Shaken, not stirred. That’s how the directors of James Bond have always introduced the cool spy. Like the drink, he’s classy but bruised and every film’s opening scene captures and introduces this idea. It’s a long-standing tradition for Bond films to attempt to outdo one another’s opening sequences when they get released.
While some Bond films have the most electrifying and thrilling opening scenes, that doesn’t secure their spot as one of the best in the franchise. Still, it helps immerse the viewers in what kind of life James Bond has been leading and how he usually “suaves” his enemies to death. These opening scenes are a combination of the musical credits and their preceding action intros.
10 Dr. No (1962)
Apart from the iconic gun barrel perspective shootout, there’s actually no action intro to Dr. No. That’s easily forgiven since it’s the very first James Bond movie and it has yet to find its footing and formula with Sean Connery at the helm. However, for most people that was enough to set up the atmosphere.
What followed after that is one of the most enigmatic and stylish spy jazz ever created, only for 007. It remains to this day as his most complimentary theme and the credits were introduced along with some old and nostalgic vectors that didn’t spoil much of Bond’s escapades.
9 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
Tomorrow Never Dies continues its trend of the wacky and cartoonish Bond story where he usually acts like a one-man army against Soviet extremists. Hence, Pierce Brosnan’s Bond is seen here in his usual habitat and favorite activity: gatecrashing an illegal weapons bazaar.
He not only manages to destroy the whole black market but also narrowly escapes a missile attack and the most lethal high-altitude dogfight in cinema. That’s just showing off his capabilities at this point as apart from being a spy, he’s also an accomplished pilot. The musical credits are just a bonus at that point.
8 The World Is Not Enough (1999)
The best part about the Bond film theme is that it seamlessly melds into big-budget vehicular chase sequences. The World is Not Enough explores this cinematic notion all too well by having Bond jump into an unfinished boat to chase a runaway assassin on the river Thames.
Suffice to say, the music made the whole scene, as any other auditory choice wouldn’t have cut it. It also has the trademark ridiculousness of the Brosnan-era Bond films where the Q-boat even drove on the streets. The opening credits can be a bit weird but appropriate enough for a 1990s music video.
7 No Time To Die (2021)
Arguably, Bond’s latest foray (at the time of writing) starts off rather meekly compared to others. It features Madeleine Swann back in her tragic childhood days when Lyutsifer Safin attempted to assassinate her and her mother. It then covers a lot of ground by introducing Bond and Swann’s present relationship along with a chase scene.
No Time to Die starts more like a horror or thriller film but the saving grace is that the music fits hauntingly well with Bond’s situation. It’s also sung by Billy Eilish for a more modern feel but the visuals incorporate the previous styles of all the opening credits, making it quite complete.
6 Spectre (2015)
One-take tracking shots became wildly popular among directors in the previous decade since it was a good flex of an actor and the film crew’s skills. Spectre jumped in and welcomed Bond in a long and impressive tracking shot sequence in the intro. The best part was that it takes place during the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico with people in skeleton costumes parading the streets.
Seeing Bond change from a skeleton costume to his typical suit and him walking on the rooftops of Mexico with an impeccable swagger was worth the price of admission. As always, the opening credits that came afterward were dramatic and mysterious, though somewhat filled with spoilers for eagle-eyed fans.
5 Goldfinger (1964)
Goldfinger is apparently the best Bond film as a result of numerous polls and it’s somewhat hard to argue otherwise. This was when the franchise nailed down a perfect formula for James Bond. The film shows this as early as the intro where Bond swims stealthily and infiltrates a drug lab.
It’s not as action-packed as the other Bond films but Connery’s wit paired with the opportune situations he’s subjected to as Bond made him the best template for 007. Of course, the lovely opening credits scene featuring a woman painted gold sets the tone well enough.
4 Casino Royale (2006)
Speaking of polarizing Bonds, Daniel Craig being cast as 007 stirred up quite a controversy. All that was dispelled, however, upon his being unleashed as a younger Bond in Casino Royale. The intro is a monochromatic sequence where Bond was on the verge of earning his license to kill.
This meant having to chase his targets with Parkour (which was shown later) in a construction site before fighting them under gritty lighting in a grimy comfort room. This all paved the way for a modern and darker James Bond which is capped off by rock music in the opening credits.
3 Skyfall (2012)
Still, despite the Bourne-ish levels of grittiness in the Craig-era Bond films, Skyfall did a bit of a callback to the older credits. It’s all thanks to Adele’s big voice and nostalgic vocal range that encapsulates music from Bond films of old. Her song “Skyfall” still remains one of the most popular Bond musical themes.
Before all that, viewers were treated to Bond in one of his escapades as he struggles to cope with his age and down-trending efficiency as a spy. In fact, it was one of the few Bond films that made it look like Bond was killed as early as the intro and showed him in a vulnerable state.
2 GoldenEye (1995)
GoldenEye is Pierce Brosnan’s debut film as James Bond and it features one of the spy’s most popular enemies back then: Soviet Russians. This Red Scare hangover did help the film’s action set-pieces as the intro sees Bond bungee jumping down a dam in order to infiltrate and sabotage a Soviet facility.
It then culminates into an action-packed firefight/escape where Bond fights off an entire army at his tail. There’s simply no shortage of astonishing stunts here as Bond manages to jump into an empty airplane by running a motorcycle off a cliff. It’s over-the-top but jaw-dropping nonetheless.
1 The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
As mentioned above, the Bond theme music works a lot better in an exhilarating chase sequence and that’s how The Spy Who Loved Me kicked things off. It’s a hair-raising ski chase where Roger Moore’s Bond tussled with his enemies and even unleashed some of his gadgets such as a ski pole gun.
What did cement it as possibly the best Bond action intro was his stunt of skiing off a snowy mountain. Just as viewers thought he was about to splatter like a vodka martini on the rocks, out came the Union Jack parachute to remind everyone of Bond’s allegiance and origins. The only thing that could have improved the scene was if Bond landed down a patio table with a ready-made tea and biscuit waiting for him.
