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Comments
Worst? Licence to Kill
Writing my choices down, I find it interesting that they are the two titles that more or less just sum up what Bond does, yet one is a classic title and the other is just dull. I mean, something like Die Another Day might be a more painfully generic Bond title but I still think Licence to Kill is the most boring title of them all.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, also happen to be my favourite two Bond movies, with FRWL being favourite book, and OHMSS probably 3rd or 4th!
Worst Die Another Day, though I think the quality of the film may be influencing this choice
1. Thunderball
2. Goldfinger
3. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
4. From Russia with Love
5. Casino Royale
6. Live and Let Die
7. The Spy Who Loved Me
8. You Only Live Twice
9. Skyfall
10. Moonraker
11. Dr. No
12. For Your Eyes Only
13. The World Is Not Enough
14. The Living Daylights
15. GoldenEye
16. No Time to Die
17. A View to a Kill
18. Licence to Kill
19. The Man with the Golden Gun
20. Diamonds Are Forever
21. Quantum of Solace
22. Tomorrow Never Dies
23. Die Another Day
24. Spectre
25. Octopussy
1. Live and Let Die
2. For Your Eyes Only
3. Diamonds Are Forever
4. You Only Live Twice
5. On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
6. Thunderball
7. From Russia with Love
8. The World is Not Enough
9. Octopussy
10. Casino Royale
11. The Spy Who Loved Me
12. The Man with the Golden Gun
13. Goldfinger
14. A View to a Kill
15. The Living Daylights
16. No Time to Die
17. Moonraker
18. Goldeneye
19. Dr. No
20. Tomorrow Never Dies
21. Quantum of Solace
22. Die Another Day
23. Licence to Kill
Way below the rest:
24. Skyfall
25. Spectre
Me too. In the case I think DAD would be at the bottom, though I’m not crazy about SF either.
QOS, on the other hand, I truly love.
From Russia With Love
The worst would be Skyfall Mendes made up property of the Bond family, which lacks a true Flemingesque feeling.
The title of the original novel for FRWL includes a comma which makes it one of the best titles for any novel ever written, IMO. From Russia, With Love. Fantastic. A pity they dropped the comma for the film.
Diamonds are Forever is my EON movie title favourite out of a very strong field. (FRWL would be top if they had kept the comma.)
Worst title is Licence to Kill. Just dull. I think it was a factor in how poorly the film did, alongside the cheap-looking poster designs.
Most of the rubbish post-Fleming titles just sound like fan fiction to me. “Die another day.” Ugh.
I don’t think Fleming would have called one of his novels Spectre. He would have worked it into a phrase somehow, like Spectres Never Die or something, only much better of course.
I don't really care for titles that simply name a recurring element of Bond's world, e.g. Licence to Kill or Spectre. I would have preferred Licence Revoked and Spectreville. (This last one isn't a title that was considered, but it's a chapter title from DAF, where Fleming first used the word "spectre" prominently in a story. It's an amusing take on the phrase "ghost town.")
I echo this.
These three titles all basically say the same thing and achieve next to nothing. James Bond won’t die today because he has no time and he probably won’t die tomorrow either. We get it!!!!!!! You like to specify a time and death in titles. Move on.
The best two titles by a country mile are FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE – it’s evocative, romantic and hints at the brilliant Cold War espionage film to come – and SPECTRE – adore this title, it’s simple, elegant and mysterious. It's sinister and cool.
There are two favourites. The runner up is LIVE AND LET DIE
My favourites are;
From Russia With Love
Live And Let Die
You Only Live Twice
On Her Majesty's Secret Service
The makers haven't done a very good job with their own titles
The World Is Not Enough was a good title. Using a phrase from the OHMSS was a good idea.
Licence To Kill is one of the worst. It's original title of Licence Revoked is just perfect. I don't know how true it is that it was changed because Americans wouldn't know what 'revoked' meant....
Goldeneye was also a great idea for a title.
Skyfall and SPECTRE were ok as they both served their pupose adequately
The lack of imagination shown for the new film's title is pretty pathetic.
I really liked John Gardner's title Brokenclaw (Shame about the book!)
1. Live and Let Die - Just an awesome twist on a well know idiom that says James Bond. Definitely the most clever and bad ass title to date.
2. For Your Eyes Only - Love its double use. Very, very Bondian.
3. The World is Not Enough - Such a great motto and definitely Bond. I like the all or nothing mentality it brings. When I read it, I do so with Shirley singing. I may be a bit biased with this one.
4. The Man with the Golden Gun - A very fun title that gives intrigue. I mean, what type of person gets to carry a golden gun around? Who is the (obviously) wealthy hitman bad ass? There have been many following titles that share "The XXXX with the XXXX" so it does something right.
5. From Russia with Love - Love the plot centric title with the sharp British jabbines to it. Also a commonly borrowed phrase, even today.
6. You Only Live Twice - This idiom twist always came across as forceful stretch to me, but I still like it.
7. Casino Royale - Love how this flows out of the mouth, which is why it's my top single-word pick. Classy.
8. Goldfinger - Bold, Innuendo-y, Bond. Although it is the epitome title of mockery.
9. Moonraker - Just an intriguing title. Mysterious.
10. On Her Majesty's Secret Service - A bit long and matter of fact-ish, but very British. Only thing is it could be used for any mission really and it completely ignores the most pertentent plot point, which is Bond falling in love. I know, I know, I'm evaluating the title based on the storyline and not the name itself...
11. The Spy who Loved Me - A little too mushy of a title for my tastes, but it works.
12. Dr No - Just sounds like a bad ass. Nuff said.
13. Diamonds are Forever - I don't have a really good reason why I put the title here. It's good but not great.
14. Spectre - I love the word spectre in itself. The fact that it is the Bond's archnemisis organization that has already been established in older films, helps give it more value (granted I did say I was evaluating the titles on their own). Interestingly enough, it is the only true non-compound single-word title.
15. Goldeneye - Has that spy-esqe ring to it, probably being more relevant today than ever (even though that's not what the story is about).
16. A View to a Kill - I like that this title foreshadows, giving it an urgent feel.
17. No Time to Die - To me this is a very Daltoneque era title. It fits with his style of Bond as well. It's a bit generic, but I like the message it sends (as opposed to A Reason to Die).
18. The Living Daylights - Meh.
19. License to Kill - Generic, but at least it's very Bond.
20. Skyfall - Skyfall is where it's at only because of how it ties into the phrase, "the sky is falling." I don't particularly like how it is the name of Bond's house - which is odd sounding, but at least gives the title more value.
21. Thunderball - Thunderball is ok. It just says "I'm exciting" to me and that's it.
22. Quantum of Solace - Kinda fun to say, but feels a little bit like it forcefully uses lesser know words to attempt to make it clever. Quantum is hard and mathematic sounding word whereas solace is obviously a word of emotion. Clashes in my mind, but maybe that's the point. At least the title relates to the story.
23. Die Another Day - Most generic Bond title ever.
24. Tomorrow Never Dies - Would have been soooo much better as Tomorrow Never Lies. It has the same meaning (and even has more value when you consider the story) but just doesn't sound as stupid. Sorry but tomorrow isn't a thing that can even die.
25. Octopussy - I'm sorry, but this is too overboard for a title and doesn't belong outside a gentleman's club.