Saw the post mentioning that no one has attempted to give Quantum of Solace a rewrite and decided to give it a shot. It was actually harder than I thought. Rewatching it I think many of the film’s issues comes from the director writer than writing. I think the generally plotting of the film is fairly decent, especially giving the ongoing writer’s strike at the time. The main issue is that there’s effectively two films going on: One in which Bond is hunting down Quantum seeking revenge for Vesper and one in which Bond goes rogue in order to stop the CIA financing a coup d’etat in Boliva. My main goal was to try better merge them into a more cohesive story. In particular I want to give Vesper’s former lover, Yusuf Kabira, (ie the reason she betrays Bond and then gets murdered in Casino Royale) more of a role, rather than just having him be relegated to a single scene at the end of the film.

The Changes

· Making Yusuf Kabira, Vesper’s former lover, a major character, effectively serving as the main henchman of the film
· Changing Camille’s backstory. Instead of being a Bolivian agent she’s the daughter of the current Bolivian president and she’s has also been seduced by Kabira. Quantum’s plan is to expose the relationship between the President’s daughter and a foreign agent, thus creating a political scandal that will pre-empt a coup d’état by General Medrano.
· We cut Dominic Greene and the Plot To Steal Bolivar’s Water entirely. We give most of Greene’s role to Mr White.
· Finally, we are going to play up the whole Bond Versus the CIA thing. Lets try and use Jefferey Wright more and give Felix a bit of a redemption arc

The new plot

We are going to cut the opening car chase entirely and start with Bond driving into the Sienna safehouse having captured Mr White at the end of Casino Royale. Waiting inside the safehouse are M and another agent called Yusuf Kabira. Bond can greet Kabira saying something like “How was Bolivia?” and he replies with something witty like “Very stimulating”. The interrogation goes the same way as the original as Kabira is revealed to be a double agent and helps Mr White escape. Bond chases Kabira across the rooftops of Sienna. They can briefly fight but Kabira is able to escape. Cut to the opening title sequence.
After the titles we see MI6 investigating Kabira’s London apartment. In a secret compartment they discovered files on Vesper Lynd including photos of Kabira and Vesper together. Bond is visibly shaken by this information and M asks him if Bond can be trusted to keep his feelings separate from his job. Bond assures M he will. He also suggests looking into Kabira’s recent mission in Bolivar. When they do, they discover that Kabira was having frequent meetings with a mysterious woman at a particular hotel and will soon meet her again.
Kabira meets the mysterious woman, who we learn is called Camille, in the hotel in Santa Cruz, Boliva. The two are clearly lovers. They go to their room but are ambushed by Bond waiting for them there. We then basically get the scene from the end of Quantum of Solace where Bond reveals who Kabira is to Camille and shows her the necklace he gave to Vesper, identical to one Kabira’s given to Camille. Camille is obviously shocked by this revelation. At gunpoint Bond orders the two of them into a car to drive to an airfield where MI6 is waiting to arrest Kabira. In the car Kabira taunts Bond about Vesper. The car is soon stopped by members of the Bolivian military led by a General Medrano.
Bond now finds himself being captured as he is separated from Kabira and Camille and taking to a different site. There he discovers Felix Leiter and several other CIA agents. Initially Bond is pleased to see an ally but quickly realises that Felix and the CIA are working with Medrano and Kabira. Leiter tries to justify himself saying that things are more complicated than they seem, and that MI6 has no business getting involved in Bolivia. He also reveals that Camille is the daughter of the Bolivian president. He pleads with Bond to go back to London and forget about what he has seen. Bond refuses and escapes leading to a chase between Bond and the CIA. Bond is able to make his way to the airfield where he leaves Bolivia, dejected after failing to capture Kabira and avenge Vesper.
We then see Leiter meeting with White and Medrano. This pretty much resembles the scene from the original film where the CIA strikes a non-interference deal with the pair in exchange for the USA gaining access to Bolivian oil. After Leiter leaves, Medrano tells White that he has held up his end of the bargain and accuses White of unnecessarily delays. White argues that they need the support of the other partners of “his organisation” before they can go ahead, and Medrano replies that perhaps he should speak to White’s partners in person.
MI6 discover that Medrano has booked a ticket to see an opera in Bregenz, Austria and Bond goes to investigate. We then get the scene from the original film where the leaders of Quantum have their meeting during the Opera. Medrano is also at the meeting and we hear the Quantum members give their assent to go ahead with Medrano and White’s plan to expose the relationship between Camille and Kabira (who will be presented as a British spy) thus creating a political scandal which will cause a crisis allowing Medrano to seize power. Afterwards Medrano will allow Quantum to take control of Bolivia’s oil fields. With Medrano is Camille who is clearly being held there against her will. When she excuses herself to go to the bathroom Medrano sends one of his men to watch her. Camille still attempts to escapes and Bond intervenes helping her but blowing his cover in the process and gets caught in a very public shoot out with Medrano’s men. Medrano and the other members of Quantum escape.
We then cut to London where we see M getting a dressing down from the foreign secretary in the aftermath of the shooting in Austria. The foreign secretary tells M that the Prime Minister has bowed to American pressure and order that all MI6 operations in South America be terminated. With no choice M calls Bond and orders him to return to England but Bond of course refuses. M once again asks if his desire to get revenge on Kabira for Vesper’s death is affecting his decision-making. Bond hangs up.
In a safehouse Bond and Camille watch as news of Camille’s relationship with Kabira makes international headlines and the crisis Medrano and White engineered begins to take shape. Bond and Camille open up to each other, with Bond hinting at his past with Vesper. They resolve to return to Bolivia and attempt to prevent Medrano’s coup d’état. Without MI6 aid Bond turns to Rene Mathis who, after being acquitted of being a double agent following Casino Royale, is living in retirement in the south of France. Mathis agrees to help them, and they use his private jet to fly to Bolivia.
As they reach Bolivian airspace two American fighter jets begin tailing them, ordering them to land. Bond, Mathis and Rene agree that their only option is to abandon the plane only to learn there’s only one parachute onboard. Mathis tells Bond and Camille to escape while he leads the Americans away, sacrificing himself. Bond tries to protest. Mathis tells Bond that Vesper did love him. As Bond and Camille cling to each other with the parachute they see Mathis’ plane get shot down.
Once they land, they make their way to Bolivia’s capital La Paz. Felix contacts Bond for a meeting, effectively offering a brief truce. Camille tells Bond its a trap, but Bond decides to go anyway. They meet in a bar and Bond is able to convince Felix that Medrano will betray the CIA and give Quantum access to the Bolivan oil fields. Felix tells Bond that they are currently being watched by other CIA agents and as soon as Bond leaves, they will try to kill him. Felix gives Bond a location to go to if he survives. Evading the American agents Bond goes to this location and discovers Felix has left him a file detailing the CIA’s involvement in the impending coup d’état.
We then see tanks rolling into La Paz as the Medrano’s coup d’état begins. Medrano arrives at the state television station to announce his takeover. Bond and Camille race to the station to try to stop him. Fighting their way through Medrano’s men they are confronted by Kabira. Bond and Kabira get locked in a one-on-one shootout as Camille goes to take on Medrano alone. She finds the studio where Medrano is broadcasting the announcement of his new rule. His men have all left to stop Bond leaving Medrano all alone. Camille shoots Medrano and starts showing the Felix’s evidence of the CIA’s involvement.
Mr White, watching this unfold, orders the broadcast be stopped by any means necessary. The tanks outside the television station suddenly begin firing on the building, reducing it to rubble.
We cut back to Bond and Kabira who are now fighting hand-to-hand. As the building starts to collapse Kabira becomes trapped under falling debris. In desperation he reaches out to Bond. Bond holds out his hand, only to drop Vesper’s necklace in front of him. He leaves Kabira to die. Finding Camille, the two escape the collapsing television station.
They go to the Bolivian Presidential Palace as the Bolivian military either retreats or surrenders around them. There Camille’s family is waiting. The two kiss before parting ways.
Cut to a few weeks later Bond meets Leiter on the National Mall in Washington D.C. Leiter tells Bond that Mr White and the other members of Quantum have all gone underground and can’t be found. Bond asks Leiter if he’s been reprimanded for the whole Bolivian affair and Leiter replies he’s being sent on a dead-end assignment to San Monique. The two part as friends. As Felix leaves Bond receives a call from M about his next mission.

Its grown on me over time. When viewed as an epilogue of Casino Royale rather than a full fledged stand alone, its not bad.
When I first saw it, I thought the whole plot hanging on water was dumb, but maybe not. Heck Michael Burry (from the big short) thinks water is the next big thing and that is what hes investing in.
It moves along at a very quick pace, there is no filler. The bond girl's story (Montes) of losing her family and waiting for revenge fleshes out yet another Bond girl which is a nice change of pace from the other non Craig Bond movies.
That General Medrano is one of the lowest vile villains in the series. The attempted rape scene is hard to watch. It was great to see agent Montes put him down.
The action is fun, though feels a little too much like Bourne wannabe at times, but it fits with the Craig era.
Mathis' death and his body being dumped in a dumpster felt almost like it foreshadows how Bond's life will end someday if he stays in the spy world.
I thought Fields was a pointless character.
The one major gripe I have is the very end when we see Vesper's loveboyfriend Yusuf - and now he has a canadian intelligence agent for a lover he's going to use.............the only problem is I don't buy it. The guy doesn't look like someone who could seduce someone like Vesper or that Canadian agent. I know its shallow, but i keep thinking "that dude? no way".

So in April, I decided to watch every Bond film from "From Russia with Love" to "Spectre". I had already seen Dr. No for a english assignment last year and while I enjoyed the film didn't feel the need to rewatch it. So here are my thoughts:
Dr. No - A great start to the Bond franchise that is introduces a lot of the classic elements, including "Bond, James Bond", Girls and cold kills. The film is quite quaint by modern standards but is still fun to watch. I will say the second half of the opening is just plain odd though, why after the James Bidn theme am I hearing bongos?. I will say that I wish we saw more of Dr. No than we do in the actual film, as, but otherwise Jospeh Wiseman gives a great performance. Overall 7.5/10
From Russia with Love - Okay this one just got better as it went along. While the pre-title sequence isn't bad we don't actually get to bond for a bit of the film and it does drag a bit. I also love that in the second movie we're already trying to play with the fact that Bond loves to sleep with women. I also find it funny that Robert Shaw looks awfully similar to Daniel Craig. Even with that though Red Grant still delievrs a codl performance that leads to one of the best fight scenes in cinema Overall 8.5/10
Goldfinger - I love this one so much. From a great villain to the DB5 to the iconic imagery and the brilliant henchman in Oddjob. This film gets nearly everything right and I have very few problems with the film as a whole. My only qualm is the barn scene where it appears that Bond may have raped Pussy galore, but that really didn't hinder my enjoyment very much as all. Where my love for the films was truly cemented for the film was for this quote "Did you expect to me to Live?" "No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die".Also my favourite character is introduced in this film: Q. The way Desmond Lleweyn plays this character is perfect and I really did not want anyone to replace him. Goldfinger is almsot flawless 9/10
Thunderball - This is where the franchise really went downhill for me. What really annoys me about this film is the first half hour is a complete waste of time that we didn't need. We could have easily started just at scene where Bond is meeting with leaders of the world and M and it still wouldn't affect your understanding of the film. Even after that, so much of the film just feels like wasted potential. The only good part of the film are probably about half the girls, Sean Connery and the one Q scene. The Underwater scenes are just boring and I didn't care. Altough this film does have on e the best title sequences. This will seem harsh to some but honestly this film gets a 4/10
Casino Royale(1967) - Yes I made sure to watch "every" James Bond film (although that wasn't really worth it in the end). What the fuck happened in this film. Honeslty this film is just random scenes together stuck together with a plotline. I remeber David Niven playing some game with Ursula Andress( If I remember correctly). I remember Bond's daughter stuck in a mze like berlin in the cold war. I remember peter sellers going up against Le Chiffre. But the films comes together like a Sandwhich made of Jello and Glue. It's awful. But it's also hilarious to think about. Honestly the story behind the film is more interesting than the actual film. Oh and how lazy is that ending, my God. 3.5/10
You Only live Twice - Alright I knew going in to this some of the films would be dated but I thought that was going to eb about the attitudes towards Women. I did not expect Sean Connery to be badly put in makeup to make him "look Asian". Also the final "Blofeld" reveal is somewhat disappointing, not necessarily bad just somewhat disappointing considering how he was bulit up in From Russia with Love and Thunderball. Although I honeslty didn't have a problem with Connery's performance that much. While it's not great, it wasn't enough to have an impact on my feelings towards the films. Overall not bad. 7/10
On Her Majesty's Secret Service - Alright this one is hard for me. I didn't enjoy the film very much but it's clearly great. Why is it great? Well it gave me Captain America: Civil War which is a film I sometimes don't enjoy but know it is a great film regardless. I was probably just in the wrong mood for this film. As for Lazenby, he's not bad but I think he might have just needed a bit more direction on what to do. Although while it's a gutpunch I love the ending. I'll just give it a 7 now, but I might come back to this one.
Diamonds are Forever - This one is quite weird. From Blofeld to drag to having scenes set in Vegas to Connery weirdly looking too old depsite only being in his 40s. But it can also be a sort of fun weird as well. But then it's not great either. Also I blame this film for the stupid moon landing conspiracy theories. 6.5/10
Live and Let Die - This is a decent start to the Roger Moore Era. Moore feels like Bond but not like Connery which I think was a slight problem with Lazneby trying to be a little too much like Connery. Dr. Kananga is a good villian and Jane Seymour as Solitaire is one the best bond girls. Also Sherriff J.W Pepper is silly but helps us understand how the Roger Moore Era will feel. Overall 7.5/10
The Man with the Golden Gun - "THAT FUCKING SLIDE WHISTLE". Seriously though the slidew whistle over the car flip represents the whole film. Good Idea that were unfortunately done wrong due to horrid execution. However, this makes the film one of the best to enjoy ironically. Scaramnage and Nick Nack are probably the only things done well in the film. Just for ironic enjoyment I'm willing to give this film a 6/10
The Spy Who Loved Me - For the longest time this was my favourite Bond Film. It had my favourite Bond girl in Anya, One the best henchmen in Jaws, Moore at the top of his game, and one the best ending scenes battles in all of Bond. My only problem comes from Stromberg, who's just a bit one note. Overall 9.5/10
Moonraker - I had bad experience watching this one. I was expecting all of it to be set in Space but only the 3rd act actually is. This meant that during the first 2 acts I was just waiting for them to go to space and when they did, I wanted them back on Earth. I really didn't like the space scenes because the blasters reminded me too much of Star Wars. The film itself is probably the most over the top it's ever been and hell, looking back I realise while it was incredibly stupid it was fun seeing a double taking pigeon and the other nonsensical happenings in this film. Honeslty I'll give this a 6.5.
For Your Eyes Only - What happened in this one? This isn't like Casino Royale '67 where it's incredibly confusing but it's more just boring. I really don't remember much at all. I don't remember many of the stunts or any of the bond girls really. Hell, I have no idea who the villain actually was. The only thing I remember is the brilliant opening sequence. 4/10
Octopussy - This one's similar to FYEO for me only stupider. unfortunately though unlike Moonraker where it jump the shark fairly soon to get you ready for the sillier scenes later on, the clown scene at the end I was completely unprepared for looked and just came off as incredibly dumb. Also Octopussy could've been a great villain but no, it's someone else who I didn't care about. 3/10
Never Say Never Again - The first act is weird in that it can't decide if it wants to be classic Bond or a spoof like CR '67. The second act is classic Bond(although they play videogames at some point. What?). I don't remember the 3rd act at all and I got completely lost which really ruined the film for me. 4.5/10
A View To a Kill - This is like TMTWGG for me. The only real good parts are Mayday and Christopher Walken as Zorin. We really should've had Dalton by this point. In fact I think Dalton should've started with For Your Eyes Only. Moore I don't think gives a bad performance but he was clealry too old for the role by this point. As a film it's one of the sillier ones, but at least it wasn't too boring 5/10
The Living Daylights - What a breath of fresh air. It was nice to have a bond film I enjoyed again after some many I didn't like. I love the 3rd act with the both Bond hanging on for his life with the plane and the end fight (although it could give you a seizure if you're epileptic). Timothy Dalton is James Bond. All the other actors were playing a version of James Bond. Dalton is that character personified to a T. The Living Daylights gets a 7/10
Licence to Kill - This was very different. What is easily the darkest bond film (maybe except, Casino Royale '06) is also one of the better bond films. While I enjoyed TLD dalton's bond fits better in this sort of film. I love the plot is literally Bond on a revenge mission rather than just filling out M's orders. Also Q in more than just one scene, is bliss. I Love Q, not only for Desmons Lleweyn, but also because his warmth helps to say "Yes it's dark, but it's still Bond and we can still have fun with it". However the film does almost crumble under all of the different plotlines but unlike NSNA I was still able to get back into the film despite that. Also, It annoyed me that Felix survived the film. It would've been better and more believable if both Felix and his wife had died. LTK gets a 7.5/10
Goldeneye - I don't have a lot to say about this one. Just a great Bond film in it's own right with a great villain and some of the best Bond girls. Although I wasn't big on Brosnan at first though. To me he seemed too generic and didn't really have his own spin to Bond. But he grew on my over time. Besides Goldeneye is still a great film otherwise. 9/10
Tomorrow Never Dies - Again, not a lot to say about this one. Decent Bond flick, that while not as good as Goldeneye is still worth your time and worth checking out at least once. The best part of this film is the villain by far, being a version of Rupert Murdoch(hate that slimy bugger). 7/10
The World is Not Enough - Man I don't have a lot to say about the Brosnan films. I really don't know what to think of this film. The opening scene is great but otherwise I find the film to be another average Bond flick that is a little worse than TND. 6/10
Die Another Day - This one's similar to TMWTGG and AVTAK for me where's it's incrediby stupid but you can have a laugh at it. John Cleese is decent as Q but not as good as desmond lleyweyn. Unlike otehr silly bond films some of the stupid shit can be seen as downright offensive and taking the piss such as the parasailing on waves scene and the end villain literally being Robocop. But the film is somewhat saved by incredibly silly dialogue that is easy to laugh at. Overall 5/10
Casino Royale - First Act is good. The second act is one the best scenes in cinema I have ever seen. I was just invested in that Poker Scene as I was in the Portals scene in Avengers: Endgame if nor more so in the Poker scene. The torture scene is brutal but works perfectly. However once Mr White shows up the films kind of falls apart. This because you could easily assume that Mr White was CIA(Like I did) and just though that was that. While Mathis still had to be dealt with, (whihc QoS messes with for some reason) the film could've just ended with Bond and Vesper. But no we had to have this silly third act which feels like it was only there to kill Vesper. But since the first two acts are still really good and the third act doesn't ruin the movie I'm still willing to look a the film positively. Overall 8/10
Quantum of Solace - I saw this one fairly recently and I still don't remember what happened. I think Greene was the villain and Bond was on the run from MI6 but honeslty that's about it. I will say that in the first half however, Daniel Craig somehow managed to not be Bond and instead come off as top Gear host. The ending really ruins this film however. Well more the gunbarrel itslef. YOU MAKE WAIT THE ENTRIE MOVIE FOR THE GUNBARREL ONLY FOR IT TO THE BE THE WORST GUNBARREL EVER DONE" Ugh. 4.5/10
Skyfall - What a stroke of genius this film was after QoS. One the best Villians in Bond history,Daniel Craig on top of his game, some stunts that are a bit silly but still keep the realims in check and making M the central focus was brilliant . Also while Desmond Lleweyn Will always be my favourite, Ben Whishaw is a great Q. I know this film has some silly plot holes the film is so damn good you just learn to not care about them. I could gush on and on about this film, but this has gone long enough as it has. 10/10 Best Bond film
Spectre - So I'm listening to Bon Jovi's "You give Love a bad Name" and it has the lyric "You Promised me Heaven and gave me Hell". That sums up my feeling towards the films perfectly so I'll just leave at that. 3/10
TLDR Ranking
1.Skyfall

1. The Spy Who Loved Me
   
2. Goldfinger
   
3. Goldeneye
   
4. From Russia With Love
   
5. Casino Royale
   
6. Live and let die
   
7. Dr. No
   
8. Licence to Kill
   
9. The Living Daylights
   
10. You Only Live twice
    
11. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    
12. Tomorrow Never Dies
    
13. Moonraker
    
14. Diamonds are Forever
    
15. The World is Not Enough
    
16. The man with the Golden Gun
    
17. Die Another Day
    
18. A View to A Kill
    
19. Quantum of Solace
    
20. Never say Never Again
    
21. For Your Eyes Only
    
22. Thunderball
    
23. Casino Royale(1967)
    
24. Octopussy
    
25. Spectre
    

Despite the common consensus that Daniel Craig’s second outing is a weak entry in the series, I swear this film improves every time I watch it and is deserving of re-appraisal.
Critically panned back in the day, and for mostly understandable reasons – Quantum of Solace had a troubled production in the midst of the 2007-08 Writer's Guild strike, that would result in the feature having the bare bones of a script and, according to Daniel Craig, leaving himself and the director to haphazardly pen scenes, in some cases on the day of shooting.
Such a rushed affair does not bode well for a sequel to what is arguably the most perfect Bond of all-time, Casino Royale. And upon release, I remember leaving the cinema feeling confused and having a bit of a headache. Critics were correct to point out the at times incomprehensible editing choices and rapid cuts that made certain action set pieces feel like an epileptic fit. However, on this rewatch, I found it to be much less of an issue than originally thought and, at the risk of making everyone reading this groan with a cheap, A-Level Film Studies level insight, worked well to convey Bond’s fractured, relentless state of mind following the lingering trauma of Casino’s third-act.
To begin to explain my delusional admiration for Quantum, for a film that had real problems in the writer's room, good god is this a much better script than Skyfall. Characters actually feel human and dialogue authentic – no cringeworthy, half-baked one liners in sight, no obnoxious, fourth-wall breaking references to past glories (yes I'm aware of the Goldfinger painted lady callback, but this works in the context of the scene and doesn’t feel out of place) and most notably, the relationship between Bond, his leading lady Camille and his lovably wry Kerim Bey-esque contact and friend, Mathis, believable and engaging. This does wonders for my investment in the piece and goes a long way to patch up what is admittedly a pretty skeletal plot. Like Casino, the film’s sparing use of dry humour is made all the more effective when it lands and never feels incongruous with the established gritty tone of the Craig timeline; something Sam Mendes would fail to grasp four years later.
I was also impressed by Quantum's willingness as a mainstream movie to showcase a cynical, post-9/11 worldview on foreign policy, the oil industry and Western government officials casually getting in bed with terrorists and despots. Once again in the Craig era, the enemies are not goateed French bastards wishing to eradicate humankind and repopulate the earth exclusively with sexy models – it's sellout politicians enabling dictatorships and poverty profiteers. By depicting not only human relationships but also the nature of 21st century geopolitics in such an authentic light (as much as is possible within the escapist fantasy of Bond), this serves to make the stakes feel all the more real and further justify the harder-edged interpretation of the character and the world he inhabits. Despite this, Quantum never comes across as preachy – it simply treats the disillusioned reality of global affairs and entrenched corruption as a given.
While Mark Kermode humourously viewed the film's relentless action as "teletubbies bouncing around in a padded cell", the meaninglessness of the violence struck me as intentional and if not, certainly worked on a thematic level. As M puts it, this is a broken Bond driven by "inconsolable rage", going apeshit and killing every lead; another body stacked up without consequence and bringing no solace, not even a quantum of the stuff, until the very end. And at this point in time, the concept of Bond "going rogue" was actually still fresh and exciting (fast-forward to the utter clusterfuck that was Spectre and I'm bloody well sick of his cavalier attitude to work).
Dominic Greene may have been consigned to the dustbin of Bond villain history in popular culture, along with Kristatos and Jack Wade’s evil twin from The Living Daylights, and apparently not worthy of having his stock casting photo proudly blu-tacked to the wall of a crumbling Mi6 in a cheap effort to taunt Bond in Spectre, but I don't see why. Sure, he doesn't have some token physical disfigurement and his scheme to deprive Bolivia of its water resources isn't as fanciful as using a big bastard space laser to explode the world's nukes. His evil is one without bells and whistles or Roger Moore era camp – he's a sleazy, slippery little fucker without pomp, who deserved a belly-full of motor oil by the time the credits rolled. This I much prefer than the flamboyant, bleach-blonde and frankly misguided comic relief excuse for a villain we get in the following film.
Quantum’s leading lady, Camille Montes, is easily the second most compelling Bond girl in the Craig era and she too carries her own personal demons – their relationship is one of mutual catharsis and an opportunity to ‘bond’, not over martinis or foie gras in a fancy casino, but rather discussing their dead, unavenged loved ones in a cold cave. In a way, it’s rather nice they don’t shag at the end, signifying he doesn’t view her as a disposable pleasure and has enough respect not to try it on. But to be fair, they do look very sweaty and smelly after that ferocious conflict in the desert hotel, so it would probably have been rude to assume sex was on the cards (if I were in her position, I’d want to get home, have a nice big bath, order a curry and watch a few episodes of Frasier before bed).
It’s a shame they didn’t bring back Camille for future outings, as I would’ve loved to have seen her alongside Craig again, only this time joining forces in a legitimate mission. This is an extra disappointing pill to swallow considering they are bafflingly bringing back that walking piece of cardboard, Madeline Swann (no offence, Léa Seydoux) for No Time to Die – a woman who’s ‘deep’ emotional connection to Bond is entirely predicated on the fact he happened to shoot her dad in the leg with a machine gun in 2006. I mean seriously, Bond and Camille shared more chemistry in five minutes than Bond and Swann in the entirety of Spectre, ugh…
Technically speaking, this film has some gorgeous visuals to admire when the camera very infrequently remains still, it features one of David Arnold’s best scores with some lush, sweeping orchestrals and the occasional ghostly callback to Vesper’s theme, and on a superficial level, Craig looks his absolute best as Bond here with some timeless sartorial choices, before they would start putting him in tiny, skin-tight suits in following adventures. There are some cool arty moments such as the Tosca shootout, that I felt elevated what could’ve been a pretty unremarkable sequence to, forgive the pun, operatic heights.
Onto the bad, which I will keep short and sweet as everyone is already acutely aware of this film’s shortcomings and likes to overinflate. The theme song is a bag of shite and practically devoid of melody, the editing could’ve been a little more coherent at times, the bizarrely unsatisfying “I told you everything you wanted to know about Quantum but the audience probably won’t be interested, so let’s just skip over it” line, and the gunbarrel design looks like it was mocked up in Photoshop in two minutes and should have had its rightful place at the beginning.
In my view, Quantum has aged like a fine wine but critics and many in the fan community were left cold upon release. Unfortunately, I would argue the wrong lessons were learned from these less favourable reactions and the following outing, Skyfall, would serve somewhat as a course correction for the series – swiftly undercutting the new lean, mean and down-to-earth tone for a cartoonish yet mopey pastiche of classic Bond.

During quarantine, I've had the opportunity to rewatch every movie in relatively short succession. I've seen them all 2-10 times and have been a lifelong Bond fan. I enjoy every Bond film, even the "bad" ones, but I wanted to try and rank them. I used a scoring system to help me, but ultimately went with my gut (e.g. License to Kill MUST be better than The World is Not Enough). I thought a tier system of ranking was useful, because it really is splitting hairs to rank some of these. Feel free to critique my ratings, my ratings weightings, and opinions!
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You could say I have too much time on my hands
Tier 7: The Worst

1. Die Another Day: Best Sword Fight

- Why it's not irredeemable: For being the lowest ranked film on this list, it's not without its moments. Bond getting caught, tortured, then escaping from MI6 was interesting and novel. The ice hotel was neat, as well as the chase scene. I'll even defend the much maligned invisible car, as the Aston Martin Vanquish is quite a car.
- Why it's not higher: Personally, I think Halle Berry is a terrible Bond girl, alternating between damsel in distress and super woman as the plot demands it. Moreover, Graves and the plot in general is pretty cheesy and boring. Perhaps most damaging is the deadly serious tone of the movie, which doesn't even provide the fun and excitement Brosnan's films generally provide the viewer.
- Most under-appreciated part: The fencing scene is the best action scene of the entire movie. It's surprising it took Bond this long to fence, but seeing them go at it across the club was a blast.
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Tier 6: Disappointing

1. Quantum of Solace: Best Car Chase

- Why it's this high: The action is quite good, likely meriting the distinction of the best car chase in the entire series (the pre-credits sequence). Mathis is a good ally and it is sad to see him go.
- Why it's not higher: My biggest beef with Craig's Bond films is that they are too serious, so when the plot and script isn't top-notch, the movie watching experience is just kind of dull. Quantum of Solace takes a bold risk in making the first Bond sequel, but unfortunately it's just not that good. Greene seems like a rather pathetic Bond villain, and his henchman (the worst in the series?) ends up in a neck-brace after getting tripped by Camilla. Also, the shaky cam is distracting and exhausting.
- Most under-appreciated part: I actually thing the theme song is pretty good! Maybe I'm just too much of a Jack White groupie, but I think it rocks.
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1. Moonraker: Best Locales

- Why it's this high: I'm pleased to see Jaws making a return, as he is an amazing henchman. On that note, the pre-credits sequence with Bond and Jaws falling out of the plane is exhilarating. Holly Goodhead is a very good Bond girl, beautiful, smart, and competent. Roger Moore always does an excellent job playing the role with suavity and wit.
- Why it's not higher: Gosh it's cheesy. Particularly egregious is Jaws' love story. The theme song is terrible and Bond doesn't have any solid allies besides Goodhead and Jaws.
- Most under-appreciated part: They really go all out with the settings here. Obviously, space is pretty polarizing, but I think Bond clearly should go to space at SOME point during the series. In addition, Italy and Brazil were gorgeous views, while Drax's estate is magnificent.
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1. Spectre: Best Shooting

- Why it's this high: Rewatching this for the second time, I realized Lea Seydoux does a good job as the Bond girl, and it's actually quite believable she and James could work out, as she is the daughter of an assassin and can understand him (as Blofeld points out). Seeing Bond show off his marksmanship was quite satisfying, especially that one long shot during the escape from Blofeld's compound. Bonus points for Bond's DB10 and resurrecting the DB5.
- Why it's not higher: The fatal flaw of this film is making Blofeld Bond's adopted brother. How did Bond not recognize him? How is Blofeld able to keep himself secret from British intelligence yet every criminal worth his salt knows of him? The worst part is that it actually cheapens the plot of the other Craig movies. I believe the Bond franchise should stay clear from sequels from here on out. Yes, they can weave a great story if done correctly, but it's so much more difficult to make great sequels (e.g. Star Wars only made two worthy sequels in seven tries) than to do one-offs. As usual for a Craig film, Bond has little charisma (save for his surprisingly good rapport with Moneypenny) and little in the way of jokes to lighten the mood.
- Most under-appreciated part: The train fight scene with Dave Bautista is great! Gosh it was awesome to see them go at it, break through walls, and a priceless expression on Bautista's face when he knows he's done. Bautista is the first decent henchman since the 90s, so glad to see the series go back to this staple.
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1. The Man with the Golden Gun: Best Potential, Worst Execution

- Why it's this high: This Bond movie frustrates more than any other, as it has the potential to be an all-time great. Bond's debriefing starts off with promise, as it turns out the world's top assassin is gunning for Bond! For the first time in the series, Bond seems vulnerable! M makes a hilarious quip as to who would try to kill Bond ("jealous husbands ... the list is endless"). Furthermore, the legendary Christopher Lee is possible the best Bond villain, a rare peer of 007.
- Why it's not higher: Unfortunately, the movie opts to change course so that it's just Maud Adams trying to get Bond to kill Scaramanga. Goodnight is beautiful, but maybe the most inept Bond girl of all-time. They used a SLIDE WHISTLE, ruining one of the coolest Bond stunts ever (the car jump).
- Most under-appreciated part: Nick Nack is a splendid henchman, showing the role can be more than just a strongman.
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1. Diamonds Are Forever: Great Beginning and Ending, but Bad Everywhere Else

- Why it's this high: Is there another Bond with such a great contrast between the beginning/ending and everything in between? Connery shows his tough side, as he muscles his way through the pre-credits scene. Particularly good was the part where he seduces the woman, then uses her bikini top to choke her. At the end, Bond expertly uses his wine knowledge to detect something is amiss, then dispatches Kidd and Wint in style. Other cool scenes include Bond scaling the building to reach Blofeld and Bond driving the Mustang through the alley.
- Why it's not higher: This is one of the films that I find myself liking less and less over time. Vegas, and especially the space laboratory scene, just seem cheesy. Connery is officially too old at this point, and Jill St. John just isn't a very compelling Bond girl. I would've preferred to have seen more of Plenty O'Toole, but alas 'twas not meant to be. Leiter is uninspired as well. Having Bond go after Blofeld for the millionth time just seems tired at this point.
- Most under-appreciated part: Mr. Kidd and Wint are the creepiest henchmen in the Bond universe, but I'd argue they are some of the best. Their banter and creative modes of execution are quite chilling and thrilling.
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1. A View to a Kill: Best Theme

- Why it's this high: Is it a hot take to not have View in the bottom five? Let me explain. I contend Duran Duran's theme is the very best. The ending fight scene on the Golden Gate Bridge is actually one of the most iconic ending set pieces in the series. The plot is stellar on paper, as the horse racing part was a very Bondian side story, and the idea of an attack on Silicon Valley actually seems even more plausible today.
- Why it's not higher: It's self-evident that Moore is way too old for the part. Some parts are just mind-blowingly ridiculous, such as the fire truck chase scene through San Francisco and the part where Stacey is caught unaware by a blimp behind her. Speaking of Stacey, she may be beautiful, but she spends most of the movie shrieking whenever something goes wrong.
- Most under-appreciated part: The scene with Bond and Ivanova is cool (I always like it when he interacts with other spies) and quite entertaining how he fools her with the cassettes.
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Tier 5: Below Average

1. Octopussy: The Most Characteristically Roger Moore Bond Film

- Why it's this high: Maud Adams has great screen presence as Octopussy, and her Amazonian-like women are cool to watch fight. Bond's deft swipe of the egg was nicely done. On a related aside, I wish Bond films would emphasize Bond's intellect more, as it seems the 60s and 70s films would allow Bond to showcase his vast knowledge more frequently than he does today. Gobinda is a fierce henchman, while India in general is a cool location. The plot is realistic, yet grand (war-mongering Russian general tries to detonate a nuke to get NATO to turn on itself).
- Why it's not higher: This is the first Moore film where he simply was too old and shouldn't have been cast. Yes, it's too cheesy at times, most infamously during the Tarzan yell. Bond also doesn't use any cool vehicles.
- Most under-appreciated part: People tend to focus too much on Bond dressing as a clown, but the scene where Bond furiously tries to get to the bomb in time to defuse it is one of the tensest moments in the series. Moore's "Dammit there's a bomb in there!" really demonstrated the gravity of the situation (I get goosebumps during that part).
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1. Tomorrow Never Dies: Most Tasteful Humor

- Why it's this high: Brosnan really settles into the role well here. He gives the most charismatic Bond performance in 15 years or so. His quip "I'm just here at Oxford, brushing up on a little Danish" is an all-time great Bond line. Teri Hatcher is stunning as Paris Carver, delivering a memorable performance with her limited screen time. The plot is original and ages well, highlighting the potential downsides of media power, while Carver is an above average villain.
- Why it's not higher: Wai Lin is good for action, but the chemistry between her and Bond is non-existent. By the end of the movie, Pryce just seem silly (especially the scene where he mocks Wai Lin's martial arts skills). There aren't any good Bond allies, as Jack Wade doesn't impress in his return to the franchise. In general though, the movie has few things terribly wrong with it, it just doesn't excel in many ways.
- Most under-appreciated part: Dr. Kaufman is hysterical. At first, I thought "this is weird," but by the end of the scene I'm cracking up. I genuinely wish they found someway to bring him back for World, but c'est la vie.
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1. The World Is Not Enough: Less than the Sum of its Parts

- Why it's this high: According to my spreadsheet, this is a top 10 Bond film, while on my first watch on this film I thought it was bottom five. I think the truth is that it's somewhere in between. I like the settings, everything from the temporary MI-6 headquarters to Azerbaijan. Elektra is an all-time great Bond girl, with a nice plot twist and character arc. The glasses where Bond sees through women's clothing are hilarious. The sense of danger is strong, with everyone from Bond to M being in danger. The return of Zukovsky is a nice plus.
- Why it's not higher: I think two things really doom this film. First, Renard is totally wasted a henchman. The idea of him not feeling pain is a cool one, but he just seems boring and extraneous. I don't even think Carlyle acted poorly, he was just misused. Secondly, the ending (after Bond killing Elektra which is quite good) is rather terrible. The whole scene in the sub just isn't entertaining or engaging.
- Most under-appreciated part: I'm going to defend Denise Richards as Christmas Jones. Although no Ursula Andress, Richards is absolutely gorgeous and did not actively make Bond's mission more difficult, which is more than some Bond girls can say *cough Britt Ekland. In particular, I found her introductory scene to be quite memorable and convincing. Also, the Christmas quip at the end is quite cheeky.
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Tier 4: Solid

1. The Living Daylights:

- Why it's this high: Dalton brings a breath of fresh air to the franchise here. His more serious take makes for interesting movies that seem more unique than most. I'm happy to see this subreddit appreciate Dalton more than the casual fun does, but I wouldn't go as far as the Dalton fanboys and say he's the best Bond or anything like that. I do wish he got the role sooner and did more films. Moving on to Daylights, it's got a good intro for Dalton and good plot in general. Surprisingly, Bond's fidelity doesn't bother me one bit, as it actually makes sense that Kara falls in love with James by the end, given all they've gone through.
- Why it's not higher: The biggest reason is that the villain is just terrible. Whitaker seems silly and pathetic, a terrible contrast to Dalton's serious nature. I think Whitaker might be the worst in the series, and a Bond movie can't be great without a good villain. Also, Dalton doesn't have much charm and is abysmal at one-liners, which, in my opinion, IS a facet of the perfect James Bond.
- Most under-appreciated part: The Aston Martin Vantage is a beautiful car, and the chase scene across the ice is great! It's both exciting and funny! Not sure why people don't talk about this chase scene and this car more; it's arguably the highlight of the movie for me.
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1. Thunderball: The Most Beautiful

- Why it's this high: Thunderball used to be top five for me and here is why. The underwater scenes, the setting, the score, and the Bond girls are beautiful even to this day. Domino is excellent, while Volpe is a tour de force, oozing sexuality and danger. I think the underwater parts are interesting and novel, creating a staple of sorts for the franchise. The DB 5 is always welcome, and the jetpack use was quite cool for the time (and to some extent now).
- Why it's not higher: Some would say it's boring, while I would more generously admit the plot is slow. Furthermore, the theme song is all-time bad (apparently they could have used Johnny Cash!!!), and there is no great henchman for Bond to dispatch.
- Most under-appreciated part: Two plot ideas I liked a lot: Bond being injured and needing rehab, plus the part where all the 00s meet up and then are sent to the corners of the globe.
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1. Never Say Never Again: Guilty Pleasure

- Why it's this high: Rewatching Never for the third time, I was struck by how fun this movie is. It's exciting, funny, and fast-paced. Basically, it's a more exciting version of Thunderball, with better pacing and better humor. I think Irvin Kershner did a great job managing this star studded cast. Carrera is a firecracker as Blush, Sydow is a convincing Blofeld, and Basinger is a classic Bond girl. Connery clearly has a blast returning to the role, doing a great job despite his advanced age. If anything, this one might not be ranked high enough.
- Why it's not higher: The music is terrible. Normally I don't notice these things, but one can't help but notice how dreadful this one is. The theme is awful as well. I'd argue this is the worst music of any Bond film.
- Most under-appreciated part: The humor! This is one of the funniest Bonds, as I found myself laughing out loud at various parts (e.g. Mr Bean!).
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1. The Spy Who Loved Me: Best Intro

- Why it's this high: There's a lot to love about this one, so I get why this ranks highly for many. It is simply the best introduction, starting with Bond romancing a woman, followed by a skii chase, then jumping off the cliff and pulling the Union Jack parachute! The Lotus is a top 3 Bond car. Jaws is a superb henchman. Triple X was an excellent Bond girl, deadly, charming, and beautiful. Of course, Moore is charming and the locations are exotic (Egypt was a cool locale). If I had to pick one Moore movie for a newcomer to watch, it would be this one.
- Why it's not higher: The theme song is bad, and Stromberg is a below average villain. I also think the last 45 minutes or so of the movie kind of drags.
- Most under-appreciated part: The whole dynamic between Bond and Triple X is great. Whenever Bond movies show Bond squaring off against other spies (see View to a Kill, Goldeneye) it's just a pleasure to watch.
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1. Live and Let Die: Most Suave

- Why it's this high: Roger Moore superbly carves out his own take on Bond in an excellent addition to the franchise. The boat chase is my favorite in the series, and Live and Let Die is my second favorite theme. Jane Seymour is a good Bond girl, while Tee Hee and Kananga are a solid villain/henchman duo. Unpopular opinion: I find J.W. Pepper to be hilarious.
- Why it's not higher: The introduction isn't very good, as Bond isn't even included! The second climax with the voodoo isn't great. Bond blowing up Kananga has aged terribly.
- Most under-appreciated part: When Bond is visited in his apartment by M and Moneypenny, Bond rushes to hide his girl from his coworkers. Finally, when they leave and he unzips the dress with his magnetic watch is one of the best uses of a Bond gadget in the series, showcasing why Moore might be the most charming Bond of them all.
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1. You Only Live Twice: Best Blofeld

- Why it's this high: Just your classic, fun Sean Connery Bond movie. It was a great decision to send Bond to Japan for his first Asian visit, giving the movie a fresh feel. The ending set piece battle is potentially the best of this staple of 60s/70s Bonds. Tiger Tanaka is one of Bond's cooler allies. Pleasance killed it as Blofeld; when I think of Blofeld, I think of his take. In what could have been cheesy, he is actually somewhat frightening.
- Why it's not higher: The whole "we need to make you look Japanese" part seems both unrealistic (who is he really fooling?) plus surprisingly impotent coming from Tiger Tanaka who seems to be a competent and connected man otherwise. Honestly though, this movie doesn't have a major weakness.
- Most under-appreciated part: The fight scene with the guard in the executive's office is probably the best hand-to-hand fight in the series up until that point.
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Tier 3: Excellent

1. Dr. No: The Most Spy-Like

- Why it's this high: Nearly 60 years later, this film is still a blast to watch, due in no small part to its focus on the little things of being a spy. I adore the scenes where Bond does the little things spies (presumably) do, such as putting a hair across the door, or showing Bond playing solitaire while waiting to spring his trap on Prof. Dent. I also enjoy the suspense of Bond sleuthing around the island, while he and the viewer are completely unaware of whom the villain is until quite late in the film. It's easy to take for granted now, but this film established so many series traditions that were ingenious. My personal favorite is Bond's introduction at the card table: "Bond .... James Bond."
- Why it's not higher: The film just doesn't have the payoff it deserves. Maybe it's just a result of the time and budget, but from the point Bond escapes on, it's just mediocre. Particularly egregious is the "fight" between Dr. No and Bond where No meets his demise.
- Most under-appreciated part: Ursula Andress was a surprisingly well developed Bond girl, with a shockingly violent backstory (she was raped!). Obviously, she is beautiful and the beach scene is iconic, but I was pleasantly surprised to conclude she is more than just eye candy.
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1. License to Kill: The Grittiest

- Why it's this high: On my first watch, this was my least favorite Bond film, as I thought it was too dark and violent to befit 007. By my third time watching, I've decided it's actually one of the best. Fortunately, I don't have to go on my "Ackshually, Dalton did a good job" rant with this subreddit. I liked the wedding intro and the concept of a revenge arc for Leiter (although come on he should've been killed by a freaking shark). Also, Lamora and (especially) Bouvier are great Bond girls. Bouvier is both competent and beautiful, and it's great to see Bond choose her at the end.
- Why it's not higher: The theme song is atrocious, Dalton is so angry (dare I say charmless?) the whole time it's almost puzzling why Bouvier and Lamora fall for him, and Bond doesn't use any cool vehicles.
- Most under-appreciated part: Sanchez is actually a sneaky good Bond villain.
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1. For Your Eyes Only: The Most Underrated

- Why it's this high: I think Moore is a bit underrated as Bond. Yes, he was too old towards the end and yes, his movies were at times too campy, but he himself played the role admirably. He was the most charming and witty of all the Bonds, so by the time he got his first relatively serious plot to work with, he hit it out of the park. Anyhow, the climactic mountaintop assault is one of my favorite Bond action climaxes. Columbo is one of the best Bond allies, and the plot twist where he turns out to be good and Kristatos bad was well-done.
- Why it's not higher: The intro is just silly. Bibi's romantic infatuation with Bond is just ...er... uncomfortable?
- Most under-appreciated part: The theme song is a banger. What a chorus!
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Tier 2: Exceptional

1. Skyfall: The Sharpest Film (From Plot to Aesthetics)

- Why it's this high: One of the best plots of the entire series. The idea of an older Bond who had lost a step, along with making M the focus point of the movie, works very well. Seeing Bond's childhood home is also pretty cool. Bardem's take on Silva is delightful and a lot of fun to watch. Even the cinematography is a series peak, while Adele's them is excellent.
- Why it's not higher: One thing most Craig Bond films suffer from is the lack of a Bond-worthy henchman. Skyfall is no exception. More importantly, Bond girls are mostly irrelevant to the film. Yes, Severine is both beautiful and interesting, but she's scarcely twenty minutes of the film.
- Most under-appreciated part: Setting the new supporting characters up nicely. The Moneypenny backstory was well-done. Casting Ralph Fiennes as the new M is a great choice in of itself, but he also got a nice chuck of background story to help us going forward.
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1. Casino Royale: The First Bond Film I'd Show a Series Newcomer

- Why it's this high: Craig's take on Bond feels like a breath of fresh air. In particular, his hand-to-hand combat scenes are so much better (and more believable) than any other Bond. The parkour chase scene is one of the best chase scenes in the series. Le Chifre is an excellent villain, but, more importantly, Vesper is an all-time great Bond girl. The conversation between Vesper and Bond on the train is probably the most interesting of any film. Bonus points for Jeffrey Wright as Leiter and the Aston Martin DBS.
- Why it's not higher: There are hardly any humorous parts or much charm displayed by Bond in general. More importantly, the movie should have just ended when Bond wakes up in rehab. The rest of the movie feels confused and superfluous.
- Most under-appreciated part: The decision to change from chemin de fer to poker makes for much better (and understandable!) cinema. The poker scenes are the best of Bond's many gambling scenes throughout the series.
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1. Goldeneye: The Most Fun

- Why it's this high: Wow, rewatching Goldeneye I was struck by how entertaining the whole thing is. The opening jump is breath taking, the scene where Bond drives his evaluator around is hilarious, and Xenia Onatopp is a livewire. Sean Bean is a formidable villain as 006, and a great foil to James. Bond and Judi Dench's first scene together is amazing. Goldeneye feels like the first modern Bond, yet so true to the predecessors. Wade and especially Zukovsky are excellent allies.
- Why it's not higher: Simonova is a forgettable Bond girl. She's not annoying, unattractive, or acted poorly, but is just below average in most regards (looks, back story, chemistry with Bond, plot).
- Most under-appreciated part: the action is just so much better than any Bond before it
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1. From Russia with Love: The Best Henchman (Red Grant)

- Why it's this high: Interesting settings, beautiful women, and an engaging story make this a classic. I'm not the first to point out that the scenes with Grant and Bond aboard the train are some of the best in the entire series. Grant is one of the few villains who feels like a match for 007. Furthermore, the addition of Desmond Llewyn as Q was crucial and Kerim Bey is one of the better Bond allies.
- Why it's not higher: The helicopter scene should've just been omitted, especially when combined with the subsequent boat chase. It's just awkward to watch.
- Most under-appreciated part: The gypsy scenes are quite exotic and entertaining.
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1. On Her Majesty's Secret Service: The Most Heartfelt

- Why it's this high: James and Tracy's love story is charming, and when she dies at the end, this is the one and only time in the entire series where the viewer feels genuinely sad. Diana Rigg did an excellent job convincing the audience Bond could finally fall in love with one girl. The skiing scenes were beautifully filmed, and the score was exemplary. Personally, I quite liked Lazenby's take; however, some of his lines and jokes fall flat. To his credit, he looks and acts like Bond more than any other actor.
- Why it's not higher: Honestly, it does drag at times in the first half, plus there is no theme song!
- Most under-appreciated part: Bond's Aston Martin DBS is a beautiful car, combining 60's sports-car beauty with Aston Martin's elegance.
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Tier 1: The Best

1. Goldfinger: The quintessential Bond

- Why it's this high: From the opening ("Positively shocking") to the seduction of Pussy Galore at the end, this film has it all. Goldfinger is an all time great villain, while Odd Job is an exceptional henchman. Connery delivers a master performance, and drives THE classic Bond Car, ejector seat included. The reason I put it #1 is not necessarily because it is the best film (although it is great), it checks all the boxes of what a perfect Bond film should do.
- Why it's not higher: I cannot think of any notable imperfections.
- Most under-appreciated part: The golf scene between Bond and Goldfinger is a delight to watch, demonstrating Bond's wits for the first and only time on the golf course.

Over the last week I read Ian Flemings first James Bond novel Casino Royale for the first time and later re watched the movie. Here are some thoughts on both, including a comparison of similarities, differences and the over all enjoyment I get out of both of these pieces.
Technical aspects:
Casino Royale (novel, 1953), written by Ian Fleming [27 short chapters, around 250 pages, depending on edition]
Casino Royale (movie, 2006), directed by Martin Campbell [144 minute runtime]
Before diving into further comparisons, there are two obvious, but also significant differences between the movie and the novel. The first being the time it is set in, both are contemporary to their release date. Meaning the novel is set in the Cold War whereas the movie is set in the 21 century. Because of the resulting differences in international relations historically speaking, you could transfer it (but you don't have to) to the second difference. Flemings novel is a political espionage thriller, whereas Campbells movie re-boot is basically an action movie.
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Structure:
The over all plot of the movie is very similar, nearly identical to its source material.
James Bond, a fresh 00, is set in a high stakes Poker game against Le Chiffre, a desperate (& near bankrupt) banker working for terrorist organizations. Bonds allies are Mathis, Felix Leiter & Vesper Lynd. Bond wins the money, Vesper & him get captured, following the torture, Le Chiffre being interrupted/killed by a member of a mysterious organization. After Bond & Vesper seek a happy life, the latter is confronted with her "real" identity/past & kills herself, leaving Bond emotionally broken & eventually cold.
As said in my first paragraph, Flemings novel isn't an "action" novel. There is an early assassination/botched bomb attempt in the early chapters (similar to the airport sequence) but it's nowhere near as action heavy as the movie, which follows parkour chases, knife fights & bus/plane explosions, stairway fights & the closing crumbling house set piece.
Narratively Bond meets his allies way earlier, in the movie Vesper & Mathis are introduced around an hour in, whereas in the novel already in the first few chapters, Felix Leiter is introduced very late in the movie and only after Bond is struggling in the Poker game. The whole Dimitrious, Ellipse stuff isn't in the novel.
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Main characters:
- James Bond:
Bonds portrayal is very close to the novel. He's described as a very tough man, perfectly shown by Craigs physical appearance, his hard & masculine face & the early corporal fight scenes & chases. His attitude fits the source material. Bond is smart & charming, but he can switch of in any moment to being a ruthless killer.
- Vesper Lynd:
A big part of Vespers character in the novel is her beauty. There are long passages describing everything about her body & face. She certainly is beautiful in the movie, played by the gorgeous Eva Green. Yet in the movie she comes across as much more independent & aware. She's smart in the novel, but much more worthy in a psychological duel with Bond in the movie. In both the movie & novel she is a double agent, who got blackmailed & had to take this identity in order to save her boyfriend, but then fell in love with James.
- Le Chiffre:
Le Chiffre, in both movie & novel is a scary fucking dude. There still is something a bit charming about Mikkelsen presence though. He's described as considerably ugly in the novel, and basically as the epitome of evil. In the movie he comes across as more "human", desperation etc (make no mistake he's a vicious bastard, but he's not the devil).
- M:
The obvious difference is the gender swap in M. In the novel, Bond respects & in some way even fears M. The Bond/M relationship of Flemings books never really translated onto the bigger screen (it's tough to find someone intimidating against the charisma of Connery to be fair) so the change is an interesting touch. While he certainly respects Judi Denchs M, there is more slick and clever dialogue coming out of the conversations.
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The Poker Game:
The Poker game in the novel, as basically all of it, is set in France, whereas the movie jumps around Madagascar, the Bahamas, Venice & Montenegro, the latter being the setting of the poker game.
Also, in the novel they play Baccarat, which was very popular at that time, in the movie they play Texas Hold 'Em, which (surprise) was popular in that time. The game itself is similar structured, back and forth until Le Chiffre wins a big one and Bond is in huge desperation but comes back in the last round winning all of it (with the help of Felix Leiters money).
In both movie & novel, Le Chiffre tries to prevent/"attack" Bond during the last hand. In the movie he gets poisoned, which nearly causes him to pass out. In the novel, he is directly physically threatened by a bodyguard of the Le Chiffre with a gun under the table/chair.
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Remarkable similarities:
- Practically the entire torture scene is directly taken out of the source material. Bond gets stripped naked and tied up to a chair, then punched to the balls multiple times until the near pass out. Only difference is that in the movie Le Chiffre uses a rope, in the novel it is a carpet beater.
- Some dialogue & lines are extracted out of Flemings novel. Such as the VespeMartini order.
>Three measures of Gordons, one of vodka, half a measure of Kina Lillet. Shake it very well until it's ice-cold, then add a large thin slice of lemon peel. Got it?
Or the iconic line.
>The bitch is dead.
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Other differences:
- The whole Mathis alleged double cross plot point only appears in the movie.
- Vespers double cross, signaled by her seeing the man with the eye patch is left to a good bye letter in the novel that Bond reads after she'd poisoned herself. In the movie, she gives the man with the eye patch the money briefcase and after the shoot out in Venice, she traps herself in the elevator and drowns in the crumbling house.
- In the books, the mysterious organization is SMERSH, a russian anti spy organization. In CR it is still unnamed, though in the later Craig films revealed to be SPECTRE.
- The book ends very depressing as her betrayal letter is the last thing. The movie ends on a higher note with Bond capturing Mr White & ending the movie in his iconic introduction lines.
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I have certainly missed a ton of differences of both, but I feel like I have done enough to highlight most of them. Here are some of my personal thoughts:
The novel:
I had a ton of fun reading it for the first time. It's certainly colder & much more serious than a lot of James Bond movies but I liked that it felt more grounded and had espionage instead of thrills. There is a lot of political subtext added by Ian Fleming that reflects on the cold war and on spy agents themselves. It also features some great insight on the Poker game as Bonds mind is on full display with mathematical & stochastically relevant information throughout every hand. I think it ends on a very depressing and sad note, setting the tone for the character to come.
The movie:
I have always considered Casino Royale to be one of my favorite movies of all time. I think it's head and shoulders above every other James Bond film and every time I watch it I discover new things I love about it. The way the movie starts, with the cold blooded double-O earning in a noir fashion, then goes over to the gorgeous credit sequence with so much ingenuity sprinkled across it, is amazing. I'm also amazed by the action the movie has. The Parkour chase has some terrific stunt work & innovation. Or the airplane sequence is packed with enormous tension and suspense. Or the closing Venice shoot out is packed with bad ass moments by Bond. A lot of my love for the movie also comes from the cast. It does contain my a.) favorite Felix Leiter (played by Jeffrey Wright), b.) favorite Bond girl (Vesper Lynd by Eva Green), c.) the best M (played by Judi Dench) and one of my favorite Bond villains (played by Mads Mikkelsen, who is as terrific as ever). Martin Campbell has rock solid directing, focussing on the great stuff of the source material and just like in GoldenEye knowing how to introduce a new Bond & a new way of Bond into the franchise. Daniel Craig is relentlessly amazing. He has the charms, he definitely has the looks, he is believable in the kills, he has a soul, he has a heart, he has emotion. Only Connery is better. The movie also looks gorgeous. Not only its vast settings of exotic locations, beautiful women, high class restaurants, cafes or hotels, pieces of clothing and so on, but also its sharp image and cinematography, by Phil Meheux is astounding. Despite being literally written by three people it also contains some ingenious dialogue. Especially the Bond/Vesper interactions flow so crisply and soft. It's a joy to watch every second of it and I could be talking about it for hours.
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All in all, Casino Royale is a great novel and in my opinion, an even greater movie which is a faithful adaptation but also adds many layers and new things to it, knowing that it already is part of a 20+ movie series and therefore adding nostalgia, references or treating its timeless main characters legacy with honor and self reflection.
What do you think about Casino Royale, both the novel & the movie?

Everyone considers QoS shit-tier compared to Casino Royale (2006) and Skyfall (2012) but it honestly isn't that far behind the two. It has some pretty good action sequences with the opening car chase, foot chase on the rooftops of Itay, boat chase, opera scene in Austria, airplane scene, and then the final hotel firefight. There are some other great action scenes peppered throughout as well, but those are the bigger set pieces.
I know it was written during the writer's strike but the dialogue isn't bad and still holds up. I also love the fact that it's a direct sequel to Casino Royale, continuing Bond's arc with zero time lapse. It additionally ties up the Vesper plot thread quite nicely, which I appreciated.
Also, I think it's pretty unique that this is the first Bond film to show James inebriated (on the train with Mathis) and also the first where he doesn't sleep with the Bond Girl (Olga Kurylenko, who is great by the way). Lastly, it has one of the best villain defeats when Bond leave Greene in the desert with nothing but a can of motor oil.
Lastly, Mathis and Felix are AWESOME side characters and I hope Felix comes back for No Time to Die (2020). F for Mathis.
Overall Craig is my favorite Bond and my list goes (1) Casino Royale (2) Skyfall (3) Quantum of Solace (4) Spectre. But the general consensus is that QoS is absolutely horrendous and I feel like over time that has slowly become the hive-mind take. Give it a watch, it's actually pretty good.

Upon the release of Quantum of Solace in 2008, it was met with mainly mixed to negative reactions from critics and commercial audiences. I understand why since it was a follow-up and direct sequel to Casino Royale, a film met with overwhelmingly positivity and the reboot that took 007 away from the over-the-top, cartoony, CGI heavy Brosnan era that wasn’t resonating with audiences by the time we got Die Another Day.
However, I would argue QoS being a direct sequel to Casino Royale is part of it’s strengths. The benefit of being a direct sequel is that it closely matched what Casino Royale set out to do, and that is to ground 007. This is best seen with the villains and their motives - with Le Chiffre, a man working for Q who gambled and lost millions, with Green you also have a man working for Q who is attempting to work out a deal to secure land for its resources. So not only are these villains I could see existing in real world, the latter is a brilliant way of connecting a hot topic in 2008, but also showing that Q benefits from America and Europe’s desperation for oil and Q being one step ahead with their control of a water supply.
I would also say the tone of QoS is perfect. I can’t imagine any sequel to Casino Royale being anything other than high octane with where the story is and Bond’s mindset. This makes the few slow downs more impactful, they are somber with Vesper’s presence still lingering in the background - we see this with Bond’s first discussion with M, on the darkened plane with Mathis while Bond sits under the bar light, and Bond’s final discussion with Camille. It also rounds off Bond’s origin story, we have a scene with Bond comforting Camille who are both surrounded by flames, this contrasts with but also compares with Bond comforting Vesper in the shower while they are covered in water - except this time, Bond is not comforting due to a romantic connection, but simply not viewing the woman as disposable.
This leads into Skyfall and Spectre. Right off the bat with Skyfall, I have problems with Bond going from a rookie 00 to worn and tired out in the span of a film. We missed out on prime Bond and went straight to veteran Bond. We are then introduced to Silva, a disgruntled former employee of M, who is not only a super hacker but also brilliant inventor coming up with things MI6 haven’t thought of that might help Bond (Face altering dentures anyone?)
Now I don’t have an issue with cyber terrorism being in a Bond film or how tech is making Bond slightly obsolete, my issue is how both of these along with Q got pushed out to force in a villain to have some personal connection with M because obviously she can’t just be forced into retirement, we need a tear jerking death scene to end the film on. And it just gets worse in Spectre, taking an organization (Q) that was built up for two films, and just making them a shadow organization within a shadow organization because we need a call back to the books. They couldn’t even just leave it at that, at the heart of Spectre, it’s someone Bond has a personal connection with - so not only did the family Bond grow up with raise someone who would go on to become one of the best agents for MI6, but also one of the greatest criminal masterminds in the world? By the way, how incompetent is MI6 to completely miss this when vetting Bond’s past? What next, Bond unknowingly tries to shag his long lost sister?
In less than a decade, the Bond reboot went from realizing it didn’t need to rely on tired tropes, to becoming films that need to shoehorn in references of past films and moving away from the grounded plots we saw in the first two Craig films to now getting into soap opera territory.
Quantum of Solace may not be Casino Royale in quality, but it is at least a great extension to what Casino Royale started. I remember being very excited about the Mendes/Logan team up, but after what they’ve done, I really don’t know how Craig era Bond can be salvaged

Hey folks! I'm planning on watching all 23 of the James Bond films between now and the release of Spectre in November. 007 films have always been my guilty pleasure and I thought it might be worth trying to have a more analytical discussion about them. If you all are interested, I'll be posting one of these discussions/reviews every 2 weeks. So here goes!

QUANTUM OF SOLACE (2008)

Story

Following the enormous critical success of Casino Royale, Daniel Craig's second out, Quantum of Solace, had high expectations. James Bond endured his first major test as an MI6 agent and lost the woman he loved in the process. The potential for character exploration was ripe for the picking. Unfortunately QoS was stunted by the 2007-2008 Writers strike. Writers Michael G. Wilson, Neal Purvis, and Robert Wade had the general outline laid out, however the meat of the characters was left to director Marc Forster and even Daniel Craig to craft. This left both frustrated and befuddled.

QoS is not a terrible film by any means. In fact, it truly is a shame that the character profiles are so severely lacking because the plot is actually decent. Once again the series leans toward real life villainy. No moon lasers here. Dominic Greene is about the most average Bond baddie you can imagine. For better or for worse, QoS intended to offer chilling tale of a villain who acts in shady political dealings rather than through force or threat of world annihilation. It was also the intent of the production to create an enemy that was surprisingly grey in a world of black and white bad guys. Greene's ultimate goal is political domination through acts of outwardly caring environmentalism. It's unique but ultimately no more than a decent starting point. In the end, Greene isn't crazy enough, strong enough, or truly evil enough to really be all that memorable.

The writing suffers severely from its patchwork creation. For some reason that I still cannot quite peg, I find it incredibly difficult to follow along with the plot and I’m not sure why. When I read a description of it, it all makes sense. But somehow the way it all unfolds is cloudy. Some critics applauded the film for not spoon feeding the audience the plot from scene to scene, however I feel that it simply becomes too subtle. The dialogue is not concise enough; too much is left to be inferred. One of the biggest issues I have with the film is in the characters’ motivations. It becomes too unclear as to whether Bond is chasing after Greene, Mr. White, or trying to avenge Vesper — and how any or all of those things are interrelated. When M calls Bond’s integrity into question, there isn’t a large enough point made of the fact that his desire to avenge Vesper is overlapping with MI6's goals or in what way those feelings might conflicting with the mission. You just sort of always vaguely know he’s moping about something and that he’s in trouble with MI6 though it’s never quite clear enough why.

Speaking of Vesper, I have conflicting feelings about the women of QoS and how Bond relates to them. I’ve always been able to justify (admittedly weakly) that Bond regularly sleeps with so many women on the grounds of "for Queen and Country." This theme is even addressed directly in a few of the older films. What I don’t get is how the writers (be they Wilson, 007 regulars Purvis and Wade, Forster, or Craig) justify Bond sleeping with Agent Fields so soon after losing Vesper — on his revenge mission no less. She was not an enemy that needed to be pacified nor a pawn with vital information. She was an MI6 agent who was already accepting of Bond’s efforts to delay his forced return to London. Now aside from Fields, QoS actually has one of the more unique female characters. Camille Montes has the rare distinction of being the only primary Bond Girl that 007 does not sleep with. In fact, one could argue that QoS is more her film than his. She sets out on a revenge mission of her own and it just so happens that Bond’s mission overlaps with hers.

In fact, for perhaps the first time in the franchise, Bond is the one who screws up his female companion’s mission. In a moment of what 007 believes to be heroism, he “rescues” Camille just as she is about to assassinate a Bolivian politician who raped and murdered her family. He doesn’t realize this until late into the film. The two share a rather touching scene in which she reveals this to him. The regret is palpable in Craig’s tone and in his eyes as he realizes he personally spoiled this woman’s life-long opportunity to avenge her loved ones. Olga Kurylenko has her own moment to shine at the end of the film when Camille and Bond find themselves seemingly trapped in a flaming building that is ready to collapse. The sheer terror in her eyes as Bond holds her tightly is beautifully portrayed.

Look and Sound

I am just going to jump straight to QoS’s primary issue: Editing. I do not know in what world the director, editors, or producers thought that this style of editing would be exhilarating, technically praiseworthy, or even remotely tolerable, but it is none of those things. The film starts with a gorgeous sweeping shot of a lakefront bluff. From there, the film dives into the mind-numbing editorial pace that includes moments of an astounding 3-4 shots PER SECOND. Shots are often measured in seconds per shot. Not the other way around. It is entirely unwatchable. The rest of the film is cut as a normal film ought to be, however the moment any action breaks out (car chase, foot chase, gun battle), the editors, Matt Chesse (World War Z, The Gift) and Richard Pearson (Iron Man 2) revert back to this horrendous cacophony of visual purée.

This treatment completely removes the audience’s ability to gain a sense of geography or register the passage of time. I get what they were going for. Forster explained that his intent was to dramatically cut down on what had become an ever-increasing runtimes with the Bond series. He wanted QoS to kick off like a bullet being shot from a gun. Sure, they accomplish that task with ease, however what good does it do when watching it play out is like watching the visual interpretation of a migraine? So many beautiful composed shots and wonderfully choreographed stunts are lost in the unstructured nonsense.

One thing that QoS has going for it is a killer sound mix. The audio will frequently drop out to solo one character’s dialogue or to focus on one particular sound effect. This is done multiple times and succeeds most admirably when this effect is placed atop the aforementioned action mush. David Arnold’s score also flourishes in this film. Apparently Forster is more of an audio driven direction than a visual one. His decision to bring Arnold into the production almost from the get-go (as opposed to recent films in which Arnold was rushed into the studio on the backend of post-production) allowed the composer to develop a score that plays beautifully with the visuals. The use of the Vesper theme from Casino Royale is a lovely touch in a film that otherwise feels like it has very little in common with any previous 007 film.

I am a huge fan of MK12’s opening title design. The surreal style is a wonderful return to previous title designer Daniel Kleinman’s earlier work with GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, and The World is Not Enough. The song that accompanies these titles is not generally believes to be one of the stronger themes, however I must say that I actually dig it quite a bit. Another Way to Die is Jack White and Alicia Key’s entry into the 007 theme song canon. It’s catchy and vibrant, though I do agree with the masses that it probably would have been better served if White had stuck to instrumentals and Keys had taken on the vocals herself.

On the whole, I also really dug the production design. In the wake of longtime designer Peter Lamont's retirement, Dennis Glassner was hired to take his place. Glassner's philosophy was modern with a touch of nostalgia. There are a handful of locations that were specifically designed to mimic the old school Ken Adam style of set design. So naturally I'm a bit of a sucker for it.

Callbacks, Recurrences, and Tropes

As QoS is considered to be a direct sequel, it's no surprise that this film has a higher number of recurring characters than usual. As per usual, Judi Dench reprises her role as M, continuing to solidify her already incredible legacy in Bond film lore. Felix makes a return with Jeffrey Wright returning once more. Believe it or not, this marks the very first time in 22 films that the same actor makes back to back appearances as the CIA agent. Giancarlo Giannini returns as René Mathis and Jesper Christensen returns as Mr. White. Rory Kinnear debuts as Chief of Staff Bill Tanner. This is a character, who works closely with M at MI6, has a few small appearances in a handful of films starting in 1974 with The Man with the Golden Gun.

The standard title sequence and theme song make an appearance, as discussed above, however the gun barrel that typically precedes it was moved to the end of the film in this case. The idea was that it was meant to be a bit of a book end, implying that the Vespegrief storyline was now wrapped up and Bond is ready to move on.

Apart from that, the film doesn't showcase any of the regular traditions or tropes. There are no card games, no ski chases, no bomb/missile related countdowns. No train fights, no "shaken, not stirred" martinis (though he does imbibe a few Vesper Martinis), and no "Bond. James Bond."

QoS does offer one particularly noticeable callback to a prior film. Agent Fields is murdered in her hotel room in the precise position and manner in which Jill Masterson was killed in Goldfinger. Except instead of being covered in gold Fields is covered in oil -- a statement from the filmmakers on the value of oil versus gold in today's economy.

Overall Impression

All in all, Quantum of Solace is a fairly mediocre film. It has its moments of beauty and excitement but in the end, it feels a bit hollow -- or at least somewhat un-Bond-like. The occasionally shaky camera and insane editing, when coupled with Craig's continued tendency for raw, visceral, hand-to-hand combat, QoS tends to get the frequent criticism of being more like a Jason Bourne film than a James Bond film.

With action scenes that are borderline unwatchable and an overly convoluted script, QoS is a decent but all together middling entry into the iconic franchise.

Quick Hits

Category	Score	Note
Writing	5.5	There's a decent plot in here somewhere but it's buried amongst mediocre dialogue.
Directing	5	At times, Forster's indie persona is a charming twist on the familiar 007 film. Mostly it isn't.
Acting	7.5	Craig and Dench are wonderful once more. Craig is done no services by the script. Kurylenko is wonderful. Amalric is so-so.
Cinematography	7	Any appreciation for well composed shots is rendered useless by the editing.
Production Design	9	Gassner pays homage to Ken Adam wonderfully.
Score	8	More integrated into the narrative than recent films.
Editing	3	While much of the film works fine, the action scenes are impossible to digest.
Effects	8	Some fantastic stunts, decent visual compositing, but the design VFX (i.e. every single computer interface) are overdone.
Costumes	9	Bond looking fly as hell once more.
Personal Score	6

Score - 68 / 100

Film	Score
Casino Royale	94
GoldenEye	86
Goldfinger	85
On Her Majesty's Secret Service	82
The Spy Who Loved Me	80
The World is Not Enough	79
From Russia With Love	76
The Living Daylights	75
You Only Live Twice	73
License to Kill	72
Dr. No	70
The Man with the Golden Gun	68
Quantum of Solace	68
Tomorrow Never Dies	68
Live and Let Die	66
Thunderball	61
A View to a Kill	59
Moonraker	59
For Your Eyes Only	55
Octopussy	48
Diamonds Are Forever	37
Die Another Day	30

Bonus Category!

So for each movie my wife and I will be enjoying a spirit or cocktail that relates to the film. Bond enjoys a little post-car-chase whiskey at the beginning of the film so we do too!

• 1 glass whiskey
• Ice (if desired)

So what do you folks think? How does Quantum of Solace fare in your opinion?

I still say it is NOT deserving of all the hate it gets. It is far from the worst in the franchise and I actually find it to be an important Bond movie. Important in Craig's line of films at least. It expands upon Geoffrey Wright's Felix Leiter, who I love in the role. I find him to be layered and complex and like there's more to him than what we know. In this film he appears to be someone who empathizes with James, like he has also overcome great loss, such as a wife perhaps. He is a family man (in the books) if I am not mistaken so it just adds this nuance to the role and I thoroughly enjoyed Wright's performance. We get closure with Mathis, we peel back more of the onion that was once just "the organisation", the Vesper loose ends are tied up, it is a great little button on Casino Royale's coat.
One thing the Craig movies get criticised a lot for is that they're too serious. Maybe it's because Kingsman is so fresh in my mind but I did not find QoS to be too serious. It was in many ways a throwback to the old Bonds. Big, secret organization, maniacal villain set on massive control, extremist plot, over the top Bond Girl death, true barrel sequence, Bond doing spy work. Sure there's a lack of gadgets (cool table though) but that's not the point, this is a revenge tale, that's important to remember. And Bond eventually went rogue, that means no gadgets anyway. Say what you want about the theme song but who ever judged a movie based solely on it's opening credits? Perhaps not the best edited film in the world (action cuts anyone?) but I stopped noticing after the first few sequences honestly. It's raw, choppy, and unforgiving, much like mood Bond would have been in for a revenge tale (hmmm... interesting). Plus the 4 major scenes based on the 4 elements adds such a touch of brilliance.
I find this to be a quiet, modern gem. It's View To A Kill-esque skulduggery with From Russia With Love-esque silent greatness. I'm in a minority, I'm sure, but I'm urging you to jump off the bandwagon. I was never on it. I liked this film even before seeing it right after Casino Royale and after I did, I liked it more. Which might say something about me but I don't really care, I love the James Bond franchise. Call it a weak movie, fine, but don't say it sucks. It doesn't. See, I think the people that hate this movie either hate it because they want to for it not being what they wanted or thought they were getting, or, because it's popular to. Not because it's objectively a bad film. I think it hit all the right marks. Contrary to Skyfall which objectively IS a good film but a film I find to not hold up well as a "Bond movie". Which, granted, may not have been the intent, but, it's not necessarily one I genuinely enjoy watching. Not compared to most of the others. I call it the "Dark Knight Rises" of Bond movies. Which now probably makes me sound like a hypocrite. Oh well. Bring on the downvotes!
TL;DR: Stop hating this movie. Because you are wrong.

Rereading the first few Ian Fleming Bond novels with their film adaptations in mind is an interesting experience. First you have Casino Royale, which received a half-century-later film adaptation that added a new first act before getting into the novel content about an hour in, modernized things, and actioned up Vesper’s death from sleeping pill suicide to shootout in a sinking Vienna house while otherwise fairly closely following the story, scenes and characters from the novel, depicting Bond and Le Chiffre’s battle of wits at Casino Royale and its aftermath. The roles of Vesper, Felix Leiter and Mathis, the ball torture, the recuperation, going off with Vesper, "The bitch is dead," it's all there.
Then there’s Live and Let Die, which received a much looser film adaptation, freely snatching some characters, settings, a few scenes and general concepts (even some surprisingly specific ones, like Mr. Big’s club having a table that sinks into the floor with Bond sitting at it) from the novel while largely making up the narrative it used these elements in from scratch. Bond film fans will also notice some plot elements from the back half of the novel repurposed for use in the movies Licence to Kill and For Your Eyes Only.
Then there’s Moonraker, which received what could generously be called one of the loosest film “adaptations” in the history of book-to-film cinema. The film Moonraker shares exactly three elements with its eponymous novel:
• It involves a piece of technology called the Moonraker. Only the names are shared - in the book, it is basically a new long-range missile technology. In the film, it is a space shuttle.
• The villain is named Hugo Drax. Again, only the names are shared. In the book, he is a hotheaded and vulgar man with red hair who is a secret former Nazi pretending to be a British industrialist and national hero, who plans to use his Moonraker missile to destroy London. In the film, Drax is a quiet and soft-spoken French space technology magnate with brown hair who plans to gas the planet from space and live in a space station. Not only are they different, but their personalities are literally almost exact opposites.
• In the ONE scene in the book adapted into the film, Drax places Bond and the story’s female hero (Gala Brand in the book, Holly Goodhead in the film) under the nozzle of a rocket so that they will burn to death when it fires. Bond and the girl cleverly escape the rocket in both, of course.
Other than that, the 1955 novel Moonraker and 1979 film Moonraker share absolutely nothing, not a single scene, plot point, location, character, concept, nothing in common.
But, if you use a little creative thinking and look at things from a big picture perspective, you may come to realize that Ian Fleming’s Moonraker was in fact adapted into a film a couple decades later, and many an Ian Fleming fan may be horrified to realize that film is none other than 2002’s Die Another Day. Let’s go into how this adaptation took place:
• Now, first off, you may be saying “I don’t remember that part of Ian Fleming’s Moonraker where Bond was captured by North Koreans, held captive for 14 months, traded back to MI6, escaped, and went to Cuba.” And you’d be right! What you’re seeing here is the screenwriters doing a dry run at exactly the same thing they would do four years later with Casino Royale: Making up roughly 40% of a film worth of original content before getting into the story of a relatively short novel.
• And that story begins at a club called Blades, where Bond goes in the book to meet and investigate wealthy British industrialist/hero Hugo Drax cheating at bridge. In the film, Bond goes to a club, also called Blades, to meet and investigate wealthy British industrialist/hero Gustav Graves (who has cheated at fencing by getting his protege Miranda Frost a gold medal at the Olympics by faking a drug overdose for the woman who originally beat her). Bond then engages the cheat Drax/Graves at bridge/fencing, beating him at his own game, revealing the angry side of the red-headed secret villain.
• Also note that in the book the British government has placed a spy with Drax named Gala Brand to investigate him. In the film, the character Miranda Frost (who was called Gala Brand in the initial script and all the way through the casting of Rosamund Pike in the role) is also a spy placed by the British government with Graves. The key difference, and why I believe they changed the name, is that in the book Brand is loyal to England, in the film she actually does switch allegiance to Graves.
• After beating Drax/Graves at his own game, Bond is invited to check out Drax/Graves’ new piece of technology that has supposedly been created for the peace and prosperity of the world and with the full approval and support of the government, the MoonrakeIcarus Project. (In the book, it is right there in England, it is in Iceland in the film.) Bond travels there to see the technology and meets up with Brand/Frost. (Needless to say, the book does not introduce us to this section of the story with “I’m Mr. Kil!” “Well there’s a name to die for.”)
• After investigating, the truth is revealed: Drax/Graves is secretly a villain planning to use his supposedly world-benefiting technology as a weapon for evil. Why? Because he secretly a two-faced agent of a foreign country who is only pretending to be British, and secretly still working for what is, in his own twisted mind, the glory of his homeland; Drax, a former Nazi, for Nazi Germany, and Graves for North Korea, as he is North Korean Colonel Moon in disguise.
• Drax/Graves, with the help of his creepy scientist henchman Krebs/Vlad, attempts to kill Bond by dropping a cliff on him. In the book, he dynamites some cliffs above a beach that Bond and Brand are on, which they narrowly survive. In the film, he zaps some ice cliffs with his space laser, which Bond parasails away from on the tsunami in some of 2002’s finest CGI.
• In the end, the villain is hoist by his own petard, Drax killed by his own Moonraker missile when Bond and Brand reprogram its target coordinates away from London to the spot in the sea where he happens to be escaping with his Nazi cohorts in a submarine, and Graves by Bond pitching him in his Robocop suit into a turbine on his own damn plane.
Now, the in-between of all these elements varies quite a bit from novel to film, of course. The film declines to adapt quite a bit of Bond’s investigation into Drax’s Moonraker operation, instead working in the character of Jinx, a fight amidst lasers, a car chase on the ice (the book DOES have a Bond vs. Drax car chase, but under wildly different circumstances), a sword fight on a plane, and a Robocop suit. I’m certainly not claiming we’re looking at a one-to-one adaptation here. But looking at all the evidence (and keeping in mind Miranda Frost was called Gala Brand right up through shooting), it seems undeniably that Die Another Day, not 1979’s Moonraker, is the film adaptation of Fleming’s Moonraker.
If nothing else it shows in Gustav Graves, who pretty much is the novel’s Drax, a red-haired secret agent of the enemy enacting his own private revenge using a new technological weapon in the guise of a British hero, a hotheaded and quick-to-anger cheat.
Now, the real question is, could they ever go back to Moonraker and do a much closer film adaptation? I say damn well of course they could. No one except huge Bond freaks like me ever would have noticed most of this in the first place, and anyway, by the time they did such a thing Die Another Day would be 20+ years old anyway. Now, it would take a clever screenwriter to approach making an action film from Fleming’s Moonraker: For one, the first action scene in the entire novel takes place almost two-thirds of the way through. But such problems are for a clever screenwriter, not a schlub like me.
But there you have it: Die Another Day is a bizarre and (for better or worse… most Bond fans would probably argue worse) incredibly imaginative adaptation of Moonraker.
(Oh, and one other element of Ian Fleming’s Moonraker was used in another film: Drax’s line “I should spend the money quickly, Commander Bond” when Bond beats him at bridge was slightly altered to “Spend the money quickly, Mr. Bond” and given to Kamal Khan when Bond beats him at backgammon in Octopussy.)

I love Casino Royale. I think it's easily the best Craig Bond film, one of the best Bond films ever, and one of my favourite films in general. It's got everything you want, and the cast is terrific. The plot, however, is interesting.
So the first watch through, my thoughts go like this: Vesper slowls falls for Bond, Mathis betrays Bond and Vesper, Vesper makes a deal while being tortured in exchange for Bond's life, they are freed, Vesper falls for Bond, they escape, Vesper sees her contacts and has to make good on the deal. But further watchings make it seems more than that.
Vesper's sudden affection for Bond, is that mostly an act? She clearly likes him somewhat, but it would seem that she is acting most of it. It is interesting how (in the scene with Bond in a chair) she is sexually aggressive on him, but after some honest words from Bond she is moved and cries a bit. As in, that's the honest side of her.
It would mean that she is pursuing Bond to get access to the money to transfer it to Quantum. Which makes sense... right? Or does it?
Because: She is putting in the routing number for the funds. Bond puts in the password he picked, but it does not seem Vesper has to put in the routing number for the MI6 account. So what is all that for? Why couldn't she just have put in the Quantum tracking number and left?
Which makes it more confusing. If Vesper is a double agent the whole time, why is LeChiffre there? Is Vesper working higher up the ladder than LeChiffre? Why would they care who wins if it is down to Bond and LeChiffre? Vesper would just transfer over the money.
Which is FURTHER confusing because why wouldn't Vesper restake Bond? It would seem that would be the best way to ensure one of the two wins.

But let's assume Vesper has to put it into an account made for the tournament, and they are to transfer it from that account to MI6. And that she has to win over Bond, keep him from returning to transfer the money, get to a drop off city, then make the drop off. That whole sideplot should check out, minus why Quantum wasn't leveraging Vesper the whole time. Let's move on to a nice wrinkle added by QoS: How is Mathis NOT a double agent?
Seriously, the entire structure of Casino Royale is ruined if Mathis is not a double agent. There's no way Vesper was in on this all herself. It would add all of the problems listed above, plus the whole problem of why LeChiffre mentions Mathis by name. (Personally I would have made Mathis the villain of the third film, as I thought it was terrible to bring him back, then even worse to kill him off instantly. I loved his sidekick character and thought he'd have been a great addition to the franchise as it was going. They basically had a Mathis in Skyfall anyway. Grrr Skyfall.)
Casino Royale's plot just needs a little tightening I think. Vesper having a previous connection to Quantum isn't as good as Vesper making a deal with them as it happens. And I don't know what Mr. White meant to LeChiffre saying "know who to trust". It comes off a little as "We don't have a plot in mind but this is vauge but sounds meaningful."
Still love the film. Wish the rest of the series had followed in its footsteps with a strong female lead with dynamite chemistry with Craig and lots of Bond in civilian locations being suave. But I'll always have it, and I'm very grateful for that.

In 1979, the American embassy in Iran was invaded by Iranian revolutionaries and several Americans were taken hostage. However, six managed to escape to the official residence of the Canadian Ambassador and the CIA was ordered to get them out of the country. With few options, exfiltration expert Tony Mendez devised a daring plan: create a phony Canadian film project looking to shoot in Iran and smuggle the Americans out as its production crew. With the help of some trusted Hollywood contacts, Mendez created the ruse and proceeded to Iran as its associate producer. However, time was running out with the Iranian security forces closing in on the truth while both his charges and the White House had grave doubts about the operation themselves.
Here are list of 12 Best Movies like Argo (2012):

1. The Departed (2006)

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In South Boston, the state police force is waging war on Irish-American organized crime. Young undercover cop Billy Costigan is assigned to infiltrate the mob syndicate run by gangland chief Frank Costello. While Billy quickly gains Costello's confidence, Colin Sullivan, a hardened young criminal who has infiltrated the state police as an informer for the syndicate is rising to a position of power in the Special Investigation Unit. Each man becomes deeply consumed by their double lives, gathering information about the plans and counter-plans of the operations they have penetrated. But when it becomes clear to both the mob and the police that there is a mole in their midst, Billy and Colin are suddenly in danger of being caught and exposed to the enemy - and each must race to uncover the identity of the other man in time to save themselves. But is either willing to turn on their friends and comrades they've made during their long stints undercover?

2. Casino Royale (2006)

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James Bond goes on his first ever mission as a 00. Le Chiffre is a banker to the world's terrorists. He is participating in a poker game at Montenegro, where he must win back his money, in order to stay safe among the terrorist market. The boss of MI6, known simply as M sends Bond, along with Vesper Lynd to attend this game and prevent Le Chiffre from winning. Bond, using help from Felix Leiter, Mathis and having Vesper pose as his partner, enters the most important poker game in his already dangerous career. But if Bond defeats Le Chiffre, will he and Vesper Lynd remain safe?

3. The Bourne Ultimatum (2007)

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Bourne is once again brought out of hiding, this time inadvertently by London-based reporter Simon Ross who is trying to unveil Operation Blackbriar--an upgrade to Project Treadstone--in a series of newspaper columns. Bourne sets up a meeting with Ross and realizes instantly they're being scanned. Information from the reporter stirs a new set of memories, and Bourne must finally, ultimately, uncover his dark past whilst dodging The Company's best efforts in trying to eradicate him.

4. All the President's Men (1976)

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In the run-up to the 1972 elections, Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward covers what seems to be a minor break-in at the Democratic Party National headquarters. He is surprised to find top lawyers already on the defense case, and the discovery of names and addresses of Republican fund organizers on the accused further arouses his suspicions. The editor of the Post is prepared to run with the story and assigns Woodward and Carl Bernstein to it. They find the trail leading higher and higher in the Republican Party, and eventually into the White House itself.

5. JFK (1991)

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On November 22, 1963, president John F. Kennedy is assassinated in Dallas. Lee Harvey Oswald is arrested for the crime and subsequently shot by Jack Ruby, supposedly avenging the president's death. An investigation concludes that Lee Harvey Oswald and Jack Ruby acted alone in their respective crimes, but Louisiana district attorney Jim Garrison is skeptical. Assembling a trusted group of people, Garrison conducts his own investigation, bringing about backlash from powerful government and political figures.

6. The Bourne Identity (2002)

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Based very loosely on Robert Ludlum's novel, the Bourne Identity is the story of a man whose wounded body is discovered by fishermen who nurse him back to health. He can remember nothing and begins to try to rebuild his memory based on clues such as a Swiss bank account, the number of which is implanted in his hip. He soon realizes that he is being hunted and takes off with Marie on a search to find out who he is - and why he is being hunted.

7. Hidden Figures (2016)

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As the United States raced against Russia to put a man in space, NASA found untapped talent in a group of African-American female mathematicians that served as the brains behind one of the greatest operations in U.S. history. Based on the unbelievably true life stories of three of these women, known as "human computers", we follow these women as they quickly rose the ranks of NASA alongside many of history's greatest minds specifically tasked with calculating the momentous launch of astronaut John Glenn into orbit, and guaranteeing his safe return. Dorothy Vaughan, Mary Jackson, and Katherine Johnson crossed all gender, race, and professional lines while their brilliance and desire to dream big, beyond anything ever accomplished before by the human race, firmly cemented them in U.S. history as true American heroes.

8. Taken (2008)

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Seventeen year-old Kim is the pride and joy of her father Bryan Mills. Bryan is a retired agent who left the Central Intelligence Agency to be near Kim in California. Kim lives with her mother Lenore and her wealthy stepfather Stuart. Kim manages to convince her reluctant father to allow her to travel to Paris with her friend Amanda. When the girls arrive in Paris they share a cab with a stranger named Peter, and Amanda lets it slip that they are alone in Paris. Using this information an Albanian gang of human traffickers kidnaps the girls. Kim barely has time to call her father and give him information. Her father gets to speak briefly to one of the kidnappers and he promises to kill the kidnappers if they do not let his daughter go free. The kidnapper wishes him "good luck," so Bryan Mills travels to Paris to search for his daughter and her friend.

9. The Bourne Supremacy (2004)

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After escaping from the emotional and physical pain he previously encountered. Jason Bourne and his girlfriend Marie begin a new life as far away as possible. But when an assassination attempt on Bourne goes horribly wrong, Bourne must re-enter the life he wanted to leave behind, in order to find out the truth why they are still after him.

10. The Man from Nowhere (2010)

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An ex-special agent CHA Tae-shik's only connection to the rest of the world is a little girl, So-mi, who lives nearby. Her mother, Hyo-jeong smuggles drugs from a drug trafficking organization and entrusts Tae-shik with the product, without letting him know. The traffickers find out about her smuggling and kidnap both Hyo-jeong and So-mi. The gang promises to release them if Tae-shik makes a delivery for them, however it actually is a larger plot to eliminate a rival drug ring leader. When Hyo-jeon's disemboweled body is discovered, Tae-shik realizes that So-mi's life may also be in danger. Tae-shik becomes enraged at the prospect that So-mi may already be dead and prepares for a battle, putting his own life at risk.

11. Kingsman: The Secret Service (2014)

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A young man named Eggsy whose father died when he was a young boy, is dealing with living with the creep his mother is with now, who mistreats her and him. He goes out and does something to one of the creep's friends. He gets arrested and he calls a number a man gave him around the time his father died, to call if he needs help. A man named Harry approaches him and tells him he's the one who helped him. He tells him that he knew his father. When the man Eggsy slighted wants some payback, Harry takes care of him and his companions single handed. Harry then tells Eggsy that he's part of a secret organization called the Kingsman and his father was also part of it. He died trying to make the world safe. Harry offers Eggsy the opportunity to be a Kingsman and he takes it. He undergoes a grueling training course. Harry is looking into the demise of another Kingsman and the trail leads him to tech billionaire named Valentine aka V who is also curious about the group following him, the Kingsman.

12. Road to Perdition (2002)

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1. Mike Sullivan and Connor Rooney are two henchmen of elderly downstate IL-based (Quad City area, though much of the action takes place in the Chicago area) Irish-American mobster John Rooney, Connor's father. In many respects, John treats Mike more as his son, who he raised as his own after Mike was orphaned, than the volatile Connor, who nonetheless sees himself as the heir apparent to the family business. One evening, Mike's eldest son, twelve year old Michael Sullivan Jr., who has no idea what his father does for a living, witnesses Connor and his father gun down an associate and his men, the situation gone wrong initiated from an action by Connor. Caught witnessing the incident, Michael is sworn to secrecy about what he saw. Regardless, Connor, not wanting any loose ends, makes an attempt to kill Mike, his wife and their two sons. Mike and the surviving members of his family know that they need to go on the run as Connor, who has gone into hiding, will be protected through mob loyalty, especially by John, who cannot turn on his own flesh and blood. Still, Mike has to figure out a way for retribution for what Connor did, while still protecting him and his family, not only from Connor, but from John and his fellow associates. Through it all, Mike wants those in his family that had no say in what he chose as a living, to have some redemption for their eternal souls.

P/S: This list has reference data from https://moviessimilarto.com - a crowsourced movies recommendations engine.

Casino Royale: Bond gets his reboot, and with a surprising performance from Craig, who turns out to be one of the best Bonds ever (the best for someone). The movie itself is one of the top, beautufully written and directed, with a lot of tension and some really good action scenes. A couple of slow moments (the neverending poker game, even if it has a lot of suspence, and the part on the Como Lake) and a so-and-so villain (I mean, at the end he is a desperate puppet in the hand of Quantum/Spectre), but with a marvellous Eva Green and an excellent Giancarlo Giannini as Mathis. And, as the two top scenes, the black and white pre-title and the ending with Bond and White.
Quantum Of Solace: the only direct sequel in the whole saga, a film which is full of flaws, from the intricate script to the worst editing ever. I know it's been re-valuated, but I still don't like it: even the action scenes are not exciting . There is almost no humour around, with Craig apparently not giving a f... about anything, and not even touching one of the most sexy girls of the franchise.
Skyfall: after probably my least favourite Bond movie, we have my number one position. Everything here is top: the acting (Craig is super intense, Javier Bardem would have deserved an Oscar), the script, the tension, the action. The movie is long, but I enjoyed every single second, and could be a great film even for who is not a fan of the franchise, since it's more an action thriller than a spy story.
Spectre: I had great expectations, but I went out of the cinema with mixed feelings. The plot would be fine, but the main problem is the bunch of holes in it, with an absurd love story between Bond and Swann and a potentially great villain unfortunately underused. It has a lot of slow moments, and a strange car chase in a Rome that hasn't been so traffic-free since the times of Ben Hur. Of course, there is also some great moments (the pre-title sequence in Mexico, the Spectre meeting in Rome - really Kubrick - and all the scenes with 007 and Q), but it should have been much better.
So, I've finished with my 4-parts reviews of all the Bond movies, I hope not to have been too boring. I close with my personal Top 5: 1 - Skyfall 2 - For Your Eyes Only 3 - Goldfinger 4 - Goldeneye 5 - The Living Daylights (ex-aequo with Casino Royale, but I wanted to have at least one Dalton).