A DudeNight Guide to Bond Flicks
Bond Movies
1963 From Russia With Love Sean Connery
 The best Bond? It's a tossup between this and "Goldfinger," with great intrigue and the best supporting cast (including Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw and Pedro Armendariz).
1964 Goldfinger Sean Connery
 The series peaker here with the heist at Ft. Knox, the gold-obsessed villain, henchman Oddjob, the Aston Martin, Pussy Galore and that sensous Shirley Bassey title song.
1969 On Her Majesty's Secret Service George Lazenby
 No Connery, but it's got the best story, the best action, the best Bond girl (Diana Rigg), the best John Barry score and the most heart.
1962 Dr. No Sean Connery
The first and most sadistic of the Bonds, with Connery getting his feet wet and slipping into a dry martini as 007.
1965 Thunderball Sean Connery
The franchise starts to jump off the deep end with gadgetry and the plot is a bit ponderous, but the Oscar-winning underwater action was groundbreaking.
1967 You Only Live Twice Sean Connery
Bond in Japan, face to face for the first time with his arch nemesis, Blofeld. You gotta love it, even if the formula starts to run dry.
1971 Diamonds Are Forever Sean Connery
Connery's last appearance in the franchise, the first gay couple and the first over-the-top entry.
1999 The World Is Not Enough Pierce Brosnan
Brosnan comes into his own as 007, and director Michael Apted stresses more character and plot.
1977 The Spy Who Loved Me Roger Moore
Moore's best Bond, featuring fun and frolic in Egypt. And don't forget Jaws (Richard Kiel).
1989 License To Kill Timothy Dalton
Dalton doesn't much care for the dour tone, but the vengeance-is-mine theme has power and resonance.
1997 Tomorrow Never Dies Pierce Brosnan
Brosnan and Michelle Yeoh get it on in exotic fashion.
1995 GoldenEye Pierce Brosnan
Brosnan's first Bond ain't "Goldfinger," but its wall-to-wall action shook up the franchise and infused box-office blood.
1987 The Living Daylights Timothy Dalton
Dalton's first Bond displays a unique intensity as the franchise returns to its Fleming roots.
1981 For You Eyes Only Roger Moore
Moore's most serious Bond also has an effective revenge theme.
1973 Live and Let Die Roger Moore
Goodbye Connery, hello Moore. A wild ride underscored by that Wings title song.
1979 Moonraker Roger Moore
This has a cult following for its outer-space trappings, but it's only diverting. Can you say "Star Wars"?
1983 Octopussy Roger Moore
Moore starts to run out of energy; the franchise recycles more than ever.
1974 The Man With The Golden Gun Roger Moore
Flemings last novel disappoints as a film drained of all weight and emotional context, but Chrisopher Lee is elegant as the million-dollar bounty hunter.
1985 A View to a Kill Roger Moore
Moore looks bored in his final Bond, but Christopher Walken shines with eccentric zeal as the super-villian.
As ranked by Bill Desowitz, LA Times, 11/17/2002
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Chronological order
1962 Dr. No Sean Connery
1963 From Russia With Love Sean Connery
1964 Goldfinger Sean Connery
1965 Thunderball Sean Connery
1967 You Only Live Twice Sean Connery
1967 Casino Royale David Niven, Peter Sellers, et all... (note this is a bond spoof)
1969 On Her Majesty's Secret Service George Lazenby
1971 Diamonds Are Forever Sean Connery
1973 Live and Let Die Roger Moore
1974 The Man With The Golden Gun Roger Moore
1977 The Spy Who Loved Me Roger Moore
1979 Moonraker Roger Moore
1981 For You Eyes Only Roger Moore
1983 Never Say Never Again Sean Connery
1983 Octopussy Roger Moore
1985 A View to a Kill Roger Moore
1987 The Living Daylights Timothy Dalton
1989 License To Kill Timothy Dalton
1995 GoldenEye Pierce Brosnan
1997 Tomorrow Never Dies Pierce Brosnan
1999 The World Is Not Enough Pierce Brosnan
2002 Die Another Day Pierce Brosnan
Bond Quotes:
Sean Connery when asked if he thought Bond would last this long:
"No, I didn't. And anyone who says he did is a liar."
Timothy Dalton:
"I think everyone who has played Bond has suddenly realized that the role overtakes the individual. He drives the story along, but you find that every other character has often been written afresh. Bond is less well-written because he's such a part of our consciousness, so his purpose is to get through one action sequence after another."
George Lazenby regrets quitting Bond after only one film. He was allegedly advised by a London hipster that the success of "Easy Rider" was going to kill the Bond franchise.
Pierce Brosnan:
"Everybody has their own take on how to play Bond. For me, there's only one man who's played it and is Bond to this day, and that's Connery. He must've been blindsided. You have to be prepared to go through many doors because you're not just an actor, you become the frontman for this franchise. For me, above all else, it's about getting away with creating the role, having a love affair with the piece as a fan, the pride in the work and being part of this legacy."
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