James Bond, as a film character, has endured for over six decades. He's cinema's favorite spy, and he's gone through many different eras of varying degrees of quality. Bond in the 21st century has, so far, been dominated by Daniel Craig's interpretation of the character, with one infamous Pierce Brosnan exception.
While spy fans wait with bated breath for the announcement of who will play the next James Bond, they can revisit the secret agent's most recent adventures. Not all Bond missions are created equal, and some lend themselves to repeated viewings, while others are less accessible. These are the best Bond movies of the 21st century based on their rewatchability.
6 'Spectre' (2015)
Directed by Sam Mendes
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Spectreis what a Bond movie looks like when nobody really wants to be there. Craig is on autopilot through most of the movie and returning Skyfalldirector Sam Mendes fails to craft any sequences as memorable as those in the previous outing. The film starts strongly enough, with a solid action scene in Mexico City that features both an impressive long-take and a crazy helicopter stunt. After that, the plot gets bogged down in trying to tie the previous three Bond movies all together and reintroducing a classic Bond villain.
Christoph Waltz's performance as Blofeld is certainly not the worst version of the character to ever grace the screen, but the villain definitely pales in comparison to Javier Bardem's Silva from Skyfall, and the "twist" reveal of the character's identity was painfully obvious to anyone who had any prior knowledge of Bond movies. Rewatching the movie now, the twist is even less impactful, and the forced connections to the previous movies make it difficult for it to stand on its own. Ultimately, Spectre is the one thing that a Bond movie should never be: dull.
Release Date October 26, 2015
Director Sam Mendes
Runtime 145
5 'No Time to Die' (2021)
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga
Image via United Artists
No Time to Diemakes some big choices when it comes to Bond. The movie was meant as a fond farewell to Daniel Craig as the spy, and does a lot with the character. As a consequence, the movie can often feel like it is less than the sum of its parts, but many of those parts are damn entertaining. The extended opening sequence, from the creepy introduction of Rami Malek's villain to the Italy-set action setpiece, is all well executed, and the entire Cuba sequence feels like vintage Bond.
The movie is also the longest Bond movie ever made, which makes it a harder sell as a rewatch. No Time to Die is actually one of the best final movies that any of the Bond actors ever got, right down to its shocking ending, but it needs a lot of time to digest. The best way to enjoy the movie is to be able to fully engage with the emotions that are being applied to its legendary lead character, which is something that definitely affects its rewatchability.
Die Another Day is not a good movie. It is, however, a very silly movie. Sometimes, all an audience wants is to turn off their brains and watch something dumb, and there is a lot of dumb in this Bond movie. It has invisible cars, tsunami surfing, and a villain that is literally whitewashed. The movie very clearly knows what it is and tells the audience right up front with a title sequence that has Bond being viciously tortured while a Madonna dance track plays.
Die Another Day features plenty of embarrassing moments, but if viewers are dialed in to its silliness, it can be a lot of fun. The biggest problem with a Bond movie that's so bad it's good is the run time. For its cheap, dumb thrills, the movie should've been under two hours, but it goes well over that. By the time the villain has donned a costume that makes him look like a rejected member of Spider-Man's rogues gallery, the audience is too exhausted to even laugh.
Release Date November 22, 2002
Director Lee Tamahori
Runtime 133 minutes
Die Another Day is currently available to rent on Prime Video.
Quantum of Solace is a very divisive Bond movie. It's been called the worst movie of the Craig era, as well as the most underrated Bond movie. It inspires a lot of debate. Following off Casino Royalewas going to be a tall order, and the film may have fallen short in that regard, but at the very least it was trying something very different with the character.
The movie feels more like a 70's revenge thriller than it does a globe-trotting adventure, as Bond goes on a mission to uncover the shadowy organization responsible for Vesper Lynd's death and leaves a trail of bodies in his wake. This is Bond at his leanest and meanest. Being the shortest Bond movie ever made adds to the overall brusque attitude of it, and also makes it for a much quicker watch. Unlike the other Bond films of this era, this is one that gets in, gets the job done, and gets out, all in under two hours. That title is still bad, though.
Release Date October 31, 2008
Director Marc Forster
Runtime 106
2 'Skyfall' (2012)
Directed by Sam Mendes
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing
Sam Mendes' absolutely nailed his first Bond outing as a director. Skyfall manages to both deepen the complexity of the character in the most psychological Bond movie ever made, while also delivering on all the elements that fans love about the franchise. Daniel Craig continues to find new shades to play in Bond, Javier Bardem is an iconic villain, Naomi Harris is the most badass Moneypenny, and best of all, the film gives a spotlight to Judi Dench's M by essentially making her the main Bond girl.
Dench absolutely owned the role of Bond's superior, and her tenure during the Craig era saw the character get more involved than ever. Skyfall took the relationship between the characters to a whole new level as both had to reckon with their pasts. In the process, the movie delivers a bittersweet goodbye to the best actor to ever play the role, while also setting Bond on a fresh course for new adventures. All of that while delivering some of the franchise's best and most beautifully shot action, makes Skyfall a pleasure to revisit.
Release Date November 9, 2012
Runtime 2h 23m
1 'Casino Royale' (2006)
Directed by Martin Campbell
Image via Sony Pictures
From the second the black and white opening ends and the husky vocals of Chris Cornell kick off one of the best Bond themes ever, Casino Royale grabs a hold and doesn't let go until Craig utters the character's iconic introduction line. This origin story isn't just the best Bond movie of the 21st century, but also possibly the best Bond movie ever made. By just about any gauge one can judge it by, Casino Royale is an unqualified success. A perfect spy movie from start to finish.
Director Martin Campbell, returning to the franchise after previously introducing Brosnan in GoldenEye, keeps the movie moving at a brisk pace that never lags. Craig makes the role his own with a style and grit that immediately sets his Bond apart, and he's surrounded by a stellar cast. After the disaster of Die Another Day, this movie had to prove that Bond could still be relevant in the new millennium. It answered with a bullet straight down the barrel.
Image by Federico Napoli and Nimesh Perera
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing 
Image via United Artists 
Image via Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer 
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing 
Image via Sony Pictures Releasing 
Image via Sony Pictures 
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