“Bond. James Bond.” With these iconic phrases, Sean Connery cemented his place in movie historical past, changing into perpetually linked with the world’s most well-known British undercover agent. Making his debut in 1962’s Dr. No, the Scottish actor portrayed 007 in 5 extra movies – six, when you depend his return within the Thunderball remake Never Say Never Again. Connery nonetheless regularly tops fan polls as the perfect James Bond ever.
The Sean Connery Bond films function a few of the most iconic and unforgettable adventures within the collection, with classics like From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, and You Only Live Twice making a blueprint for the franchise that has endured for over 60 years. If you are planning a 007 film marathon, the Connery period is a good place to start out. You can discover extra on that in our information to watching all of the James Bond films in order.
Before diving into our rating of the six official Sean Connery Bond movies (with streaming choices for the US, UK, and Australia), we should acknowledge that, being merchandise of their time, a few of these films include outdated depictions of girls and race. We’ve highlighted essentially the most problematic moments, however bear in mind that these movies replicate views that do not align with Twenty first-century requirements.
6. Diamonds are Forever
Where to observe: Apple TV Plus/Prime Video (US); Prime Video (UK); Prime Video/Stan (Australia)
RT (Rotten Tomatoes) critics rating: 64%
By his fifth Bond film, You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery was changing into more and more disillusioned with the franchise. So a lot so, in reality, that he subsequently walked away from the position that had made him a star.
George Lazenby, a relatively unknown Australian mannequin, performed 007 in 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, however 007’s paymasters made Connery a suggestion he couldn’t refuse to headline 1971’s Diamonds are Forever, which noticed him tackle the position for the second-to-last time.
Oh how he should have wished he’d stated sure to On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (now thought to be a Bond traditional) and handed on this uninspiring entry within the canon. For a lot of the film – a dingy journey by deserts, oil rigs, and Vegas casinos – Connery appears like he’d somewhat be some place else. There’s not a single point out of Tracy, the spouse Bond liked and misplaced in Lazenby’s solo outing, whereas Charles Gray is a weird alternative because the third Ernst Stavro Blofeld in as many movies – it’s virtually like he’s a completely totally different individual.
Ultimately, Diamonds are Forever put a full-stop on Connery’s stint within the well-known tuxedo, till he made an surprising return 12 years later within the unofficial Thunderball remake, Never Say Never Again (not included on this listing as a result of it is not a part of the official James Bond franchise produced by Eon Productions). Interestingly, that one-off comeback was launched the identical 12 months as Octopussy, however that official, Roger Moore-starring film trounced Connery’s comeback on the field workplace.
5. Thunderball
Where to observe: Apple TV Plus/Prime Video (US); Prime Video (UK); Prime Video/Stan (Australia)
RT critics rating: 85%
The Daniel Craig period wasn’t the primary time Bond had experimented with serialized storytelling. While they don’t hold collectively fairly so neatly – was canon even a factor within the ’60s? – the Sean Connery films have a particular throughline based mostly round worldwide extortion specialists SPECTRE. And though we wouldn’t get facetime with huge boss Blofeld till You Only Live Twice (he’s primarily a pair of palms stroking a cat right here), we do get a correct introduction to his Number Two, Emile Largo.
After the franchise-defining brilliance of Goldfinger, Thunderball is a backwards step. With SPECTRE stealing nuclear weapons and large underwater battles (an unbelievable technical achievement), Connery’s fourth 007 journey does its greatest to present the viewers what it thinks they need. However, it loses sight of what makes nice Bond films, effectively, nice. There’s additionally a very disagreeable scene by which Bond forces himself on a nurse who fairly clearly says no, which clearly tarnishes it within the eyes of Twenty first century viewers.
4. Dr. No
Where to stream: Apple TV Plus/Prime Video (US); Prime Video (UK); Prime Video/Stan (Australia)
RT critics rating: 95%
The United Kingdom should still have been within the throes of post-war austerity, however the world was about to alter in an enormous manner. In 1962, the USA and USSR had begun sending individuals into orbit, the Beatles had launched their first single, and a sure undercover agent advised the world his title.
While Dr. No’s not up there with 007’s greatest films, it stays a spectacular assertion of intent. A far cry from the stunt-filled blockbusters that will turn out to be Bond’s stock-in-trade, it’s a extra grounded and smaller scale affair; as a lot a detective story as a globetrotting spy journey.
Nonetheless, there are just a few key indicators of issues to return: eponymous dangerous man Dr. No has a top-secret island base, his sights set on world domination, and connections to SPECTRE. The movie additionally incorporates a pair of iconic moments within the type of 007’s tuxedoed introduction – “Bond. James Bond” – and Honey Ryder’s well-known seaside entrance. Better movies adopted, however Dr. No was clearly historical past within the making.
3. You Only Live Twice
Where to stream: Apple TV Plus/Prime Video (US); Prime Video (UK); Prime Video/Stan (Australia)
RT critics rating: 74%
When Dr. Evil set his coronary heart on a secret volcano lair within the Austin Powers movies, that is virtually positively the film that supplied the inspiration.
Based on a script by bestselling youngsters’s creator Roald Dahl, You Only Live Twice ups the spectacle on its predecessors, with an completely bonkers plot about SPECTRE capturing American and Soviet spacecraft in orbit to set off World War III – a extra outlandish and sinister tackle the area race that was occurring in actual life.
This is the film that launched 007 into outlandishly fantastical territory, a summer season blockbuster earlier than the idea had even been invented. You Only Live Twice is notable for giving Bond’s arch-nemesis Ernst Stavro Blofeld – a faceless puppet grasp in earlier films – his first correct display screen look, and this cat-stroking Donald Pleasence incarnation grew to become the quintessential Bond dangerous man. It additionally incorporates a cameo from Little Nellie, essentially the most well-known autogyro in historical past – in case you’re questioning, it’s a small, one-person flying machine.
On the down aspect, whereas Japan makes for a really perfect 007 location, Bond pretending to be Japanese has not aged effectively. At all.
2. From Russia with Love
Where to stream: Apple TV Plus/Prime Video (US); Prime Video (UK); Prime Video/Stan (Australia)
RT critics rating: 97%
With a much bigger finances than Dr. No and in addition extra down-to-earth, this Cold War spy thriller brings a Hitchcockian edge to worldwide espionage. Bond is the goal as SPECTRE brokers deploy bold younger Soviet intelligence officer Tatiana Romanova to seduce Her Majesty’s best, and get her palms on a top-secret code machine.
From Russia With Love is a throwback to a time earlier than Bond grew to become a model, when the filmmakers may consider telling an amazing story with out worrying about custom. While the movie feels sedate by fashionable requirements, there’s a bone-crunching brutality to a few of the fist fights, notably when Bond and Robert Shaw’s unrefined SPECTRE agent Red Grant go at it on a prepare.
It’s not with out its 007-isms – the trademark arty opening credit make their debut, Q reveals up with a briefcase filled with tips, and Rosa Klebb kicks out with a poison-spiked shoe – however, Bond or no Bond, From Russia With Love stands up as a traditional of the spy style.
1. Goldfinger
Where to stream: Apple TV Plus/Prime Video (US); Prime Video (UK); Prime Video/Stan (Australia)
RT critics rating: 99%
The movie the place many parts of 007’s iconography coalesced for the primary time stays among the finest in your entire collection. From Shirley Bassey’s never-bettered theme music to Bond’s souped-up Aston Martin DB5 – a automobile so traditional Daniel Craig took it out of storage in Skyfall – that is the film in opposition to which all subsequent Bonds will perpetually be judged.
Gert Frobe’s Auric Goldfinger is likely one of the franchise’s most memorable villains – charismatic and odd, however not too arch – and his scheme to irradiate all of the gold in Fort Knox hits simply the correct stage of megalomania. Bowler hat-throwing Odd Job is arguably but to be bettered as a henchman, whereas Honor Blackman’s Pussy Galore isn’t simply there to inform 007 how fantastic he’s – a rarity for the time.
The dialogue can be extraordinarily quotable and options – with the attainable exception of “The title’s Bond…” – essentially the most well-known line within the collection: “Do you anticipate me to speak?” asks Bond, a laser beam ominously approaching his groin. “No, Mr Bond,” comes Goldfinger’s jovial reply. “I anticipate you to die!”
Look too exhausting and you could possibly argue that Bond is nearly utterly passive within the film, that his presence makes little or no distinction to the ultimate end result. But that appears like a harsh evaluation of arguably the best Bond film of all of them.
See how Connery’s successors as 007 fared within the position in our rankings of the Roger Moore James Bond films, Pierce Brosnan James Bond films and Daniel Craig James Bond films. You may try our ideas on the perfect James Bond devices within the franchise.
