James Bond is a classic film franchise that has captivated audiences for decades with its sleek action, a suave lead character, and extravagant set pieces. If you’ve never seen a James Bond movie before, it can be intimidating to know where to start with such a long-running series. However, fear not! A few standout films in the franchise serve as great introductions to the world of James Bond.
These movies showcase the iconic elements that have made the series so enduring while also standing on their own as entertaining and memorable experiences. Whether you’re a fan of action, espionage, or just plain old-fashioned fun, there’s a James Bond movie for you. So sit back, grab your martini (shaken, not stirred), and get ready to join 007 on some of his most thrilling adventures.
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
10 Dr. No (1962)
Eon Productions
Dr. No is the first in the James Bond franchise. It was directed by Terence Young and starred Sean Connery as James Bond. John Strangways (Timothy Moxon), the MI6 Station Chief in Jamaica, is murdered along with his secretary, and James Bond is sent to investigate. Bond meets Quarrel (John Kitzmiller) and Felix Leiter (Jack Lord), who are also investigating the case, and learns that the radio jamming signal traced to Jamaica was believed to be coming from an island called Crab Key. Bond and Quarrel are captured and taken to a hidden base run by Dr. Julius No (Joseph Wiseman), a criminal organization SPECTER member, who plans to disrupt the Project Mercury space launch at Cape Canaveral. Bond overloads the base’s nuclear reactor, causing it to explode, and escapes with Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress).
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY
9 From Russia with Love (1963)
In the film From Russia with Love, SPECTRE is seeking revenge against James Bond (Sean Connery) for the death of their agent, Dr. No, in Jamaica. To trap Bond, they assign Irish assassin Donald “Red” Grant (Robert Shaw) to kill him and devise a plan to have Bond steal a Lektor cryptography device from the Soviet Union’s consulate in Istanbul. SPECTRE operative Rosa Klebb (Lotte Lenya) recruits Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi), a cipher clerk at the consulate, to unwittingly help in the plan. Grant pursues Bond and Tatiana, but they outsmart him and escape with the Lektor.
The film From Russia with Love is most notable for its action scenes and the introduction of the character Red Grant.
RELATED: Daniel Craig Reacts to James Bond Casting Rumors
8 Goldfinger (1964)
In the film Goldfinger, James Bond (Sean Connery) investigates wealthy businessman Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe), who is suspected of smuggling gold. Bond’s investigation leads him to Goldfinger’s private golf club, where he meets Goldfinger’s assistant, Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman). Bond also discovers that Goldfinger is planning to steal the gold reserves at Fort Knox. Bond works to stop Goldfinger’s plan and eventually defeats him. Along the way, he is aided by the CIA and battles Goldfinger’s goon, Oddjob (Harold Sakata).
The film is perhaps best known for its iconic opening sequence and memorable villains and accomplices.
7 Casino Royale (2006)
In the film Casino Royale, James Bond (Daniel Craig) is on a mission to bankrupt terrorist financier Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) in a high-stakes poker game at the Casino Royale in Montenegro. To assist him in the mission, Bond is aided by Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), a British Treasury agent, and Felix Leiter(Jeffrey Wright), a CIA agent. Bond ultimately emerges victorious in a high-stakes poker tournament, but his victory is short-lived as he discovers that Vesper has betrayed him. Bond then confronts and kills Le Chiffre’s accomplice, Mr. White (Jesper Christensen). The film features fast-paced action, high-stakes gambling, and a complex and intense love story between Bond and Vesper.
6 Skyfall (2012)
In Skyfall, Bond (Daniel Craig) and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) are tasked with retrieving a stolen hard drive containing the identities of undercover agents. During the mission, Bond is shot and falls off a train, leading the agency to believe he is dead. Three months later, the MI6 building is attacked and destroyed, causing M (Judi Dench) to come under scrutiny and be pressured to retire. Bond, who faked his own death, returns to service and is ordered by M to track down the mercenary responsible for the hard drive theft, Patrice (Ola Rapace). Bond follows Patrice to Shanghai and then to Macau, where he meets Sévérine (Bérénice Marlohe), Patrice’s accomplice. Sévérine leads Bond to her employer, Silva (Javier Bardem), a former MI6 agent turned cyberterrorist who orchestrated the attack on the agency as revenge against M. Bond alerts MI6, and Silva is captured, but he later escapes and sets his sights on killing M. Bond takes M to his childhood home, Skyfall, in the Scottish Highlands to defend her against Silva and his men. M is killed in the ensuing battle, but Bond is able to defeat Silva.
5 Goldeneye (1995)
Directed by Martin Campbell, Goldeneye is the 17th film in the James Bond series. The film stars Pierce Brosnan as James Bond, a British Secret Service agent, who is sent to investigate the theft of a prototype Eurocopter Tiger helicopter that can withstand an electromagnetic pulse. Bond soon discovers that the thief is his former friend and colleague, Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean), who had faked his own death nine years earlier and is now working with the Russian mafia. Trevelyan plans to use the helicopter to disable the Goldeneye, a Soviet satellite weapon that he plans to use to destroy London’s financial district. Bond teams up with Russian Defense Ministry agent Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco) to stop Trevelyan and his accomplices, including the ruthless General Ourumov (Gottfried John) and the seductive Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen). Bond and Natalya manage to infiltrate Trevelyan’s base and disable the Goldeneye, but Trevelyan escapes and captures Natalya. Bond pursues Trevelyan to a satellite control facility, where a final showdown occurs. Bond ultimately defeats Trevelyan and escapes as the facility explodes.
RELATED: The Best Films From Ex-Bond Actors, Ranked
4 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
The Spy Who Loved Me stars Roger Moore as Bond and Barbara Bach as Major Anya Amasova, the film’s main Bond girl. Bond investigates the disappearance of British and Soviet submarines and teams up with Major Amasova, a KGB agent working on the same case. They discover that the submarines have been hijacked by the villainous Karl Stromberg (Curt Jürgens), who plans to use them to start a nuclear war and then rebuild human civilization underwater. Bond and Major Amasova travel to Stromberg’s underwater base, Atlantis, where they confront Stromberg and his henchman Jaws (Richard Kiel), a giant with steel teeth. After a series of action-packed battles, Bond and Major Amasova successfully thwart Stromberg’s plan and destroy Atlantis.
The film is known for its iconic opening scene featuring Bond skydiving from a plane and landing on a parachute with the Union Jack emblazoned on it, as well as its memorable theme song, “Nobody does it better”, sung by Carly Simon.
3 On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service follows James Bond (George Lazenby) as he attempts to track down Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Telly Savalas), the head of the global criminal organization SPECTRE, who is planning to use biological warfare to hold the world to ransom. Bond travels to Switzerland, where he meets Tracy di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg), the troubled daughter of a wealthy family. Bond falls in love with Tracy, and they get married, but their happiness is short-lived as Blofeld and his accomplices attack them on their honeymoon. Bond is determined to stop Blofeld once and for all, and he teams up with Tracy’s father, Marc-Ange Draco (Gabriele Ferzetti), and the British Secret Service to track down Blofeld’s mountain stronghold.
The film features exciting action sequences, exotic locations, and a poignant love story between Bond and Tracy.
2 Thunderball (1965)
Thunderball is the fourth film in the James Bond franchise. It follows Agent 007, James Bond (Sean Connery), as he investigates the theft of two nuclear weapons by the terrorist organization SPECTRE. The organization plans to use the weapons to hold the world hostage and demand a ransom from the world’s governments. Bond travels to the Bahamas to track down the missing weapons and confronts SPECTRE’s leader, Emilio Largo (Adolfo Celi), the mastermind behind the plot. Along the way, Bond is aided by the beautiful Domino (Claudine Auger), Largo’s mistress, who helps him infiltrate SPECTRE’s operations. Bond ultimately succeeds in stopping the terrorists and retrieving the nuclear weapons, saving the world from a devastating disaster.
1 You Only Live Twice (1967)
You Only Live Twice follows a series of space vehicle hijackings committed by an unknown spacecraft. James Bond (Sean Connery) is sent to Japan to investigate, and he discovers that the global criminal organization SPECTRE is actually piloting the spacecraft. He teams up with Japanese intelligence agent Tiger Tanaka (Tetsurō Tamba) and sets out to stop SPECTRE and its leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Donald Pleasence). Along the way, Bond must confront SPECTRE’s formidable assassin, Mr. Osato (Teru Shimada), and the beautiful but deadly Helga Brandt (Karin Dor).
The film features iconic Bond elements and a memorable performance by actor Donald Pleasence. In the end, Bond is able to stop SPECTRE’s plan and bring down Blofeld’s organization.
