When James Bond fans rank the best movies in the 60-year franchise, the same titles tend to come up. Goldfinger, GoldenEye, Skyfall, The Spy Who Loved Me, Casino Royale… Much like 007 himself, then, the fandom is pretty set in its ways and some of the films are widely regarded as cast-iron classics while others have long been designated as disappointments. But some courageous Bond lovers are now deciding to brave a hail of bullets to defend the most criminally underrated entries in the super-spy’s saga.
Redditor I_love_lucia_1738 got the ball rolling by quizzing the r/JamesBond subreddit on “which movies do you defend with you lives?” The OP’s own trio of choices comprise Daniel Craig’s oft-hated second outing Quantum of Solace and two of Roger Moore’s lesser-celebrated offerings, For Your Eyes Only and Octopussy.
Many other fans in the replies concurred with the OP’s picks, with many of the same films popping up in the comments. That includes Craig’s penultimate movie, Spectre.
Most of Sean Connery’s era is overwhelmingly beloved, but Diamonds are Forever typically brings up the rear in fans’ lists. Although not to these folks.
Diamonds are Forever is forever underrated.
The Man With the Golden Gun did give us Christopher Lee’s Francisco Scaramanga, so it deserves plaudits for that alone.
All in all, the little-loved Octopussy might just be the crowned champion of this thread. That 1983 flick has never received so much positive attention in 50 years.
With producers keeping their secrets closer to their chests than M and MI6, it looks like James Bond loyalists will have to keep entertaining themselves by returning to the secret agent’s past until the time finally comes for the seventh 007 to be announced.