5th place: From Russia with Love (1963)
Securing the 5th spot with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 84% is From Russia with Love, a direct follow on from Dr. No. The plot revolves around the criminal syndicate SPECTRE seeking vengeance on James Bond for the demise of their operative, Dr. Julius No.
To ensnare Bond, they orchestrate a plot that involves him attempting to seize the Lektor cryptographic device from the Soviet Union’s consulate in Istanbul. Bond forms an alliance with Ali Kerim Bey, the local head of MI6, who helps him and the Soviet’s pawn Tatiana Romanova help escape to Western Europe.
Facing formidable adversaries, Bond triumphs over the infamous henchman, Red Grant, on the train, followed by a final showdown with Rosa Klebb, as she makes an attempt on his life with her poison-laced dagger shoe.
The movie wraps up on a tender note as Bond and Tatiana sail tranquilly along Venice‘s Grand Canal. In a final gesture of privacy, Bond discards a film reel of their intimate moments into the shimmering waters of the canal.
4th Place: Skyfall (2012)
Holding the 4th position with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 86% is Skyfall, a movie critics put as 5th best, but I would put higher than 4th. Never mind, we can’t all agree.
The plot sees James Bond embark on a mission to retrieve a stolen hard drive that houses the identities of undercover agents. While in Istanbul, he teams up with novice field agent, Eve Moneypenny, to chase down Patrice, the criminal in possession of the hard drive.
In an unfortunate turn of events, Moneypenny accidentally injures Bond, leading to him being declared dead while Patrice gets away. Following a public inquiry into the theft mishap and a subsequent attack on MI6’s headquarters, Bond emerges from his presumed demise to lend a hand.
His pursuit of Patrice takes him to Shanghai and eventually a casino in Macau, where he meets Sévérine, a woman entwined with the villainous Raoul Silva. On infiltrating Silva’s island stronghold, Bond unravels that Silva is a disgraced ex-MI6 agent nursing a vendetta against M.
The ensuing confrontation sees Bond apprehend Silva and transport him to London, only for Silva to break free and plot M’s assassination. Bond manages to foil Silva’s plans, and they retreat to Bond’s childhood home, Skyfall, in the Scottish Highlands, setting the stage for a gripping final confrontation.
Raoul Silva succumbs to defeat, but not before M sustains fatal injuries. The movie is a classic with so many memorable scenes, but Raoul Silva’s introduction is one of the bets pieces of acting you will see in any movie.
3rd Place: No Time To Die (2021)
Ranked 3rd with an Audience Score of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes is No Time to Die, a movie the critics had as 7th best, and as good as it is, I don’t believe it’s the 3rd best. But as we said this is the best James Bond movies according to the many not the few.
This plots takes us to a retired James Bond living tranquilly in Jamaica, five years post the events of Spectre. His serene retirement is interrupted when CIA agent Felix Leiter seeks Bond’s assistance to rescue kidnapped MI6 scientist Valdo Obruchev and to retrieve a purloined nanobot weapon.
Despite a cautionary warning from the new 007, Nomi, Bond reluctantly consents to help. After liberating Obruchev from a SPECTRE gathering in Cuba, Bond is double-crossed by Ash, Leiter’s associate, who is revealed to be an agent of SPECTRE.
During a prison visit, Blofeld tricks Bond into thinking Madeleine Swann has been disloyal. Following a thrilling car chase sequence in Norway, Bond’s beloved ones are taken hostage by Lyutsifer Safin. Together with Nomi, Bond infiltrates Safin’s island with the dual objectives of rescuing Madeleine and her daughter Mathilde and thwarting Safin’s apocalyptic scheme.
The movie ends on a poignant note with a revelation that Mathilde is Bond’s daughter, followed by Bond’s selfless sacrifice to shield them from the lethal nanobots. Bond 25 features memorable scenes, but the climactic shootout with Bond and Paloma is one of the best action scenes of any movies.
2nd Place: Goldfinger (1964)
Ranked 2nd with an Audience Score of 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, and as the top choice among critics, Goldfinger, the third installment in the Bond series, presents Sean Connery as James Bond.
In this movie, Bond is entrusted with the responsibility of surveilling the affluent bullion trader, Auric Goldfinger. As the story unfolds, Bond reveals Goldfinger’s scheme to amplify his gold’s worth by rendering the gold at Fort Knox radioactive, using an atomic bomb.
Throughout his mission, Bond crosses paths with and charms Jill Masterson, who later falls victim to Goldfinger’s henchman, Oddjob. The enchanting Pussy Galore is another acquaintance, who ultimately turns into an ally, aiding Bond in thwarting Goldfinger’s plot.
This third Bond movie is remembered for many iconic moments, such as the discovery of Jill’s gold-painted corpse and a thrilling car chase involving Bond’s specially fitted Aston Martin DB5, with its ejector seat, front-mounted machine guns, and rotating tire slitters.
Daniel Craig recently revealed Goldfinger was his favorite Bond movie…
The Best: Casino Royale (2006)
Securing 1st Place with a Rotten Tomatoes Audience Score of 90% is Casino Royale. With Daniel Craig installed as a rebooted Bond, the franchise went back to the beginnings, and it sees Bond elevated to the status of a 00-agent after he kills a disloyal contact at the British Embassy.
His inaugural mission entails the capture of Mollaka, a bomb-maker stationed in Madagascar. Following a high-octane chase, Bond puts Mollaka out of commission and seizes his backpack, which holds a bomb and a cell phone.
Ignoring M’s reservations, a sign of things to come, Bond traces a call from the recovered phone to The Bahamas. His investigation leads him to Alex Dimitrios, an unscrupulous government official connected to Le Chiffre, a private banker funding terrorists.
Dimitrios had planned to bomb Skyfleet’s prototype airliner, but Bond’s intervention prevents the plan, causing Le Chiffre to lose a $100 million investment he made for Ugandan warlord Steven Obanno.
In a bid to recoup his losses, Le Chiffre sets up a high-stakes poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro. Bond, accompanied by British Treasury agent Vesper Lynd, is assigned to beat Le Chiffre and strip him all of his finances. Over the course of the game, Bond’s initial $10 million stake is depleted, but a partnership with CIA Agent Felix Leiter enables him to continue, leading to his eventual victory.
However, this triumph is tarnished by treachery and tragedy when it is revealed that Vesper has been working with Le Chiffre’s associate, Mr. White, in a bid to spare both her, Bond’s and her secret lover’s lives. Bond’s attempt to save Vesper from drowning in Venice proves futile, and Mr. White escapes with the stolen money.
In the movie’s finale, Bond tracks down Mr. White in Lake Como, culminating in the memorable line, “The name’s Bond, James Bond.”
Casino Royale is voted the best by the Rotten Tomatoes Audience Scores with a high 90%, but it’s only 4th best according to the critics. While it’s obviously a subjective answer, is Casino Royale the best James Bond movie? Well, the crowd says so, so who are we to argue?
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The Best James Bond Movies Ranked
The James Bond franchise, spanning over 60 years and 25 movies, continues to captivate audiences around the world with its signature blend of action, style, and thrilling plots. From the early adventures of Sean Connery’s charismatic portrayal to Daniel Craig’s rugged and intense interpretation, the allure of 007 remains timeless.
This ranking showcases the high points of the series according to audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. While the top-ranking movie, Casino Royale, brilliantly reinvents Bond in the modern age, each movie in the franchise carries its own unique flair and unforgettable moments, contributing to the enduring legacy of James Bond.