All 7 Sean Connery James Bond Movies, Ranked by Rewatchability

Sean Connery is still who most James Bond fans think of when they imagine the character, as his portrayal of Ian Fleming’s famous MI6 agent has been the performance that managed to permeate throughout culture; arguably, the James Bond franchise as it exists today would not have been possible if it were not what Connery did.

Bond is certainly the most defining character of Connery’s career, even though he has given memorable performances in films like Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Highlander, The Untouchables, Finding Forrester, The First Great Train Robbery, The Hunt For Red October, and The Rock. While there are certainly a few low points within the Bond franchise as a whole, Connery deserves some credit, as a majority of his films are still fairly rewatchable. Here is every Sean Connery James Bond movie, ranked by rewatchability.

7 ‘Diamonds Are Forever’ (1971)

Directed by Guy Hamilton

Diamonds Are Forever was an unfortunate step backwards for the Bond franchise, as it marked Connery’s return to the role after George Lazenby had given his one and only performance as 007 in the criminally underrated On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. While Diamonds Are Forever felt like a deliberate attempt to step backwards and provide a more nostalgic look at the franchise, it ended up feeling completely out of touch.

Diamonds Are Forever lacks compelling villains, love interests, and action, and often relies too heavily on Connery’s charisma in order to make up for the weak script. Save for one really fun sequence involving a moon rover that does have a hint of comic spontaneity, Diamonds Are Forever is easily the most forgettable Bond film that Connery ever appeared in, and perhaps one of the worst installments in the entire franchise.

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6 ‘Never Say Never Again’ (1983)

Directed by Irvin Kerhsner

Never Say Never Again was the interesting result of a rights disagreement, as Warner Brothers had maintained the rights to the Fleming novel Thunderball, even though Connery had already starred in a previous adaptation released in 1965. Even though Roger Moore appeared in the Bond film Octopussy, which was released the same summer, Never Say Never Again brought Connery back into the fold as an older version of Bond who agrees to go on a secret mission.

Never Say Never Again makes some interesting changes to the Bond mythology, as Connery is able to accept the fact that he is playing an older character who is more vulnerable. However, it is also a very long film that relies heavily on advanced special effects sequences that simply do not hold up as well in a modern context, making it difficult to rewatch.

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5 ‘You Only Live Twice’ (1967)

Directed by Lewis Gilbert

You Only Live Twice marked the conclusion of Connery’s first iteration of the Bond franchise, as it closed out the story arc revolving around the SPECTRE organization that had been set up in the previous films. Even though Connery would eventually return two more times to play Bond, the final sequence in You Only Live Twice feels like a rather lovely farewell to the character.

You Only Live Twice definitely marked a step forward for the Bond franchise in terms of action, as the final battle in Japan is arguably the grandest sequence that the series had delivered up until that point. Unfortunately, the narrative is far less sharp than the other four films that Connery appeared in, and does include some racial and sexist jokes that simply do not hold up very well at all within a modern context.

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4 ‘Thunderball’ (1965)

Directed by Terence Young

Thunderball has one of the best opening sequences in the entire Bond franchise, reminding audiences about the absurdity and charisma that made it such a unique series of spy adventures. While the rest of the film struggles to attain the same level of energy that is present within those opening moments, Thunderball certainly allowed the series to take a new direction by focusing on underwater combat, which was still a relatively new concept in the 1960s.

Thunderball is a bit lacking in the villain department, as none of its antagonists rank among the most memorable of the series. However, it is still impressive that Connery had so much enthusiasm for the series after already starring in three films, as there is not a single moment in Thunderball in which it feels as if he isn’t giving the role his undivided attention.

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3 ‘Dr. No’ (1962)

Directed by Terence Young

Dr. No was saddled with tremendous responsibilities, as it was the first cinematic adaptation of one of Fleming’s novels, and had to convince the world that Connery was the right choice to play one of the most iconic heroes of all-time. Although Dr. No may feel relatively small scale when compared to the way that the franchise would eventually evolve, it was certainly a major achievement in 1962, including the exotic locations, cool gadgets, and cheeky humor that would become essential to the future of the franchise.

Dr. No tapped into nuclear anxieties that were present at the time, which elevated the film beyond being a generic action or espionage thriller. The best installments in the Bond franchise serve as products of their time, and Dr. No does a great job at representing the terrifying fear of international nuclear conflict that the world was wrestling with in the decades following World War II.

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2 ‘Goldfinger’ (1964)

Directed by Guy Hamilton

Goldfinger set most of the precedents that the Bond franchise is known for, such as the reveal of the Astin Martin, the over-the-top title sequence, the eccentric villains, the cheeky humor, and the suggestively named love interest that nearly got the film censored in the United States.

Goldfinger embraced the fun of the franchise more than any previous entry, and did not apologize for its inherent silliness. However, the genuinely menacing performance by Guy Frobe as the ruthless villain Auric Goldfinger did add some tension to the film, and make Connery’s heroic actions as Bond more inspiring. Even though Dr. No is technically the first film in the franchise, Goldfinger is the perfect Bond film to show to non-fans in order to explain to them what makes the series so special. It’s arguably the most quotable and action-packed of Connery’s era of the series.

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1 ‘From Russia With Love’ (1963)

Directed by Terence Young

From Russia With Love is simply a great espionage thriller that would be regarded as an all-time classic, even if it was the only Bond film ever made. While there is certainly a lot of fun to be had in the more over-the-top installments in the series that introduce more ludicrous elements, From Russia With Love presented a very plausible story about the inciting of a nuclear conflict between the United Kingdom and the Soviet Union during the height of the Cold War.

Connery is even more confident in the role of Bond than he had been in Dr. No, but was still able to keep his performance grounded, allowing the character to become more vulnerable. While many of the Bond films are drastically different from the original novels that they were based upon, From Russia With Love is a very good translation of Fleming’s original source material.

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