A Look At The Last Four Bond Films

This is my first post on here in a while, but there's a reason for it.

A few weeks ago, I submitted an application to WhatCulture to write articles for them, and submitted a sample article along with that application. Ultimately, my application was unsuccessful, but I would like to share that article with all of you anyway. If you wish to read it, enjoy.

Ranking Daniel Craig's Bond Films From Worst to Best

It’s still up in the air as to whether or not Daniel Craig will play James Bond again. While Sony executives have stated that Craig is contracted for one more film in the franchise and that he intends to see that through, the actor himself told Esquire before Spectre was released last November that he’s not sure he’ll step into the role of 007 for any future films. Even Sam Mendes, director of the previous two Bond films, is under the impression that Spectre was Craig’s farewell to the franchise.

"I don't know," he said. "I really don't know. Honestly. I'm not trying to be coy. At the moment I can't even conceive it." However, a few weeks before that interview, he infamously told Timeout.com that he would rather “slash his wrists” than play Bond once more. So, it’s entirely possible that Spectre may have been Craig’s final outing as James Bond. If that’s the case, it goes without saying that his tenure as Bond in those four films was nothing short of remarkable. Even if some of the material he was given didn’t do him justice, he managed to rise above it and produce something memorable.

However, it’s also important to note that while Craig was extraordinary as Bond, it was never a one-man show. Whether it was the talented cast of characters (some of whom may very well may continue to appear in Bond films going forward), brilliant directing, or a whole host of other things, one thing you can never say is that you were bored during one of his Bond films.

So what exactly is Craig’s finest outing as Bond, and what helped make it that way? This article looks at all four of his Bond films: what worked, what didn’t, and the legacy that they leave behind.

4. Quantum of Solace

This film, released in late 2008, is unquestionably the most violent of Craig’s four films, but a study by New Zealand's University of Otago in 2012 found it to be the most violent Bond film in the entire franchise, with 250 violent acts. That’s certainly an impressive number.

The one that everyone hates.

At 106 minutes, it’s also the shortest of Craig’s films, and that actually hurts the film because there’s so much going on that sometimes it’s hard to know what’s going on. Roger Moore, who once portrayed Bond, was quoted as saying “I enjoy Daniel Craig, I think he's a damn good Bond but the film as a whole, there was a bit too much flash cutting for me… I thought Casino Royale was better. It was just like a commercial of the action. There didn't seem to be any geography and you were wondering what the hell was going on…” basically summing up the problems with the film. 

And Moore was dead on with his views about Craig; his acting in this film is definitely one of the highlights. This was his second outing as Bond, with actress Olga Kurylenko in a starring role as the Bond girl of the film, Camille Montes, was also a highlight, and she was heavily featured in the film, which was the right call. The action scenes were good, even thrilling at times (especially that explosive scene at the eco hotel), but even with those intense scenes, the film really doesn’t stand on it’s own, with many characters and plotlines from Casino Royale resurfacing. While that isn’t necessarily the worst thing, at times it feels like the film is just a follow-up to it’s predecessor. And that’s not what a Bond film should be.

People often make the joke that Quantum of Solace isn’t really that memorable and that they can’t remember a single thing about the movie. I wouldn’t go that far, but nothing from this movie really comes to mind when I think of Daniel Craig’s tenure as Bond. It’s not a bad film by any means, but it’s certainly the weakest of the four listed here.

3. Spectre

The latest film in the franchise, Spectre was released this past November and has since garnered a mixed reception from critics and fans alike. Some people absolutely loved it, and some people absolutely hated it. I’m of the opinion that it was a good film, although it certainly did not live up to the standards set by it’s predecessor Skyfall.

At 148 minutes, the movie is the longest of Craig’s four films, but it feels a lot longer than that. As big of a fan as I am of these movies, even I was getting restless by the end. The long run time was the biggest factor in that reaction, and by far was the biggest determinant of the film.

The end?

Again, much like Quantum of Solace, there was a lot to take in here. The long-overdue introduction of the Spectre organization changes the plotline of all of Craig’s Bond films significantly, tying all four of them together with an overarching story. As it turned out, all of the villains that Bond faced were members of the organization, which is headed by James’s adoptive half brother Franz Oberhauser, otherwise known as Ernst Stavro Blofeld. The film reintroduces various plot-lines of Craig’s past Bond films, with the reappearance of Mr. White and mentions of Judi Dench’s M and Vesper Lynd, and implies that Spectre had a hand in everything James had ever faced, with Blofeld even saying “I’m the author of all your pain.” It’s a lot of information to take in.

That being said, the retconning explanation that Blofeld gives somehow works. Some people might disagree with that, but to me, it didn’t come off as a ridiculous plot twist. It’s especially remarkable when you realize that film rights to the term Spectre weren’t acquired until after Skyfall had been released, so to be able to put together an overarching story like the one they told here, and have it be completely believable, says a lot about how talented the people who put this movie together are.

The casting in this movie was almost perfect, although I will say that I was a bit underwhelmed with Christoph Waltz’s performance as Blofeld. It wasn’t that his acting was terrible, but the character itself wasn’t what I was expecting. Bond took him down with almost with ease, and he wasn’t very much of a threat in my eyes. I haven’t seen any of Waltz’s other work, so I can’t really comment on his acting abilities, but he was far from my favorite Bond villain. Perhaps if there was another Bond film, and he would once again return and put up more of a fight, my opinion on him might improve. Léa Seydoux’s portrayal of the film’s Bond girl Madeleine Swann, however, was outstanding, and the rest of the cast was superb as well. I was especially surprised at how much I enjoyed Dave Bautista’s performance as Mr. Hinx; I was a big fan of his when he was with WWE but wasn’t aware of how good of an actor he was. He was perfect for this role.

The opening of this movie is quite possibly the best of any James Bond movie to date, and certainly is the best of Craig’s films. Having the opening take place during the Day Of The Dead celebration in Mexico resulted in some truly stunning, incredible shots. And while some people may disagree, I thought Sam Smith’s “Writing On The Wall” was an excellent Bond song; not the best, but certainly fitting, especially if this is Craig’s last round as James Bond.

And with the way this movie ends, with Bond and Madeleine seeming riding off into the sunset in an Aston Martin, it wouldn’t be hard to imagine it being just that. There is room for him to return, but it certainly did feel like an ending. If that turns out to be the case, I wouldn’t call it a perfect goodbye, but it definitely was a memorable way to go out.

2. Casino Royale

This movie is regarded by many to be Craig’s finest outing, and it is a fantastic movie, with excellent action scenes and terrific acting. After 2002’s Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan decided to call it a day, and a reboot of the franchise was in order, with Craig eventually being chosen to play Bond... to an less than enthusiastic response. He’d go on to prove his doubters wrong, however.

The first.

The film, released in 2006, serves as an origin story of sorts for his version of Bond, with the opening sequence being shown completely in black and white and showing Bond’s first kills as an MI6 agent. From there on, it’s an action-packed thrill ride, with Daniel Craig really impressing in the role of the famed 007. Judi Dench’s M, the sole carry-over from the Pierce Brosnan, was excellent as always, and Eva Green impressed as Bond girl Vesper Lynd.

There’s really not much more to be said. It’s a great, great film. The story told here is a classic, but there is one that arguably betters it...

1. Skyfall

The best.

I remember leaving the theater after seeing this film for the first time when it was released in 2012 and thinking “Now THAT was what a Bond movie should be!”

I cannot understate just how much I enjoyed this film. Released during the same year when the first James Bond film, Dr. No, celebrated it’s 50th anniversary, Skyfall served as a fitting tribute to the franchise. A wholly original story, it was completely enthralling, exploring and revealing aspects of James Bond’s universe that we had never seen before, including his childhood residence. Everything about the film was near perfect, from the haunting opening song sung by Adele, to the incredible villain, to the amazing scenery. Director Sam Mendes ought to be commended for his work on this film, because it was nothing short of incredible.

This was Judi Dench’s last film of the franchise (if you don’t count her cameo in Spectre), and she went out with a bang. She’s basically the Bond girl of this film, and the whole plot revolves around her character. It’s arguably the most personal film in the entire James Bond franchise, in that there is no motive for the villain Raoul Silva (played by the fantastic Javier Bardem) other than revenge. He’s a former MI6 agent turned cyber-terrorist, who’s returned from the shadows. He’s after his former boss M, determined to make her pay for abandoning him decades ago, causing him to be captured and tortured. His hatred of the beloved character is intense, and wants nothing more than to make sure that M is killed and unlike any Bond villain before him, he actually achieves his goal in the end, even if he himself doesn’t live to see it.

That’s right: James Bond lost. Sure, he killed Silvia, but it didn’t matter. M was shot by one of his henchmen earlier on in the final showdown and slowly bled to death. So, even indirectly, Silva got what he wanted. He still won. And Bond failed. He did everything in his power to protect M, and in the end he ultimately fails his mission. I don’t think that’s ever happened in a Bond film before, and I don’t think it will again. It was different, and it really helps this film stand out.

All and all, this film is incredible, full of terrific action, a wonderful cast of characters, and many memorable moments. It’s one of the greatest Bond films ever made, and it’s certainly Daniel Craig’s finest outing as 007.

Hope you enjoyed this article. I put a lot of work into it, and even though WhatCulture turned me down, I think it turned out nicely.