Shaken Not Stirred:

Ranking the James Bond Films

Article By: Dan Clark

In a continuation of our James Bond coverage we shift our focus to the Bond films, and more specifically on ranking them from worst to best. Even the hardest of the hardcore James Bond fan will admit not every Bond effort was a success, but I truly believe there are far more successes then failures. I’m sure many may disagree with the list in one way or another. If you do feel free to sound off in the comment section below.

23. Moonraker

Year: 1979

Directed By: Lewis Gilbert

Written By: Christopher Wood

Starring: Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, and Michael Lonsdale

Synopsis: Agent 007 blasts into orbit in this action-packed adventure that takes him to not only Venice, Italy, and Rio de Janeiro but to outer space as he investigates the hijacking of an American space shuttle by a power-mad industrialist.

Overview: When putting this list together it was difficult to determine what film should be last on the list. What is the worst Bond film? For my money that distinction should go Moonraker. The worst Bond films are the ones that overly pander to what is hot at the moment in an effort to stay relevant. Moonraker is simply James Bond’s trying to jump on the Star Wars bandwagon. In hindsight it could have worked if done right, but instead we get a climatic space battle that is downright embarrassing.

22. Diamonds are Forever

Year: 1971

Directed By: Guy Hamilton

Written By: Richard Maibaum

Starring: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, and Lana Wood

Synopsis: James Bond’s mission is to find out who has been smuggling diamonds, which are not re-appearing. He adopts another identity in the form of Peter Franks. He joins up with Tiffany Case, and acts as if he is smuggling the diamonds, but everyone is hungry for these diamonds. He also has to avoid Mr. Wint and Mr. Kidd, the dangerous couple who does not leave anyone in their way.

Overview: After You Only Live Twice Connery left the Bond franchise.  After one Bond film without Connery  he quickly returned with Diamonds are Forever. Even Connery’s presence couldn’t rescue this mess of a movie. One big reason it fails is Conner’s lack of interest. He is just going through the motions with little effort. The plot is wacky and insane in almost every way. When you have a script that gives a Bond girl a name like Tiffany Case chances are your film will be dead on arrival.  It’s that type of creativity that made this one of the worst Bond films ever made.

21. Die Another Day

Year: 2002

Directed By: Lee Tamahori

Written By: Neal Purvis

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, and Toby Stephens

Synopsis: Pierce Brosnan gives one last mission as James Bond. Starting off in North Korea, Bond is betrayed and captured. 14 months later, Bond is set free, but traded for Zao who was captured by MI6. When back in his world, Bond sets off to track down Zao. Bond gets caught up in yet another scheme which sends him to millionaire Gustav Graves. Another MI6 agent known as Miranda Frost is also posing as a friend of Graves. Bond is invited to a presentation held by Graves about a satellite found in space which can project a huge laser beam. Bond must stop this madman with a fellow American agent, known as Jinx. Whilst Bond tries to stop Graves and Zao, will he finally reveal who betrayed him?

Overview: In all honesty the first half of Die Another Day is not half bad. It’s not until the second half when things go completely off the wall. An invisible car, glacier windsurfing, and a mirror space laser are just some of the notable items that exist in this movie. Though what Die Another Day really suffers from is lackluster direction. Lee Tamahori was not up to the task and filled all of action sequences with unnecessary slow-motion, random speed ramping, and a dose of some of the worst CGI in film history. Like many action films of its day it attempted to rehash what we saw in the Matrix a few years earlier, and like many of those films it failed in its attempt.

20. A View to a Kill

Year: 1985

Directed By: John Glen

Written By: Richard Maibaum, and Michael G. Wilson

Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, and Tanya Roberst

Synopsis: James Bond has one more mission. Bond returns from his travels in the USSR with a computer chip. This chip is capable of withstanding a nuclear electromagnetic pulse that would otherwise destroy a normal chip. The chip was created by Zorin Industries, and Bond heads off to investigate its owner, Max Zorin. Zorin may only seem like a innocent guilty man, but is really planning to set off an earthquake in San Andreas which will wipe out all of Silicon Valley. As well as Zorin, Bond must also tackle May Day and equally menacing companion of Zorin, whilst dragging Stacy Sutton along for the ride.

Overview: The worst thing about A View to a Kill is that it’s just not that memorable. The highs aren’t that high, and the lows aren’t that low. Christopher Walken as a James Bond villain should be an instant classic, but instead he’s underutilized and never truly defined. The plot is insane and lacks any type of logic. Of course even the best Bond films have ridiculous plots, but they at least have fun with their silliness. A View to Kill takes itself far too seriously.

19. Quantum of Solace

Year: 2008

Directed By: Marc Forester

Written By: Paul Haggis and Neal Purvis

Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko and Mathieu Amalric

Synopsis: Is there solace in revenge? Bond and “M” sniff a shadowy international network of power and corruption reaping billions. As Bond pursues the agents of an assassination attempt on “M,” all roads lead to Dominic Greene, a world-renowned developer of green technology. Greene, a nasty piece of work, is intent on securing a barren area of Bolivia in exchange for assisting a strongman stage a coup there. The CIA looks the other way, and only Bond, with help from a retired spy and from a mysterious beauty, stands in Greene’s way. “M” wonders if she can trust Bond, or if vengeance possesses him. Beyond that, can anyone drawn to Bond live to tell the tale?

Overview: Casino Royale got me back into the Bond franchise, and Quantum of Solace almost got me back out. Quantum has many issues perhaps the biggest is that it is tied to closely to its predecessor. Its less of a sequel and more of a continuation. If it was a video game it would have been downloable content and not a stand alone game. To be fair it is one in a long list of films that suffered from the writers’ strike. What was already a difficult venture became nearly impossible as the story was forced together. Here’s hoping they can pick up the pieces, learn from their mistakes, and right their wrongs.

18. The World is Not Enough

Year: 1999

Directed By: Michael Apted

Written By: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, and Bruce Feirstein

Starring:Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, and Robert Carlyle

Synopsis: James Bond is back. An oil tycoon is murdered in MI6 and Bond is sent to protect his daughter. Renard, who has a bullet lodged in his brain from a previous agent, is secretly planning the destruction of a pipeline. Bond gains a hand from a research scientist, Dr. Christmas Jones who witnesses the action which happens when Bond meets up with Renard, but Bond becomes suspicious about Elektra King, especially when Bond’s boss, M goes missing. Bond must work quickly to prevent Renard from destroying Europe.

Overview: The World is Not Enough has a lot of issues two of the biggest are a villain that is all style and no substance, and one of the worst Bond girls in the franchise’s history. I’m not sure who thought Denise Richards would make a believable scientist. My guess is her resume was a pop-up book of her best model shots.  If you take away those two negative aspects of this film it’s a decent guilty pleasure.

17. The Man with the Golden Gun

Year: 1974

Directed By: Guy Hamilton

Written By: Richard Maibaum, and Tom Makiewicz

Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, and Britt Ekland

Synopsis: Scaramanga is a hit-man who charges a million dollars per job. He becomes linked to the death of a scientist working on a powerful solar cell, and James Bond is called in to investigate. As he tracks down Scaramanga, he realises that he is highly respected by the killer, but will this prove to be an advantage in the final showdown?

Overview: My distaste for this film has lessened over the years. With movies like Die Another Day and Quantum of Solace this began to look like a masterpiece.  While I enjoy Christopher Lee’s performance as the Anti-James Bond I feel his character is rather thin. They stick him with this needless ploy to destroy the world that did nothing but over complicate things, and much of the comedy was a detriment to the action and tension of the film. In the end it has some great moments but could have been much better.

16. Dr. No

Year: 1962

Directed By: Terence Young

Written By: Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, and Berkely Mather

Starring: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, and Bernard Lee

Synopsis: James Bond (007) is Britain’s top agent and is on an exciting mission, to solve the mysterious murder of a fellow agent. The task sends him to Jamacia, where he joins forces with Quarrel and a loyal CIA agent, Felix Leiter. While dodging tarantulas, “fire breathing dragons” and a trio of assassins, known as the three blind mice. Bond meets up with the beautiful Honey Ryder and goes face to face with the evil Dr. No.

Overview: I know many Bond fans may scoff at where Dr. No is on the list as it is the film that started it all.  I considered film quality first and foremost so I would be lying if I place this any higher. Dr. No is not a bad film, however its not a good film either. Instead it is a film that is incomplete, which tends to occur when you are experimenting with something new. It deserves respect for how much it established the Bond lore right from the start.  Of course Connery was great and his performance alone helped to create one of the greatest movie franchises of all time.

15. Thunderball

Year: 1965

Directed By: Terence Young

Written By: Richard Maibaum, John Hopkins, and Jack Whittingham

Starring: Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, and Adolfo Celi

Synopsis: James Bond continues on his fourth mission, with his aim to recover two stolen warheads. They have been taken by the evil SPECTRE organisation. The world is held hostage and Bond heads to Nassau. Here, he meets the beautiful Domino and is forced into a thrilling confrontation with SPECTRE agent Emilio Largo, on board his boat, the Disco Volante.

Overview: When people think of Thunderball the first thing that often comes to mind is he incredible underwater battle sequence. It’s understandable as it still holds up pretty well today. Plus i is something that was new at the time and hasn’t really been attempted on that scale since. This film was later remade in Never Say Never Again, but even Connery couldn’t rescue that effort. Though Thunderball could have been an all-time great if it had a plot that didn’t rely on happenstance, and a villain with more weight and substance.

14. License to Kill

Year: 1989

Directed By: John Glen

Written By: Michael G. Wilson and Richard Maibaum

Starring: Timothy Dalton, Robert Davi, and Carey Lowell

Synopsis: James Bond is on possibly his most brutal mission yet. Bond’s good friend, Felix Leiter, is left near to death, by drug baron Franz Sanchez. Bond sets off on the hunt for Sanchez, but not everyone is happy. MI6 does not feel Sanchez is their problem and strips Bond of his license to kill. Bond is now more dangerous than ever. Bond gains the aide of one of Leiter friends, known as Pam Bouvier and sneaks his way into the drug factories, which Sanchez owns. Will Bond be able to keep his identity secret, or will Sanchez see Bond’s true intentions?

Overview: I always argue that License to Kill was a better movie than it was a Bond movie. What I mean by that is they separated the character so much from the original source material that it barely resembles a Bond film. Personally I didn’t have a huge issue with that as I feel its okay to branch out from time to time, but I also understand how that could rub Bond purists the wrong way. What works for me is the emotion placed in the story that makes Bond’s trip to the dark side feel legitimize.

13. Tomorrow Never Dies

Year: 1997

Directed By: Roger Spottiswoode

Written By: Bruce Feirstein

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, and Michelle Yeoh

Synopsis: Agent James Bond 007 is on a mission which includes a media tycoon, his former lover and a Chinese agent. Elliot Carver wants to complete his global media empire, but in order for this to work., he must achieve broadcasting rights in China. Carver wants to to start up World War III by starting a confrontation over British and Chinese waters. Bond gains the helping of Wai Lin on his quest to stop him, but how will Bond feel when he meets up with his former lover, who is know Carver’s wife.

Overview: For some reason Tomorrow Never Dies is often forgotten about or put down as a misstep by most fans. Most argue it’s a lesser remake of The Spy Who Loved Me and I don’t argue against. Still it has a lot of quality action set pieces and fun moments. I think a lot of the hatred for The World is Not Enough is carryover from  Brosnan’s final two efforts. For me its one of the most under rated films on the list.

12. For Your Eyes Only

Year: 1981

Directed By: John Glen

Written By: Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson

Starring: Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, and Topol

Synopsis: After disposing of a familiar looking face, Bond is sent to recover a communication device, known as an ATAC, which went down with a British Spy ship as it sunk. Bond must hurry though, as the Russians are also out for this device. On his travels, he also meets Melina Havelock, whose parents were brutally murdered. Bond also encounters both Aristotle Kristatos and Milos Colombo. Each of them are accusing the other of having links with with the Russian’s. Bond must team up with Melina, solve who the true ally is and find the ATAC before it’s too late.

Overview: After the disaster that was Moonraker they brought Bond back to earth with For Your Eyes Only. That was the right choice to make as it brought the character back to some resemblance of reality. The best Moore installments are the ones that properly manage the silliness and don’t let it get out of control. For Your Eyes Only was full of colorful characters that added a lot of fun and good times.

11. Octopussy

Year: 1983

Directed By: John Glen

Written By: George MacDonald Fraser and Richard Mailbaum

Starring: Roger Moore, Maud Adams, and Louis Jourdan

Synopsis: James Bond’s next mission sends him to the circus. A British agent was murdered and found holding onto a priceless Faberge egg. Kamal Kahn buys the egg at an auction, but Bond becomes suspicious when Kahn meets up with Russian General, Orlov. Bond soon finds out that Kahn’s and Orlov’s plan is to blow a nuclear device in an American Air Force Base. Bond teams up with a circus group, which are headed by the beautiful Octopussy, who is also close friend of Kahn. Will Bond be quick enough, before World War III begins?

Overview: When you look at the plot of Octopussy on paper it reads like one of the worst Bond movies ever made. I mean the idea of Bond dressing up like a clown to stop a nuclear bomb from blowing up at a  circus that is taking place at an  army base sounds like bad Bond fan fiction. I’m still not 100% sure how they made it work. Great action set pieces was surely one factor. Bond is known for quality train sequences and I honesty believe this has the best one.

10. Live and Let Die

Year: 1973

Directed By: Guy Hamilton

Written By: Tom Mankiewicz

Starring: Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, and Jane Seymour

Synopsis: Several British agents have been murdered and James Bond is sent to New Orleans, to investigate these mysterious deaths. Mr. Big comes to his knowledge, who is self-producing heroin. Along his journeys he meets Tee Hee who has a claw for a hand, Baron Samedi the voodoo master and Solitaire and her tarot cards. Bond must travel deep inside New Orleans, through marshy grass and on water as he completes his mission.

Overview: I’ll admit I am higher on this than most. For some reason placing James Bond in a Blaxploitation worked for me. This is a movie that needed the lighthearted touch of Roger Moore.  Live and Let Die also happens to have my favorite Bond song of all time. Not only is the song in itself great it really works well in the context of the movie. Live and Let Die was an announcement to the world of what type of Bond Roger More was going to be. It was far less serious and brought the action to an entirely different level. The boat chase sequence gave us a small peak into the crazy stunts that would occur during the Moore era.

9. The Living Daylights

Year: 1987

Directed By: John Glen

Written By: Richard Maibaum and Michael G. Wilson

Starring: Timothy Dalton, Maryam d’Abo, and Jeroen Krabbe’

Synopsis: James Bond 007’s mission is to firstly, organise the defection of a top Soviet general. When the general is re-captured, Bond heads off to find why an ally of General Koskov was sent to murder him. Bond’s mission continues to take him to Afghanistan, where he must confront an arms dealer known as Brad Whitaker. Everything eventually reveals its self to Bond.

Overview: Timothy Dalton gets a unfair rap as a lesser Bond since he was only in two films. While he surely wasn’t the most charming or charismatic Bond he was able to hold his own in the action department. Moore was getting up there in age and we needed someone to come in and allow us to believe that Bond was a super-agent again. Dalton did  just that. In the 80’s action films were all the rage and Bond needed to reinvent himself once again. Dalton was the bridge that took Bond from the campy 70’s to bleak reality of the 80’s and early 90’s. Like with most bridges, we didn’t realize at the time just how much important work he was really doing.

8. You Only Live Twice

Year: 1967

Directed By: Lewis Gilbert

Written By: Harold Jack Bloom and Roald Dahl

Starring: Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi, and Mie Hama

Synopsis: When an American space capsule is swallowed up by what they believe to be a Russian spaceship, World War 3 nearly breaks out. The British Government, however, suspect that other powers are at work as the space craft went down near Japan. S.P.E.C.T.R.E. is the force behind the theft, as James Bond discovers, but its motives are far from clear, and he must first find out where the captured space capsule is held before America and Russia initiate another world war

Overview: For my money this is my favorite classic Bond film. There are certain things that happen that border on crazy and at times rather racist. I mean turning Sean Connery Asian is not the most culturally sensitive thing you could do. However, it was a different time so you have to give it that one pass if you are going to enjoy it at all. It was also the  first Western film to feature ninjas on such a large scale. You have to give it points for that.

7. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Year: 1969

Directed By: Peter R. Hunt

Written By: Simon Raven and Richard Maibaum

Starring: Geroge Lazenby, Diana Rigg, and Telly Savalas.

Synopsis: George Lazenby steps into the role of James Bond and is sent on his first mission. For help with Draco, he must becomes very close friends with her daughter, Tracy, and heads off to hunt down Ernst Stavro Blofeld one more time. This takes him to Switzerland, where he must pose as Sir Hilary Bray to find out the secret plan of Blofeld. The facility is covered with Blofeld’s guards and well as his hench-woman, Irma Bunt. What has Blofeld got in mind this time? Bond keep up this act for much longer? and are ALL Bond girls safe?

Overview: You have to feel bad for George Lazenby. Trying to replace Sean Connery as Bond is like trying to replace Babe Ruth or Michael Jordan. You are basically destined to disappoint. Lazenby was a strange choice for Bond as he was a former model turned first time actor, and he wasn’t nearly as bad as you would think looking as his background. For one he brought a physicality to the role that wasn’t see again until Dalton took over in 1987. Actually this film has far more in common with Daniel Craig’s Bond films than any other. The film style and action techniques hold up to this day. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is one of the most forgotten Bond film, and I could never completely understand why.

6. The Spy Who Loved

Year: 1977

Directed By: Lewis Gilbert

Written By: Christopher Wood and Richard Maibaum

Starring: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, and Curd Jurgens

Synopsis: James Bond is back again and his new mission is to find out how a Royal Navy Polaris submarine holding sixteen nuclear warheads simply disappears whilst on patrol. Bond joins Major Anya Amasova and takes on a a web-handed mastermind, known as Karl Stromberg, as well as his henchman Jaws, who has a mouthful of metal teeth. Bond must track down the location of the missing submarine before the warheads are fired.

Overview: The Spy Who Loved Me is without question is Roger Moore’s best bond. It starts off with the greatest stunt in all of Bond history. With the amount of real world danger involved you know it’s a stunt that may never be topped. On top of that you have an interesting story that shifted the Bond formula just enough to stand out from the crowd. It also included some of the best gadgets, like a car that could turn into a  submarine. Spy Who Loved Me introduced the fan favorite villain Jaws to the world. Roger Moore’s era was defined by this movie.  They wanted to make the new measuring stick for the franchise and show Moore was just as capable as Connery. That goal wasn’t completely achieved, but their ambition can be seen in every aspect of the movie.

5. Casino Royale

Year: 2006

Directed By: Martin Campbell

Written By: Neal Purvis and Robert Wade

Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, and Judi Dench

Synopsis: James Bond goes on his first ever mission as a 00. Le Chiffre is a banker to the world’s terrorists. He is participating in a poker game at Montenegro, where he must win back his money, in order to stay safe among the terrorist market. The boss of MI6, known simply as M sends Bond, along with Vesper Lynd to attend this game and prevent Le Chiffre from winning. Bond, using help from Felix Leiter, Mathis and having Vesper pose as his wife, enters the most important poker game in his already dangerous career. But if Bond defeats Le Chiffre, will he and Vesper Lynd remain safe?

Overview: When word went out that they were going to reboot the franchise many were skeptical of the idea. Reboot is a dirty word that is the movie equivalent of waiving the white flag of defeat in an attempt to start from scratch. The casting of Daniel Craig raised even more eyebrows as the thought of a ‘Blond Bond’ made many feel the death of their hero was now inevitable. In a lot of ways the skeptics were right. Casino Royale was a completely different kind of Bond, except it was a change that was necessary to make the character more relevant for a new generation. Personally this holds a special place for me as it got me back on board with Bond. Being a fan of the Bourne franchise,  I saw a lot of what appealed to me with that trilogy repeated with Casino Royale.

4. Goldeneye

Year:1995

Directed By: Martin Campbell

Written By: Michael France

Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, and Izabella Scorupco

Synopsis: When a deadly satellite weapon system falls into the wrong hands, only Agent 007 can save the world from certain disaster. Armed with his license to kill, Bond races to Russia in search of the stolen access codes for “Goldeneye,” an awesome space weapon that can fire a devastating electromagnetic pulse toward Earth. But 007 is up against an enemy who anticipates his every move: a mastermind motivated by years of simmering hatred. Bond also squares off against Xenia Onatopp, an assassin who uses pleasure as her ultimate weapon.

Overview: Many people wondered if the end of the Cold War would also be the end for Bond. While Bond didn’t really directly deal with the Cold War it was always in the background pushing things along. Luckily Goldeneye showed Bond is relevant  no matter what the global climate. There is always a threat and the Bond franchise as adapted to their stories to fit that threat. Whether it be North Korea, Eco-terrorists, or rogue Russian agents looking for revenge against their former foes. Pierce Brosnan was fantastic as James Bond and many argue the best since Connery. They were after him for years to play the character and when they finally got him he didn’t disappoint.

3. Skyfall

Year: 2012

Directed By: Sam Mendes

Written By: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade

Starring: Daniel Craig, Javier Bardem,  Judi Dench

Synopsis: When Bond’s latest assignment goes gravely wrong and agents around the world are exposed, MI6 is attacked forcing M to relocate the agency. These events cause her authority and position to be challenged by Gareth Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), the new Chairman of the Intelligence and Security Committee. With MI6 now compromised from both inside and out, M is left with one ally she can trust: Bond. 007 takes to the shadows – aided only by field agent, Eve (Naomie Harris) – following a trail to the mysterious Silva (Javier Bardem), whose lethal and hidden motives have yet to reveal themselves.

Overview: Putting Skyfall may seem like hyperbole for  a film that was just released, but I honestly feel the respect for Skyfall will only grow as the years go by. After the meltdown that was Quantum of Solace Daniel Craig was in need of a film that could rehabilitate his bond career. Skyfall was the perfect exercise of amazing imagery and deep story telling. For perhaps the first time we saw Bond have to go through some serious soul searching. Not to mention is was the best looking Bond film ever. The talent involved in Skyfall was top notch from top to bottom. All that talent was put to good use to create one of the best Bond films of all time.

2. From Russia with Love

Year: 1963

Directed By: Terence Young

Written By: Richard Maibaum and Johanna Harwood

Starring: Sean Connery, Robert Shaw, and Lotte Lenya

Synopsis: James Bond 007 is on the search for a Russian decoding machine, known as Lektor. Bond needs to find this machine, before the evil SPECTRE organization discovers it first. Whilst being romantically linked with Russian girl, Tatiana Romanova, Bond sneaks his way around Istanbul, whilst each SPECTRE agent tries to pick him off, including the over powering Donald ‘Red’ Grant and ex-KGB agent Rosa Klebb who knows all the tricks in the books and even possesses an incredible poison tipped shoe!

Overview: With Goldeneye Bond showed he didn’t need the Cold War. From Russia with Love went the other way and is perhaps the most directly tied to the Cold War. Rewatching this film is odd as it doesn’t feel at all like Bond film. The tone and style are more fitting for a noir thriller than a action packed popcorn flick. That’s a huge part of why From Russia from Love is so great. It was early evidence that you can place this character into almost every setting. In addition it had one of my favorite Bond villains of all time in Red Grant. His archetype is steadily seen in the Bond franchise, but none match the quiet intensity of the original.  Everything fit together perfectly including the first Bond gadget. A briefcase doesn’t come off as the most exciting gadget, but its tactical use paved the way for what was soon to come.

 1. Goldfinger

Year: 1964

Directed By: Guy Hamilton

Written By: Richard Maibaum and Paul Dehn

Starring: Sean Connery, Gert Frobe, and Honor Blackman

Synopsis: Bond is back and his next mission takes him to Fort Knox, where Auric Goldfinger and his henchman are planning to raid Fort Knox and obliterate the world economy. To save the world once again, Bond will need to become friends with Goldfinger, dodge killer hats and avoid Goldfinger’s personal pilot, the sexy Pussy Galore. She might not have feelings for Bond, but will 007 help her change her mind?

Overview: When I sat down to create this list the number spot was the easiest to fit in. Goldfinger brought the Bond franchise to a whole new level. Dr. No and From Russia with Love made it a hit. Goldfinger made it a movement. There are certain elements every Bond film has and this film is great in every area. It has a great villain, the best henchman, great Bond girls, and a nonstop amount of memorable moments. Basically the  perfect Bond.  All franchises have that one film that sets their standard and this is it for James Bond.