Entertainment
Where To Start Watching James Bond
Dr. No is ideal for purists who want to take things to the beginning, GoldenEye is for those who want the best of vintage 007, and Casino Royale is the best choice for viewers who want a stylish and modern take on the character.
By Chris Snellgrove
| Updated
James Bond is undeniably one of the most influential franchises in the entire world, one that launched several careers into the stratosphere while making the superspy genre into a reliable Hollywood staple. Agent 007’s movies were so profitable, for example, that we have 25 official films and (confusingly enough) we also have two unofficial films. All of that adds up to one big problem for franchise newcomers: figuring out where the heck to start watching!
There are more answers to this question than you might think. Enough, in fact, to fill the trunk of an Aston Martin DB5. But you don’t have to consult with Q Branch to learn the answers. I went ahead and did the fieldwork, so all you have to do is keep reading for a breakdown of where to start watching James Bond.
Connery. Sean Connery.
If you’re trying to figure out where to start watching James Bond, one tried and true method is to start at the very beginning. Sean Connery made his debonair debut as this legendary character in the 1962 film Dr. No, and many consider him to be the most iconic Bond actor. Therefore, the simplest way to dip your toes in this franchise is to watch all six of Connery’s official Bond films, which will ground you in the martini-filled DNA of this blockbuster franchise.
Your First Three Bond Movies Should Be:
Do you want a quicker introduction to 007, or maybe you just want to watch the best of the best? In that case, I’d recommend watching Dr. No (the one that started it all), From Russia With Love (my all-time fave), and Goldfinger (the most famous vintage Bond film) as a kind of trilogy. These movies show off Connery’s full range as this character while cutting out the disappointing latter half of the actor’s films (Thunderball is fun but forgettable, You Only Live Twice is dazzling but derivative, and Diamonds Are Forever is messy but fun).
Avoid Starting With The Middle Bonds
The success of Sean Connery’s James Bond movies led to plenty of other actors taking on the mantle, including George Lazenby, Roger Moore, and Timothy Dalton. Depending on your tastes, though, each of these actors was hampered by the excesses of his 007 films.
Lazenby’s one movie (On Her Majesty’s Secret Service) tried too hard to be a romance, Moore’s movies collectively tried too hard to be funny, and Dalton’s two movies (especially Licence to Kill) tried too hard to be gritty. However, in 1995, a new Bond actor helped reinvent the franchise with a nearly flawless film that serves as a nearly flawless entry point for franchise newcomers.
If You Want A More Modern Bond, Start Here Instead
In Goldeneye, Pierce Brosnan is the ultimate synthesis of previous Bond actors, delivering a performance that is almost provocative in its suave, macho charisma. The movie also has a killer villain in the form of Game of Thrones icon Sean Bean, and his chemistry with Brosnan is downright electric. Goldeneye is ultimately a perfectly-paced film that introduces all the key Bond elements: beautiful women, cool gadgets, and a super spy comfortable with handling both.
The sequel Tomorrow Never Dies was a disappointment that paired some lackluster action scenes (seriously, a remote control car chase?) with a lackluster villain (who wants to watch James Bond fight a Rupert Murdoch stand-in?). Meanwhile, Die Another Day is such an empty hodge-podge of tired tropes that it barely qualifies as a film. But The World Is Not Enough is a breezy epic with great performances, and pairing it with GoldenEye creates an awesome double feature for anyone just getting into 007.
A Present Day Entry Point Into The James Bond World
If you prefer more modern movies, or you want to skip to the present day, here’s some good news: Daniel Craig’s Casino Royale is one of the best movies in the entire James Bond franchise, one that’s great for old fans and newcomers alike. This movie ushered in a darker, colder era for Bond, one filled with more brooding and fewer cheesy one-liners. Of course, that’s more in line with the character’s portrayal in the original James Bond books, making this movie perfect for audiences who prefer more direct literary adaptations.
A Powerful Bond Trilogy To Kick Things Off:
Like all the Bond actors before him, Craig had some disappointing 007 films, including Quantum of Solace (literally the most forgettable film in the franchise) and Spectre (a botched attempt to add complexity to a franchise that thrives on simplicity). But Casino Royale, Skyfall, and No Time To Die make for a powerful trilogy, one that gives the Bond character a surprising amount of depth without pulling punches when it comes to breathtaking action and mind-boggling setpieces. Plus, Craig gives such a tour-de-force performance that it’s worth watching his take on this iconic character from beginning to end.
Ordering a Machete Shaken, Not Stirred
The recommendations above offer three different entry points to the tangled James Bond franchise: Dr. No is ideal for purists who want to take things to the beginning, GoldenEye is for those who want the best of vintage 007, and Casino Royale is the best choice for viewers who want a stylish and modern take on the character.
I have one final recommendation inspired by the “Machete Order” of Star Wars movies. In this order, fans watch A New Hope, The Empire Strikes Back, Attack of the Clones, Revenge of the Sith, and Return of the Jedi for an optimal viewing experience of a galaxy far, far away.
If you are interested in my 007 take on this idea, you can start by watching Casino Royale and Skyfall as a double feature of Daniel Craig’s Bond films. Without getting into spoilers, the end of Skyfall sets up the status quo of the original films, so you can go right from that Craig classic to Dr. No. Then, you can watch From Russia With Love and Goldfinger before watching GoldenEye as your final film, one whose plot will hit harder after you have watched Bond grow and evolve as both a man and a secret agent.
The James Bond Machete Viewing Order:
Sound crazy? Don’t worry, this will all make sense after you down a couple of martinis. Whether you watch using my new Martini Order of James Bond films or just start with Connery, Brosnan, or Bond, all of these approaches offer a perfect way to start watching 007 that will leave you both shaken and stirred.
