Following fellow BritTerence Young,Guy Hamiltonwas the second filmmaker to bringIan Fleming’s British spy to the big screen. Hamilton was a French-born English filmmaker with a distinguished background in the Royal Navy who’d worked alongside greats likeCarol ReedandOrson Wellesbefore taking over the 007 mantle. Hamilton’s first swing at a Bond film (the Eon series' overall third entry,Goldfinger) was an unqualified triumph, but how does it rank alongside the other three Hamilton-led Bond features?The following definitively ranks every Guy Hamilton James Bond movie from worst to best.
4’The Man With the Golden Gun' (1974)
Starring Roger Moore, Christopher Lee, Maud Adams
Following a positive financial and critical response toRoger Moore’s debut as 007 inLive and Let Die, producers fast-tracked his sophomore outing;the result appears visibly rushed.Ostensibly based on one of Fleming’s weakest works (published after the author’s death) while taking very little of into account,The Man With the Golden Gunships Bond off to Thailand with the intent of tracking down assassin Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) along with a stolen solar device.
One of the weakest Bond filmsis still a Bond film. There’s a lot to enjoy and appreciate here, nothing more so than the performance of Christopher Lee as Scaramanga. In a movie that’s tonally uneven, in the extreme, he’s a charismatic, sophisticated and threatening constant. Still,the movie’s tonal whiplash is hard to overstate. For example:The Man With the Golden Gungives us both the return of Sheriff J.W. Pepper (Clifton James) IN THAILAND FOR SOME REASON, and also a downright disturbing subplot about Scaramanga’s tortured mistress (Maud Adamsgives a strong supporting performance).
The Man with the Golden Gun
3’Diamonds Are Forever' (1971)
Starring Sean Connery, Charles Gray, Jill St. John
Even though it’s now regarded as arguably the best Bond film of all, 1969’sOn Her Majesty’s Secret Servicewas a box-office and critical disappointment in its day. Following the film’s release andGeorge Lazenby’s exit as a one-time 007, Bond producers blueprinted a picture they perceived as a relatively safe bet. Taking the Fleming book of the same name as mostly a suggestion,Diamonds Are Forevertook the franchise in a lighter comedic direction while reunited the team behind the franchise’s gold standard, notablyGoldfingerstarSean Conneryand director Hamilton. Even that picture’s iconic songstressShirley Basseyreturned to sing the title track.
Honestly,Diamonds are ForeverandThe Man With the Golden Gunare on about the same level of quality; Diamonds is actually worse in some ways.Together, they’re the sleaziest entries in what’s generally been a classy if provocative and edgy enterprise for decades.Diamonds gets a slight edgefor one crucial reason that doesn’t really need to be explained: Connery.He’s much better here than he was inYou Only Live Twice. It’s a pleasure to see him on top.
Diamonds Are Forever
2’Live and Let Die' (1973)
Starring Roger Moore, Jane Seymour, Yaphet Kotto
Roger Moorewas the third actor to play Bond on the big screen, only the second who’d play him in more than one movie. His introduction inLive and Let Dieis rather understated (his first scene is essentially just a hangout at his pad), but this is nonetheless an assured entry in the franchise, one that many even consider to be among the best. It’s the closest Hamilton would come to matching the magic ofGoldfinger.
Released as blaxploitation movies were ascending in popularity,Live and Let Diemade a concentrated effort to compete for thatShaftdolla. Based loosely on Fleming’s second novel, the picture pits Bond againstYaphet Kotto’s Kananga aka “Mr. Big,” and an international heroin scheme.Live and Let Die distinctly homages blaxploitation while never losing its identity as a Bond film, a British spy film.Hamilton displays a tight control over the often darkly comedic tone, and the pacing is tight.
Live and Let Die
1’Goldfinger' (1964)
Starring Sean Connery, Honor Blackman, Gert Fröbe
Look,Goldfingershould appear at the very top, or really damn near it, of any damn list you could feasibly place it upon. Following two mostly excellent if more patient, slower-paced entries inDr. NoandFrom Russia With Love, Connery’s third outing raised the stakes, the spectacle and the pace.It’s a pop masterpiece full of shiny allure, wry comedy and the macabre.
Surely the producers had something to do with this as well, but it’s important to note Hamilton’s first Bond feature is a much more kinetic action film than its predecessors. In fact, it’s easy to callGoldfingerone of the best and most influential films of the action genre. Made with roughly the budget ofDr. NoandFrom Russia With Lovecombined,Goldfingerput the money on-screen, and its resulting success was flat-out historic. It was one of the highest-grossing motion pictures of 1964, critically acclaimed, and even won an Academy Award for sound.To this day,Goldfingerremains the ultimate Bond picture.
Goldfinger
NEXT:Every James Bond Movie, Ranked
