Trying to catch up on James Bond? Watch the previous movies in this order
The name is Bond, James Bond. The legendary secret agent franchise began with the 1953 novel Casino Royale written by Ian Fleming. Eight years later, Eon Productions purchased the right to Fleming’s work and began filming Dr. No, which was released in 1962. James Bond made the leap from page to screen, and he’s been a nonstop success ever since.
There have been twenty-seven James Bond films, and all but two of them have been produced by Eon Productions. The company is still working on the franchise to this day. This October they’ll release the newest Bond film, No Time To Die, starring Daniel Craig as the titular MI6 agent.
Luckily for any would-be 007 fans, there’s plenty of time between now & October to catch up on the series. With nearly five decades of history, twenty-seven films, and seven lead actors, the James Bond franchise can seem impenetrable to a newcomer. What’s the right order of James Bond movies for you to watch? Fear not – we’re here to guide you.
Daniel Craig years
So, you want to be in the know during a screening of No Time To Die, but you don’t have fifty hours to dedicate to watching all the James Bond movies in order. The easiest solution is to watch the Daniel Craig films. Craig joined the franchise just as Eon Productions was attempting to reboot the Bond movies.
The Craig era of Bond movies began with 2006’s Casino Royale. The film features plenty of nods to previous movies in the franchise (as all the Craig movies do), but it also functions as an origin story for 007. This is a great starting point for a new Bond fan, and as an added bonus, it’s one of the best Bond movies ever made.
Casino Royale was followed up with Quantum of Solace in 2008. While the sequel isn’t as highly regarded as Craig’s first movie, you’ll want to watch it to be able to follow the rest of the series. After Quantum came the near-perfect Skyfall in 2012. Much like Casino Royale, Skyfall is packed with references to other parts of the franchise, but you don’t need to watch classic Bond films to appreciate the movie.
The last Bond movie starring Craig came out in 2015. Spectre didn’t get rave reviews, but it did re-introduce Blofeld, a classic Bond villain. Blofeld will be returning for No Time To Die, so Spectre is required viewing.
Completionist much?
You’ve finished catching up on Daniel Craig’s version of 007, but you just can’t get enough of the secret agent. After finishing Spectre, there’s still twenty more movies for you to explore. The best way for a true completionist to take on a marathon of James Bond movies is to tackle them in chronological order.
Sean Connery was the first actor to portray James Bond on the big screen. His first film, Dr. No, came out in 1962. Connery went on to film five more Bond films in just nine years. They were From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and Diamonds Are Forever. Connery’s run was interrupted in 1969 by the one-off On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, starring George Lazenby.
After Connery left the role, the seventies & eighties were dominated by Roger Moore. He starred in Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and A View to Kill. Then, Timothy Dalton stepped into the role for two films: The Living Daylights and License to Kill.
The final chunk of James Bond movies for the completionist to watch in order are the Pierce Brosnan films. Straight out of the nineties, the Brosnan movies are so campy you can’t help but love them. His take on the character began in 1995 with GoldenEye. He went on to make three more films: Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough, and Die Another Day.
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Whew, that’s a truckload of movies! The full Bond marathon will take over fifty hours, but we have confidence in you. What’s your favorite Bond movie? Let us know in the comments.
