First embodied by Sean Connery, Bond set the standard for secret agents on screen. Across Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan, Daniel Craig and others, the franchise has stood the test of time.
The following written content by Jon Skillings
Even if you’ve never seen a James Bond movie, it’s likely you know at least a little something about the 007 franchise, a pop culture powerhouse for more than a half century. A man in a tuxedo holding a pistol. License to kill. Sean Connery’s accent. Daniel Craig’s abs. The GoldenEye video game. Billie Eilish’s Grammy-winning theme song for No Time to Die. That enduring catchphrase: vodka martini — shaken, not stirred.
And you’re thinking, it’s finally time to watch your very first one, or do a full-on weekend Bond binge. After all, you want to be ready for when No Time to Die, likely Craig’s last outing, arrives before too much longer. But do you watch the Bond movies in chronological order, start with the most recent or just go with the first one you come across?
To help you get started, this is your beginner’s guide to James Bond, who’s long defined a certain type of style and swagger. Or if you’re already a confirmed 007 fan — and there are a lot, including Tenet director Christopher Nolan — it’s a chance to weigh in on Connery’s quips, Roger Moore’s merits, Pierce Brosnan’s run or George Lazenby’s one-and-done Bond career. Movie fans have strong feelings about who played Bond best (and worst).
The big-screen Bond franchise certainly has staying power. Over the years, six actors have stepped into the role. The movie series got going way back in 1962 with Dr. No, starring the late Sean Connery, who’s indelibly associated with Bond. That’s well before the Star Wars saga (1977) and even the launch of the Star Trek ecosystem (1966). Bond-themed video games got a later start, and now there’s a new one in the works, IO Interactive’s “Project 007.” Read more from Cnet.
