Favorite and most fun Bond films.

[the December King]

Last year a colleague and I began watching all 28 (give or take) official and unofficial Bond films chronologically, and the most fun I had was with Live and let Die- it was pure madness. Moore's Bond couldn't trust ANYONE in that film- it was like the Wicker Man, but with a Caribbean flavor.

As an aside, I met Pierce Brosnan when he was here filming Stephen King's Bag of Bones- he was pretty laid back.

Aaaaand that's the extent of my meeting stars.

 

[Tuesday Night Fever]

My dad was a huge 007 fan, so I grew up with these movies, both official and unofficial ones. I think if I were forced to pick a favorite, I'd go with either Goldfinger or You Only Live Twice depending on the mood I'm in. They're probably the two most well-recognized Bond movies out there, even among people who have never seen the movies, just because of how many of the quintessential Bond tropes they featured.

My honorable mention would probably go to Goldeneye. It's got the right mix of serious and absurd that makes for a great Bond movie, while not going too far off the deep-end like Brosnan's later entries into the series. It also had one hell of a great tie-in game.

The only Bond movies I can honestly say I didn't care all that much for were Casino Royale (1967), Quantum of Solace and Live and Let Die (though the theme song by Paul McCartney and Wings is by far my favorite of the themes; never much cared for the GNR cover though).

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

While Connery will always be the better Bond, I like Brosnan's slice of movies better. Just the right mix of silly and serious. Craig is okay and someone who doesn't look or feel like Bond. He's more in tone with Jack Bauer or Jason Bourne: violent, thuggish, taciturn, gets the job done.

 

[Gizmo1990]

You Only Live Twice is vastly underrated as a Bond movie.

which is weird because in terms of what is actually in it IT IS the archetypal Connery era Bond movie.

i mean this is the film with the whole volcano/rocket base and proper Donald Pleasence Blofeld complete with cat and trap door down into piranha fish...

also this:

As much as I like the bad guy and the fact he has a Doom fortress in a volcano it is the helicopter fight that I remember loving the most.

OT:
Another vote for Goldeneye tho Connery will always be the best Bond imo. On a side not I bet no one says On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

 

[PainInTheAssInternet]

I really enjoy the Brosnan era. He perfectly fit the role and the budget was overblown enough at a time where effects were top-notch so they are a joy to watch. I thought of them as a sleeker version of 80s Schwarzenegger movies. Die Another Day even had that same camouflage effect Predator did.

 

[faefrost]

There are standouts in each actors run.

Connery has probably the single best and most defining film. Goldfinger. Just damn! It holds up extremely well to this day. And Oddjob is still a terrifying villain. Plus the Aston Martin. From Russia With Love is the neck and neck runner up. If you watch no othe James Bond, watch these two.

Roger Moore offered a radical change for the Bond Films. Very camp, but honestly deliciously fun if you run with it. Of his I think Moonraker is probably my favorite. Just pure absurd escapist fun. For Moore it is a close call between the pure absurdity and scifi camp of Moonraker vs the Spy Who Loved Me, which is arguably Moore's best all around film. It's just not as joyously insane as Moonraker. Of course Moore's run is also tempered with some of the worst. Stereotypes run amuck in some of his early works and his later ones start to become Schumacheresque.

Timothy Dalton had one truly good Bond film. The Living Daylights. Well written, well cast. Tight action. Plot does not resemble a rejected Miami Vice script (unlike later Dalton offerings.)

Pierce Brosnan, no question, Goldeneye. Although I think most of the rest of his catalog is woefully under rated. Plus there is not a Duran Duran song to be heard in any of them. Bonus!

George Lazenby, the only one film Bond. The one Bond film nobody has seen, but really really should. By far the most important and heart wrenching story in the Bond franchise, that comes up again and again, yet nobody goes back and watches it. Plus Kojack as Blofeld! I speak of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. If you have never seen it, it's worth tracking down. Lazenby is not a great Bond. But it is a great Bond story. One that more than any other probably deserves a true remake.

Daniel Craig, gotta be Skyfall, although Casino Royal was a nice refreshing reboot as well.

 

[faefrost]

Favorite is the Man With the Golden Gun. I have no idea why it just is my favorite.

Most fun is either Golden Eye, or Moonraker.

It's easy to understand. James Bond vs Christopher Lee on Fantasy Island complete with Tatoo. Really the only thing that brought it down was the actress who was arguably the worst most annoying Bond girl ever.

 

[TheVampwizimp_v1legacy]

Sean Connery is best Bond. This will always be true. He could do every aspect of the Bond personality: dry, smug humor, serious action business, confident sexy times, and even the fed up, pissed off I'm-just-going-to-kill-the-crap-out-of-you-now Bond. However, he only has a handful of truly good films. Goldfinger is good, Dr. No is good, You Only Live Twice is great.

Roger Moore was just so campy, and I'm not a great fan of camp. Plus, he never really nailed Bond for me, he was just too flippant and silly. Never did the serious stuff well. I think the only Moore film I really like is For Your Eyes Only.

As for Dalton and Lazenby, I can't say I have seen any of their movies. I saw part of one of Dalton's, but I don't remember which.

Pierce Brosnan is the second best Bond, a great pick who does pretty much everything well, though his one-liners seemed even more silly and forced than ever. GoldenEye is a true classic, probably my favorite one, and Tomorrow Never Dies is good too. After that, they just went off the deep end, I really truly hate Die Another Day.

As for Daniel Craig, I am going to take the position of 'good Bond.' His films are basically a reboot rather than a spiritual succession, which is what Bond had always done. Casino Royale was terrific, and I liked Skyfall, whatever anyone else says. I do wish Craig would lighten up a bit and give us just a touch of that eye-twinkling humor.

 

[Zontar]

Kingsmen: The Secret Service.

Now that that joke's out of the way: Moonraker. It's just so over the top fun and cheesy I can't help but enjoy it, it's the one I keep going back to.

 

[ArcadianDrew]

Damn, not much love for Dalton. My favourite is The Living Daylights, that car chase is so good - short and sweet but full of action. It also had a pretty tight script and was well plotted. Close behind is From Russia with Love, it actually feels like a spy movie in some parts, a lot of the other Bond films never really tried making Bond a spy much, just seemed to go for pure action.

As for most fun; The Spy Who Loved Me. How can you not love Jaws and the submarine car!?

 

[chris_wookie]

I've got to agree with those saying Moore isn't all he's cracked up to be. I think his films were some of the weakest...with the exception of For Your Eyes Only. He was unlucky as the whole camp shtick wasn't completely his fault (in fact just look at You Only Live Twice when Connery came back; that film is unwatchable at points!).

For the best film, License to Kill (Dalton)...it was really the first that allowed Bond to show his human side as the revenge aspect is intense (just ignore the telemarketer Preacher bit)

For the one I can sit there and and just "watch"..Goldeneye. It's such a wonderful reboot of the franchise and....well.....Famke Janssen

 

[Silvanus]

Favourite: Goldeneye. Brilliant villains, some wackiness, but not too much... some seriousness, but not too much. Epic stuff. Brosnan Bond is best Bond.

Most Fun: Maybe Goldfinger, which is about as quintessential Bond as you can get.

I can't stand Roger Moore. He came across like a farce actor struggling to play a serious role. It's a pity his period covered Jaws, Christopher Lee, Live and Let Die... so much good material.