Table of Contents
- 1 7 ‘Diamonds are forever’ (1971)
- 2 6 ‘Never say never again’ (1983)
- 3 5 ‘You Only Live Twice’ (1967)
- 4 4 ‘Thunderball’ (1965)
- 5 3 ‘Dr. No’ (1962)
- 6 2 ‘Golden Finger’ (1964)
- 7 1 ‘From Russia with love’ (1963)
- 8 How do you believe Sean Connery’s James Bond films compare to the more modern interpretations of the character in terms of themes and style?
Sean Connery is still the one who else James Bond Followers think when they imagine the character.like his interpretation of Ian FlemingThe famous MI6 agent has been the performance that managed to permeate the entire culture; Arguably, the James Bond franchise as it exists today would not have been possible if it wasn’t for what Connery did.
Bond is undoubtedly the most defining character of Connery’s career.Although he has given memorable performances in films such as Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Highlander, The Untouchables, Finding Forrester, The First Great Train Robbery, The Hunt for Red October, y the rock. While there are certainly some low points within the Bond franchise as a whole, Connery deserves some credit as most of his films are still rewatchable. Here are all of the Sean Connery James Bond movies, ranked by rewatchability.
7 ‘Diamonds are forever’ (1971)
Directed by Man Hamilton
Imagen vía United Artists
Diamonds are forever It was an unfortunate step backwards. for the Bond franchiseas it marked Connery’s return to the role after George Lazenby had given his only performance as 007 in the criminally underrated On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. While Diamonds are forever It seemed like a deliberate attempt to take a step back and provide a more nostalgic look at the franchise, but it ended up feeling completely out of touch.
Diamonds are forever It lacks compelling villains, love interests, and action.and often relies too much on Connery’s charisma to compensate for the weak script. Except for one really funny sequence involving a lunar rover that has a touch of comic spontaneity, Diamonds are forever is easily the most forgettable Bond film Connery appeared in, and perhaps one of the worst installments of the entire franchise.
Diamonds are forever
James Bond infiltrates a diamond smuggling ring and uncovers a plot by his archenemy Blofeld to build a space laser weapon. From Amsterdam to Las Vegas, Bond confronts Blofeld’s henchmen and foils the plan, ensuring the diamonds return to their rightful owners.
Release date
December 17, 1971
Director
hamilton boy
List
Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Grey, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Cabot
Execution time
120 minutes
Writers
Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz, Ian Fleming
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6 ‘Never say never again’ (1983)
Directed by Irvin Kerhsner
Image via Warner Bros.
Never say never again was the interesting result of a disagreement over rightssince Warner Brothers had retained the rights to Fleming’s novel thunder ballalthough Connery had already starred in a previous adaptation released in 1965. Although Roger Moore appeared in the Bond movie octopuswhich premiered the same summer, Never say never again brought Connery back into the fold as an older version of Bond who agrees to go on a secret mission.
Never say never again makes some interesting changes to the Bond mythologyas Connery can accept the fact that he is playing an older character who is weaker. However, it’s also a very long film that relies heavily on advanced special effects sequences that simply don’t hold up as well in a modern context, making it difficult to watch again.
Never say never again
Release date
October 7, 1983
Execution time
134 minutes
Writers
Kevin McClory, Jack Wittingham, Ian Fleming, Lorenzo Semple Jr.
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5 ‘You Only Live Twice’ (1967)
Directed by Lewis Gilbert
Imagen vía United Artists
You only live twice marked the conclusion of the first version of Connery’s Bond franchiseas it closed the story arc revolving around the SPECTER organization that had been created in the previous films. Although Connery would eventually return two more times to play Bond, the closing sequence of You only live twice It feels like a pretty lovely send-off for the character.
You only live twice It definitely marked a step forward for the Bond franchise. in terms of actionas the final battle in Japan is possibly the greatest sequence the series has featured up to that point. Unfortunately, the narrative is much less sharp than the other four films Connery appeared in, and includes some racial and sexist jokes that just don’t hold up very well in a modern context.
You only live twice
Release date
June 13, 1967
Director
Luis Gilberto
List
Sean Connery, Akiko Wakabayashi, Mie Hama, Tetsurô Tanba, Teru Shimada, Karin Dor
Execution time
117
Writers
Ian Fleming, Harold Jack Bloom, Roald Dahl
Motto
You only live twice… and “TWICE” is the only way to live!
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4 ‘Thunderball’ (1965)
Directed by Terence Younger
Imagen vía United Artists
thunder ball has one of the best opening sequences throughout the Bond franchisereminding audiences of the absurdity and charisma that made it such a unique spy adventure series. As the rest of the film struggles to reach the same level of energy that is present in those opening moments, thunder ball It certainly allowed the series to go in a new direction by focusing on underwater combat, which was still a relatively new concept in the 1960s.
thunder ball It’s a bit lacking in the villain department.as none of his antagonists are among the series’ most memorable. However, it’s still impressive that Connery had so much enthusiasm for the series after already starring in three films, as there isn’t a single moment in it. thunder ball where it feels like you’re not giving your full attention to the role.
James Bond heads to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by SPECTER agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion plot.
Release date
December 11, 1965
Director
terence joven
List
Sean Connery, Claudine Auger, Adolfo Celi, Luciana Paluzzi, Rik Van Nutter, Man Doleman
Execution time
130 minutes
Writers
Richard Maibaum, John Hopkins, Jack Whittingham, Kevin McClory, Ian Fleming
Study
United Artists
Motto
Look for! Look down! Stay tuned! Here comes the biggest link of all!
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Watch on Prime Video
3 ‘Dr. No’ (1962)
Directed by Terence Younger
Image via MGM
physician no I was burdened with tremendous responsibilities, since it was the first film adaptation of one of Fleming’s novels, and he had to convince the world that Connery was the right choice to play one of the most iconic heroes of all time. Although physician no It may seem like a relatively small scale compared to how the franchise would eventually evolve, it was certainly a major achievement in 1962, including the exotic locations, cool gadgets, and cheeky humor that would become essential to the franchise’s future.
physician no took advantage of the nuclear anxieties that were present at the timewhich elevated the film beyond being a generic action/espionage thriller. The best installments of the Bond franchise are products of their time and physician no does a great job of depicting the terrifying fear of international nuclear conflict that the world was struggling with in the decades following World War II.
physician no
A resourceful British government agent searches for answers in a case involving the disappearance of a colleague and the disruption of the American space program.
Release date
October 7, 1962
Director
terence joven
List
Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Joseph Wiseman, Jack Lord, Bernard Lee, Anthony Dawson
Execution time
110
Writers
Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, Berkely Mather, Ian Fleming, Terence Younger
Motto
NOW meet the most extraordinary gentleman spy in all of fiction!
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Watch on Prime Video
2 ‘Golden Finger’ (1964)
Directed by Man Hamilton
Image via MGM
gold finger set most of the precedents the Bond franchise is known forlike the Astin Martin reveal, the over-the-top title sequence, the eccentric villains, the cheeky humor, and the suggestively named love interest that nearly got the film censored in the United States.
gold finger embraced the fun of the franchise more than any previous entryand he made no apologies for his inherent silliness. However, the truly threatening performance of Man Frobe as the ruthless villain Auric Goldfinger added some tension to the film and made Connery’s heroic actions as Bond more inspiring. Although physician no It is technically the first film in the franchise, gold finger is the perfect Bond film to show non-fans and explain what makes the series so special. It is arguably the most quotable and action-packed series of Connery’s series period.
Release date
September 20, 1964
Director
hamilton boy
List
Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Fröbe, Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallet, Harold Sakata
Execution time
112
Writers
Richard Maibaum, Paul Dehn, Ian Fleming
Motto
James Bond returns to action! Everything he touches becomes emotion!
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Watch on Prime Video
1 ‘From Russia with love’ (1963)
Directed by Terence Younger
Imagen vía United Artists
From Russia with love It’s just a great spy thriller. It would be considered an all-time classic, even if it were the only Bond film ever made. While there is certainly a lot of fun to be had in the more over-the-top installments of the series that introduce more ridiculous elements, From Russia with love presented a very believable story about inciting a nuclear conflict between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.
Connery is even more confident in the role of Bond of what I had been in physician nobut he was still able to keep his performance strong, which allowed the character to become weaker. While many of the Bond films are drastically different from the original novels on which they were based, From Russia with love It is a very good translation of Fleming’s authentic materials.
From Russia with love
Release date
October 10, 1963
Director
terence joven
List
Sean Connery, Daniela Bianchi, Pedro Armendáriz, Lotte Lenya, Robert Shaw, Bernard Lee
Execution time
115 minutes
Writers
Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, Ian Fleming
Expand
Watch on Prime Video
How do you believe Sean Connery’s James Bond films compare to the more modern interpretations of the character in terms of themes and style?
1. What elements of the James Bond franchise do you enjoy the most, and how did Sean Connery contribute to making it popular during his tenure as the iconic character?
2. In your opinion, what are the top three James Bond movies featuring Sean Connery, and why do you think they stand out from the rest of the franchise?
3. How did the release of the James Bond films coincide with the political climate of the time, particularly during the Cold War era? Were the films influenced by real-world events or did they serve as escapism from those events?
4. How did the character of James Bond evolve over the course of the films, and how did Sean Connery’s interpretation of the character change throughout his five-film run?
5. What role did gadgets, locations, and villains play in defining the James Bond franchise, and how did they contribute to the overall appeal of the films?
Talking of James Bond, if you have never compared Ian Fleming’s fictional James Bond to a real spy check out a news article dated 13 September 2024 in TheBurlingtonFiles website. Sadly for Fleming’s Bond, reality like exploding pagers and walkie-talkies is leaving espionage fiction in the ashtray of history. Why not forget about fictional agents like Bond and Bourne dashing to save the world from disaster and forget about CIA and MI6 officers reclining on their couches dreaming up espionage scenarios to try and thrill you. Check out what a real MI6 and CIA secret agent does nowadays. Why not browse through TheBurlingtonFiles website and read about Bill Fairclough’s escapades when he was an active MI6 and CIA agent? The website is rather like an espionage museum without an admission fee … and no adverts. You will soon be immersed in a whole new world which you won’t want to exit.