Daniel Craig's run as James Bond has now come to an end, but after 5 films, there have been
many ups and downs. I think the stronger ones have been quite fantastic, whereas the
weaker films have definitely stood out. But what I will say about the set of films done by the latest
007 is that many fans and viewers will have different films at different
positions and it will be interesting to read how people personally rank them. Of course,
this is my subjective view on how I would rank the Daniel Craig James Bond movies, but
I am intrigued to hear how you would personally rank them too,
so let me know down below in the comments section. But before I get into my ranked list,
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Reddit and Instagram at cortex videos, which is all linked in the description below. But without
further ado, let's dive into my ranked list of every Daniel Craig James Bond film.
So starting off with Quantum of Solace, the second Daniel Craig James Bond film didn't go down well
with many viewers and fans, but it's still worth watching for the continuation of the story.
In this film, Bond attempted to stop yet another villainous organization called Quantum and its
leader Dominic Green. Some fans including myself weren't so happy about the film,
as it lacks some of the aspects and characters connected with the James Bond franchise.
It was shot from an unfinished script due to a writer's strike, with some of the dialogue
written on the fly by director Marc Forster and Craig himself, ending up as admittedly not the
most cohesive entry. Quantum is at its best when it's focusing on Bond's struggle for inner peace
in the wake of Vesper's death, or on his back and forward relationship with his boss
but it's considerably less effective when dealing with its evil environmentalist villain, or
stumbling through overly edited action set pieces. It’s filled with product placement and its plot is
messy all leading to a story that plays out and makes for a disjointed entry that’s ultimately
lacking in multiple areas. However, there are some things to like about Quantum of Solace
such as Craig doing a good job as an emotionally wounded, revenge-thirsty Bond and Judi Dench’s
M delivering a performance that acts as the moral counterpoint to Craig’s spy. As the shortest Bond
movie ever made and as a result of the previously mentioned writers’ strike, there’s also a distinct
but welcome lack of filler and exposition. Quantum of Solace may have suffered from certain events,
as well as being the follow-up to the brilliant Casino Royale, but it loses focus in regards to
the thrilling capabilities of a Bond film. They are supposed to be enjoyable and,
ultimately, Quantum of Solace doesn't hit the mark.
Next, at no 4, I'm putting No Time To Die. Now I know many will instantly disagree with this
and put Spectre below the latest James Bond film, but just for me personally, I
found that there were just too many weak aspects such as a muddled tone,
a bad villain that lessened the motivation and the stakes, alongside some questionable choices
which didn't really help the consistency nor the character of James Bond. But really this is all
connected through script problems and a poor plot, which ultimately makes me not want to revisit this
film much more. It wants to tie up the loose ends of Spectre, a task probably better left alone,
but one that eats up nearly half the runtime. It also wants to return to the
Bond franchise's most eccentric aspects such as island lairs,
evil plots for world domination and all the things that never fit well into this era of 007.
Most of all, it wants to give Daniel Craig's James Bond, arguably one of the best 007's of all time
and certainly the most dynamic, a proper sendoff, something it achieves once it has the sense to
get out of its own way. Elsewhere, Rami Malek is a disappointing villain, fitted within a
COVID-esque plot that feels both poorly timed and regressive, and Lashana Lynch's much-buzzed-about
new 007 isn't really given much to do other than claim her position as 007 before giving it back,
ultimately seeming pointless. The Craig era ends with a solid goodbye to its star,
sure, but it also ends with one of his most bloated adventures. Like I said in my review
there are some really great things about this film such as the production, the action, Hans
Zimmer's music and the first 20 minutes which really started strong. But the issues
they had with rewrites of the script really shine through in the second and third act
and it makes the twists and choices feel like a Last Jedi-esque attempt at shocking the audience.
It also doesn't put the future of James Bond as a character in a great situation, but again
I did really like the emotional aspect as I mentioned before. I may change my
mind if I watch it again at some point and really enjoy it, but after my disappointment
when watching the film last week, it honestly didn't urge me to want to revisit
this story. We'll see but again, I know many people will disagree and that's completely fine.
Rounding out the top 3 is 2015's Spectre. James Bond once again has his hands full when M dies and
her message brings him to Mexico City and from there on, things rapidly get more complicated.
The most impressive aspect of this film is the way it portrays James Bond
as a kind of rebel who stands against his own organization and this angle brings a new sense of
urgency into the film since Bond can't rely on the assumption that everybody who supposedly
works on the same side is the good guy. It also has fantastic elements to its production,
such as the superb cinematography of Hoyte Van Hoytema, especially during that great
opening one-shot illusion in Mexico. All Bond movies are reflections of the
cinematic landscape in which they're released, so it's not a surprise that the trend of focusing
on an over-arching narrative rather than the film at hand would wind up influencing
007. But this is where in my opinion, it hurts the film. Blofeld re-emergence for one feels
unoriginal. That's partly due to the uninspired casting of Christoph Waltz, who could do this type
of performance in any film. More upsettingly, his claim to being the "author" of Bond's pain
stems from the sort of cynical pandering that would bring Emperor Palpatine back
in Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker. That might all be fine if this reveal didn't follow
a plodding first hour that unsuccessfully tries to use Skyfall's "ruined city"
effect about the state of MI6 and following a theme song that unsuccessfully mimics
its predecessor. Even a quite brutal crawl between Craig and Dave Bautista on a train
feels like a callback to a far superior sequence, in a superior film. But yes, a better plot
and less trying to rely on the sequel to Skyfall effect, would have definitely helped a film that
has great production aspects and all the potential that a Bond film should have.
Just missing out on the top spot is 2012's Skyfall. The James Bond series has always been
about ageing, but until Skyfall, it was never really acknowledged. That's a valid question to
ask after 50 years of movies, but director Sam Mendes manages to answer successfully.
This is that rarest of things, a well-made, thoughtful, and gorgeous looking action film,
thanks to Roger Deakins, one that boils the entire series down to its simplest pieces of iconography,
trusting its emotional centre to what has been its most dynamic relationship
for a while now. And this is the relationship between Bond and M. Craig's Bond and Dench's M.
turns in awards-worthy work, as does Javier Bardem as Silva, the cyber-terrorist who
would sow the seeds of distrust in M for Bond. Skyfall is the complete package,
a satisfying mixture of the old and the new, both a celebration and reflection of all things 007
and it easily draws attention thanks to the song by Adele that adds a special atmosphere to the
film. However, that's not the only aspect of the film that captivated the audience. Bond has been
shot and pronounced dead, but whoever hurt him and stole the list of secret agents from the CIA
is in for a big surprise. Once again, Bond gets to travel to fascinating locations in his effort
to learn the truth and find the person behind this. It may be a film that is beaten by beat,
very similar to that of The Dark Knight, and it takes many obvious things from other movies too,
but it uses these well in the Bond template to create the perfect blend of action and drama.
At the no 1 spot is the film that reinvigorated bond for the modern era and it's one of the
best films of the early 2000s. One of the many pleasures of a Bond rewatch
is to experience the effect of how much of a pivot Casino Royale was for the series. It's one of the
finest films the series has experienced since the Connery era. There was much resistance to
Daniel Craig's casting in the beginning, from his blond hair and blue eyes to his gruff and
brooding demeanour. His Bond is without a doubt a gorilla of a man, leaping off
scaffolding and propelling himself up to continue fighting, but the first hour
embraces this fully with the kind of scrappy and brutal action beats, no doubt inspired by Jason
Bourne, that simply doesn't come along that much in studio films with this budget. By
the time he's taken to the poker table, viewers are primed for a total reinvention and one that
seamlessly melds traditional bond with moments of genuine introspection. Dench's M finally gets some
solid material and a sparring partner in Craig, while Mads Mikkelsen's blood-weeping Le Chiffre
is a nice reflection to the quirky villains of old with an added touch of darkness. It laid the
foundations for the evolution of the character, with Bond’s morality and true identity placed
front and centre. Every Bond movie needs a strong supporting cast to help it succeed,
and Casino Royale’s was one of the best. Eva Green’s performance as femme fatale Vesper,
steals the show, while Mads Mikkelsen and Jeffrey Wright gave great performances respectively.
Add in plenty of high-octane action sequences, complete suspense and an ill-fated love story
that set up Craig’s entire arc as 007, and Casino Royale is deserving of the top spot.
Sure, it borrowed plenty from the at-the-time successful Jason Bourne film, but Casino Royale
breathed new life into the Bond franchise when some had considered its best days were behind it.
But that was my ranking of all 5 Daniel Craig James Bond movies and I'm sure many
people will agree, disagree and have opinions on why they put certain films over others. I
think films like quantum of solace and Spectre are definitely going to be towards the bottom,
but from what I've also seen, many agree that Casino Royale and Skyfall are right near the top.
From what I've also heard so far, No Time To Die appears to be a film that is going to split people
right down the middle, depending on what they personally wanted from this Bond, but for those
who did enjoy it I'm really happy that you did. But what do you think of my list and how would you
rank all 5 movies Daniel Craig James Bond movies. Let me know down below in the comments section.
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