The Legacy of 007 – Unveiling the Best James Bond Films

Movies are amazing because they give people the opportunity to experience new worlds. Chances are, if you’re passionate about movies, you’re also passionate about the James Bond film series, which began six decades ago and continues to this day.

The history of Bond, one of the most enduring, indestructible, and inexplicable franchises, is dark and full of horrors. It had everything: many changes in the actors playing the main role, with unexpected comebacks and long bargaining for fees; legal battles over copyright; manifestations of script sexism elevated to a system. But still, this particular series of spy films is alive and thriving, while the rest have quietly drowned.

It may be difficult for a novice viewer to figure out which films to start watching and which James Bond to choose to get acquainted with the universe. So let’s look at the most popular of them.

Dr. No (1962) – The Birth of Bond

The first Bond film is a top-five film for a reason: it’s the perfect first introduction to the character. In Dr. No, Bond doesn’t yet have any high-tech gadgets, so he uses his advanced intellect and sharp tongue to fight the villain.

Agent 007 must find out why the computers of the American launch silos at Cape Canaveral experienced electronic interference and were sent to Jamaica.

Despite the modest budget, the first film of the saga was a success thanks to the charm of Sean Connery in the title role and Ursula Andress, who created one of the best images of a Bond girl.

Goldfinger (1964) – The Midas Touch

This film about Agent 007 is considered a reference. This particular picture was created according to all the canons of the classic Bond film, which directors will observe for the next 50 years. The budget for Goldfinger allowed the writers to add several sequences with explosions into the film, and even today the creators of Bond films try to adhere to this canon and not use computer graphics.

It was this film that became truly action-packed for the first time: the villain in the film turned out to be truly strong and insidious, in a word, a worthy opponent of Bond. It is also noteworthy that in this film, agent 007 will choose an Aston Martin car for the first time, after which the DB-5 model will appear in several more films.

The leading actor of Agent 007, the brilliant Sean Connery, also made a great contribution to the success of the film. This is the best Bond film of all, where he played the role of the main character. That is why the film was included in the favorites list, becoming the standard of the classic Bond movie.

GoldenEye (1995) – Bond’s Rebirth

After Dalton’s experimental films, the franchise went on a long hiatus due to copyright issues. During this time, both the topics that were usually raised in films and the filming themselves changed. Therefore, for the next reboot of the James Bond story, a new actor was needed.

James Bond, played by Pierce Brosnan, goes to Russia in search of terrorists who have seized control of the new secret weapons complex GoldenEye. In the hands of the wrong people, it turns into a powerful tool of pressure on state governments, but Agent 007 will not allow this. And I’m even ready to blow up an armored train for this.

Pierce Brosnan fit the description of Agent 007 perfectly in the original books. At the same time, initially, his version of Bond was supposed to continue the image established in the two previous films.

Casino Royale (2006) – A New Beginning

“Casino Royale” is a film in which Daniel Craig played the role of Agent 007 for the first time. The film brought the actor love and recognition from the public, and it is not for nothing that many consider this film to be the best of all Bond films. It is in Casino Royale that the viewer first sees Bond’s inner world. The picture is permeated with psychologism, and the main struggle here is waged within the main character.  

The main scene of the film took place in a casino, where the participants played poker. Today the casino industry is much more developed. Then there was no online casino that accept paysafe. Now you have the opportunity to play any games and safely withdraw your winnings. The exciting storyline of the film is the confrontation between Agent 007 and Le Chiffre, played by Mads Mikkelsen.

Skyfall (2012) – Bond’s Resurgence

The top five Bond films are rounded out by Skyfall. The drama of this film reaches such heights that it is difficult to recognize the usual Bond movie in this picture.  This is the 23rd film about James Bond, shot on the eve of the 50th anniversary of the screen hero, and for the first time in many years, it stuns with its novelty and serious drama.

First of all, Skyfall perfectly develops the dramatic line that underlies the entire Craig series. Director Sam Mendes shows James Bond as doubtful, reflective – no longer the superhero he was under Connery and Moore. In addition to great action and detective intrigue, “Skyfall” demonstrates the moral conflict of the main character, his thoughts about his actions, and his past. The film very carefully deconstructs the myth of the superspy, there is not even a traditional “Bond girl” here. Supervillain Raoul Silva, played by Javier Bardem, also turned out great. He is somewhat reminiscent of Hannibal Lecter or the Joker from The Dark Knight.

The intense plot of the film is full of chases and clashes, and its climax leaves no one indifferent. Director Sam Mendes managed to create a balance between the kitschness of the old Bond film and the seriousness of the 21st-century Bond.