With No Time to Die finally in theaters across the world, Letterboxd members have been giving their reviews for the final film in Daniel Craig’s run as James Bond, while also looking back at the men who donned the tuxedo before him.
Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond began with 2006’s Casino Royale, a film that reinvented the franchise after a nadir in 2002’s Die Another Day, Pierce Brosnan’s last call. In anticipation of No Time to Die, Letterboxd members have been feverishly marathoning Craig’s films, giving their reassessed takes before dipping into the conclusion of this Bond’s arc.
How do they stack up? According to a recent “James Bond by the Numbers” info sheet compiled before No Time to Die’s release by member Ethan Hart, quite well. Casino Royale lands as the highest rated Bond film on the site, with Skyfall slotting in at number two.
Reinventing the Franchise
Martin Campbell’s Royale reignited the character when many thought it was time to put him out to pasture. “It is the reinvention of the iconic character without forgetting what made those old Bond films work”, says Nakul. Of course, one element of the film that has only gained in appreciation over time is its blood-teared villain Le Chiffre, played by Letterboxd fave, Mads Mikkelsen. Someone whose popularity has skyrocketed with international audiences in the time since the film’s release, many recent reviews focus on Mikkelsen, including sophie’s, who shows her appreciation for the fact that “none of the other daniel craig bond movies are as good as this one because they don't have a scene where his balls get tortured by mads mikkelsen”.
The homoeroticism is a running theme throughout Craig’s time in the tux, something which gained particular attention and appreciation in Sam Mendes’ Skyfall. “i can't believe james bond is a confirmed bisexual. if god hates gays why do we keep winning”, observed maria, after a rewatch of Craig’s showdown with Javier Bardem’s matricidal Raoul Silva this month.
Not all of Craig’s Bond films received glowing praise, however, as Quantum of Solace places in the bottom five of all films in the franchise when it comes to Letterboxd average rating. While some reviewers, like christian, still agree with the critical skewering the film received upon its release, there has been a renewed appreciation for Quantum in recent years. Slig is certainly in that camp, saying, “I can see why this didn’t go down well with a lot of people, but I found it captivating”.
Where It All Began
Spectre’s mixed reception led to Craig actually ranking in the middle of the pack on Ethan’s sheet when it comes to average rating for Bond actors, despite consensus often placing him as the favorite. Narrowly above him in average ratings? The original himself, Sean Connery. While Craig rewatches were the priority before Letterboxd witnessed No Time to Die, many members also took to the mission of watching or rewatching earlier entries in the franchise to beef up their Bond rankings before the new film hit theaters. Watching Dr. No, the start of it all, for the first time earlier this year, Nick “enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would”, even dropping a comparison to Mulholland Drive, of all things.
While that 1962 film began the franchise, it’s two later entries in Connery’s run that have garnered the most praise. “This is where Bond finally becomes Bond”, is how Josh describes Goldfinger, the third highest rated film behind the two aforementioned Craig pictures. Right behind it? From Russia With Love, which according to Ethan is actually the one where “Bond has finally gotten its flow”. They can’t all be hits, of course, as Matt Singer observes in his rewatch of Diamonds Are Forever, Connery’s lowest rated film: “Everyone notes that Connery only did this one for the huge paycheck and you can see it in his performance.”
Passing the Torch
The variance in how many films each Bond actor managed to tackle reveals one of the faults in the “ranking by average rating” system, as amusingly enough the man who has the highest average is… well, George Lazenby. Appearing in only one Bond film, 1969’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, many might forget that Lazenby ever played the character, but certain Letterboxd members hold it in high esteem. Channing and Michael both make the case for it as their favorite of the franchise, although others like Daniel aren’t quite convinced.
Connery notoriously returned for Diamonds and that massive payday before departing the role in an official capacity—1983’s non-canon Never Say Never Again notwithstanding. Connery passed the torch to three different actors before Craig would sign on, each to mixed results. Roger Moore had the highest number of appearances in the franchise, topping out at seven—maybe a few too many, for all of those who agree with Will’s assessment that “he somehow looks five years older in each movie”, a big problem by the time he reaches his final entry, 1985’s A View to a Kill.
Behind the scenes drama kept Pierce Brosnan away from the role after Moore, with the part instead going to Timothy Dalton for two films, starting with The Living Daylights, which Sam Van Hallgren recently praised as his favorite of the franchise, an assessment he shares with his 13-year-old self. Many still appreciate the darker, grittier Dalton interpretation of the role after the quite silly Moore run, although that can’t boost the films up on its own. As Ashton notes: “Dalton is a refreshing change for the Bond series, but he’s unfortunately strapped into a convoluted drag of a story”.
Brosnan finally got his chance to take on Bond starting with 1995’s GoldenEye. Directed by Martin Campbell, the master of Bond reinvention, Brosnan’s debut remains a hit. “Pierce Brosnan is incredible as James Bond”, says London in regards to the film, a sentiment that unfortunately wouldn’t last too long. While Bonds like Connery and Craig have an interesting ebb and flow chart throughout their tenures, Brosnan’s streak saw a direct decline with each new entry, bottoming out with Die Another Day, a film Matt Goldberg describes as “the worst an early 2000s Hollywood action film had to offer”.
The End of an Era
With hopes and expectations at an impossible low, somehow Craig resurrected this franchise with Casino Royale, and despite the occasional rockiness, his Bond is one that is beloved by so many. Consensus so far seems strong on his swan song. While there are some detractors, including Letterboxd correspondent Isaac Feldberg, who liked the first hour and then not so much the rest, the positive takes continue to roll in as more folks head to the theaters. “A wonderful farewell to Craig’s Bond”, says Jake. “Blockbuster filmmaking can still look, sound, feel like this”, praised Joseph, who saw the film twice in three days and bumped his near-perfect score up to a perfect one on the second viewing. fran hoepfner only needed one word: “opera”.
As social media and press outlets everywhere weigh in with their takes on who the next James Bond should be, perhaps the better thing to do at the moment is to simply bask in the appreciation for what Daniel Craig has given us—a revitalization of a franchise that seemed ready to be put out to pasture. No Time to Die is in theaters in most territories now, and if you want to take Cinephile Game creator Cory Everett’s advice, you should see it in IMAX.
—Mitchell Beaupre, East Coast Editor
(Header image from ‘No Time to Die’)
