James Bond, a British secret agent working for MI6 under the codename 007, is a fictional character created by Ian Fleming in 1953. It is one of the best-selling movie franchises, spanning numerous films, novels, comics, etc. In 2021, No Time To Die, the 27th entry, was aired, making it the longest-running film series.
James Bond films are produced by EON Productions and distributed primarily by United Artists and MGM. As the series is rebooted every few years with fresh Bond faces, producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson had an opportunity to reinvent the Bond franchise with a blank slate.
CRAIG-BOND CASTING
The producers decided to relaunch the James Bond Franchise after acquiring the rights to Ian Fleming’s first novel, Casino Royale. They wanted to emphasize the motivations of the spy character rather than gadgets, guns, or women, even though these were still present in the Craig-Bond films.
In search of a new actor to play James Bond, 007 producers faced a tricky challenge. They needed a performer with all of the suaveness of a traditional Bond, but with a dark edge not seen in the pre-Bourne Bond movies.
Daniel Craig, the little-known actor at the time, won the role of a lifetime, outdoing most of his peers, including Superman Henry Cavill. From the moment he took over the part in 2006, Daniel Craig has proven to be one of the greatest James Bonds ever. His performances as the spy have been of the highest caliber. He brought the right mix of charm and heroics to the character. Overall, the 21st-century James Bond Franchise has also been exceptionally high quality. The movies have been hailed as some of the best films of all time, helping to propel the franchise forward.
The James Bond movies starring Daniel Craig will undoubtedly become legendary for all the right reasons. From the incredible action sequences and twists to gripping stories. Now that we have reached the end of the Craig-Bond films, it is the perfect time to rank the Craig-Bond films.
FAMOUS CRAIG-BOND, CASINO ROYALE, 2006
Casino Royale was an introduction to an emotional side of James Bond that remained hidden for a long time. The first appearance of Daniel Craig as James Bond, directed by Martin Campbell, lays the foundation of turmoil and tragedy for the character that would reverberate throughout the entire series. He was portrayed as sarcastic, sensitive, and incapable of being tempered during his mission. Along with him, Eva Green played the beautiful, intelligent with many dark secrets and the ultimate Bond girl, Vesper Lynd.
Casino Royale has an incredible range of action, car chases, romance, and intense dialogues. All the characters contribute their best efforts to deliver an epic hit. The movie is not just regarded as the best Craig-Bond movie out of the five; it is also seen as one of the finest James Bond movies ever. It made a perfect start for the franchise in the 21st century.
QUANTUM OF SOLACE, 2008
In the second Craig-Bond film, Quantum of Solace, directed by Marc Forster, James Bond seeks revenge for the death of Vesper Lynd, eventually encountering the villain Dominic Greene. It ends up being one of the darkest Bond movies of all time.
Quantum of Solace displays Bond appearing very aggressive, which causes him to struggle with his identity. Out of the five Craig-Bond movies, this is the lowest-rated. The film features a raw and gritty side of James Bond, who usually keeps calm and collected in his adventures. Audiences have not yet grown to expect this from James Bond, resulting in him losing the Bond-Spy quality that fans enjoy. Yet, it remains essential to Bond’s journey and the world built around him. The movie combines new and old Bond elements indispensable to the character.
THE BEST CRAIG-BOND, SKYFALL, 2012
Sam Mendes directed Skyfall, which is an undeniable cinematic masterpiece. It is the third Craig-Bond movie, ranking in second place overall. It is considered the best-selling film in the series of five. The film tells the story of the main lead license-to-kill, James Bond. It also spends excruciating time expounding on the head of MI6, the boss of Bond, M, played by British actress Dame Judi Dench. Then, the appearance of the former MI6 agent and the main antagonist of all, Raoul Silva, is portrayed by Javier Bardem.
Skyfall is a spectacular Craig-Bond saga. Bond must confront his past and face demons he thought he had fought off. The audience receives a fresh perspective on Bond after seeing the events that shaped him into what he is today. The more human side of James Bond was once again explored in Skyfall while focusing on his relationship with M. This marked the final appearance of M in the franchise, making her one of the most memorable Bond girls.
SPECTRE, 2015
The fourth Craig-Bond film, Spectre, was directed by Sam Mendes again and ranked fourth in the series. The film centers around another mysterious group named Spectre. It connects Bond to his previous missions and memories of the loved ones he had lost along the way. The film features the iconic villain Franz Oberhauser, known as Blofeld, the thought-to-be-dead adopted brother of Bond. Additionally, it introduces Madeleine Swann, starred by Lea Seydoux, daughter of Mr. White, the notorious criminal from Casino Royale.
Spectre received one of the lowest ratings, but the movie offers terrific action and fight scenes. The plot proved to be a little confusing at times, but having Blofeld be responsible for many of the negative things that occurred to James Bond was a fascinating angle to take. The cinematography of Hoyte van Hoytema still stands out as some of the best in the franchise. Unfortunately, the movie falls short with “a little too much” action and not enough story.
NO TIME TO DIE, 2021
After several delays, including the resignation of its original director, Danny Boyle, and later Cary Joji Fukunaga, the movie showed no disappointing critics as the final Craig-Bond film. In a heartfelt, fond farewell to his tenure, the film is a satisfying midway between less loved entries and greatest successes.
“No Time to Die” takes place approximately five years after the events of Spectre. The film heavily focuses on the relationship between James Bond and his love interest, Madeleine Swann, from the previous films. Madeleine is the first-ever Bond love interest to return in more than one Bond film. The movie ties all of its cherry stems to the unsolved elements of James Bond in a button-to-button franchise of five. In addition to referencing events that date back to the first Bond film, this one is an enthralling journey through love, battle, strife, and loss.
With Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die, these Craig-Bond films have achieved global recognition unmatched by any other James Bond Franchise. And there is no doubt that the series, with its award-winning music and incredible acting, remains wildly popular and will continue to be popular in the future!!