James Bond Films Ranked Part 1: The Sean Connery Era 1962-1971, 1983

 

 “I admire your courage, miss uh?... ,”Trench, Sylvia Trench. I admire your luck Mr.?”.... 

“Bond… James Bond.” That is the official introduction to the classic spy 007, James Bond in Dr. No (1962), portrayed by the legendary Sean Connery. The James Bond film series launched by Dr. No was based on the famous Bond book series by former spy Ian Fleming in the 1950s. The success of the character’s introduction to the big screen led to a blockbuster movie franchise machine that has so far spawned 24 official Bond films with a 25th film due out in theaters this October after a long delayed release, the role played by 6 actors to date, in addition to two unofficial Bond films that were made due to extenuating and fascinating circumstances. In the lead up to the release of Daniel Craig’s final Bond film, No Time To Die this October, I will be ranking the James Bond films according to each respective actor in a series of monthly installments starting with the Sean Connery James Bond film era and culminating in Daniel Craig’s extended tenure as the character from 2006-2021 and my review of his final Bond picture upon its release in cinemas this fall. This 60 year old movie franchise is certainly one worth taking a look at from a historical perspective as the spy genre has evolved from the times of the 1960s with the Cold War to the age of the war on terrorism in the 21st Century and this ranking of Sean Connery’s phase of movies delves deep into the waters of the Cold War with a compelling sense of intrigue and class. 

 

 

 

7. Diamonds are Forever (1971) 

Easily the worst of Sean Connery’s Bond films Diamonds are Forever, released in the early 70s following Connery’s 4 year hiatus from the role after getting burned out on the role and his feud with Bond producer Cubby Broccoli, during the making of You Only Live Twice (1967), he returned to the role for what he said at the time would be his final appearance as 007 as part of a new agreement he signed with the studio to make additional non-007 movies and to receive a heightened salary of $1.25 million dollars which he ended up donating to charity. Even though he had only been gone from the role for 4 years Sean Connery at 41, looked like he had easily aged 10 years during that time sporting grey hair and a visibly aged appearance. Clearly there to collect a paycheck and conduct a business arrangement, Connery's performance in the film lacked the same level of energy that his earlier films benefited from and the tone of Diamonds are Forever was mired in campy tactics. Diamonds are Forever saw Bond investigating a diamond smuggling ring which evolved into a rematch with his arch nemesis Blofeld from the previous Bond installments, who had again been recast for what seemed the millionth time at that point. Diamonds are Forever certainly has its moments with a chase through the desert and Connery’s natural magnetism elevating the campy material somewhat but at the end of the day if anybody forgot this film existed I wouldn’t blame them. 

 

6. You Only Live Twice (1967) 

This was the film where Connery announced to the press he would never play Bond again after his 5th appearance as 007, though as history tells us he would go on to say the same thing twice more over the next 16 years before finally hanging it up for good in Never Say Never Again (1983). You Only Live Twice opens with Bond faking his death in style in order to pull the wool over the evil organization SPECTRE’s eyes who Bond has had numerous run-ins with by this point in the franchise so he is able to operate covertly as he investigates a series of space hijackings intended to provoke Russia and the United States into a war with each other which could have deadly consequences. Bond teams up with the Japanese Secret Service to go deep cover as a Japanese man in order to get to the bottom of Blofeld, the leader of SPECTRE’s plot which culminates in a showdown in Blofeld’s secret base concealed in a volcano. The theatrics and espionage intrigue certainly let this film shine at times but I’m ranking this film as Connery’s second worst entry as Bond because at this point Connery had lost the enthusiasm for playing Bond and the film is a bit of slow-burn with not as inspired a plot as its predecessors. 

 

5. Never Say Never Again (1983)

Though not an official Bond film this film was produced by Warner Brothers following a legal battle between producer Kevin McClory and the Bond producers in the aftermath of the release of Thunderball which eventually led to McClory being granted the legal rights to remake Thunderball separate from the original franchise. McClory recruited Sean Connery to return to the role of 007 for one last portrayal of the character following a 12 year hiatus from the role. This came at the same time Roger Moore was well into his run as James Bond in the official franchise and Connery’s return to the role came as a way to donate to charity again like he did with Diamonds are Forever and to say goodbye to the role for good. Connery, now 53 at this point has aged more gracefully from the 12 years in between Diamonds are Forever and Never Say Never Again than the 4 years between You Only Live Twice and Diamonds are Forever. The plot, a remake of Thunderball, finds Bond who has been for years been an extinct dinosaur in the spy world with the Double O Section suspended and his skills mostly put to use in the classroom to teach, sent to a rehab facility to get himself into shape where he stumbles upon a plot by SPECTRE to steal two nuclear warheads and detonate them upon unknown targets. Never Say Never Again is a far better swan song for Connery’s Bond then Diamonds are Forever was with Bond put into an adventure that finds himself coming up against a classic Bond villain played by a famous Shakespearean actor and romancing the villain’s beautiful girlfriend Domino, played by the dynamic Kim Basinger who brings a strong sense of reality to the role making her a well-matched love interest for Bond upon his retirement from the British Secret Service at the end of the movie. Never Say Never Again is far from perfect with certain classic Bond elements removed with the absence of the original actors from Connery’s Bond films playing the supporting characters of M, Moneypenny, and Q, but the adventure and class of Connery’s final mission as Bond is full of spectacle and intrigue and romance not to mention beautiful exotic locations which makes this film a fitting ending for Connery’s Bond as in the final moments of the film he promises the lovely Domino, “Never Again.” 

 

4. Thunderball (1965) 

Basically the same plot as Never Say Never Again, Thunderball was the Bond picture that saw Kevin McClory attached as producer in addition to Cubby Broccoli and Harry Saltzman due to a legal battle between Ian Fleming and McClory after McClory who had socialized with Ian Fleming claimed Fleming got the idea for his Bond book, Thunderball, from McClory. The legal battle culminated in Kevin McClory being granted the rights to produce the Thunderball movie much to the dismay of the Bond producers. History would repeat itself with Never Say Never Again but for now that was the situation with the development of Thunderball. Famous for its underwater scenes, Thunderball is a true Bond spectacle that really propelled the series forward with its cinematic scope and ambition. The film opens aggressively with Bond taking on an adversary disguised as a widow followed by his escape on a jetpack, a scene which captured the imaginations of millions upon the film’s release in the mid 60s. Thunderball may have a toxic legal battle background behind it but the film itself showcases Connery’s Bond with a high level of class and humor to its full cinematic potential. Full of twists and turns, Thunderball manages to shift the series into a higher gear in the action space with this installment on a higher bar than its previous installments. The end of the film which is heavy on the underwater action scenes may be a bit too dragged out and overdone but overall Thunderball is a stylish and charismatic addition to the Bond franchise. 

 

3. Dr. No (1962)

Dr. No was the classic introduction to the 007 franchise with the Bond producers setting out to establish a franchise which they envisioned would go on for a long time, and right they were. Originally they wanted Cary Grant for the role of Bond, but Grant wasn’t ready to commit himself to a franchise and wouldn’t agree to any more than two films, but the Bond producers knew they needed their James Bond to sign on for at least 3 films in order to make it work. While Cary Grant’s version of Bond would have surely been great its a good thing it didn’t work out as the relatively unknown Scottish actor at the time, Sean Connery wouldn’t have been cast in the role. Primarily set in Jamaica, Bond’s first cinematic adventure finds him facing off against Dr. No, who reveals he works for SPECTRE, the evil organization Bond will continue to do battle with in subsequent films. Dr. No doesn’t have the whole Bond formula established yet at this point but it does establish the 007 character and how is he is a man of action and adventure but also a man who enjoys life emphasized by his first meeting with the famous Bond girl, Honey Rider, played by Ursula Andress who he meets on Dr. No’s private island as she emerges from the ocean in beauty. Dr. No does lack the same level of fast-pacing and cinematic thrills that later Bond films acquire but its a stellar introduction to Connery’s Bond nonetheless. 

 

2. From Russia With Love (1963)

The second entry in the franchise comes in at my list as Connery’s second best film as 007 in which Bond investigates an assination plot involving a naive Russian beauty in order to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by SPECTRE. From the movie’s opening we know Bond is high on SPECTRE’s radar following his duel with Dr. No, and they recruit a Russian agent into doing their bidding for them. Only the Russian beauty, Tatiana Romanova doesn’t know she’s working for SPECTRE, she thinks she is working for the Russian government. Bond romances her in order to get the Soviet encryption device and what follows is a mission full of intrigue and danger culminating in Bond’s close-quarters encounter with a Russian musclebound powerhouse named Donald “Red” Grant, on a moving train. From Russia With Love may not be the most action-packed of the 007 films but it more than makes up for it with character as Bond aligns himself with a family man intelligence businessman who holds family blood in high esteem and finds himself quite proud of the establishment he has built having started out in life as a circus freak. From Russia With Love’s strong focus on character and the espionage nature of Bond’s work distinguishes it from many other action films in the genre and solidifies it in the number two spot on this list only behind the Bond classic, Goldfinger. 

 

1. Goldfinger (1964)

There's a reason why Goldfinger is ranked number one on my list of Connery’s Bond films and that is because it established the classic Bond formula for all the Bond pictures that followed it. The film follows Bond as he investigates the gold magnate Goldfinger’s smuggling operations leading him to uncover Goldfinger’s plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve. The first act of Goldfinger arms Bond with an emotionally powerful motivation following Goldfinger’s assassination of his girlfriend in the form of asphyxiation by having her body painted entirely in gold. Many of the classic 007 hallmarks are established in Goldfinger with Bond setting off on a mission with high stakes and uncovering a plot with epic scope and scale. Q makes his second appearance in the franchise here and the famous rivalry between the troublemaker spy and his quartermaster is established phenomenally when Q shows Bond the ejector seat to his Aston Martin to which Bond quips, “Ejector seat, you must be joking.” To which Q promptly responds, “I never joke about my work 007.” Furthermore the dynamic between the 007 character and his boss M, played by Bernard Lee is continued to be established with their contentious boss-employee relationship with M viewing Bond as a blunt instrument, a very good blunt instrument and his top man, but a blunt instrument nonetheless. 

One of the most memorable Bond girls Pussy Galore is pitted against Bond as she works for Goldfinger as his personal pilot who Bond over time seduces much to her initial resistance. The film’s ending finds Bond in a high-octane race to stop a bomb from contaminating the Fort Knox gold supply and is faced with the monumental obstacle of Goldfinger’s henchman Oddjob a hat-throwing killing machine who sets the template for future villainous Bond henchmen to come. The elevated theatrics of Goldfinger aside the film emphasizes the nature of espionage work in a detective-esque mode as Bond has to investigate and get to the bottom of things with methods other than action-stunts. So with the establishment of the classic 007 formula seeing Bond face a larger-than-life villain and gadgetry gimmicks and a strong female villain turned ally the level of spectacle audiences would come to see in a Bond film was heightened from the first two installments and has set the standard ever since effectively making Goldfinger Connery’s best work as the character. 

COMING SOON: 

Connery is no doubt the best James Bond, being the one to establish the character in cinematic history and this ranking of his films shows where his films went right and where they went wrong but more importantly they establish the legacy of the Sean Connery James Bond era from his debut on the silver screen in 1962 to his final farewell to the character in the unofficial Bond film, Never Say Never Again in 1983, which finds his Bond retiring in the Bahamas with the charming and beautiful Domino. Next up, keep your eyes peeled for my review of the underrated classic On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), which sees George Lazenby in his one and only performance as Bond following Connery’s initial departure from the role. After that I will be releasing the next installment in this James Bond Film Ranking series with Part 2: The Roger Moore Era 1973-1985. Now go immerse yourself in the world of Bond to see if you agree with my assessment of the ranking of the Bond films… Till next time.