We asked over 1,000 Bond fans to rank the best 007 films – but what came out on top?

While 007 fans around the world continue to wait with bated breath for concrete news about James Bond's 26th cinematic outing, we to dipped into our archives to revisit the previous Bond films – all 25 of them.

We asked fans to vote for their favourite in the franchise, and with more than 1,000 votes cast, we can now present the full rankings to reveal the most popular film in the long-running series, according to its own fans.

Of course, debating the greatest entries in such a well-loved franchise is never going to lead to a state of perfect agreement, and it's likely some fans may find themselves a little at odds with the rankings below (you can check out our own ranking for a slightly different order).

But whether you agree or disagree, this list certainly makes for an interesting look at which films have stood the test of time best, according to the fans themselves.

Scroll down to find the full ranked list – along with our own official Radio Times reviews of each film from our archives.

25. The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Perhaps a surprising film to finish at the very bottom of the list, this third Bond outing for Pierce Brosnan was generally considered a step down from his first two 007 adventures.

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In a welcome return to the gritty glamour of such early outings as From Russia with Love, this 19th James Bond film effortlessly juggles a topical plot about the global domination of oil pipelines with all the expected superspy elements. Plaudits should go to director Michael Apted for the stirring, not shaky, blend of casino, ski slopes and submarine components contained within a topical plot about the power struggle for global domination of pipelines from oil-rich Azerbaijan.

In his third outing as 007, Pierce Brosnan is as comfortable in the dramatic sequences as in the action scenes, which include a spectacular boat chase along the River Thames. Sophie Marceau is excellent as the woman Bond is sent to protect, while Robert Carlyle is well cast as a Russian villain. Though everything comes gift-wrapped in production glitz, there are many touching moments to temper the adrenaline-pumping thrills. – Alan Jones

24. Die Another Day (2002)

Another Brosnan film comes in second from bottom, and perhaps it's no real surprise to see this one so low. The 20th film in the franchise overall is generally regarded as something of a misfire – with the reception to its more ludicrous antics eventually leading to the grittier rebrand with Daniel Craig.

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The relentless pacing and director Lee Tamahori’s fluid style help enliven this 20th James Bond adventure, which marked Pierce Brosnan's last outing as the secret agent. From North Korea and London to Cuba and a dazzling Icelandic snow palace, the locations are inspired, even if the plotline and gadgets are more preposterous than ever (invisible car, anyone?).

Brosnan is on fine form as a betrayed and vengeful 007, combining the secret agent’s charm and throwaway wit with true toughness and a streak of venom. Such character-broadening traits ensure that the format never feels stale, while the introduction of Halle Berry as an equal, if underdeveloped, female sidekick is a coup.

However, their escapades are let down by some poor-looking CGI, while Madonna's grating theme song and cameo as a fencing instructor are simply dire. – Sloan Freer

23. A View to a Kill (1985)

Most Bond aficionados would tell you that a fair few of the later Roger Moore efforts rank among the weaker entries in the series. And despite solid turns from Christopher Walken and Grace Jones, Moore's very last appearance – as he was approaching 60 – is often seen as his lowest ebb.

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Roger Moore stars as 007 for the seventh and final time in this below-average Bond movie. His smoothness is now a bit of a cliché, but there's still some action and excitement to be had.

Christopher Walken and his accomplice, girlfriend Grace Jones, are pretty scary as the baddies, but you don't get the impression that they're particularly evil.

Patrick Macnee, of TV's The Avengers fame, fares a lot better as Bond's right-hand man, and Tanya Roberts does what Bond girls do pretty well. But the plot doesn't really convince, perhaps because we've seen it or something similar so many times before. – Adrian Turner

22. Octopussy (1983)

Another poorly-regarded Moore outing, the slightly ridiculous Octopussy does have some fans due to the sheer bonkers-ness of it all – but clearly not enough to lift it into the top 20.

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Loosely adapted from the Ian Fleming stories Octopussy and The Property of a Lady, this 13th James Bond movie is possibly the most frivolous in the series. The plot meanders all over the place, as Roger Moore’s 007 follows glamorous smuggler Maud Adams and renegade Soviet general Steven Berkoff across India and Central Europe.

All the usual gadgets are on view (including a crocodile-shaped submersible), but director John Glen (who would helm all five Bond movies made in the 1980s) never quite seems in control of either the breathless action or the overly glib dialogue. – David Parkinson

21. Quantum of Solace (2008)

After coming out of the gates swinging with one of the very best Bond films in Casino Royale, hopes had initially been high for Daniel Craig's second film as the secret agent. But – in part due to the effects of Hollywood writer's strikes – the end result was a little muddled, failing to come close to the heights of its predecessor.

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Daniel Craig's second outing as James Bond had a famously troubled production, which may explain why it fails to deliver on the promise of its predecessor, Casino Royale. Picking up events directly after that film's climax, it sees Bond looking for answers after the death of his lover, Vesper Lynd.

The trail leads to Quantum, a mysterious organisation that has infiltrated the world's corridors of power and is moving to instigate a regime change in Bolivia. Marc Forster's take on 007 was hit by a writer's strike during its making, and the script suffers as a result, with the paranoid storyline as nonsensical as the Ian Fleming-inspired title.

But viewed solely as an action spectacle, there's still plenty of excitement, not least a close-up, shaky-cam fight in an anonymous hotel (très Bourne) and an artfully staged gun battle at the opera. Craig may be ill-served by the material on this occasion, but his committed performance as the spy hero remains eminently watchable. – Jamie Healy

20. Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

Sean Connery returned for one final Bond outing in this 1971 release, after George Lazenby's only 007 flick On Her Majesty's Secret Service was greeted with a mixed reception. But luring back the old favourite turned out to be something of a poor call: this film isn't a patch on Connery's finest work as the character.

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After You Only Live Twice, Sean Connery said "Never again" to reprising the role of agent 007, but after George Lazenby's sole effort in OHMSS he was lured back for a fee of over $1 million, which he donated to the Scottish International Education Trust.

This is one of the weakest Bonds, with its plot about diamond smuggling developing rather tiresomely into a chase with Moon buggies and Connery simply going through the motions.

The Las Vegas sequences have some dash, however, and Bruce Glover and Putter Smith make an intriguing double act of the gay hitmen, Wint and Kidd, but the best idea was never used: screenwriter Richard Maibaum's proposal to cast Gert Frobe as Goldfinger's twin brother! – Adrian Turner

18=. The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)

This was Roger Moore's second time playing Bond – three years after his debut in Live and Let Die. Christopher Lee is terrific as iconic villain Francisco Scaramanga, but this is an otherwise middling entry – and better things were to come for Moore in his next adventure.

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Roger Moore’s second outing as James Bond is actually an improvement on Ian Fleming’s novel. Christopher Lee makes a fine villain, sporting a golden gun, a third nipple and a tiny henchman called Nick Nack, wittily played by Hervé Villechaize.

Britt Ekland is funny, too, sending herself up as Bond's clueless assistant and surviving the most sexist scene in the entire 007 series: "Forgive me darling, your turn will come," Moore assures her after he's dallied with Maud Adams.

The use of the old Cunard liner Queen Elizabeth is clever, but there are major faults as well – notably the repeat of the pre-credit scene for the climax (borrowing from Orson Welles's The Lady from Shanghai) and the return of redneck sheriff Clifton James from Live and Let Die. Thailand's Phang-Nga Bay was a stunning choice of location, though it was soon to become a tourist trap. – Adrian Turner

18=. For Your Eyes Only (1981)

Joint with the above is another Roger Moore effort – albeit one from a little later in his tenure – this was a more grounded affair than its immediate predecessor Moonraker. The result is a solid enough effort, but not one that especially stands out amongst the overall Bond canon.

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This 12th entry in the 007 series provides no real surprises, with the exception perhaps of Roger Moore, who gets the chance to show a little more grit than usual. The plot revolves around the hunt for a device from a sunken spy ship, with French star (and Chanel model) Carole Bouquet providing class as the girl who may hold the key to the puzzle.

If Julian Glover is rather subdued as the number one villain, there's a colourful turn from Fiddler on the Roof star Topol as a rogue with shifting loyalties, and the eagle-eyed will spot Charles Dance as a killer. Bond veteran John Glen ensures that the set pieces are spectacular enough and thankfully plays down the gadgetry. – John Ferguson

17. Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Following on from his excellent debut GoldenEye, Pierce Brosnan once again proved his credentials as a fine 007 in this second effort – even if the film around him isn't quite as good as his first. Still, there's lots of great entertainment value here.

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For the first hour or so, this 18th James Bond movie is up there with the best of them: it has terrific pace, Pierce Brosnan’s 007 has romantic and rough-house appeal, Michelle Yeoh’s Chinese agent is more than a match for him in the action stakes, and the story has grip and even plausibility.

Sadly, the second half doesn’t quite sustain the momentum, while Jonathan Pryce’s media mogul (whose motto is "There’s no news like bad news") proves to be an unthreatening villain. Flaws aside, this was at the time the best Bond movie since the heyday of Connery. – Adrian Turner

16. Spectre (2015)

After delivering one of the very best Bond films with Skyfall, it seemed Sam Mendes could do no wrong – but although his second film in the director's chair contains a few great scenes, some of the narrative decisions weren't particularly popular with Bond fans. Not up there with the best of the Daniel Craig era.

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The box office-busting Skyfall gave director Sam Mendes a licence to take the James Bond franchise in any direction he wanted. And with Spectre he draws upon 007's ultimate foe to pull together Daniel Craig's three previous missions into one ambitious story arc. The name Spectre will be familiar as belonging to the shadowy antagonist of the original films, and the interesting conceit here is that Bond discovers he has a personal connection to the organisation's leader, Franz Oberhauser, played with smirking relish by Christoph Waltz.

While 007 slips MI6's leash to create his usual insurance-be-damned havoc away from home, a more thoughtful spy game emerges in London, with M (an enjoyably starchy Ralph Fiennes) coming under fire from Andrew Scott's obnoxious reforming bureaucrat. Once again, Mendes succeeds in delivering a prestige picture on a huge scale: its quality writ large in an epic pre-credits sequence set in Mexico City, a supercar chase through Rome and a train journey through the Sahara.

But the film over-congratulates itself with a surfeit of in-jokes and knowing references – and this game of Bond Bingo soon becomes a distraction. Whereas Skyfall owed much of its success to its downbeat mood and the vulnerability of its hero, Spectre forgoes that for a more bulletproof depiction of Bond and outlandish sense of escapism. However elegantly those recycled thrills are dressed up, the spy clichés sometimes veer dangerously close to Austin Powers-style parody. – Jamie Healy

15. Moonraker (1979)

It's safe to say this is a divisive one – Moonraker is certainly a far cry from the more gritty, serious Bond films we've been treated to in recent years. Still, despite no shortage of naysayers, there are enough fans of the silly sci-fi shenanigans to earn this a pretty decent spot in this ranking.

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The 11th James Bond movie jettisons Ian Fleming’s novel and sends 007 into space. Weighed down by clunky special effects and nonexistent plotting, this movie seems to be merely an attempt to update the concept in the wake of Star Wars.

Roger Moore is at his least convincing as Bond, Michael Lonsdale makes a lacklustre master criminal and Richard Kiel, the towering henchman Jaws from The Spy Who Loved Me, is reduced to comic relief.

Venice and Rio make for attractive stopovers, but too much of the budget is wasted on overblown spectacle, without enough attention being given to the basics. – Adrian Turner

14. Thunderball (1965)

With the first three films – Dr No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger – the Bond franchise got off to an incredible start. This fourth effort is still pretty good, but rather a step down in terms of quality when compared to those first three. Still, it was another major box office hit!

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The Bond series went well and truly comic strip with this gadget-filled extravaganza that too often cuts plotline corners to squeeze in all the hi-tech hardware. Playing 007 for the fourth time, Sean Connery is still getting a kick out of the role, but he's less the suave spy and more the man of action than in previous outings.

Adolfo Celi makes a worthy opponent, playing a Spectre bigwig, but Claudine Auger is one of the least memorable Bond girls. Director Terence Young never quite solves the pacing problems posed by filming underwater, but John Stears's Oscar-winning special effects more than compensate. – David Parkinson

13. You Only Live Twice (1967)

We're getting into some of the really classic ones now – and this Roald Dahl-penned outing contains some of the most iconic images in all of Bond, from Donald Pleasence as Blofeld to arguably the finest villain's lair in the franchise's history.

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This is one of the best of the Sean Connery Bond films, despite the actor’s desire to quit the franchise. Having faked his own death, agent 007 is sent to Japan where he goes native and marries a local girl, all the while trying to prevent World War Three following the disappearance of US and Russian spacecraft.

The film has one of the all-time great screen villains in Donald Pleasence’s cat-stroking Blofeld, and director Lewis Gilbert keeps the pace up, while the script (co-written by Roald Dahl) is suitably arch. But this is really production designer Ken Adam’s triumph: the secret volcanic base, where the film’s explosive climax unfolds, remains definitive and much parodied. – Andrew Collins

12. No Time to Die (2021)

This final adventure for Daniel Craig was a long time coming, although that gap will pale in comparison when we finally get the 26th entry in the franchise. In truth, it's something of a mixed bag – with a relatively unmemorable villain in Rami Malek's Safin – but there's enough good stuff here, including the explosive final act, to make it a fitting send-off for Craig.

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Daniel Craig’s last hurrah as 007 ticks every hoped-for Bond-shaped box in a smart, absorbing thriller with some surprising twists. Disillusioned by earlier events, the now reclusive agent is lured out of retirement to thwart the spread of germ-based, DNA-specific weaponry, first developed by British intelligence, and now in the hands of Rami Malek’s sinister supervillain Lyutsifer Safin – a mission that forces him to confront uncomfortable truths close to home.

It’s arguably Craig’s most human portrayal in the franchise, a flawed and weary Bond dogged by regrets yet primed for the inevitable heroics, with assistance from paramour Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) and Ana de Armas as a scene-stealing CIA agent.

Malek isn’t entirely convincing as the soft-spoken overlord intent on genocide (and is considerably less chilling than Christoph Waltz’s reprisal of Ernst Blofeld in a Hannibal Lecter-style cameo), but the wonderfully white-knuckle stunts and action sequences don’t disappoint. – James Mottram

11. The Living Daylights (1987)

Timothy Dalton's two films haven't always ranked among the most popular Bond entries, but their reputations have only continued to improve with age, and it's no surprise to see his first effort come close to cracking the top 10.

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After the creaky pantomime of the late Roger Moore era, Timothy Dalton’s take on 007 is a breath of fresh air. Though lean and flint-eyed, his serious approach never takes the secret agent beyond our sympathy. For a story that segues from Soviet defection and arms dealing to the struggles of the Mujahidin, this is an endearingly human Bond.

He sweats, he bleeds and, unusually for the sleep-around spy, he falls in love – with Czech cellist Kara (Maryam D’Abo). It’s a freewheeling, romantic adventure with a sweetly staged prologue, nods to the gadget brigade and a hair-raising aerial scrap – one of the best of the series.

In common with many of the superspy's outings, the villains themselves are colourless but there’s a killer henchman – in this case the sleek, wordless Necros (Andreas Wisniewski). The hero’s warmongery is iffy and the finale a little lame; otherwise this is a savagely underrated escapade. – Mark Braxton

9=. Licence to Kill (1989)

Into the top 10, and Dalton's second outing – which was also to be his last – comes in joint ninth position. At the time, it wasn't considered a huge success, and led to a long gap before the franchise was rebooted with Pierce Brosnan six years later, but it holds up very well indeed.

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Timothy Dalton was not everybody’s choice to replace urbane Roger Moore when he retired his Walther PPK after A View to a Kill in 1985, a verdict confirmed by the limp response to The Living Daylights, his first mission as James Bond. But his second outing is an altogether tougher, grittier affair and is well suited to Dalton’s brooding incarnation of Ian Fleming’s superspy.

Indeed, John Glen’s fifth (and final) Bond film as director has more in common with the more visceral, bloody violence of Lethal Weapon and Die Hard than the wry silliness of the Moore era. You know you’re in virgin territory when Bond resigns the day job to go and get the brutal drugs lord (Robert Davi), who’s just fed his best mate to a shark on his wedding day.

This time it’s personal and Davi’s stone-faced Sanchez and his snarling knife-wielding henchman (played by a young Benicio Del Toro) prove formidable and unflinchingly nasty adversaries. But it’s not all business and no play for Bond, as he also gets up close and intimate with a sassy CIA agent (Carey Lowell) and Sanchez’s sultry girlfriend Lupe (Talisa Soto).

It’s a watchable adventure boosted by impressive action sequences and a fiery climax with a bone-crunching punch-up. Pity Dalton didn’t have another crack at proving his secret-agent credentials. – Jeremy Aspinall

9=. Dr No (1962)

The film that started it all – introducing Ian Fleming's spy to the big screen for the first time and doing so with incredible style. It's generally accepted that this first outing was one-upped by the two immediate follow-ups, but that's more down to the mastery of those two than any particular lack of quality on the part of Dr No.

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The James Bond series started in great style with this cleverly conceived dose of sheer escapism that, unlike later episodes, remained true to the essence of Ian Fleming's super-spy novels. Director Terence Young set the 007 standard with terrific action sequences, highly exotic atmosphere and witty humour.

There was also the sex, of course, and bikini-clad Ursula Andress couldn't have asked for a better star-making entrance. Looking back, it's easy to see why this caused so much excitement as it was entirely different from anything else. Sean Connery is just perfect as the dashing, debonair and ruthless secret agent with a licence to kill. – Alan Jones

8. Live and Let Die (1973)

The first film of Roger Moore's tenure, this effort – which boasts one of the most iconic theme tunes of all from Paul McCartney & Wings – is still regarded as one of the best of the Moore Bonds. It certainly proved once and for all that there was life in the franchise without Connery.

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This eighth film in the James Bond series marked Roger Moore's first tour of duty as 007. The secret agent is up against the dark powers of voodoo in the sinister shape of Yaphet Kotto, while Jane Seymour’s tarot-reading Solitaire is Bond’s love interest.

Boasting as many cliff-hanging moments as a Saturday-matinée serial, this tale of a plot to flood the US with drugs allows Bond's adversaries – among them sharks, snakes and crocodiles – to be as mechanical as Moore himself.

There are some splendid action sequences, notably a speedboat leap that set a new world record, as well as the usual array of gadgetry and gizmos. – Tom Hutchinson

7. The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

It's no surprise to see this effort ranking top of the Moore films – it's almost unanimously agreed upon that this was the high mark of the actor's seven-film stretch. One of the most purely entertaining in the franchise, it's a great mixture of what made the Connery films work while also playing into the strengths of Moore's lighter portrayal.

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Nobody does it better than Roger Moore in this big-budget James Bond adventure. In a plot reminiscent of You Only Live Twice, 007 is dispatched to learn the whereabouts of some missing nuclear submarines. Along the way, he tangles with the metal-toothed Jaws (Richard Kiel) and an alluring Russian agent (Barbara Bach).

It’s far-fetched mayhem, of course, but with a welcome accent on character rather than just spectacle – although the pre-credits ski-jump stunt is one of the franchise’s best. Carly Simon’s theme song has stood the test of time, too. – Alan Jones

6. GoldenEye (1995)

Pierce Brosnan's first Bond film is also his best – and it only just missed out on a place in the top five here. Brosnan instantly appeared a great fit for the role, and though his later outings divided opinion, it's generally agreed upon that he made a fine 007.

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When M says to James Bond, "I think you’re a sexist, misogynist dinosaur, a relic of the Cold War," who can disagree? But, on his first mission as 007, Pierce Brosnan quickly established himself as the best Bond since Sean Connery, making a fetish out of the old-fashioned values of loyalty and patriotism.

The film also marked Judi Dench’s debut as the first female M, while Famke Janssen makes an eye-watering impression as a baddie who crushes her victims between her thighs. A stunning chase between car and tank through the streets of St Petersburg is among the action highlights, and the success of the film led to Martin Campbell returning to the director's chair to help launch Daniel Craig as Bond in Casino Royale a decade later. – Adrian Turner

5. From Russia with Love (1963)

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This was Sean Connery's own favourite of his six films in the role, and few would deny that it's a pretty good pick. Although Goldfinger narrowly beats it as the highest ranked here, in truth these films are both as close to perfection as the franchise got – films that introduced elements that continue to define the franchise all these years later.

Ian Fleming received a useful boost to his sales when President Kennedy listed From Russia with Love as one of his ten favourite books. It is also one of the most popular Bond movies and a terrific thriller in its own right, owing much to Alfred Hitchcock and Carol Reed's The Third Man in its marvellous atmosphere of foreign intrigue.

Superbly shot on location in a pre-touristy Istanbul, and closely following Fleming's original story, the film has Sean Connery's spy duped into smuggling a top-secret communist decoding machine, along with alluring Russian clerk Daniela Bianchi, from Turkey to the West via the Orient-Express.

Lotte Lenya is unforgettable as villain Rosa Klebb, and Robert Shaw is an impressive hitman who commits a terrible faux pas in front of 007 by ordering red wine with fish. – Adrian Turner

4. On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Perhaps the Bond film whose reputation has most improved over time, it's a mark of just how well-regarded George Lazenby's sole film as 007 has become that it cracks the top 5 here. It's interesting now to consider what might have been had Lazenby been allowed a couple more films to explore this take on the character, but as it stands he can boast of a perfect record in the role.

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If any James Bond yarn is a cult film, it’s this one, so divided have fans and critics been since its release back in 1969 when producers turned to little-known Australian actor George Lazenby to take over from Sean Connery as Britain’s finest secret agent. Critics at the time were a tad underwhelmed, with the inexperienced Lazenby taking much of the blame, but he acquits himself well and certainly looks the part.

Irrespective of his shortcomings – and who wouldn’t have them compared to Connery – the sixth outing for 007 is a magnificently memorable adventure that sees Bond out to stop the dispersal of a killer virus by a bevy of beauties brainwashed by Telly Savalas's villainous Blofeld. The script throws up superb action sequences, nerve-frazzling suspense and breathtaking locations, and takes 007 to places he’s never been before emotionally.

Add the perfect heroine in Diana Rigg (fresh from playing Mrs Peel in TV’s The Avengers) as a wilful mobster’s daughter who’s every bit the suave spy’s equal in spirit, bravery and fighting chops; one of John Barry’s most evocative scores; and the incomparable Louis Armstrong singing We’ve Got All the Time in the World, and you have an adventure that’s right up there with the best of the franchise. – Jeremy Aspinall

3. Goldfinger (1964)

A film that has often been put at the very top of the pile – and which has more memorable moments than just about any other in the series – Goldfinger has been narrowly pipped here by two of the more recent movies. Still, it's more than deserving of its place in the top 3 – and can perhaps feel a little hard done by not to be even higher.

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The third big-screen outing for Ian Fleming's suave superspy ranks among the slickest of all James Bond movies. Endlessly entertaining and effortlessly performed, it's packed with classic moments. There's Shirley Eaton's legendary gold body paint; 007's close encounter with a laser; the duel with bowler-hatted henchman Oddjob (Harold Sakata); and the midair showdown between Sean Connery's Bond and Gert Frobe's brilliantly bizarre villain who's obsessed by gold.

And let's not forget some hilariously OTT gadget designs from art director Ken Adam; the best name for any Bond girl in Pussy Galore (enthusiastically played by ex-Avenger Honor Blackman); and that Shirley Bassey theme song.

But what makes these individual facets so memorable is the way in which they're unshowily integrated into the gripping storyline by director Guy Hamilton, who even managed to revive Connery's flagging interest in 007 to coax his best performance of the entire series. – David Parkinson

2. Casino Royale (2006)

It's difficult to imagine now that news of Craig's casting was initially greeted with skepticism – and even pure disdain – from some quarters, but he firmly squashed those doubts with this magnificent effort. Adopting a grittier style more in keeping with the action films of the day, this was about as successful a relaunch as possible. We can only hope that Bond 26 proves just as good an entry point into a new era.

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Daniel Craig effortlessly made the role of James Bond his own with this 21st movie in the series. GoldenEye director Martin Campbell injects some Bourne-style grit into the proceedings, upping the violence content (the opening sequence, shot in grainy black and white, is particularly brutal). He also strips Bond of much of the slightly camp humour.

The plot is essentially an origins story, as a rough-around-the-edges Bond gains his two zeros (the two authorised kills he needs for his infamous licence) before tackling villain Le Chiffre (a splendidly thin-lipped Mads Mikkelsen) in a game of high-stakes poker.

Craig’s humanised, more flawed interpretation of the role balances Campbell’s physical direction and co-writer Paul Haggis’s sparing wit, while Eva Green provides an alluring love interest. Apart from a chaotic and overlong last act, this proved to be a triumphant new beginning for the franchise. – Adam Smith

1. Skyfall (2012)

And here's our winner! A lot was riding on the success of this entry – which marked the 50th anniversary of Bond on the silver screen – and as its position at the top of the pole proves, Sam Mendes and co were more than up to the challenge. Continuing the work that Casino Royale had begun by digging more deeply into Bond's psyche, it provided all the usual spectacle with a huge portion of emotion. A classic of the franchise.

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Director Sam Mendes brings all the classic Bond elements together to make this 23rd film in the series one of the very best. The ever-impressive Daniel Craig begins his third 007 outing all washed-up, having been left for dead after a mission backfires. When national security is compromised, it's a bestubbled, battered and booze-soaked Bond that reports back for duty, casting serious doubts on his fitness for the job.

Likewise, the future of M (an outstanding Judi Dench) is called into question by a parliamentary committee eager to see her made accountable for her department's failings. Although Mendes is still best known for the Oscar-winning American Beauty, any doubts that he can deliver on the thrills front are quickly put to rest by a breathless pre-credits sequence through Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar.

But perhaps the biggest stunt he pulls off is creating a convincing human drama – centred on the complex relationship between M and Bond {--} to ground the all-important action. Mendes is also helped by an intelligent, witty script (no cheap double entendres here) delivered by a fine cast that includes Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris and Albert Finney. But it’s Javier Bardem as Silva, the campy, (almost too) Hannibal Lecter-like villain with a pathological need to settle old scores, who gets all the best lines.

The sheer class of the production is felt in Roger Deakins’s polished cinematography, Adele’s emotionally charged theme song and a beautifully judged appearance by that ultimate Bond accessory, the original Aston Martin DB5. Released 50 years after the first Bond film Dr No this production not only pays tribute to the series in style but paves the way for its form in the future. – Jamie Healy

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