With ‘No Time to Die’ starring Daniel Craig’s out now, you might be eager to jump into the 007 world but with over 50 years of James bond movies and several reboots due to actor changes. Watching a bond movie has always been amazing. There are also several James Bond series.
If you’re confused about how to watch all the James Bond movies in order, don’t worry! Just like superhero fans sometimes can’t understand how to watch DC movies in order or Marvel movies in order, the order of the James Bond films gets confusing even for the most die-hard Bond films fans.
Here’s where we step in and first provide a list of all the movies based on the release date for the movie marathoners out there.
Then we dive into the different eras of the iconic super spy based on the actors who played James Bond (believe us, you’ll want to watch over two dozen films of movie memorabilia this way too!).
James Bond Films in Order of Release Date:
We have given the entire James bond movies and series below:
James Bond Series
- No (1962)
- From Russia with Love (1963)
- Goldfinger (1964)
- Thunderball (1965)
- You Only Live Twice (1967)
- Casino Royale (1967)
- On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
- Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
- Live and Let Die (1973)
- The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
- The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
- Moonraker (1979)
- For Your Eyes Only (1981)
- Octopussy (1983)
- Never Say Never Again (1983)
- A View to a Kill (1985)
- The Living Daylights (1987)
- License to Kill (1989)
- GoldenEye (1995)
- Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
- The World is Not Enough (1999)
- Die Another Day (2002)
- Casino Royale (2006)
- Quantum of Solace (2008)
- Skyfall (2012)
- Spectre (2015)
- No Time to Die (2021)
Sean Connery’s Era
The first man to play the iconic role of the super spy was Scottish Actor Sir Sean Connery bonds and thus many argue him to be the GOAT when it comes to playing Bond – even though Sean’s run as the man in the tuxedo is quite strange, since he departed from the role after starring in 5 films, only to reappear as James Bond in the 7th and a non-canon remake of the 1965’s Thunderball, Never Say Never Again.
1. Dr. No (1962)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Directed By: Terence Young
Starring: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord
Details
This is the first James Bond movie. British agent James Bond is sent to Jamaica to investigate the murder of Strangways, the British Intelligence Station Chief in Jamaica.
He meets a Cayman Fisherman who had been working with Strangways in collecting mineral samples around the Islands, one of which being home to Dr. No, a member of the terrorist organization known as SPECTRE, who is hellbent on destroying the US Space Program. All hell breaks loose as 007 intercepts the evil genius in his Island headquarters.
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2. From Russia with Love (1963)
IMDb Rating: 7.4/10
Directed By: Terence Young
Starring: Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Robert Shaw, Lotte Lenya
Kronsteen, on orders from ‘Number One’ from the secret organization SPECTRE plots to kill James Bond to exact revenge for the death of Dr. No whilst planning to steal a cryptographic device from the Soviets, known as the Lektor with the help of united artists Russian Rosa Klebb and Tatiana, who is used to lure the super-spy into helping them.
007 must rely on pure instinct to escape the deadly tactics of the enemy to survive. Fan of the Bond films? This is surely for you to watch then. After watching this film and if you like it you should also watch Star trek movies in order.
3. Goldfinger (1964)
IMDb Rating: 7.7/10
Directed By: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Sean Connery, Gert Frobe, Honor Blackman, Shirley Eaton
A perfect James bond movie, in this instalment, James Bond’s ordered to observe and intercept the plans of the notorious Auric Goldfinger, who plans to rob Fort Knox and demolish the world’s economy in the process.
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4. Thunderball (1965)
IMDb Rating: 7/10
Directed By: Terence Young
Starring: Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi
Emilio Largo, known as ‘Number two’ of the terrorist organization SPECTRE, hijacks two warheads from an Avro Vulcan, demanding for a huge ransom to return the bombs. James Bond’s sent to the Bahamas to retrieve the warheads from Largo’s lair. Watch this thriller James Bond movie on your weekends.
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5. You Only Live Twice (1967)
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Directed By: Lewis Gilbert
Starring: Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi, Donald Pleasence, Tetsuro Tamb
Again a bond film. Amidst the Cold War, American and Soviet Spacecrafts go missing, leading the two superpowers to believe the other was responsible for the theft.
Bond is sent to Japan after getting intel about one of the spacecraft landing in the sea of Japan and believes Ernst Blofeld (played by the great Donald Pleasence) SPECTRE’S ‘Number One’ is responsible for the hijacking.
Upon intercepting Blofeld’s headquarters, Bond soon learns the sinister plan ‘Number One’ has of turning the two superpowers against each other.
6. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Directed By: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood
While following a major diamond smuggling ring, 007 soon learns that his arch-nemesis, Blofeld, is using the stolen diamonds to create a special satellite that can destroy Nuclear Missiles, and plans to sell it to the highest bidder.
Bond, along with billionaire Willard Whyte establishes that Blofeld is using an offshore oil rig as his lair and attacks the oil rig, stopping Number One in his tracks.
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7. Never Say Never Again (1983)
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Directed By: Irvin Kershner
Starring: Sean Connery, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Barbara Carrera, Max von Sydow
The super spy inspects the hijacking of two cruise missiles with active nuclear missiles by SPECTRE.
He meets Domino, and her lover, Maximillian Largo, who reports back to Blofeld. Bond and Felix Leiter attempt to board Maximillian’s yacht, the Disco Volante, in hopes of finding the missing nuclear missiles.
Bond is captured and taken, with Domino, to Largo’s base in North Africa, but manages to escape with her. The two then ambush Largo while he is positioning one of the warheads.
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George Lazenby’s Era
A bit of an odd ball with this film as it introduces Australian model and commercial actor George’s only appearance as a one-time James Bond before Sean Connery picks the lead off in the next instalment Diamonds are Forever (1971).
This movie does, however, show that each actor who plays as Bond has a different take on the super spy’s personality. Lazenby is also notably the only non-British or Irish actor to play the role thus far.
1. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Directed By: Peter R. Hunt
Starring: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas, Gabriele Ferzetti
A movie featuring Diana Rigg is amazing? In majesty’s secret service, on his search for Ernst Blofeld, Bond gets information about Blofeld’s Swiss Solicitor and breaks in to his office only to establish that Blofeld has established an allergy research clinic in the Swiss Alps.
007 soon learns that the evil Number One is launching his most maniacal scheme yet, by brainwashing patients into releasing bacteriological warfare agents into different parts of the world.
Roger Moore Era
Playing the role of 007 across 7 movies in a span of 12 years, Roger Moore era version of the super spy was known to bring a lighter, more comedic version of the character introducing several gadgets (such as the crocodile submarine) which would, later on, become a staple of the franchise.
1. Live and Let Die (1973)
IMDb Rating: 6.9/10
Directed By: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Roger Moore, Yaphet Kotto, Jane Seymour, Clifton James
In live and let die, after the murder of three British MI6 agents in the span of 24 hours, James Bond is sent to investigate the situation.
The three victims had been investigating the operations of the dictator of a small Caribbean Island (San Monique), whose name was Dr. Kananga. Bond also discovers Kananga’s alter ego, Mr. Big, an unforgiving and scheming American gangster.
Upon visiting the island, Bond finds that the dictator’s producing 2 tons of heroin and is protecting his poppy fields by exploiting the locals.
Through his alter ego, Mr Big, Kananga plans to increase the number of addicts by distributing heroin, free of cost at his restaurants. 007 is apprehended by Kananga, but manages to escape, killing Kananga and destroying the crop in the process. Fan of roger Moore’s movies? What are you waiting for you. Wait it ASAP!
2. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Directed By: Guy Hamilton
Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Britt Ekland, Maud Adams
Another bond film with Roger Moore’s presence, In this movie Bond searches for the ‘Solex Agitator’ a device that can harness the destructive power of the sun. He ends up crossing paths with the assassin, Francisco Scaramanga who had carved 007 on a golden bullet, indicating his next target is the superspy.
Bond is instructed to kill Scaramanga and retrieve the stolen agitator, and tracks the assassin to an island where he faces the Man with the Golden Gun in a showdown, before killing the assassin.
3. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Directed By: Lewis Gilbert
Starring: Roger Moore, Barbara Bach, Curt Jurgens, Richard Kiel
In Spy who loved, Bond investigates the disappearance of ballistic missile submarines while working alongside Anya Amasova of the KGB.
The duo track the leads across Egypt and identify Karl Stromberg as the man responsible for the thefts. Bond and Anya follow a suspicious tanker responsible for the missing submarines, but are captured by Stromberg in the process.
They learn that Karl plans to demolish Moscow and New York, causing nuclear war. Bond escapes and follows Stromberg to his base, where he shoots the anarchist and a torpedo destroys the base.
It is known as the perfect Bond film.
4. Moonraker (1979)
IMDb Rating: 7.9/10
Directed By: Lewis Gilbert
Starring: Roger Moore, Lois Chiles, Michael Lonsdale, Richard Kiel
Agent 007 is ordered to investigate the hijacking of a Drax industries Moonraker. Bond and CIA double agent Holly Goodhead soon find themselves in a life-or-death situation against Hugo Drax, a power-hungry industrialist who plans on unleashing a deadly nerve gas to destroy all human life.
5. For Your Eyes Only (1981)
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Directed By: John Glen
Starring: Roger Moore, Carole Bouquet, Topol, Lynn-Holly Johnson
Marine archaeologist, Sir Timothy Havelock is tasked to retrieve a nuclear submarine control system from a sunken British spy boat before the Russians do, however he is killed in the process. Bond is sent to find out who hired the hitman (Gonzales) responsible for killing Havelock and to secure the control system before it falls into the wrong hands.
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6. Octopussy (1983)
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
Directed By: John Glen
Starring: Roger Moore, Maud Adams, Louis Jourdan, Kristina Wayborn
Bond inspects the murder of 009 in East Berlin, while disguised as a circus clown.
He meets Octopussy, leader of the octopus cult and finds out that Orlov (a soviet renegade) has been supplying Kamal Khan (an exiled Afghan prince) with rare Soviet treasures, replacing them with fakes, while Khan has been smuggling the real ones into the West through Octopussy’s circus.
Bond infiltrates the circus, only to find out that Orlov replaced the treasures with a nuclear warhead timed to explode at a US Air Force base located in West Germany.
Agent 007 deactivates the nuclear bomb and then returns to India, joining an attack on Khan’s residence.
7. A View to a Kill (1985)
IMDb Rating: 6.3/10
Directed By: John Glen
Starring: Roger Moore, Christopher Walken, Grace Jones, Tanya Roberts
Bond uncovers ex KGB agent, millionaire Max Zorin, who’s trying to monopolize the market in microchips by destroying Silicon Valley. Bond discovers Zorin’s plan to detonate explosives along the Hayward and San Andreas faults, and destroys the bomb, and kills Zorin in the process.
Timothy Dalton Era
Timothy Dalton era two appearances as Bond showed what it meant to be as an iconic super agent as this version of bond focuses more on action and seriousness than his charm and romancing of women.
1. The Living Daylights (1987)
IMDb Rating: 6.7/10
Directed By: John Glen
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Maryam d’Abo, Jeroen Krabbac, Joe Don Baker
In this Timothy Dalton movie, British special Agent, James Bond assists the defection of KGB officer, General Georgi Koskov during a symphony performance by wounding a female KGB sniper.
During his debriefing, Koskov reveals that the new head of the KGB has revived an old policy of ‘death to spies’.
As Bond investigates further, he learns that Koskov is involved with a shady arms dealer, Brad Whitaker, in embezzling KGB funds to purchase diamonds which in turn would be used to purchase drugs.
2. License to Kill (1989)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Directed By: John Glen
Starring: Timothy Dalton, Carey Lowell, Robert Davi, Talisa Soto
Special Agent turned rogue James Bond has his License to kill retracted by M on the basis of not following orders but seeks revenge on the powerful drug lord Franz Sanchez for killing his friend’s, Leiter’s wife.
Bond pursues Sanchez’s main base in the Republic of Isthmus, destroying the drug refinery and killing Sanchez in the process.
Pierce Brosnan’s Era
Pierce Brosnan picks off the lead where Dalton leaves off after a 6 long year gap ( the longest joint-gap between any James Bond Film)
1. GoldenEye (1995)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sean Bean, Izabella Scorupco, Famke Janssen
James Bond and former ally 006 united artists had infiltrated a Soviet chemical weapon’s facility to plant explosives but in the process, Trevelyan (006) gets shot and only Bond escapes.
9 years later, a criminal organization called Janus steals the control keys for the GoldenEye satellite weapon, and Bond discovers that Trevelyan had faked his death and is infact the leader of the criminal organisation.
Bond must destroy the satellite facility before Trevelyan destroys the British economy.
2. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
IMDb Rating: 6.5/10
Directed By: Roger Spottiswoode
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Jonathan Pryce, Michelle Yeoh, Teri Hatcher
The sinking of a British ship in Chinese waters and theft of one of its cruise missiles leads Bond to investigate, upon which he discovers a link to media mogul Elliot Carver, who is suspected of buying a GPS encoder off the black market and using it to lure the ship into Chinese waters to incite a war between Britain and China.
Bond, with the help of Chinese agent Wai Lin intercepts Carvers Stealth ship to attempt to avert a war between the two countries.
3. The World is Not Enough (1999)
IMDb Rating: 6.4/10
Directed By: Michael Apted
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Sophie Marceau, Robert Carlyle, Denise Richards
James Bond is ordered to protect Elektra King, daughter of Oil Tycoon Sir Robert King who was allegedly killed by KGB Agent turned terrorist Renard.
In this instalment, Bond must race to defuse an atomic bomb planted in a submarine in Istanbul by Elektra and stop Renard in his tracks for good.
4. Die Another Day (2002)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Directed By: Lee Tamahori
Starring: Pierce Brosnan, Halle Berry, Toby Stephens, Rosamund Pike
While Bond was investigating North Korean General Tan-Sun Moon, he gets captured by North Korean agents and serves a 14-month gruesome prison sentence.
After escaping, he gets a lead on Zao, Moon’s assistant, to a gene clinic where patients can completely alter their face through DNA replacement. Zao escapes but the lead goes onto billionaire Gustav graves, who unveils a satellite, Icarus, which can focus solar energy on a small area.
Moon who had also undergone gene therapy assumes Grave’s identity and plans to harness Icarus to cut a path through the Korean demilitarized zone, allowing North Korean soldiers to invade South Korea. Bond kills Moon and disables Icarus before the war breaks loose.
Daniel Craig Era
With Daniel Craig to pick up the tuxedo and the role of the super spy, the franchise goes into reboot to start the Bond series all over again. Craig’s bond version of the spy introduces a more serious Bond, as compared to the previous adaptations of the role. The list somewhat follows a timeline than having a floating one, and thus should be watched as follows.
1. Casino Royale (2006)
IMDb Rating: 8/10
Directed By: Martin Campbell
Starring: Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen, Judi Dench
In Casino Royale, with Bond gaining his agent status and a license to kill, he is sent to Madagascar to investigate the funding of Terrorism.
Bond gets the lead of a man, Le Chiffre who plans to raise a high-stake poker game at the Casino Royale, which Bond is sent to play against him, and thwart Le Chiffre’s plans. A perfect Bond film.
2. Quantum of Solace (2008)
IMDb Rating: 6.6/10
Directed By: Marc Forster
Starring: Daniel Craig, Olga Kurylenko, Mathieu Amalric, Judi Dench
Bond, seeking vengeance for the death of his lover Vesper Lynd, gets a lead to environmentalist Dominic Greene.
007 soon learns that Greene and Medrano, an exiled Bolivian general, plan to take control and monopolize the water supply of the country, and intercepts them at the hotel where the two finalize their sinister plan.
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3. Skyfall (2012)
IMDb Rating: 7.8/10
Directed By: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem, Ralph Fiennes
Following a cryptic message sent from M who had died in Skyfall, bond villain goes to Mexico City to thwart a terrorist attack.
His trail leads him to Rome, where Bond villain infiltrates a secret meeting and learns of the sinister organization SPECTRE. Bond tracks SPECTRE to Morocco where he learns that the criminal organization is behind the terrorist attacks.
Bond also discovers a chilling connection between Franz Oberhauser, the leader of the sinister organization, and himself as he intercepts the inner realms of the organization.
This film is one of the best action movies in Hulu.
4. Spectre (2015)
IMDb Rating: 6.8/10
Directed By: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Laca Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes
Following a cryptic message sent from M who had died in Skyfall, James Bond goes to Mexico City to thwart a terrorist attack.
His trail leads him to Rome, where Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and learns of the sinister organization SPECTRE. Bond tracks SPECTRE to Morocco where he learns that the criminal organization is behind the terrorist attacks.
Bond also discovers a chilling connection between Franz Oberhauser, the leader of the sinister organization and himself as he intercepts the inner realms of the organization.
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5. No Time to Die (2021)
IMDb Rating: 7.2/10
Directed By: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Starring: Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Laca Seydoux, Lashana Lynch
A final film by James Bond. A now-retired James Bond who had left active service is enjoying a peaceful life in Jamaica when his old friend Felix Leiter requires the super spy’s help.
Bond accepts to find the missing MI6 scientist, and his lead takes him to Cuba where 007 intercepts a SPECTRE meeting. Bond learns about a virus ‘Heracles’ which can be programmed to attack specific people based on their genetic traits and Lyutsifer Safin, the man who controls ‘Heracles’.
Bond along with MI6 seeks to infiltrate Safin’s Island, where the nanoscale weapon is being produced.
List of All James Bond Girls
Below is the list of bond girl movies:
- Honey Rayder
- Miss Taro
- Zora
- Vida
- Pussy Galore
Non Canon James Bond Movies
Two films, namely Casino Royale (1967) and Never Say Never Again (1983) outline from the canon series mentioned above as non-canon, mainly due to production companies other than Eon producing them, legal and licensing issues.
Though not canon, they still are Bond films and are an interesting watch nonetheless.
What the Future Holds for the Franchise
Now, with Daniel Craig finally retiring from his role as the man in the tuxedo, one can only speculate what is to come of the super spy bond franchise as Amazon buys MGM which could possibly set a new era of Bond for the years to come.
Barbara Broccoli and Michael G Wilson still have creative control over the character and have a tight grip over which direction future installments (if any) take.
So, have you started watching the James Bond movies in order already? If yes, which order are you following? Let us know in the comments!
Also check out our list of the 50 best movies on Netflix if you want a bigger list to binge on movie night.
Chris Mack
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