All Daniel Craig James Bond Movies, Ranked

It’s pretty much unanimous among the Bond fanbase that Quantum of Solace is rock bottom of any ranking of the Craig era. Marc Forster stepped in to direct, and sadly, it lacks any of the aura and swagger of its predecessor. The film suffers from a very messy plot and, perhaps most damning of all, has a very forgettable villain (sorry, Mathieu Amalric).

Still, I wouldn’t say Quantum of Solace is a terrible movie. It’s kind of like the Star Wars prequels – poor by comparison but still fun to be in that world. There are other aspects that make Quantum of Solace a worthwhile watch. For a start, it’s only one hour and 46 minutes long, so it’s by no means a slog. Some of the big, explosive set-pieces are impressive, and I’ll never forget Gemma Arterton’s brutal death scene, which I guess is a sign that they got something right here.

Here’s where the ranking gets really difficult because all three of the remaining Daniel Craig James Bond movies are pretty much perfect in my eyes. It’s so marginal, but No Time to Die comes in third purely on the basis that its bittersweet, emotional ending – as fitting a farewell as it is – has a couple of plot holes undermining the sequence of events. One other minimal criticism would be that Rami Malek’s villain is not quite as impactful as you’d hope. Do those things really matter? No. It’s still an astounding Bond movie, but I have to nitpick if we want to find a winner.

No Time to Die combines a majestic score from Hans Zimmer and one of the most heartfelt performances you’ll ever see from a Bond actor, producing a stirring action movie that stuck with me long after the credits rolled. We also have to give a lot of credit to both Ana de Armas and Lashana Lynch, who are fantastic in support.

I genuinely have no complaints about Skyfall. Seeing a grizzled Bond struggling to keep his mental state together to carry out his ultimate mission is a fascinating character study; it’s so refreshing to have this clean-cut, flawless hero pushed into complex, troubled territory. And opposite him, Javier Bardem produces one of the defining villain performances of the 21st century as Silva. Much like his portrayal of Anton Chigurh in No Country for Old Men, this is a completely unhinged, menacing display from Bardem that elevates the whole film.

I’d compare Skyfall to The Dark Knight, in that both are almost standalone action movies in a series that anyone can dive into and still relish every bloody, brutal moment without too much prior knowledge of the character (although it obviously helps). From the opening sequence where Moneypenny takes that fateful shot, to the chaotic London Underground set-piece, and of course, the blistering battle up in Scotland, Skyfall is full of grandiose, exhilarating moments that make this one of the very best action films of all time.

Skyfall may be the better action movie on a technical level, but to me, Casino Royale is the best Bond movie – certainly of the Daniel Craig era, but maybe of the whole franchise. I vividly remember going to see this at the cinema back in 2006 and thinking it was the coolest thing ever. And guess what? 20 years later, it still is. From the rip-roaring Chris Cornell track and that gritty, violent black and white scene to open things up, you just knew this film was going to be special.

It probably helps for me that the story revolves around a high-stakes poker game, as I used to play poker a lot around this time, but even taking personal interest out of the equation, the tension around that table is phenomenal. Of course, at the heart of that is Mads Mikkelsen, who is magnificent as Bond’s nemesis, Le Chiffre. He’s sneaky and despicable during the game, but it’s in the sadistic torture scene in the third act where Mikkelsen really takes it up a notch. Honestly, Casino Royale just gets better every time you watch it.