Looking for a satisfying movie viewing project that takes you through the past 60 years of cinema history with a huge helping of action, intrigue and attractive faces? Why not try watching all the James Bond 007 movies in order, from its very beginning with “Dr. No” to Roger Moore’s first 007 movie “Live and Let Die” to Daniel Craig’s final outing as the superspy in 2021’s “No Time to Die.”
Those who haven’t seen some of the earlier Bond films are in for a musical treat, with title songs from the likes of Shirley Bassey, Tom Jones, Louis Armstrong, Sheena Easton, Duran Duran and of course, Paul McCartney & Wings’ iconic “Live and Let Die.”
The 007 films are also a prime place for spotting some of the best supporting actors, from villains like Javier Bardem and Rami Malek to romantic interests — and occasionally villains as well — like Halle Berry, Sophie Marceau and Michelle Yeoh.
So settle in with a bowl of popcorn and maybe a Vesper martini, and let the action begin.
This list includes all 25 films produced by Eon Productions, as well as the two Bond films that were produced by other production companies, the 1967 “Casino Royale” and “Never Say Never Again.”
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Dr. No (1962)
“Dr. No” was not Ian Fleming’s first novel about the master spy known as 007, but it was the first to be adapted for the big screen. Many of the tropes of the series are established in this first installment, from the Jamaica setting to the attractive local shell diver, Honey Ryder, who is taken prisoner with Bond by the henchmen of Dr. No, a member of SPECTRE — the nefarious Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Exortion organization that would continue to bedevil Bond for decades to come.
Stream “Dr. No” on Prime Video.
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From Russia With Love (1963)
President John F. Kennedy was reportedly a fan of the book “From Russia With Love” was based on, and the story continues the plot from “Dr. No” as SPECTRE decides to take revenge on Bond for killing their agent. The film initiates the globe-trotting the series would become known for, with a fateful trip to turkey and an adventure on the Orient Express train.
Available to rent on Prime Video.
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Goldfinger (1964)
From a luxury hotel in Miami to the winding roads of Switzerland to a Kentucky horse farm and a plan to rob Fort Knox, “Goldfinger” quickly became the quintessential 007 film. Iconic characters include the pilot Pussy Galore, a skilled fighter and love interest for Bond, and the indelible image of Jill Masterson, played by Shirley Eaton, covered in gold paint.
Rent “Goldfinger” on Prime Video.
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Thunderball (1965)
Bond is assigned to the Bahamas to stop an atomic bomb threat in “Thunderball,” in which nearly a quarter of the film takes place underwater, with an impressive aquatic battle scene. It remains one of the most financially successful 007 films when adjusted for inflation.
Stream “Thunderball” on Prime Video with MGM+.
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You Only Live Twice (1967)
When an American spacecraft is hijacked, Bond goes to Japan to investigate the island headquarters of SPECTRE Number One Ernst Stavro Blofeld and help prevent the Cold War from becoming WWIII. The screenplay was written by Roald Dahl, who based the storyline only loosely on Ian Fleming’s novel.
Rent “You Only Live Twice” on Prime Video.
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Casino Royale (1967)
Based on the first 007 novel by Ian Fleming, “Casino Royale” is a spy parody starring David Niven as the “original” Sir James Bond 007. It’s one of only two films, the other being 1983’s “Never Say Never Again,” that wasn’t produced by Eon Productions since the rights to that Ian Fleming novel were sold separately. With a madcap comedic tone, the spy caper has a star-studded cast including Peter Sellers, Ursula Andress, Orson Welles, Woody Allen, William Holden, Charles Boyer, Jean-Paul Belmondo and John Huston.
Rent “Casino Royale” on Apple TV+.
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On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
The only 007 film to star George Lazenby as Bond, “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” features Telly Savalas as the evil Blofeld, who oversees 12 Angels of Death tasked with spreading a worldwide virus. After saving her from drowning, Lazenby romances and marries Countess Teresa di Vicenzo, played by Diana Rigg, the daughter of a crime boss. The action travels from the beaches of Portugal to the snowy Swiss Alps, with the story following the novel more faithfully than most Bond entries.
Rent “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” on Prime Video.
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Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Sean Connery returned to the 007 series after a brief sabbatical, impersonating a diamond smuggler and working to stop Blofeld from destroying Washington, D.C. Legendary Bond singer Shirley Bassey also returned to perform the iconic theme song. The story finds Bond traveling to Las Vegas in an attempt to chase down the stolen diamonds being launched into space in a laser-equipped satellite.
Rent “Diamonds Are Forever” on Prime Video.
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Live and Let Die (1973)
How do you follow up a theme song like “Diamonds Are Forever”? With the equally iconic “Live and Let Die” from Paul McCartney and Wings, the first rock song to open a Bond film. Suave star Roger Moore assumes the secret agent role this time, in a plot that revolves around Bond’s efforts to foil a corrupt Caribbean drug lord, and is set in Harlem, New Orleans, and Jamaica.
Rent “Live and Let Die” on Apple TV+.
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The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
The energy crisis and the martial arts film craze meet up in the plot for “The Man With the Golden Gun,” which finds Bond facing off with the assassin Scaramanga, played by Christopher Lee. The superspy sets off on a quest to find info on a golden bullet etched with 007, traveling from Beirut to Macau to Hong Kong and Bangkok.
Rent “The Man With the Golden Gun” on Apple TV+.
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The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Roger Moore returns in the story of Bond and Soviet agent Anya Amasova, who team up to stop reclusive madman Karl Stromberg from trying to destroy the world and create a civilization under the sea. Stromberg’s henchman Jaws provides one of the series’ most memorable villains, while the scenic action ranges over Egypt, Sardinia and Austria.
Rent “The Spy Who Loved Me” on Prime Video.
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Moonraker (1979)
Made two years after the first “Star Wars” movie re-introduced the world to the joys of science fiction, “Moonraker” has Bond tracking down the hijackers of a space shuttle. 007 travels from California to Venice, Italy and Rio de Janeiro before blasting into space — where he joins the 10,000 mile high club — to defeat the evil Drax’s forces.
Rent “Moonraker” on Prime Video.
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For Your Eyes Only (1981)
After “Moonraker,” Bond returned to Earth in a more traditional entry, in which he gets entangled with rival Greek businessmen while looking for a missile command system. Set in Corfu, Greece as well as Italy and Albania, it features a spectacular action scene set at an abandoned mountaintop monastery, and one of the most thrilling ski chases ever captured on film. The romantic title song by Sheena Easton was nominated for an Oscar.
Rent “For Your Eyes Only” on Prime Video.
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Octopussy (1983)
Bond follows a Soviet general who is stealing valuable objects from the Kremlin, which leads him to an exiled Afghan prince and his mysterious associate — the titular Octopussy, played by Maud Adams. She lives in a floating palace in Udaipur, India, and controls the Octopus cult. From India to East Berlin, Bond’s race to deactivate a nuclear warhead will keep viewers on the edge of their seats.
Rent “Octopussy” on Prime Video.
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Never Say Never Again (1983)
Sean Connery returned to play 007 for the last time in this movie that was outside of the usual Eon Productions, and distributed by Warner Bros. Released just a few months after “Octopussy,” it sees Bond returning to action after SPECTRE, led by Klaus Maria Brandauer’s Maximilian Largo, steals two nuclear weapons. Moving from France to Spain to the Bahamas, Bond ends up in an underwater battle to save the world from nuclear annihilation.
Stream “Never Say Never Again” on Prime Video with Max.
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A View to a Kill (1985)
In Roger Moore’s last appearance as Bond, he faces off against May Day, played by singer Grace Jones, who together with her industrialist boyriend Max Zorin, are trying to bring down Silicon Valley by setting off explosives to cause a massive earthquake. Though Christopher Walken makes a suitably diabolical Zorin, the role almost went to David Bowie, who would have brought an interesting twist to the series.
Rent “A View to Kill” on Prime Video.
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The Living Daylights (1987)
Timothy Dalton took over as 007 in “The Living Daylights,” which was based on a short story by Ian Fleming. In this popular entry, Bond helps a KGB general defect while in Czechoslovakia, then must track down the new KGB head in Tangiers, Morocco. Covering terrain from Austria to Afghanistan, it’s a race against time in a story that revolves mostly around the tensions between the Soviet Union and the West.
Rent “The Living Daylights” on Prime Video.
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License to Kill (1989)
In the last film to star Timothy Dalton as Bond, he travels to the Key West wedding of his friend, CIA agent Felix Leiter. Bond and Leiter capture a drug lord by pulling his plane out the air with a helicopter, but still arrive in time for the wedding. But he ends up being suspended from MI6 and becomes a rogue agent, chasing drug traffickers across a fictional Central American country.
Rent “License to Kill” on Apple TV+.
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GoldenEye (1995)
Pierce Brosnan entered the picture as Bond in “GoldenEye,” a lengthy six years after the last installment. 007 must prevent a rogue ex-MI6 agent from trying to cause a worldwide financial crisis by taking out London with a satellite weapon. Judi Dench became the first woman to play M with the action moving to Moscow, Puerto Rico and Monte Carlo.
Rent “GoldenEye” on Prime Video.
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Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
In Pierce Brosnan’s second outing as 007, Jonathan Pryce plays Eliot Carver, a media mogul who is, once again, attempting to start World War III. Bond travels to Germany where he encounters an ex-flame who is now married to Carver. It’s then on to Okinawa and Vietnam, with supporting players including Michelle Yeoh and Ricky Jay adding intrigue.
Rent “Tomorrow Never Dies” on Prime Video.
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The World Is Not Enough (1999)
Full of almost-unbelievable stunts, from a boat chase involving a hot air balloon escape to a stealth attack on a submarine, “The World Is Not Enough” gives Pierce Brosnan a workout as he travels from Spain to Azerbaijan to Istanbul, working to protect a billionaire’s daughter and foil a scheme to trigger a nuclear meltdown.
Rent “The World Is Not Enough” on Prime Video.
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Die Another Day (2002)
Pierce Brosnan’s final Bond film brings in Monty Python member John Cleese as Q, with Halle Berry co-starring in the story that incorporates a North Korean setting. 007 is looking for a mole in British intelligence and a billionaire who’s working with a North Korean operative. From a gene therapy clinic in Havana to an ice palace in Iceland, there’s plenty of international intrigue for Brosnan’s final foray.
Rent “Die Another Day” on Prime Video.
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Casino Royale (2006)
Daniel Craig makes his first appearance as 007 in “Casino Royale,” the third time adaption of the source material after the 1950s TV version and the satirical 1965 movie. Though Quentin Tarantino was reportedly interested in helming a Bond film, “GoldenEye” director Martin Campbell ended up making it instead. Bond takes on terrorist Le Chiffre, played by Mads Mikkelson, trying to clean him out in a high stakes poker game.
Rent “Casino Royale (2006)” on Apple TV+.
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Quantum of Solace (2008)
Directed by Marc Forster, “Quantum of Solace” functions as a sequel to “Casino Royale,” with Bond teaming up with Olga Kurylenko to stop a member of the terrorist group Quantum from carrying out a coup in Bolivia. Bond keeps the action non-stop as he races from Austria to Mexico, Panama, Chile, Italy and Wales.
Stream “Quantum of Solace” on Prime Video.
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Skyfall (2012)
One of the most successful Bond movies of the past 20 years sees 007 presumed dead after a dramatic fight atop a moving train. Though he had decided to retire after his presumed death, he returns to duty, where he fights his way from an opulent casino in Macau to an abandoned island in Japan to his childhood home in Scotland.
Rent “Skyfall” on Prime Video.
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Spectre (2015)
Kicking off with a colorful Day of the Dead parade in Mexico City, Bond manages to block a bomb plot and finds a ring with an octopus design on the dead attacker. Bond then goes rogue on an unauthorized mission, traveling to Rome for the bomber’s funeral and then on to Austria and the Sahara desert before landing back in London in the ruins of the old MI6 building. Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux and Naomie Harris co-star.
Rent “Spectre” on Prime Video.
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No Time to Die (2021)
Daniel Craig’s final film as 007 has him reuniting with Madeleine Swann, as the two travel to the grave of his former lover Vesper Lynd and narrowly escape a bombing attempt in Italy. Five years later, Bond comes out of retirement to infiltrate a Spectre party in Cuba as part of an attempt to eradicate dangerous nanobot weapons from the world. The film’s powerful ending is one of the most emotional climaxes in the series.
Stream “No Time to Die” on Prime Video.