2008
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Skyfall. 2012 2h 23m PG-13. 7.8 (733K) Rate. 81 Metascore. James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her. When MI6 comes under attack, 007 must track down and destroy the threat, no matter how personal the cost. Director Sam Mendes Stars Daniel Craig Javier Bardem Naomie Harris. 4. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
It's Daniel Craig's best movies (Casino Royale, Skyfall, Layer Cake) along with a few of his worst (remember Dream House?), all ranked by the critic-approved Tomatometer!
- Ben Gibbons
- Knives Out (2019) Benoit Blanc. The murder mystery whodunnit by director Rian Johnson is an exceptional film with another ensemble cast full of incredibly talented stars.
- Casino Royale (2006) James Bond. Casino Royale may be Craig's first outing as Agent 007, but his performance makes it clear why he beat out every other actor for the role.
- Skyfall (2012) James Bond. Craig embodied the character and delivered an action-packed performance that took the Bond franchise to new heights. Craig's third outing as the legendary super spy, James Bond, is one of his very best.
- The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo (2011) Mikael Blomkvist. The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo was an extremely popular thriller book that was later adapted into a film of the same name.
- Casino Royale. Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Mads Mikkelsen. 192 votes. In the thrilling action movie Casino Royale, James Bond (Daniel Craig) embarks on his first mission as 007.
- Skyfall. Daniel Craig, Judi Dench, Javier Bardem. 172 votes. In Skyfall, the 23rd addition to the James Bond franchise, Bond (Daniel Craig) is believed to be dead after a failed mission in Istanbul.
- Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery. Daniel Craig, Ed Norton, Janelle Monáe. 8 votes. Glass Onion: A Knives Out Mystery is director Rian Johnson's follow-up to his acclaimed whodunit, Knives Out.
- The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo. Daniel Craig, Rooney Mara, Christopher Plummer. 122 votes. In the gripping thriller, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Mikael Blomkvist (Daniel Craig) is a disgraced journalist seeking redemption.
- Overview
- 5. Quantum of Solace
- 4. Spectre
- 3. No Time to Die
- 2. Casino Royale
- 1. Skyfall
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Features
By Tom Power
Contributions from
Richard Edwards
last updated 9 December 2023
Which Daniel Craig Bond film hits the target and takes top spot?
Where to stream: Prime Video/MGM Plus (US), rent or buy (UK), Prime Video/Stan (Australia)
An obvious choice for bottom spot, although some may consider that to be unfair. Quantum of Solace’s development was hit hard by the 2008 Writers Guild of America strike, which led to some of its biggest scenes being written and shot on the day they were filmed.
Even with those mitigating circumstances, Quantum of Solace isn’t a top tier Bond movie. It’s overstuffed with product placement, the film’s villain – Mathieu Amalric’s Dominic Greene – and theme song ('Another Way to Die' by Jack White and Alicia Keys) are largely forgettable, and its plot is messy. The movie’s editing, too, hampers its story and makes for a disjointed entry.
There are some things to like about Quantum of Solace. Craig does a good job as an emotionally wounded Bond out for revenge after the events of Casino Royale. Judi Dench’s M delivers a memorable performance, too, as the moral counterpoint to Craig’s 007. As the shortest Bond flick ever made, Quantum of Solace also boasts a distinct but welcome lack of filler material and elaborate exposition.
Where to stream it: Fubo (US), rent or buy (UK), Prime Video/Stan (Australia)
Sam Mendes’ second Bond flick has some stand-out moments, but there are simply better 007 flicks in Craig’s run.
Like Quantum of Solace, Spectre fails to live up the lofty heights set by predecessor Skyfall. That’s a shame, too, because it opens with a memorably spectacular sequence set during Mexico City's Día de Muertos celebrations, before picking up some of the previous movies’ loose threads, and ties them together in fairly captivating fashion.
Unfortunately, Spectre’s story sags at the crucial moment. One of the worst kept secrets in Hollywood prior to the film’s release, the reveal of Blofeld (played by Christoph Waltz) is nowhere near as impactful as it should have been. Also, the entire Sahara-based sequence is neither poignant nor thrilling enough – though the subsequent explosive set-piece is undeniably striking.
Where to stream it: Prime Video/MGM Plus (US), rent or buy (UK), Stan (Australia)
Craig’s final outing as 007 is a fitting end to the actor’s time in the famous tuxedo, as we explain in our spoiler-free review of No Time to Die.
It’s unexpectedly funnier than it ought to be, comes packaged with its fair share of stylish set-pieces, and features numerous plot twists that keep you on your toes. There are even a couple of sinister, almost horror-esque moments that add a semblance of originality to proceedings, too.
But, gloriously fun as it is, No Time to Die isn’t without its niggles. Its two-and-a-half hour runtime is too long, while its villain – Rami Malek's Lyutsifer Safin – isn’t as absorbing or malicious as previous Bond villains.
It doesn’t help that Safin becomes a sideshow next to the film’s wider narrative. Admittedly, No Time to Die is the culmination of a five-movie 007 arc, so there needs to be enough room for its hero to get the send off he deserves. Even so, the best Bond movies have iconic villains that give as good as they get, and Safin fails to deliver on that front.
That all said, No Time to Die gets more right than it gets wrong. It’s a pleasing Bond flick that wraps up the Craig era in style. And, with its poignant and heart-breaking conclusion – hands up who saw that coming? – it delivers a bold finale that’s sure to leave many fans teary eyed as Louis Armstrong’s iconic 'We Have All The Time In The World' plays out over the closing credits.
Where to stream it: Prime Video/MGM Plus (US), rent or buy (UK), Prime Video/Stan (Australia)
Fans and critics had low expectations for Casino Royale ahead of its November 2006 release, particularly after the unfair backlash that had accompanied Daniel Craig's appointment as the new 007.
But Casino Royale surprised us all, cutting back on the traditional gags and superb James Bond gadgets to deliver a grittier, more grounded reinvention of the legendary spy. Craig inhabited the role with a brooding intensity and impish charm that many hadn’t predicted, and portrayed Bond as a more flawed character than previous iterations. The film also laid the foundations for the introspective evolution of the character we’ve witnessed since, with Bond’s morality and true identity placed front and center.
Every Bond movie needs a strong supporting cast to help it succeed, and Casino Royale’s was one of the best in recent memory. Eva Green’s electric performance as femme fatale Vesper Lynd stole the show, while Mads Mikkelsen and Jeffrey Wright ably backed Craig and Green as the villainous Le Chiffre and CIA agent Felix Leiter, respectively.
Where to stream it: Max (US), rent or buy (UK), Prime Video/Stan (Australia)
You might have guessed this would take first place, but Skyfall really is the king of the Daniel Craig era.
There are many reasons why. For one, Bond is, for much of Skyfall’s runtime, out of his depth and out of practice as an MI6 agent. It’s riveting to see a Bond who isn’t at the peak of his powers, thanks to events that transpire in Skyfall’s opening sequence. We see him run physical, mental and psychological gauntlets as he struggles to stop Raoul Silva (played with enthralling menace by Javier Bardem) and his grand plan from coming to fruition.
That includes Bond’s failure to save Judi Dench’s M during Skyfall’s thrilling and climactic final 30 minutes, plus the final confrontation – set amid the backdrop of Bond’s eponymous childhood home in the Scottish Highlands – that's simultaneously picturesque and unbearably tense. Like No Time to Die, it has horror trappings that create extra suspense throughout.
Above all, Skyfall resonated most strongly with audiences because of its overarching theme of family. Sam Mendes explores Bond’s past (via his return to his former abode), his present (through his surrogate family at MI6), and his future (as he contemplates life after the passing of his mother-figure, M). M's send-off is appropriately memorable, too, putting a well-earned cap on a character arc that stretches back to the Pierce Brosnan James Bond movie era.
Like Casino Royale, Skyfall lifts stylistic and thematic elements from 2008’s The Dark Knight – Mendes has previously confirmed as much. Alongside Roger Deakins’ superb cinematography and the reintroduction of classic Bond gadgets and characters like Q, these elements combined to make Skyfall a cinematic marvel.
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10 titles. Sort by List order. 1. Knives Out. 2019 2h 10m PG-13. 7.9 (777K) Rate. 82 Metascore. A detective investigates the death of the patriarch of an eccentric, combative family. Director Rian Johnson Stars Daniel Craig Chris Evans Ana de Armas. 2. Casino Royale. 2006 2h 24m PG-13. 8.0 (696K) Rate. 80 Metascore.
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Best movies with Daniel Craig. Refine See titles to watch instantly, titles you haven't rated, etc. Sort by: View: 23 titles. 1. Skyfall (2012) PG-13 | 143 min | Action, Adventure, Thriller. 7.8. Rate. 81 Metascore. James Bond's loyalty to M is tested when her past comes back to haunt her.
