The Good: Goldfinger (1964)
Pretty much any of Connery’s efforts are fitting here, but I’ve gone for the quintessential Bond flick – Goldfinger.
Although this is the third film in the series, you could argue it’s the first one that properly nailed the typical Bond template. From Shirley Bassey’s unforgettable theme tune to Gert Frobe’s eponymous villain, it doesn’t put a foot wrong. It’s a truly iconic film - the woman covered in gold paint, Oddjob and his unusual choice of headwear, Bond struggling against a laser, etc. Marvellous stuff.
The Bad: Die Another Day (2002)
I always liked Pierce Brosnan as Bond. I thought his charm and looks made him a perfect fit for the role of 007. Sadly he was victim to a string of terrible films, culminating in Die Another Day.
This movie just feels like an unoriginal, cheap copy. It’s as if the creators ran out of ideas and decided to nick ideas from every other Bond film before it. The villain is boring, the gadgets are ridiculous, even Halle Berry is rubbish! And the less said about Madonna’s theme tune and cameo, the better...
The Ugly: A View to a Kill (1985)
During the 80s, it seems that James Bond films weren’t bothered about making sense, they just wanted to be as spectacular as possible. However, 1985’s A View To A Kill is simply too ridiculous.
I think it is fair to say that Roger Moore was getting on a bit when this movie was made. The actor was 57 (57!) when he made this, his last Bond film. Watching Moore fight baddies and hop into bed with girls half his age is pretty painful. Not even a classic Christopher Walken performance or a cracking Duran Duran tune could save this one.
