James Bond Opening Titles Worst To Best

The Bond themes have been ranked, but what about the opening credits themselves? Let's take a look.

#24 The Man with the Golden Gun

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Starting off with the bad opening credits. James Bond credits have always been about pushing the envelope in terms of gratuitous sex, but there is a line between artistic and tasteless. This falls into the tasteless category. Seriously, look at the placement of the golden gun in the bottom left picture as well as the hand stroking the barrel of the gun. *cringe*

#23 A View to a Kill

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Another that is rather tasteless evidenced by the first opening shot of a woman unzipping her top to reveal the 007 logo painted onto her chest with fluorescent paint. Most of the credit's gimmick is the use of blacklight fluorescent paint. Rather boring...a trend that will be seen quite a bit throughout this list.

#22 You Only Live Twice

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Although not necessarily bad, this is a very boring title sequence. Just take a look at the pictures above. They are nearly all the same. Let's go down the list: Patterned graphic? Check. Oriental women? Check. Volcanoes? Check. Text? Check. Done.

#21 Dr. No

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For being the first Bond movie that sets some of the staples of the franchise, the opening credits seems like they were a little off. Yes there are colored silhouettes of people dancing, it's not really sexy. Also, dancing dots opening up the credits which is okay but doesn't really say 007. Finally, the three blind assassins silhouetted which transitions into the movie. This is the black sheep of the Bond franchise.

#20 The Living Daylights

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Now we transition into boredom. Seriously, there isn't much to say here. There is nothing memorable here. Until I looked up this picture, I couldn't remember anything about this title sequence.

#19 Tomorrow Never Dies

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During this time in history, audiences and Hollywood was fascinated with technology. This sequence focused on just that by using tech look and x-rays. I remember just a few images, mostly though...forgotten...

#18 Diamonds Are Forever

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Sigh. Gee...can we figure out what the gimmick is this time? Outside of diamonds, I don't remember ANYTHING else in this. Gosh, for so many awesome Bond films, most of the title sequence are really tedious and boring.

#17 From Russia with Love

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Still trying to find the right pace, the dancing dots were dropped and replaced with a dancing woman. The credits were projected onto a wall and onto her body. Closer to what becomes known for Bond credits, but still not quite there.

#16 The World Is Not Enough

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The movie focused on an oil pipeline, so...it's all oil. Boring.

#15 Quantum of Solace

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The movie focused on being in the desert, so...it's all desert. Boring.

#14 Licence to Kill

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...boring

#13 Moonraker

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...still boring

#12 Octopussy

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...these movies do have fun and interesting Bond credits right?

#11 For Your Eyes Only

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Outside of Sheena Easton making her appearance in the credits...boring.

#10 Goldfinger

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Now we're starting to get better. Although still not quite the traditional Bond credits, this is still iconic in it's own way. Following the format set by "From Russia with Love" projected images of all of the current Bond movies instead of the text are more interesting and fun.

#9 The Spy Who Loved Me

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Although fairly slow paced, more thought was put into incorporating England and Russia working together as well as Bond and the Bond girl in love. More care was put into working in more aspects of the plot instead of just dancing and gimmicks.

#8 Die Another Day

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Although the song is terrible, this is the ONLY credits that advance the plot instead of giving eye candy. This entire segment shows Bond in captivity and the torment he is put under along with the passing of time.

#7 Live and Let Die

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Also fairly gimmicky with one major difference...memorable. I remember everything during this credits. This was a fun, iconic, and memorable sequence.

#6 Casino Royale

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This is more like it. This movie centered more on how Bond became Bond. Using the gimmick of the casino look, it does feature a cel shaded (or whatever you call it) Bond that takes down his foes. Also the credits allude to the Bond girl (the only one to appear in the Bond credits) and Bond achieving 00 status. Not the best in the series, but fun and memorable plus mingling in the plot a little. This is done better but it isn't bad or boring.

#5 Thunderball

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This is the Bond movie that created the formula that all Bond movies use. Although simple in nature, it is well executed and colorful. All other Bond titles up to "GoldenEye" seem to rehash this idea.

#4 On Her Majesty's Secret Service

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With a new Bond in play, Maurice Bender had a brilliant idea to emphasize that even with a new actor the character is still the same. By Bond holding onto the arms of a clock, he turns back time to the first Bond movie. As the sand from an hour glass falls representing time catching back to the current film, the audience is shown scenes from all of the previous Bond films. A simple idea, but ingenious.

#3 SPECTRE

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First, apologies for no shots of the opening credits because...it's still in theaters. Onto the opener! This is one of the most creepy of all Bond titles. The looming death of the Octopus which serves as the logo for SPECTRE is shown throughout the title. It is with the Bond girl symbolizing the grip the enemy has on loved ones, it is in place of stone pillars symbolizing the enemy is often in plain sight but never seen, it is also surrounding Bond and the Bond girl. Also, skeleton hands pull open a door revealing the main villain symbolizing death. There is also shattered glass and within the glass are the villains of the past few Bond movies that have "shattered" Bond's world. Also, there is smoke and within the smoke is M, indicating how M has become a thing of Bond's past and merely a memory...as well as Vesper. This is one of the most well thought out Bond titles.

#2 GoldenEye

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The first of the Bond movies to feature substance as well as style without the use of previous Bond movies. There are several moments that feature only style. But there is also a lot of symbolism as well. The indication of the Cold War being over by incorporating a lot of Russian symbols throughout. Even many of the statues of glorified figures have fallen, which also serves as a location in the Bond film. Even the main villain is hinted at by having a two headed woman, one side with a gun that protrudes from her mouth reminiscent of Janus.

#1 Skyfall

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After Bond is shot in the pre-title sequence, this entire opener is centered around the idea of seeing Bond's world through his own eyes. As Bond sinks, the camera pulls into Bond's eyes. We are pulled into the wound in his shoulder to his own grave. Bond is seen firing upon shadows. A skull is made out of veins which also a reminiscent of the map that is formed later in the movie that sets Silva free. Bond is seen firing upon shadows again, and within the shadows is Silva who is what Bond would have been had he gone dark. We see his home Skyfall and as it rains knives and guns which is where the final battle takes place. And the audience ends on Bond's eye once more as we fade to black. A very well thought out and executed sequence that is memorable and thought provoking. We need more like these top three.