. But he could have done so much more with the great CR.
11. Lee Tamahori (DAD) - '007 is a codename, the codename theory is real.' PLEASE SHUT UP. Horrible man. :v
Yes, another TND defender!!!
Chris should be pleased.
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. Terence Young-deserves as much credit as Broccoli & Salzman, Fleming, and Connery for creating the cinematic Bond. Bond was an innovative creation at the time of its inception largely due to the style and sexual violence he infused in Bond visually and technically.
2. Peter Hunt-OHMSS is one of the best of the series largely due to the way it was directed and edited. Where Young deserves credit for creating the formula and visual language of Bind, Hunt deserves equal credit for being the first to subvert it.
3. Sam Mendes-whatever you may think about SF (the film clearly has its fair share of detractors) it's hard to deny that it was brilliantly directed. With the help Hollywood's resident master DP Roger Deakins, Mendes simultaneously re-infused Bond with a healthy dose of Fleming while outdoing nearly every previous Bond director in style, glamour and mood. Depending on how SPECTRE turns out, Mendes may very well go down in history as the greatest director to ever helm a Bond film.
4. Martin Campbell-arguably the two strongest debut films of any Bond, GE and CR are both testaments to Campbell's keen understanding of the world, narrative landscape, and psyche of 007. Had he only directed one of these films, Campbell would deserve to be ranked high on the list, but twice he struck a mean balance between reinventing the wheel and staying true to the Bond's oeuvre, all while ushering in a new actor that would define who Bond is for their respective generation.
5. Guy Hamilton-GF alone puts Hamilton in the top five. In one film he lived up to what Terence Young established, then upped the ante in the best way possible...then he made three more Bond films, varying in quality but all containing Hamilton's particular brand of excitement, intrigue and style.
6. John Glen-The man deserves a lot of credit for being the longest-running Bond director alone. While the quality of each of his Bond films is highly debatable, there's no question that Glen is responsible for the strength of '80's Bond in general.
7. Lewis Gilbert-look at the titles of his three films alone (YOLT, TSWLM, MR) and it's immediately clear that Gilbert directed the Bond of spectacle. His films were BIG. The BIG end of Bond's cinematic spectrum may not be en vogue today, but it's incredibly important to Bond's legacy. Lewis Gilbert created the BIG cinematic Bond; no small accomplishment in the world of cinema.
8. Michael Apted-TWINE may not have aged incredibly well (especially in the wake of the Craig era) but it has a unique melodramatic tone that sets it apart from other Bond films. Apted directs the drama with his own muted flare and the action amicably. In the end, there's just something about the film that doesn't quite come together successfully, but Apted nevertheless brings a bit of himself to the franchise, which in turn accounts for the film'so strongest moments.
9. Roger Spottiswoode-it may not be as strong as GE, but TND is a fairly noble sophomore effort for the Brosnan era. Spottiswoode's direction is efficient, and sometimes even stylish, but never really moves beyond the status quo.
10. Marc Forster-proof that not every great director is suited for Bond. QoS is only a decent action film, and only manages to steadily run on the fumes of CR. Meanwhile, Forster doesn't really bring anything significantly interesting to the table as a director.
11. Lee Tamahori-With DAD, Tamahori came closer to killing the franchise than any director before him. What might have otherwise been an interesting story for Bond to move through was turned into hollow, CGI-ridden slop under his direction. The PTS was cool, but that's about all I can say for Tamahori
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wish-i-was-at-disneyland/id1202780413?mt=2
1. John Glen - The most versatile director, he could do a more light hearted Bond, a spy thriller Bond, and a gritty action film. Plus, 4 of his 5 films are in my top 10, so there's that.
2. Peter R. Hunt - I don't like OHMSS. However, I admire some of the choices Hunt made, obviously due to experience as editor. I really like the way scenes such as the dinner were shot, and he made OHMSS feel unique among the other Bond films.
3. Guy Hamilton - I don't really know what to say about him, Hamilton could just make good Bond films.
4. Sam Mendes - With the arrival of Mendes, the Bond films became more unique and refined after the messy generic QoS. I love the cinematography of both of his films, as well as making SF and SP more like classic Bond. They feel unique; you could look at a scene from either of these films, and spimmediately say "Yes, that's Bond", but I just feel you can't do the same with QoS.
5. Roger Spottiswoode - Similar to Guy Hamilton, there isn't really much to say. TND is a great Bond film - whilst it's not groundbreaking or too different from some of the previous Bond films, it's a great, fun ride, with the best pacing of any Bond film.
6. Martin Campbell - The man who rejuvenated Bond twice, and yet with two different styles. GE is a great film, because it had the immense task of reintroducing a popular character, and it did that well, blending everything that should be in a Bond film. CR has some unique directing choices in it for a Bond film, and although it doesn't feel like classic Bond, it shouldn't; this is the introduction, the origin of the character, it should be different to what we've seen before.
7. Lewis Gilbert - Gilbert could make great, fun films. The only reason this isn't higher is beacause all of his films are essentially the same basic plot, and especially TSWLM and MR feel too similar.
8. Terrence Young - Although he may have bought Bond to screen, I feel as though Young didn't make Bond what he is today, and I feel GF would have been different with him at the helm - and I honestly feel he couldn't make Bond as popular as he is. Young has incredible style in his films, his three are easily the best looking Bond films, with beautiful cinematography, but I feel all three of his films suffer from pacing issues.
9. Lee Tamahori - Yes, DAD is a bad film. But, it is enjoyable. Tamahori made some very poor decisions with his film, and it shows, but at least he could make an enjoyable film that at least felt like Bond, unlike the next two directors.
10. Michael Apted - TWINE just feels like a TV show or movie. It doesn't have the cinematic scale that is needed. The colours are muted, sets are underwhelming, and after the PTS, the film feels very low budget, almost like a pilot to a TV series. After the boat chase there is no exciting action, or exciting sets.
11. Marc Forster - Ugh. Somehow, Forster messed up the pacing in a 100 minute film - how could you possibly do that? And some of the director and editing choices are dreadful.
Spottiswood certainly put it all together, but I'd probably give the credit to Vic Armstrong for his 2nd unit directing. With that said, Spottiswood did put together a slick production, but I feel he didn't get much out of his actors - particularly Pierce.
--
1. Gilbert - While I'm not the biggest fan of YOLT. His three films are immense and impressive. TSWLM in particular features a brilliant performance from Moore which IMO is championed by Gilbert more than anyone else. MR is just an incredible production that has dark moments, tight espionage and is just nuts to look at. He did scale the best. IMO he's the best blockbuster Bond director.
2. Glen - Like Millennium Force the placement of him here is influenced by the fact 4/5 of his films are in my top 10. He wasn't perfect as a director, and perhaps what I like about these films has more to do with producers and writers than his influence. However he must have something to do with it! To mention a few...OP is a brilliantly put-together globe-hopping adventure and TLD is mutedly-stylish with some brilliant feeling to it. He got a lot right.
3. Young - Major influence, knew how to essentially create Connery and the feeling of the films. 'nuff said.
4. Apted - Shoot me now if you like but Apted got one of the finest performances (acting wise) from a Bond. PB is phenomenal in TWINE and is boosted by excellent performances by all around him (maybe not Christmas). I like the feeling of the film and how different it is, yep it's muted and dark - but it's a very solid film and Bond film at that.
5. Campbell - Goldeneye and CR are great re-boots. He just gets the style required and puts his own subtle stamp on things. Plus, he's a kiwi!
....the rest.
"Better make that two."
Multiples:
Terence Young
Sam Mendes
John Glen
Martin Campbell
Lewis Gilbert
Guy Hamilton
Singles
Peter Hunt
Roger Spottiswoode
Michael Apted
Lee Tamahori
Marc Foster
Much harder than anticipated... If I wasn't pushed for time a reshuffle might be in order...
Great point. I think this is the very reason why I've always thoroughly enjoyed TND, even if it's not one of my absolute favs.
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/wish-i-was-at-disneyland/id1202780413?mt=2
I know I will be in the minority here but I don't really care for the Paris scenes and Bond being all emotional about her. The scene feels forced and it isn't helped by Pierce's overacting - which to me is isolated to TND.
"Better make that two."
That's fine - you're entitled to your opinion. I'm talking about the moment right after the 'station break', and how the director captures that moment.