James Bondis one of Hollywood’s most endearing and long-lived movie icons. Since 1962,James Bondhas graced the silver screen twenty-six times, exuding his trademark charm and wit. Out of all the talented actors who have portrayed 007, it’s hard not to give the original Bond his due:Sean Connery.
RELATED:James Bond: All Of Daniel Craig’s 007 Movies, Ranked
Connery played James Bond a total of seven times. Many fans consider Sean Connery the best of the bunch as several of his 007 films are now regarded as classics. Frequently, it’s hard to decide which of the Scottish actor’s Bond movies are the best, but this list will give it a shot!
7Never Say Never Again (1983)
Never Say Never Againis arguably one of the more overlooked Bond films. By 1983, Roger Moore had already been portraying Bond for several films. The aging Connery, however, was convinced to take part in one final outing as the 007 agent. Interestingly,Never Say Never Againis yet anotheradaptation of Ian Fleming’sThunderball, which had been given a movie adaptation in 1965 with Connery at the helm.
The movie highlights an intriguing concept, one where Bond must grapple with the realities of his advancing age. Fans ofThunderballwill be broadly familiar with the plot, although there are differences. The idea of an older James Bond might not appeal to everyone, but there’s still plenty for Sean Connery fans to love.
6Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Diamonds Are Forevermarks another “return to form” of sorts for Sean Connery. In 1969, George Lazenby had taken over the role of Bond in the film,On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Lazenby, however, declined to star in subsequent 007 movies, while Connery was enticed to return to the role of Bond for 1971’sDiamonds Are Forever.
RELATED:Best Femme Fatales In Modern Movies
As the title suggests, the film revolves around Bond’s efforts to stop an international diamond smuggling ring. Much of the film takes place amid the glitz and glamor of Las Vegas as Bond seeks to thwartBlofeld’s latest attempt at world domination. The familiar Bond tropes, however, may strike some fans as a little tired and altogether uninspired compared to earlier films in the series.
5You Only Live Twice (1967)
You Only Live Twicewas Sean Connery’s fifth outing as 007. This film, set in Japan, sees Bond once again locking horns with the nefarious SPECTRE organization in their attempts to start a nuclear war between the United States and the Soviet Union. Bond, of course, isn’t going to let that happen.
The movie is notable for the dramaticreveal of Ernst Stavro Blofeld(Donald Pleasence), a character who in previous Bond movies could only be heard speaking. Overall,You Only Live Twiceis fun and action-packed, which is more than enough to satisfy Bond fans in the mood for a spy thriller.
4Thunderball (1965)
Thunderballmay stick out in the minds of Bond fans for several reasons. Theopening credits sequencewith Tom Jones performing the vocals is pretty catchy. Then, there’s the huge aquatic melee toward the end of the film where soldiers in scuba gear battle it out beneath the ocean.
RELATED:Movie Characters Who Look Completely Different In Games
The plot ofThunderballis also rather interesting. SPECTRE operative Emilio Largo hijacks NATO nuclear weapons in an effort to hold the world for ransom. The beautiful Bahamas setting is also difficult not to like, even for a film of this age. Sean Connery is in his usual top form in this movie and ranks as one of his best.
3Dr. No (1962)
The movie that started it all.Dr. Nointroduced Ian Fleming’s James Bond to the big screen for the first time and represents Connery’s first outing as the dapper 007. Although the plots in every subsequent Bond film would invariably change, many of the visual and thematic tropes established byDr. Noendure to the present day.
Dr. Nosees Bond trek off to Jamaica to investigate the death of a fellow MI6 agent. There, he meets the enigmatic Dr. No, a criminal who intends to disrupt a spaceflight program at Cape Canaveral. Whether it’s the first or hundredth time, hearing Conneryutter “Bond. James Bond” never gets old.
2Goldfinger (1964)
Goldfingeris one of those James Bond movies that can easily be watched several times without getting tired. The ridiculous yet captivating plot revolves around the efforts of a madman named Goldfinger, who intends to irradiate the United States' gold reserve at Fort Knox, thereby increasing the value of his own gold stocks.
The film is memorable for several reasons. Itintroduced the villain Oddjob, who dispatches his victims by throwing a steel-rimmed hat.Goldfingeris also the first film where Bond utilized his trademark Aston Martin DB5. No matter how fans rank Connery in their list of favorite Bond actors,Goldfingeris hard not to love.
1From Russia With Love (1963)
As mentioned before, it’s difficult to nail down which Bond movie starring Sean Connery is the definitive “best.” Nevertheless,From Russia With Lovecertainly deserves to be in the running. With memorable performances from Connery, Daniela Bianchi, and Robert Shaw, along with a more grounded plot,From Russia With Loveis thrilling from start to finish.
In particular, Robert Shaw’s portrayal of the quietly menacing Red Grant stands out. Bond’s and Grant’s scuffle on the Orient Express is one ofthe franchise’s best fight scenes. The segments where Bond shoots down the helicopter and evades his pursuers by boat are still exciting even after almost sixty years. Fans of spy thrillers shouldn’t miss Sean Connery’s best outing as 007.
