What Sherlock Holmes is to fiction, James Bond is to cinema: its definitive and most enduring archetype. Times may change, but 007's aura remains fixed in the public consciousness, evan after 50 years on the big screen. Now, with Skyfall, he's back in theaters! In tribute, Rotten Tomatoes counts down every Bond film (23 official and two non-EON productions) from worst to best-reviewed!
In order to arrive at the results, we've used a weighted formula that takes the Tomatometer, the number of reviews, and the year of release into account. Without further ado, here is every James Bond film ranked in ascending order by Tomatometer!
In order to arrive at the results, we've used a weighted formula that takes the Tomatometer, the number of reviews, and the year of release into account. Without further ado, here is every James Bond film ranked in ascending order by Tomatometer!
Casino Royale (1967)
27%
Adjusted Score: 30.743%
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Critics Consensus: A goofy, dated parody of spy movie clichés, Casino Royale squanders its all-star cast on a meandering, mostly laugh-free script.
Synopsis: Retired after years of international espionage, Agent 007 is lured back into action to battle the evil spy organization SMERSH in this notoriously...
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25
A View to a Kill (1985)
36%
Adjusted Score: 39.601%
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Critics Consensus: Absurd even by Bond standards, A View to a Kill is weighted down by campy jokes and a noticeable lack of energy.
Synopsis: Secret Agent 007 must stop a megalomaniacal technology mogul from destroying Silicon Valley in this fourteenth episode of the long-running James Bond...
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Directed By:
John Glen
#
24
Octopussy (1983)
43%
Adjusted Score: 46.042%
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Critics Consensus: Despite a couple of electrifying action sequences, Octopussy is a formulaic, anachronistic Bond outing.
Synopsis: This (13th) time around, 007 (once again played by Roger Moore) receives the usual call to come and visit M when another agent drops off a fake...
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Directed By:
John Glen
#
23
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
46%
Adjusted Score: 49.702%
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Critics Consensus: A middling Bond film, The Man With the Golden Gun suffers from double entendre-laden dialogue, a noteworthy lack of gadgets, and a villain that overshadows 007.
Synopsis: The Man With the Golden Gun, Roger Moore's second outing as James Bond (Live and Let Die was the first), whisks our hero off to Hong Kong, Macau,...
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Directed By:
Guy Hamilton
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22
The World Is Not Enough (1999)
51%
Adjusted Score: 55.917%
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Critics Consensus: Plagued by mediocre writing, uneven acting, and a fairly by-the-numbers plot, The World Is Not Enough is partially saved by some entertaining and truly Bond-worthy action sequences.
Synopsis: James Bond, the world's greatest secret agent, is sent once more into the breach in the name of Queen, Country, and a dry martini. In the 19th Bond...
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Directed By:
Michael Apted
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21
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
57%
Adjusted Score: 60.611%
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Critics Consensus: A competent, if sometimes by-the-numbers entry to the 007 franchise, Tomorrow Never Dies may not boast the most original plot but its action sequences are genuinely thrilling.
Synopsis: Roger Spottiswoode (Air America) directed this film, the 18th chapter in the 35-year-old James Bond series (excluding Casino Royale and Never Say...
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Directed By:
Roger Spottiswoode
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20
Die Another Day (2002)
57%
Adjusted Score: 62.332%
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Critics Consensus: Its action may be bit too over-the-top for some, but Die Another Day is lavishly crafted and succeeds in evoking classic Bond themes from the franchise's earlier installments.
Synopsis: Pierce Brosnan makes his fourth appearance as suave super-spy James Bond in this espionage thriller, the 20th film in the official Bond series. While...
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Directed By:
Lee Tamahori
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19
Never Say Never Again (1983)
59%
Adjusted Score: 62.504%
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Critics Consensus: While the rehashed story feels rather uninspired and unnecessary, the return of both Sean Connery and a more understated Bond make Never Say Never Again a watchable retread.
Synopsis: The title of the 1983 James Bond adventure Never Say Never Again is a self-mocking reference to star Sean Connery's insistence back in 1971 that he...
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Directed By:
Irvin Kershner
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18
Moonraker (1979)
62%
Adjusted Score: 65.577%
?
Critics Consensus: Featuring one of the series' more ludicrous plots but outfitted with primo gadgets and spectacular sets, Moonraker is both silly and entertaining.
Synopsis: In this adaptation of Ian Fleming's 1955 novel, James Bond (Roger Moore) must thwart Sir Hugo Drax (Michel Lonsdale), who plans to wipe out all of...
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Directed By:
Lewis Gilbert
#
17
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
65%
Adjusted Score: 69.058%
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Critics Consensus: Diamonds are Forever is a largely derivative affair, but it's still pretty entertaining nonetheless, thanks to great stunts, witty dialogue, and the presence of Sean Connery.
Synopsis: After George Lazenby portrayed James Bond in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Sean Connery returned to the tux, gimmicks, and catchphrases of Secret...
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Directed By:
Guy Hamilton
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16
Live and Let Die (1973)
65%
Adjusted Score: 69.36%
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Critics Consensus: While not one of the highest-rated Bond films, Live and Let Die finds Roger Moore adding his stamp to the series with flashes of style and an improved sense of humor.
Synopsis: Roger Moore makes his first appearance as "Bond...James Bond" in 1973's Live and Let Die. Bond is dispatched to the States to stem the activities of...
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Directed By:
Guy Hamilton
#
15
Quantum of Solace (2008)
64%
Adjusted Score: 72.209%
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Critics Consensus: Brutal and breathless, Quantum Of Solace delivers tender emotions along with frenetic action. Not as good as franchise reboot Casino Royale, but still an impressive entry to the Bond canon.
Synopsis: A devastating betrayal sends James Bond from Australia to Italy and South America on a mission of vengeance that pits the suave super-spy against a...
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Directed By:
Marc Forster
#
14
You Only Live Twice (1967)
71%
Adjusted Score: 75.462%
?
Critics Consensus: With exotic locales, impressive special effects, and a worthy central villain, You Only Live Twice overcomes a messy and implausible story to deliver another memorable early Bond flick.
Synopsis: James Bond heads East to save the world (and to learn how to serve saki properly) in this action-packed espionage adventure. When an American...
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Directed By:
Lewis Gilbert
#
13
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
73%
Adjusted Score: 76.33%
?
Critics Consensus: For Your Eyes Only trades in some of the outlandish Bond staples for a more sober outing, and the result is a satisfying adventure, albeit without some of the bombastic thrills fans may be looking for.
Synopsis: Roger Moore is back as Secret Agent 007, this time on the trail of shipwreck that holds an Automatic Targeting Attack Communicator (ATAC) for all of...
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Directed By:
John Glen
#
12
Licence To Kill (1989)
74%
Adjusted Score: 76.722%
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Critics Consensus: License to Kill is a sharp action picture -- it's darker than many of the other entries, with Timothy Dalton playing Bond with intensity -- but it still has some solid chases and fight scenes.
Synopsis: For his second outing as James Bond, Timothy Dalton is working on his own rather than on behalf of the British Secret Service in this follow-up to The...
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Directed By:
John Glen
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11
The Living Daylights (1987)
75%
Adjusted Score: 77.615%
?
Critics Consensus: In The Living Daylights, newcomer Timothy Dalton plays James Bond with more debonair seriousness than preceding installments, and the result, is energetic, exciting, and occasionally weighty.
Synopsis: The Living Daylights represents the first appearance by Timothy Dalton as "Bond...James Bond." Based loosely on an obscure Ian Fleming short story,...
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Directed By:
John Glen
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10
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
78%
Adjusted Score: 82.203%
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Critics Consensus: Though it hints at the absurdity to come in later installments, The Spy Who Loved Me's sleek style, menacing villains, and sly wit make it the best of the Roger Moore era.
Synopsis: Though not Ian Fleming's most famous James Bond novel, 1962's The Spy Who Loved Me was distinguished by the unique device of telling the story from...
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Directed By:
Lewis Gilbert
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9
GoldenEye (1995)
82%
Adjusted Score: 85.038%
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Critics Consensus: The first and best Pierce Brosnan Bond film, GoldenEye brings the series into a more modern context, and the result is a 007 entry that's high-tech, action-packed, and urbane.
Synopsis: Pierce Brosnan made his first appearance as James Bond in this action thriller, the 17th in the series (excluding the 1967 Casino Royale and the 1983...
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Directed By:
Martin Campbell
#
8
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)
81%
Adjusted Score: 85.958%
?
Critics Consensus: George Lazenby's only appearance as 007 is a fine entry in the series, featuring one of the most intriguing Bond girls in Tracy di Vincenzo (Diana Rigg), breathtaking visuals, and some great ski chases.
Synopsis: It wasn't as well received at the box office as the pictures that preceded it or followed it, but Peter Hunt's On Her Majesty's Secret Service is one...
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Directed By:
Peter R. Hunt
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7
Thunderball (1965)
85%
Adjusted Score: 90.23%
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Critics Consensus: Lavishly rendered set pieces and Sean Connery's enduring charm make Thunderball a big, fun adventure, even if it doesn't quite measure up to the series' previous heights.
Synopsis: Thunderball finds James Bond matching wits with the sinister espionage organization S.P.E.C.T.R.E, (which stands for Special Executive for...
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Directed By:
Terence Young
#
6
Skyfall (2012)
92%
Adjusted Score: 101.971%
?
Critics Consensus: Sam Mendes brings Bond surging back with a smart, sexy, riveting action thriller that qualifies as one of the best 007 films to date.
Synopsis: In Skyfall, Bond's loyalty to M is tested as her past comes back to haunt her. As MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat,...
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Directed By:
Sam Mendes
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5
From Russia With Love (1963)
96%
Adjusted Score: 101.194%
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Critics Consensus: The second James Bond film, From Russia with Love is a razor-sharp, briskly-paced Cold War thriller that features several electrifying action scenes.
Synopsis: From Russia With Love, the second in the series of James Bond films, is the film that solidifies all the Bond film elements into a formula -- the...
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Directed By:
Terence Young
#
4
Goldfinger (1964)
96%
Adjusted Score: 101.611%
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Critics Consensus: Goldfinger is where James Bond as we know him comes into focus - it features one of 007's most famous lines ("A martini. Shaken, not stirred") and a wide range of gadgets that would become the series' trademark.
Synopsis: With Goldfinger, the James Bond series took a turn away from relatively straightforward spy thrillers and toward campy gadgetry, extravagant sets, and...
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Directed By:
Guy Hamilton
#
3
Casino Royale (2006)
95%
Adjusted Score: 102.02%
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Critics Consensus: Casino Royale disposes of the silliness and gadgetry that plagued recent James Bond outings, and Daniel Craig delivers what fans and critics have been waiting for: a caustic, haunted, intense reinvention of 007.
Synopsis: Actor Daniel Craig assumes the role formerly occupied by such screen greats as Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and Timothy Dalton to set out on the...
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Directed By:
Martin Campbell
#
2
Dr. No (1962)
98%
Adjusted Score: 102.986%
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Critics Consensus: Featuring plenty of the humor, action, and escapist thrills the series would become known for, Dr. No kicks off the Bond franchise in style.
Synopsis: Terence Young directed this first of a long line of screen adventures with Ian Fleming's unflappable British Secret Service Agent 007 in a fast-paced,...
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Directed By:
Terence Young
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