Prime Video just added all 25 James Bond films - here are the 5 worth watching

Prime Video is the new “Home of Bond,” with the streaming service adding every single Eon-produced 007 film this month (the two non-Eon films are excluded). This is good news for fans of the suave super spy who want to experience every globe-trotting mission from the start.

However, as someone who has seen all 25 James Bond films, I can confirm that some of them just aren’t very good. Especially in the ’70s and ’80s, Bond starred in several films that seemed cheesy at the time and didn’t improve with time (sorry to all the Roger Moore fans out there). However, there are plenty of gems in the more than two dozen Bond films so far, and that’s why I’m picking the five 007 films I should watch now.

I’ve tried to include a number of Bond eras in my list, but I’ll admit up front that Sean Connery appears twice (heck, Connery’s tenure as a spy was so successful that he was able to keep this list to himself). So if you want to immerse yourself in the world of Bond, here are the films you should watch.

“Dr. No’ (1962)

Dr. No Official Trailer #1 – Sean Connery Movie (1962) HD – YouTube

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Every James Bond marathon must begin with the film that began the saga: “Dr. “Bond” from 1962. NO”. Not only did this action spy game spawn a mega-franchise that continues more than six decades later, it is also a hugely entertaining film in its own right. Additionally, viewers were introduced to many of the iconic Introducing aspects of Bond that have shaped the character over the years, Sean Connery takes on the role for the first time and is an extremely entertaining classic.

In “Dr. No,” pits James Bond (Connery) against the titular villain, an elusive genius with an evil plan to disrupt the U.S. space program. This dangerous mission takes 007 to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of another British agent. At the exotic location he meets the beautiful Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) and learns from Dr. No’s headquarters on the island. You really can’t help but admire the quality standards of this first Bond film set and it will always remain a fan favorite.

Regard “Dr. No” on Prime Video Now

“Goldfinger” (1964)

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Goldfinger was the culmination of the Sean Connery era of James Bond and introduced characters like Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) and Oddjob (Harold Sakata), who instantly became legendary figures within the franchise. To this day, it is considered by many fans to be one of the best Bond films of all time and was also the first film in the series to win an Oscar (for best sound editing). It invents the Bond formula from “Dr. No” and “From Russia with Love” from 1963, but it combines all the elements perfectly into one exciting adventure.

Commissioned by MI6 to observe the gold-obsessed tycoon Auric Goldfinger (Gert Fröbe), Bond flies to Miami, Florida, where he meets the tycoon for the first time and, after further meetings and a few threats from Goldfinger’s assistant Oddjob, the spy, learns of the “operation Grand Slam,” an insidious plan to contaminate Fort Knox’s gold reserves. If Goldfinger is successful, the entire Western economy will be in turmoil. So it’s up to Bond to finally stop the gold-loving criminal with the help of some high-tech devices.

Regard “Goldfinger” on Prime Video Now

“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” (1969)

On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – Official Trailer – George Lazenby Bond Movie HD – YouTube
On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969) - Official Trailer - George Lazenby Bond Movie HD - YouTube

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“On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” is probably the ugly duckling of the Bond series. Australian actor George Lazenby took on the tricky task of replacing Sean Connery (although the Scot later returned for 1971’s Diamonds Are Forever), and in the end it was Lanzenby’s only appearance in the role. That’s a shame, because in my opinion this is one of the most underrated Bond films, and Lanzenby is a pretty strong incarnation of the spy. It is also considered one of the most faithful adaptations of Bond author Ian Fleming’s work.

James Bond (Lazenby) makes a deal with the leader of a European crime syndicate and must become engaged to Tracy (Diana Rigg), the crime boss’s daughter, in exchange for tracking down Ernst Stavro Blofeld, 007’s archenemy. This leads the spy to the breathtaking Swiss Alps, where he poses as a respected genealogist and must do some investigation to uncover Blofeld’s latest sinister plan. “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” is a playful Bond film in which the MI6 agent does real espionage work.

Regard On Her Majesty’s Secret Service on Prime Video Now

“GoldenEye” (1995)

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After a tumultuous six-year hiatus, Bond returned, this time played by Pierce Brosnan (a great Bond who unfortunately appeared in most of the terrible films). GoldenEye was the first Bond film to stand on its own and not take elements of Ian Fleming’s work, and remains a compelling spy thriller with a particularly impressive beginning. Additionally, Judi Dench was added to the mix as Bond handler M, and she stayed in the role beyond Brosnan, becoming a true franchise classic for Millennial Bond fans like myself.

The mission begins with Bond and fellow agent Alec Trevelyan (Sean Bean) infiltrating a chemical weapons facility. The mission quickly goes awry and ends in tragedy. In “GoldenEye” things continue nine years later, and the British spy learns that an experimental satellite weapons system has fallen into the wrong hands. The trail leads him to Russia, but this time Bond faces one of his most dangerous enemies yet, someone who knows all his tricks and how to overcome them.

Regard “GoldenEye” on Prime Video Now

“Casino Royale” (2006)

Casino Royale is another Bond film that ushered in a new era when Daniel Craig – the youngest Bond at the time of writing – stepped into the role. As with most of his predecessors, his first mission under the codename 007 proved to be his most successful, and Casino Royale is not only Craig’s best, but, at least in my opinion, the best the franchise has to offer to date. Set up as a franchise reboot, things are a little more grounded here, with Bond less experienced and more vulnerable than we’ve ever seen him before.

Having recently acquired his “license to kill” and achieved 00 status, Bond (Craig) sets out to take part in a high-stakes poker game hosted by international banker Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen). But Bond didn’t come to Montenegro to play poker, the Albanian financier has close ties to terrorist organizations and Bond must prevent Le Chiffre from winning the prize pot at all costs. With allies in Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) and Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), Bond enters a dangerous world where no one can be trusted, at the poker table or beyond.

You need a Prime Video with Paramount Plus subscription to watch “Casino Royale.” Alternatively, if you only If you’re a regular Prime Video user, Skyfall is a worthy second choice. It pits Craig’s Bond against Javier Bardem’s Silva, a man with a personal connection to M (Judi Dench), and is one of the best films in the series.

Regard “Casino Royale” on Prime Video with Paramount Plus Now

Prime Video just added all 25 James Bond films – here are the 5 worth watching

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