Ranking Daniel Craig’s James Bond Movies (According To Rotten Tomatoes)

Since taking on the role back in 2006, Daniel Craig has proven himself to be one of the greatest James Bonds of all time. His performances as the spy have always been of an incredibly high standard, being able to bring the right amount of charm and heroics to the character.

RELATED: 5 James Bond Roles That Were Perfectly Cast (& 5 Actors Who Almost Played Them)

The movies overall have also been of very high quality, with several of them being frequently championed as some of the best James Bond movies of all time, helping to grow the franchise even further. With some incredible action sequences, big twists, and a gripping story running throughout, Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies will certainly go down in history for all the right reasons.

Updated on October 12th, 2021 by Mark Birrell: The long-awaited release of No Time to Die has shown that James Bond is still a cinematic force to be reckoned with almost 60 years on and initial reviews from critics have ranked it amongst the best Bond movies of all time. Daniel Craig’s 007 has had a few all-time great adventures throughout his tenure as the character but how does his full run as the superspy tally up in the end in terms of Rotten Tomatoes scores?

5 Spectre (2015) – 63%

● Available on Prime Video

Spectre is the weakest of Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies, at least according to Rotten Tomatoes. The movie saw Sam Mendes return as the director, while Christoph Waltz stepped into the story as the iconic villain, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and Dave Bautista provided fans with one of the best Bond movie henchmen ever, playing the silent Mr. Hinx.

RELATED: 5 Reasons Spectre Is Underrated (& 5 Why It Deserves The Bad Reviews)

While the movie did get the lowest rating, it is jam-packed full of great action and has a lot of fantastic fight scenes. The plot proved to be a little confusing at times, but having Blofeld be responsible for a lot of the negative things that have happened to James Bond was a really interesting angle to take. However, ultimately, the movie falls short in bringing a little too much action and not quite enough story, though Hoyte van Hoytema’s cinematography still stands out as some of the best in the franchise.

4 Quantum Of Solace (2008) – 64%

● Available on Fubo TV and Prime Video

Quantum of Solace is actually the lowest-rated James Bond movie of Daniel Craig’s career according to audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes, but it does just edge Spectre in the eyes of the critics. The movie sees James Bond try to avenge the death of Vesper Lynd, which leads him to the villain, Dominic Greene. Because this movie takes quite a personal twist, it actually showcases James Bond in a very aggressive manner, which ends up making this one of the darkest Bond movies to date.

While certain elements of this work, the aggression isn’t something that audiences have yet come to expect from James Bond, who is normally a lot more cool, calm, and collected in his adventures. The issue with making James Bond as gritty and raw as this movie did is that he loses the spy quality that fans enjoy. The gadgets that help make the character so iconic aren’t present, for example, and the visual style of the movie was much more reminiscent of the up-close-and-personal Jason Bourne series than it was of past Bond films.

3 No Time to Die (2021) – 84%

After several delays–including the loss of its original director, Danny Boyle–Daniel Craig’s grand finale as James Bond did not disappoint critics, who have ranked it at a satisfying midway point between his tenure’s less loved entries and the heights of its greatest successes.

The movie’s extensive delays were likely to have been fuelled in part by the movie’s big surprise moments that have generally proven to work better for big theatrical releases rather than the instant online mauling ground that occurs with same-day streaming releases. With the long gap between Spectre and No Time to Die, it still remains to be seen whether Craig’s swansong to his iteration of the character will be truly remembered as an all-time hit for the franchise, with a consensus of top reviews on Rotten Tomatoes highlighting that the movie delivers most on the things that fans have come to expect from a James Bond movie.

2 Skyfall (2012) – 92%

● Available on Hulu

Skyfall was the first Bond movie that Sam Mendes took on as director, and he knocked it out of the park. The movie has incredible stakes and more heart than most James Bond movies, with a plot mostly revolving around a former MI6 agent, Raoul Silva, attempting to kill M.

RELATED: 5 Things Skyfall Got Right (& 5 It Got Wrong)

It’s incredibly smart in how it’s written and the manner in which Silva attempts to take down the MI6 from within, due to his knowledge of the agency. He is a very smart villain, and he works well because he feels like a genuine counterpart to James Bond. Taking a deep dive into the past of James Bond when they arrive at his childhood home was a smart move, as well. It showcased a totally new side of James Bond as a character, making him even more relatable. Plus, M’s death is arguably the most emotional moment in James Bond’s history, which, along with Roger Deakins’ Oscar-nominated cinematography, helps to make this such a memorable movie.

1 Casino Royale (2006) – 94%

● Available on Fubo TV and Prime Video

Casino Royale was the first movie that Daniel Craig took on in his James Bond, and he did a terrific job. This movie has an amazing variety of action, car chases, romance, and incredibly tense dialogue, with everyone involved in the movie bringing their absolute best. It isn’t just rated as Daniel Craig’s best James Bond movie – it’s seen as one of the best James Bond movies ever in the eyes of both critics and fans. The casino scenes are incredibly well done, with the tension and mind games being very well put together to keep the audience on edge throughout.

The opening chase scene is one of the best in any spy movie, and Daniel Craig fits the role perfectly from start to finish. The romantic elements of the plot really work also, which raises the stakes even more.

NEXT: 5 Reasons Why Casino Royale Is Daniel Craig’s Best Bond Film (& 5 Why It’s Skyfall)

Next
9 Funniest We’re The Millers Quotes

About The Author