Pierce Brosnan’s four outings as Bond provided diminishing returns, but the first, directed by Martin Campbell, is a memorable one thanks to a range of factors: Dame Judi Dench as the franchise’s steely new M, Sean Bean as the dastardly 006, Robbie Coltrane as a Russian gangster, Alan Cumming as a slimy computer programmer and Famke Janssen as the hilariously evil Xenia Onatopp, as well as the clean-cut polish our new Irish leading man brings to the role.
Casino Royale (2006)
I’ll just say it: this return to form, once again helmed by Martin Campbell, which introduced Daniel Craig in the part of the tormented MI6 agent, is the best Bond film to date. It has the perfect balance of grit and gloss, Eva Green as his slippery foil, a bloody-eyed Mads Mikkelsen and a climactic Venetian set piece which has to be seen to be believed. Incredible.
Skyfall (2012)
“This is the end…” Adele’s swooning vocals on her Oscar-winning title track always send a shiver down my spine, and perfectly set the tone for Sam Mendes’s gripping take on the well-worn formula. It opens with a train ride from hell, and builds to a crescendo in the Scottish Highlands, with everyone from a snarling Javier Bardem to franchise newcomers Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes all getting in on the action. It’s proof that a Bond movie can tick all the requisite boxes and also be spectacular cinema. The next instalment, now from Amazon Studios and directed by Denis Villeneuve, certainly has a lot to live up to.
