What is the correct order of the James Bond films? This question is not so easy to answer, because the series with the topic of continuity is rather imprecise. Where franchises like the Marvel Cinematic Universe teach us that everything is closely connected, James Bond is best sorted by its cast, from Sean Connery to Daniel Craig.
With every new James Bond the series starts from the beginning. Of course, there are individual elements that appear unchanged in new films even decades later. To understand Craig’s Bond, however, one does not need to have seen the Pierce Brosnan films of the 1990s, which preceded the Craig films.
Or does it? After all, both bonds share an important character: M.
Daniel Craig and Pierce Brosnan: The perfect order of the James Bond films of the past 30 years
This is nothing new for die-hard fans: Bernard Lee experienced three Bond generations as M before handing over the baton to Robert Brown in the middle of the Roger Moore era, who accompanied the series up to License to Kill. However, since the Bonds of that time had little interest in continuous continuity even within an actor era, Dench provides one irritating special case represent.
Sony
Daniel Craig and Judi Dench in Skyfall
Craig Bonds in particular place great value on telling a story over several films. So if we’re playing under very strict franchise rules, the Dench-Brosnan bonds would have to somehow fit into the Craig timeline. So what is the correct order of the Bond films of the last 30 years? There is only ONE logical Answer if consider the films since 1995 as a story about Bond and M.
Specifically, we are talking about the following four films with Pierce Brosnan:
There are also five Bonds starring Daniel Craig:
How do they fit together? let me explain
Attention, follow spoiler!
Phase 1: Casino Royale & Quantum of Solace (2006-2008)
Casino Royale tells James Bond’s origin story and is therefore at the beginning. In the very first few minutes we learn how the agent got his double zero status. What follows is the poker tournament with villain LeChiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) and the introduction of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) who Bond’s heart breaks and dies. Bond also deals with this fateful event in the next film: Quantum of Solace.
Quantum immediately follows the events of Casino Royale and shows us a tormented Bond who no longer has the confidence of even MI6. The tone of the film is correspondingly ruthless. Bond is angry and vengeful. He fights his way through the film restlessly. Not even Judi Dench’s otherwise quick-witted M has this berseker bond under control. He desperately needs a change of scenery.
Phase 2: GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough & Die Another Day (1995-2002)
This is exactly where we switch to the Brosnan films. Craig’s grounded Bond is at a dead end and his nerves are frayed. It’s high time for a little escapism. New look, new tone: Dash down a dam with Brosnan and tear through St. Petersburg in a tank. A nuclear submarine, an evil media empire and an invisible car – everything is possible!
MGM/20th Century Studios
Judi Dench and Pierce Borsnan in Die Another Day
Bond gets to show his agent best in GoldenEye, Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day. One mission follows the next. The pain of previous films is replaced by adrenaline and explosions throughout M oversees the operations and finally even freed its most important agent in the course of a prisoner exchange from North Korea.
Phase 3: Skyfall, Specter & No Time To Die (2012-2021)
After all the missions that Bond and M have experienced together, we return to the Craig era, where the emotional Skyfall finale suddenly arrives completely different weight receives. Though it was never planned, Dench’s Bond departure feels like she’s commenting on both the Craig and Brosnan films. Her M is literally named the mother of the series and leaves an even bigger hole afterwards.
The one pillar from seven Bond films is suddenly no longer there. As different as Brosnan and Craigs Bonds were, Denchs M always brought them back to earth. This instance is now missing. No wonder Bond gets lost in the mists of the Specter and the series’ biggest villain rises from the shadows before Bond dies in No Time To Die control of his story takes over.
The secret order of James Bond films since 1995
If we look at the past three Bond decades as one big story, the characterized by two figures (M and Bond), then this order is definitely recommended:
How is the James Bond series going?
The next film in the series is already being planned. Craig will though not return as James Bond. So we are once again at a very exciting point in Bond history. Will the series reinvent itself completely? Or does she take over a few characters from the predecessors?
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