Image via MGM Distribution Co.
Published May 25, 2026, 8:41 PM EDT
Liam Gaughan is a film and TV writer at Collider. He has been writing film reviews and news coverage for ten years. Between relentlessly adding new titles to his watchlist and attending as many screenings as he can, Liam is always watching new movies and television shows.
In addition to reviewing, writing, and commentating on both new and old releases, Liam has interviewed talent such as Mark Wahlberg, Jesse Plemons, Sam Mendes, Billy Eichner, Dylan O'Brien, Luke Wilson, and B.J. Novak. Liam aims to get his spec scripts produced and currently writes short films and stage plays. He lives in Allentown, PA.
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James Bond is the most enduring film character of all-time, as there isn’t another screen hero who has remained relevant for over six decades. While there will always be new films based on public domain characters like Dracula or Robin Hood, Bond is the one figure who seems like he’s an event whenever he’s on screen. Bond films aren’t just exciting blockbusters, but cultural touchstones that are representative of specific eras in cinematic history.
The Bond franchise has a remarkable consistency in terms of quality, as it ranges from merely entertaining at worst to absolute classic at best. While the highest quality Bond films, such as Casino Royale and Goldfinger, rank among the best of all-time, there are quite a few other 007 adventures that don’t receive as much credit because of the massive expectations the series has set for itself.
‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ (1969)
Image via Eon ProductionsOn Her Majesty’s Secret Service is a bold, experimental Bond film that applied realism and dramatic intensity to a series that had previously been only viewed as propulsive entertainment. George Lazenby only ever got one chance to be Bond, but he delivered a sensitive, vulnerable performance as a version of the spy who was capable of his heart being broken.
None of the romantic drama in On Her Majesty's Secret Service prevents it from being a brilliant action film, as the ski chase down the Swiss Alps is one of the most exciting set pieces in the entire series. The crisp, winter setting makes for one of the most visually stunning films of the ‘60s, but it's the amazing chemistry between Lazenby and the late great Diana Rigg that makes On Her Majesty’s Secret Service a classic, regardless of its connection to any of the other films.
‘For Your Eyes Only’ (1981)
Image via United ArtistsFor Your Eyes Only was an appropriate reset for Roger Moore’s Bond, as his run as the character has threatened to become far too goofy with Moonraker, a film that took the franchise into science fiction territory in order to capitalize on the popularity of Star Wars and Superman. Since tensions between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union had begun to heat up once more, it was the perfect time for a back-to-basics Bond adventure that revolved around a stolen nuclear device that could threaten to engulf the world in chaos.
For Your Eyes Only featured all the wit and whimsy that Moore was best known for, but it also allowed him to acknowledge his age. Most Bond actors reach a point in which they grow too old to play the character, but For Your Eyes Only benefitted from Moore’s decision to lean into the grizzled element.
‘Never Say Never Again’ (1983)
Image via Warner Bros.Never Say Never Again is one of two non-official Bond films that weren’t made by EON, but it’s not a parody like 1967’s Casino Royale. It was due to an irregularity involving rights that Warner Bros. was able to make a remake of Thunderball that brought Sean Connery back to play a grizzled version of Bond who faces off once again with Blofeld, played by the brilliant Max von Sydow.
Never Say Never Again is most distinguished for being directed by Irvin Kershner, the man behind The Empire Strikes Back. Kershner’s visual language and ability to create an epic sense of adventure was virtually unparalleled, and he succeeded in making a film that felt like a throwback to Connery’s early years as the character, whilst also pulling him into the ‘80s for a more complicated era of intrigue and political paranoia.
‘A View to a Kill’ (1985)
Image via MGMA View To a Kill is the last Moore Bond film, and is one of the greatest campy, ridiculous action spectacles of the ‘80s. The Bond franchise certainly does not always take itself seriously, but A View to A Kill included the type of self-aware humor, ridiculous stunts, and cheesy one-liners that might have been more appropriate for Austin Powers.
A View To a Kill is a fun film to watch and laugh with, but it does feature what is one of the legitimately greatest Bond film performances from Christopher Walken as Max Zorin, a crazed industrialist who is trying to destroy Silicon Valley. To say that Walken understood the assignment would be an understatement; he leaned into all of his weirdest tendencies, and managed to be creepy, silly, and utterly transfixing in a way that perfectly closed off Bond’s silliest era with Moore.
‘The Living Daylights’ (1987)
Image via MGMThe Living Daylights is an underappreciated setup to Timothy Dalton, who sadly only got two opportunities to play Bond. Dalton was the first actor ever cast in the role who truly cared about the original novels by Ian Fleming, and committed to honoring his vision by playing a darker, more ruthless version of the character who had no qualms about killing people in cold blood.
The Living Daylights is a great transitional film because it offered a slicker, more propulsive Bond adventure that offered something different than the derivative SPECTRE plots in the Moore films. The film offered modernized politics that appropriately dealt with the end of the Cold War and the deterioration of the infrastructure of the Soviet Union, and also featured one of the greatest Bond titles sequences and theme songs of all-time with “The Living Daylights” by a-Ha.
‘License to Kill’ (1989)
Image via MGMLicense to Kill deserves to be recognized as one of the best action films of the ‘80s, as it has grown past its divisive early reception to be a landmark in the Bond franchise. Although The Living Daylights was still based on a script that was originally designed for Moore, License to Kill was a full-throttled revenge thriller that saw Dalton’s Bond striking out on his own in order to avenge the death of his friend’s wife.
License to Kill introduced the novel concept of Bond having his own code of justice, as it involved a mission that was not officially sanctioned by MI6 or the United Kingdom’s government. Dalton delivered a complex and emotionally vulnerable performance that laid the groundwork for the darker interpretation of the character that would emerge in the 21st century with Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace.
‘Tomorrow Never Dies’ (1997)
Image via EONTomorrow Never Dies was a Bond film ahead of its time in figuring out a way to fit the character into a modern world. Although the franchise has earned some justified criticism for its treatment of female characters, Tomorrow Never Dies featured a terrific Bond girl with Michelle Yeoh, who played a Chinese spy who proves to be the equal to Pierce Brosnan’s 007.
Tomorrow Never Dies also featured one of the most underrated Bond villains with the great Jonathan Pryce as Elliot Carver, a media mogul who uses the power of propaganda and misleading headlines to create chaos that only serves his agenda. The notion of a wealthy tycoon who can create destructive world events may have seemed a bit far-fetched when the film debuted in 1997, but now it can be seen as being eerily predictive of the world of today.
‘The World Is Not Enough’ (1999)
Image via MGM/EonThe World is Not Enough was a darker adventure for Brosnan’s Bond that featured a truly standout performance from Judi Dench as M. While Dench had done a great job rebooting the character when she first appeared in Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough offered a glimpse into her past because of how the film’s villains were tied in.
Director Michael Apted is a legend of independent cinema who understood how to use a global scope to make The World Is Not Enough feel even more expansive, resulting in one of the most memorable opening scenes in the series. The film’s antagonists are also more complex than that of a standard Bond film, as Sophie Marceau’s performance is both tragic and terrifying at the same time. That being said, it’s also wonderfully self-aware, and has some of Bond’s best double-entendres.
‘Spectre’ (2015)
Image via Columbia PicturesSpectre is a good film that could’ve been truly great if it weren’t for the execution of the twist involving Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), which isn’t well-handled. However, it’s a minor issue for a Bond film that has great setpieces, a terrific performance by Lea Seydoux, and a modern take on the Orwellian surveillance state that showed Bond’s old-fashioned spycraft going up against a technological takeover.
Spectre was a synthesis of multiple generations of Bond, as it gave Daniel Craig a chance to show how his version of the character had become more classical in the wake of Skyfall, whilst also allowing for a bit more humor. Sam Mendes remains the greatest director ever to direct a Bond film (at least until Denis Villeneuve), and his style of filmmaking results in a classy, beautifully made action blockbuster with remarkable craftsmanship throughout.
‘No Time To Die’ (2021)
Image via UniversalNo Time To Die is essentially the “Avengers: Endgame” of Craig’s Bond era, as it served as a love letter and farewell to 15 years of storytelling. Not only did it face Craig’s Bond with his most personal adventure yet because of the self-sacrificial journey he is on, but No Time To Die offered a boosted role for many of the best supporting characters in the series, including Mallory (Ralph Fiennes), Q (Ben Whishaw), Tanner (Rory Kinnear), Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright). Moneypenny (Naomi Harris), and Madeline Swann.
No Time To Die went through multiple iterations before settling on a threat that had the highest of stakes, all whilst reaffirming the importance of the old-fashioned heroism that Bond represents. While it is easy to nitpick, No Time To Die was a wonderful sendoff that leaves the next entry in the series with massive expectations.
Collider Exclusive · Action Hero Quiz
Which Action Hero Would Be
Your Perfect Partner?
Rambo · James Bond · Indiana Jones · John McClane · Ethan Hunt
Five legends. Five completely different ways of getting out alive — with style, with muscle, with charm, with luck, or with a plan so intricate it probably shouldn't work. Ten questions will reveal which action hero was built to have your back.
🎖️Rambo
🍸James Bond
🏺Indiana Jones
🔧John McClane
🎭Ethan Hunt
FIND YOUR PARTNER →
01
You're dropped into a dangerous situation with no warning. What do you need most from a partner? The first few seconds tell you everything about who belongs beside you.
ASomeone who already has three contingency plans running and is calmly working through all of them. BSomeone who reads the terrain instinctively and knows exactly how to use it against the enemy. CSomeone who keeps their nerve and their sense of humour when everything is falling apart. DSomeone who knows the history of wherever we are and what we're walking into. ESomeone with the right contact, the right cover identity, and the right exit already arranged.
NEXT QUESTION →
02
You have to get somewhere dangerous, fast. How do you travel? How you get there is half the mission.
AOn foot through terrain no one else would attempt — I move where vehicles can't follow. BOn a motorcycle, a cargo plane, or anything else that gets me there before I think too hard about it. CIn something that belongs to someone else — borrowed, stolen, or improvised under fire. DFirst class, with a cover identity and a gadget that does something I won't explain until it's needed. EBy whatever means are available — I've driven, flown, and once arrived by camel. The destination matters, not the method.
NEXT QUESTION →
03
You're pinned down and outnumbered. What does your ideal partner do? This is when you find out what someone is really made of.
ADisappears into the environment, flanks them silently, and ends it before I've reloaded. BCracks a one-liner, grabs a fire extinguisher or a chair, and improvises something that somehow works. CProduces a gadget specifically designed for this exact scenario and uses it with infuriating precision. DPulls out a whip, a pistol, and an archaeological insight that somehow gets us out alive. ENeutralises the threat with maximum efficiency and minimum words — they were already three moves ahead.
NEXT QUESTION →
04
The mission is paused. You have one evening to decompress. What does your partner suggest? Who someone is when the pressure drops is who they actually are.
AA bar with terrible lighting, cold beer, and absolutely no questions about feelings. BThe finest restaurant in the city, a bottle of something expensive, and a conversation that is equal parts brilliant and exhausting. CA local dig site, a museum after hours, or a long story about why that particular artefact matters to human civilisation. DPizza. Bad TV. Falling asleep halfway through a movie neither of you were watching anyway. EA debrief that turns into three hours of contingency planning that somehow becomes the most fun you've had all week.
NEXT QUESTION →
05
How do you prefer your partner to communicate mid-mission? Good communication is the difference between partners and a liability.
APrecise and minimal — tell me what I need to know and nothing else. Every word has a cost. BDeadpan and dry — keeping it light keeps me sharp, even when everything is on fire. CEnthusiastic and slightly chaotic — but always with useful information buried somewhere in the noise. DCalm and controlled through an earpiece, with a plan that covers every variable I haven't thought of yet. EBarely at all — silence is a language and they speak it fluently.
NEXT QUESTION →
06
Your enemy is powerful, well-resourced, and has the upper hand. How should your partner approach them? The approach to the enemy defines the partnership.
AInfiltrate their inner circle, learn everything, and dismantle them from inside out before they know we're there. BStudy the historical pattern — every villain of this type has a weakness written somewhere in the past. CGet them talking. The more they monologue, the more time I have to figure out how to beat them. DGo through them. Directly. With as much force as the terrain allows. EFind the one thing they haven't accounted for — there's always one thing — and make sure we're holding it.
NEXT QUESTION →
07
Things go badly wrong and you're captured. What do you trust your partner to do? Who someone is when you need them most is the only thing that matters.
ACome in alone, quietly, and get me out before anyone knows they were there. BHave already been working on the extraction since the moment I disappeared — the plan is already running. CCome in loud, come in fast, and worry about the collateral damage later — I'd do the same for them. DUse every resource, every contact, and bend every rule until I'm out — they don't leave people behind. ECharm their way in somehow, bluff through the hard part, and still manage to look good doing it.
NEXT QUESTION →
08
What does your ideal partner bring to the table that you couldn't replace? A great partner fills the gap you didn't know you had.
ATechnology that shouldn't exist yet and the training to use it under any conditions. BSurvival instinct so refined it borders on supernatural — and the scars to prove it's been tested. CKnowledge of history, language, and culture that makes them invaluable in places where force is useless. DThe ability to walk into any room in the world and immediately become the most trusted person in it. EStubbornness that refuses to accept a situation is hopeless — and the improvisational skill to back it up.
NEXT QUESTION →
09
Every partnership has a cost. Which of these can you live with? No one comes without baggage. The question is whether you can carry it together.
AA partner who never fully switches off — always watching exits, always calculating threats, even at dinner. BA partner who gets the job done brilliantly but has the emotional availability of a locked filing cabinet. CA partner who makes everything ten times more complicated than it needs to be — but who always comes through. DA partner who gets personally attached to every relic, ruin, and artefact we encounter, which slows everything down. EA partner who was not built for this and knows it — but shows up anyway, every time, without being asked.
NEXT QUESTION →
10
It's the final moment. Everything is on the line. What do you need from your partner right now? The last question is the most honest one.
AOne line. Absolutely dry. Delivered like the world isn't ending. Then we move. BNothing said at all — just a look that means we both already know what has to happen. CA plan I don't fully understand that somehow accounts for everything, delivered in thirty seconds flat. DA piece of historical context that reframes the entire situation and tells us exactly what to do next. ESomeone who steps forward instead of back — because that's who they've always been.
REVEAL MY PARTNER →
Your Partner Has Been Assigned Your Perfect Partner Is…
Your answers have pointed to one action hero above all others. This is the person built to have your back — for better or considerably, spectacularly worse.
Rambo
Your partner doesn't talk much, doesn't need to, and will have assessed every threat in your immediate environment before you've finished your first sentence. John Rambo is not a man of plans or politics — he is a force of nature shaped by survival, loyalty, and a capacity for endurance that goes beyond anything training can produce. He will not leave you behind. He has never left anyone behind who deserved to come home. What you get with Rambo is the most capable, most quietly ferocious partner imaginable — one who has been through things that would have broken anyone else, and who chose to keep going anyway. You'll never need to ask if he has your back. You'll just know.
James Bond
Your partner will arrive perfectly dressed, perfectly briefed, and with a cover story so convincing it'll take you a moment to remember what's actually true. James Bond is the most professionally dangerous person in any room he enters — and the most disarmingly charming, which is the point. He operates in a world of layers, where nothing is what it appears and every advantage is used without apology. You'll never be bored. You'll occasionally be furious. But when it matters — when the mission is genuinely on the line and the margin for error has collapsed to nothing — Bond is exactly the partner you want. He has survived things that have no business being survivable. He does it with style. That is not nothing.
Indiana Jones
Your partner will know the history, the language, the cultural context, and exactly why the thing everyone else is ignoring is actually the most important thing in the room. Indiana Jones is brilliant, reckless, and occasionally impossible — but he is also one of the most resourceful, most genuinely knowledgeable partners you could find yourself beside. He approaches every situation with a scholar's eye and a brawler's instinct, which is an unusual combination and a remarkably effective one. He hates snakes and gets personally attached to objects of historical significance, both of which will slow you down at least once. It doesn't matter. What Indy brings is irreplaceable — and the adventures you'll have together will be the kind people write books about. Assuming you survive them.
John McClane
Your partner was not supposed to be here. He does not have the right equipment, the right information, or anything approaching the right odds. He has a sarcastic remark and an absolute refusal to accept that the situation is as bad as it looks. John McClane is the greatest accidental hero in the history of action cinema — a man whose superpower is stubbornness, whose contingency plan is improvisation, and whose capacity to absorb punishment and keep moving would be alarming if it weren't so useful. He will complain the entire time. He will make it significantly more chaotic than it needed to be. And he will absolutely, unconditionally, without question come through when it counts. Yippee-ki-yay.
Ethan Hunt
Your partner has already run seventeen scenarios by the time you've finished reading the briefing, and the plan he's settled on involves at least two things that should be physically impossible. Ethan Hunt operates at the absolute edge of human capability — technically, physically, and intellectually — and he brings the same relentless precision to protecting his partners that he brings to dismantling organisations that shouldn't exist. He is not easy to know and he will never fully tell you everything. But he will carry the weight of the mission so completely, so absolutely, that your job is simply to trust him — and the remarkable thing is that trusting him always turns out to be the right call. The mission will be impossible. He will complete it anyway.
↻ RETAKE THE QUIZ
No Time to Die
Release Date October 8, 2021
Runtime 163 Minutes
Director Cary Joji Fukunaga
English (US) ·