James Bond is one of cinema’s most iconic characters, appearing in 27 films across seven decades and being constantly re-imagined by new actors and fresh creative ideas. For all the innovation the epic action saga has seen though, there is yet to be a 007 quite like Sean Connery’s original.
Appearing in seven Bond films across a tenure spanning 21 years, Connery utilized his smooth manner and effortless charisma to make Bond a surprisingly endearing action hero. His performances established spy-thrillers as must-see cinematic blockbusters, set the gold-standard for what James Bond should be and was the essential ingredient to making many of his Bond films quintessential films.
7 ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ (1971)
Serving as Connery’s first return to the franchise after George Lazenby’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds Are Forever has come to be viewed as Connery’s worst Bond film. Carrying on from where Lazenby’s Bond flick finished, 007 avenges his murdered wife before being sent to investigate a smuggling operation in the international diamond market and learns of Blofeld’s (Charles Gray) plot to weaponize the gems in a laser satellite.
While the film handles its action sequences well, much of the rest of the story didn’t work. The characters failed to resonate, many of the actors didn’t pop off the screen, and the story’s focus on melodramatic beats and dull edged comedy made for an underwhelming experience. Even Connery looked disinterested for most of the film.
6 ‘Never Say Never Again’ (1983)
If Diamonds Are Forever is widely regarded to be Connery’s most underwhelming Bond film, then it’s only fair to say that Never Say Never Again is his most polarizing. Marking a 53-year-old Connery’s return to the character (albeit unofficially), it saw him reprise the role 12 years after his previous 007 outing and some 21 years since his James Bond debut.
A bold-faced re-make of Thunderball, Never Say Never Again tracks an aging Bond tasked with engaging in spy games with SPECTRE as the criminal organization plots a devastating nuclear attack. While it has its fair share of critics, Connery’s final Bond movie was a passably entertaining spy flick bolstered by an emphatic reminder as to why Connery is the definitive 007.
5 ‘You Only Live Twice’ (1967)
While most pundits would rank You Only Live Twice as the fifth best of Connery’s Bond films, the regard in which they view the film would change significantly. Alone in the vast chasm between the best and worst of Connery’s Bond flicks, it runs wild with a sense of adventure coming from Roald Dahl’s imaginative screenplay featuring volcanic fortresses and a particularly shocking Asian disguise.
Still, the film occupies a deft balance between upping the spectacle and steeping to parody which both Bond purists and lovers of films like the Kingsman franchise can enjoy, albeit for different reasons. With Bond having to stop SPECTRE’s scheme to see America and Russia engage in all-out war, it ensures the stakes remain high while injecting a new sense of fun into the franchise.
4 ‘Thunderball’ (1965)
The fourth Bond film ever made, Thunderball may not quite have reached the level set by the first three installments, but still ranks highly for lovers of the saga. With a dramatically ramped up budget resulting in a boost of action bravado, it appealed to audiences and critics alike as an infectiously exciting blockbuster boasting large-scale adventure thrills in abundance.
With SPECTRE plotting to use NATO nuclear bombs to take over the world, Bond is given the responsibility of thwarting the organizations’ plan before it’s too late. Brave, bold, and entirely captivating, Thunderball touted one hell of a ride with some of the franchise’s best characters to boot, making for one of the biggest and best Bond movies ever to grace the screen.
3 ‘Dr. No’ (1962)
A pioneering commercial accomplishment, a resounding critical success, and the kick-starter of a cinematic dynasty, Dr. No’s influence cannot be overstated. It follows Bond’s investigation into the deaths of MI6 agents in Jamaica and his confrontations with an eccentric scientist wanting to destroy America’s space program.
In some respects, the film is surprisingly grounded. There is very little in the way of gadgetry, Q did not make an appearance, and the series’ penchant for veering into fantasy was largely understated. While Joseph Wiseman’s nefarious Dr. Julius No does contribute to the eccentric surrealism later in the film, most of Dr. No’s appeal came from its unflinching action and Connery’s suave style, which proved to have a mesmerizing impact on audiences, both of the time and retrospectively.
2 ‘From Russia with Love’ (1963)
Taking all the action thrills and espionage excitement of Dr. No and coupling that with a bigger commitment to larger-than-life exuberance, From Russia with Love managed to surpass its already incredible predecessor. Transpiring at a frantic rate, its follows Bond’s mission to find a decoding device in order to ease Cold War tensions while combating SPECTRE at every turn.
Its political inflections made for a particularly rousing action movie for its time, and it hasn’t lost any of its dare or flare as the decades have gone by. Not only one of Connery’s greatest Bond movies, From Russia with Love stands tall among the greatest Bond movies ever made and a pinnacle of 1960s action.
1 ‘Goldfinger’ (1964)
Universally lauded as the definitive James Bond film, Goldfinger was where so much of the bond movie DNA either first appeared on-screen or cemented itself as a pivotal hallmark of the franchise. From its snappy wit and quotable one-liners to the wonder surrounding its gadgetry and its willingness to embrace of a more apparent humor, it invigorated the Bond formula with even more style and fun.
It follows Bond as he investigates a gold smuggling rink and discovers powerful tycoon Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe) plotting to raid Fort Knox and decimate the global economy. A franchise defining picture which cemented the Bond movies as the ultimate spectacle of fun, flashy action, it is unequivocally the greatest Bond film ever made.
