With the release of No Time To Die last Friday, Daniel Craig has successfully finished his tenure as the iconic character, James Bond.  No Time to Die, the fifth and final film in his Bond series, was released October 8, 2021, and is receiving mass critical and audience approval rates. An intriguing plot and a twist ending have kept critics abuzz regarding the latest film. While Craig and a handful of recurring Bond characters reprised their roles in No Time to Die, several newcomers made their introductory appearance in the Bond franchise. Rami Malek, an Egyptian-American actor, made his Bond debut with his character Safin in No Time to Die and is receiving much renown for his portrayal.

The premiere of yet another Daniel Craig Bond movie has brought into question the merit of each of his films. While they were each met with some level of positive audience reception, critical acclaim was lacking for a couple of his films. Now that the film series has come to its expected conclusion, there has been no better time to officially rank the Daniel Craig James Bond movies.

5) Quantum of Solace (2008) The second Craig-Bond movie and 22nd Bond movie overall, is, in a word, underwhelming. Quantum of Solace is severely lacking in plot, and what it lacks in plot, it makes up for in somewhat uncreative dialogue. Earning a 64% on the critical review aggregator, Rotten Tomatoes, Quantum of Solace is one of the lowest-rated Craig-Bond movies, to date. Deborah Ross, of The Spectator, called the film a “crushing disappointment” (thespectator.com). Clocking in at an hour and 46 minutes, it is also the shortest Craig-Bond movie in the franchise.

Picking up directly following the events of the previous film, Quantum Of Solace tells the story of a disgruntled Bond who attempts to face his demons, and solve several unanswered questions of his past. While doing so, he helps a Bolivian agent, Camille Montes, unravel some problems of her own. Bond’s character is further developed in this film after the first one, as he transforms from a novice MI6 assassin to a somewhat sympathetic and understanding British agent. 

The theme song for this film was “Another Way to Die,” written and performed by Alicia Keys and Jack White. It was the first duet to be featured in the opening credits of a Bond film and received generally favorable reviews. It debuted at number eighty-one in the United States Billboard 100 Chart, and it remained in that spot for about a week, before falling off of the list.

4) Spectre (2015) The fourth installment in the Daniel Craig-Bond film series, Spectre, is a relatively successful Bond film. Working off of the lucrative box office sales of the previous film, Skyfall, Spectre is a cinematographic masterpiece with beautiful sets and exquisite camera work. Despite a 63% score on Rotten Tomatoes, Spectre remains a fan-favorite Bond film to this day. Award-winning director, Sam Mendes, brought this film to life, yet the majority of criticism lies within its cookie-cutter Bond composition, and reliance on the “established 007 formula” (rottontomatoes.com). Despite its brash criticism, Spectre received a certain level of critical acclaim. A film critic for The Inquiry, Jake Tropila, praised the film because he perceived Spectre as “an immensely enjoyable Bond outing that grows stronger with each passing viewing” (theinquiry.com).

This Bond film introduces the elegant character, Madeline Swann, the daughter of a notorious criminal and a love interest for James Bond. This film delves into a more vulnerable side of Bond, reeling from a tragic loss that occurred at the end of the previous film. Because of underlying circumstances, Bond is forced to go rogue in this epic adventure, completing his missions not as an MI6 agent but as a lethal assassin.

The film’s theme song, “Writing’s on the Wall,” became the second Bond-film theme song to win an Academy Award and the first to receive both an Academy Award and a Golden Globe Award. Written and performed by British singer Sam Smith, the song spent 16 consecutive weeks on the UK Singles Chart. Composed with beautiful orchestration and a high level of vocal range, “Writing’s on the Wall” is the most successful Bond theme song to date.

3) No Time to Die (2021) The fifth and final installment in the Craig-Bond series, No Time to Die, is an undeniable success of a film. Receiving a score of 84% on Rotten Tomatoes, No Time to Die has earned matching critical and audience acclaim, and it has gained smashing box office scores after only two weeks in theaters. Movie Reviewer Sarah Michelle Fetters was more than enthusiastic regarding her admiration for the film, citing that No Time to Die was “an outstanding end to Daniel Craig’s James Bond era” (moviefreak.com). Although its run at the box office is far from over, it is already breaking records as the sixth highest-grossing film of 2021.

This film takes place approximately five years after the events of Spectre, and it takes an extensive focus on the relationship of Bond and his love interest from the previous film, Madeleine Swann. Because she was previously featured in Spectre, Swann is the first-ever Bond love interest to reappear in more than one Bond film. In this extraordinary button to the franchise of five, No Time to Die ties all of the cherry stems to the unsolved elements of James Bond. Referencing events that go as far back as the first Bond film, No Time to Die is an enthralling trek of love, battle, strife, and loss.

The theme song for this film was written and performed by popular American singer-songwriter, Billie Eilish. Conveniently named after the title of the film, the song “No Time to Die” has grown into a critically renowned masterpiece, and it is one of Eilish’s most popular songs of all time. Featuring a 70-person orchestra, it won a Grammy Award at the 63rd Grammy Awards, making it the first-ever Bond-film song to win a Grammy Award.

2) Skyfall (2012) The third film in the Daniel Craig Bond series, Skyfall, is widely considered to be the best Bond film of all time. Earning a 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, Skyfall is an undeniable cinematic masterpiece. Nicole Philips (12), a Bond aficionado and diehard fan, claims Skyfall to be her favorite bond film of all time. “It is just so fun to watch,” reported Philips when talking about the film. “I could watch it every day and enjoy it as much as the first time I saw it.” Many critics agree with this sentiment, as Danielle Solzman believes that the film “delivers on every note” (solzyatthemovies.com).

This film not only tells the story of the main protagonist James Bond, but it also spends a great deal of time expounding upon Bond’s boss, M, played by British actress Dame Judi Dench. In this spectacular saga, Bond must confront his past and face demons that he believed he had fought off. This film gives audiences a whole different point of view of Bond, as we see the events that transpired to mold Bond into the man that he is. Despite the notable female support from M, this is the only Bond film to not include a prominent love interest for James Bond. 

“Skyfall,” the theme song for this Bond film, became the first-ever to receive an Academy Award nomination, then followed by an Academy Award. Sung by British superstar Adele, “Skyfall” is widely considered to be the top Bond song of all time. The Consequence of Sound, a New York-based musical magazine, praised the musical composition, as “rousing instrumentation elevate the vocals to soaring heights” (consequenceofsound.com)

1) Casino Royale (2006) Interestingly enough, the very first Daniel Craig James Bond movie is able to secure first place, in this particular ranking. Scoring a 94% on Rotten Tomatoes, Casino Royale was the first Craig-Bond film to surprise fans and critics alike with its excellence. A star-studded cast, clever dialogue, and a moving score combine to form the best Daniel Craig Bond film of all time. David Hogan, of Hogan Reviews, openly admits his favoritism for Casino Royale. He appreciates almost every aspect of the film but especially appreciates that it is “well-paced, well shot, well-acted and lots of fun” (hoganreviews.co.uk). 

In this first introductory film, we audiences meet the new James Bond, played by Daniel Craig. Much unlike the other Bonds we have seen, Casino Royale shows us a flawed and novice form of Bond. He is rough and real, and in this film, Bond embarks on his first mission as a 007 agent. A dashing love story with the incomparable love interest, Vesper Lynd, adds an element of emotion to the story, tying beautifully with the nonstop action. Add in double-crossing and high-risk poker tournaments, and Casino Royale easily becomes the best Bond film of all time.

The theme song for Casino Royale, although less well-known, is one of the best. The lead singer for Audioslave and Soundgarden, Chris Cornell, performs the alternative rock song that opens the Bond film. Cornell, a famous songwriter, attempted to get into the psyche of James Bond in this song and wanted to reflect the emotional sentiments of Casino Royale in this smash hit. “You Know My Name” was the first song in the Craig-Bond series, and despite its release almost 15 years ago, it still maintains massive popularity.

Between Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, Spectre, and No Time to Die. Daniel Craig has performed in five fantastic films as the iconic character, James Bond. Since the release of Casino Royale in 2006, these Bond films have gained prominence unmatched by any other Bond film series. Paired with award-winning music and incredible acting, the James Bond films are an immensely popular series that will continue to remain prominent in the years to come.