Summary

• Bond movies have moved away from Ian Fleming's original stories, with many later films not strictly based on his novels.
• Films like "Die Another Day" borrow elements from Fleming's work but are considered distinct, potentially impacting their quality.
• The success of Bond movies not based on Fleming, like "Skyfall," demonstrates the franchise's ability to thrive with original stories.

Despite creating the character and the novels on which the movies are based, not every 14 James Bond books – including two volumes of collected short stories – Fleming certainly left a lot of inspirational material as his legacy. However, as the Bond movie franchise has gone from strength to strength, it has slowly but surely outgrown its literary roots, forcing filmmakers to come up with increasingly original stories.

The extent to which certain Bond films are based on Ian Fleming's books is debatable. For instance, films such as Moonraker take the title and specific plot elements of a novel while changing most of the story, while other projects like GoldenEye seem to have nothing to do with the books yet share some important similarities. However, it is generally agreed that all Bond movies after License To Kill – except for Casino Royale – are not strictly based on Fleming's books. As a result, it is the later films in Eon's canon that come under the category of Bond movies not based on Fleming novels.

9 Die Another Day (2002)

Rotten Tomatoes – 55%

Like all James Bond movies, Die Another Day is not completely removed from Ian Fleming's legacy. Elements of the plot, particularly Toby Stephens' megalomaniacal Gustav Graves, borrow heavily from the original Moonraker, while the prevalence of diamonds draws a clear connection to Sean Connery's final Eon film Diamonds Are Forever. However, the movie's story is distinct enough to be considered an entirely original creation – and arguably suffers all the more for it.

Despite heralding the climax of the Brosnan era, Die Another Day brings this Bond chapter to an end with a whimper. The globe-trotting story makes little sense, while ropey special effects (including some notoriously dodgy kiteboarding) undercut any sense of spectacle. Although Die Another Day broke box office records for the series on release, its Rotten Tomatoes score places it near the bottom of all Bond movies – let alone those not based on Ian Fleming's work.

8 Quantum of Solace (2008)

Rotten Tomatoes – 64%

With a name derived from a legal dispute over the rights to Fleming's notorious S.P.E.C.T.R.E creation, Quantum of Solace was always going to struggle to live up to the legacy of classic Bond films. Despite following in the footsteps of Daniel Craig's acclaimed debut, the 2008 movie couldn't recapture Casino Royale's magic. The end result was a movie that, for all its visual panache, was as messy and unwieldy as its title.

Picking up directly from where Casino Royale left off, Quantum of Solace represents an interesting experiment and is considered the first true Bond sequel. The film features isolated exhilarating set pieces – including the opening car chase – but fails to come together as a compelling story. Bond's motives after Casino Royale are confused, while Mathieu Almaric's Dominic Greene is a poor substitute for Le Chiffre. While certainly more successful than the nadir of other Bond eras, Quantum of Solace is still the low watermark for Daniel Craig.

7 The World Is Not Enough (1999)

Rotten Tomatoes – 51%

Despite being the lowest-rated of all the non-Fleming Bond movies on Rotten Tomatoes, The World Is Not Enough manages to redeem itself with some of the most memorable action sequences of the Brosnan era. The movie's opening, featuring an extended boat chase along the River Thames, is one of the most iconic in the entire franchise, while the snowmobile chase and submarine-based finale outshine anything in Die Another Day. The movie also marks Desmond Llewelyn's final appearance as Q – a seminal moment in the series.

Beyond these positives, however, the movie is far from perfect. A common criticism of The World Is Not Enough was the film's casting, with Denise Richard's turn as Dr. Christmas Jones coming under particular scrutiny. The film's plot was also largely dismissed as "by-the-numbers" (via Rotten Tomatoes) – a common issue for Bond movies not based on Ian Fleming's lurid and imaginative work. Although The World Is Not Enough is entertaining in places, it certainly doesn't rank near the top of any Bond list.

6 Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)

Rotten Tomatoes – 57%

Although the movie's aggregate Rotten Tomatoes score places it in the bottom tier of James Bond movies, Tomorrow Never Dies has arguably improved with age thanks to its surprisingly prescient plot. Instead of facing off against a villain armed with an unlikely doomsday device, Bond's enemy in Tomorrow Never Dies is media mogul Elliot Carver – a terrifying figure whose ability to manipulate world events feels all-too believable. After the advent of social media, what may have seemed a somewhat farfetched plot device feels all too relevant.

Tomorrow Never Dies has other positive features. Bond's remote-controlled car is a Brosnan-era highlight, while the action sequences are typically impressive. However, the movie suffered from a plot that – save for its media-centric satire – felt extremely familiar to long-term fans of the series. Despite making over $300 million at the box office, the movie's legacy arguably suffered as a result of opening on the same day as Titanic, which went on to dominate the contemporary popular cultural discourse.

5 Spectre (2015)

Rotten Tomatoes – 63%

Perhaps one of the most frustrating recent James Bond movies, Spectre reunited Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig after their stellar outing in Skyfall, with disappointingly diminishing returns. After a long-running legal dispute over the rights to the S.P.E.C.T.R.E organization and Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Spectre finally gave Craig the chance to interact with arguably the major antagonistic force from Ian Fleming's novels. Unfortunately, the movie's strange narrative decisions prevented it from becoming a truly great Bond film.

Instead of setting S.P.E.C.T.R.E up as a sinister and omnipotent global threat, the organization and its leader were reframed as personal enemies of James Bond himself, with Blofeld reimagined as a figure from 007's past. This convoluted narrative made little sense in context and raised many questions about the wider James Bond canon. However, the movie still included some impressive elements – notably the opening Day of the Dead sequence and Dave Bautista's performance as a hulking henchman.

4 No Time To Die (2021)

Rotten Tomatoes – 83%

Although No Time To Die will always be seen as a controversial entry, its bold decision to kill James Bond has undoubtedly earned the film a place in the franchise's history. However, beyond Bond's poignant death, the movie has many other positive qualities. Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas rank among the series' most memorable characters, while director Cary Joji Fukunaga shoots the film's impressive action sequences with genuine style. However, for all its successes, some of No Time To Die's biggest flaws are impossible to ignore.

The emotional heart of the story concerning Bond's family... falls flat compared to the genuine romance on display in Casino Royale

The decision to kill Bond, while undeniably brave, also fundamentally changes the nature of one of cinema's most enduring characters – seemingly with little rationale other than to try and stand out. The film also wasted Christoph Waltz as Blofeld and the whole S.P.E.C.T.R.E organization, replacing them with a brand new, completely context-less villain. The emotional heart of the story concerning Bond's family also falls flat compared to the genuine romance on display in Casino Royale, making No Time To Die an adventurous but divisive entry in the series.

3 License To Kill (1989)

Rotten Tomatoes – 80%

Widely regarded as one of the darkest James Bond movies, License to Kill actually borrows much of its story from Fleming's book Live and Let Die. Shared details include Felix Leiter's harrowing shark torture and the notorious microwave explosion sequence. However, these moments aside, License to Kill ranks as one of the most successful original Bond movies, proving that there was a future for the series once Fleming's novels had been exhausted.

Timothy Dalton remains underrated as Bond, bringing a grim realism to the role long before Craig's tenure. Robert Davi is often terrifying as Franz Sanchez, while a young Benicio del Toro shines as the psychotic Dario. Despite the movie's more prosaic plot of drug deals and revenge, it also features one of the most impressive stunts in Bond history during the climactic tanker chase scene. Although its tone made it controversial, License To Kill certainly stands out in comparison to some of its follow-ups.

2 GoldenEye (1995)

Rotten Tomatoes – 80%

Undoubtedly the best of Pierce Brosnan's Bond movies, GoldenEye is an explosive example of how a contemporary and original 007 story can thrive. Much as Casino Royale instantly established Craig in the iconic role, GoldenEye's snappy dialogue, over-the-top villains, and bombastic action were perfectly geared towards Brosnan's style and natural charisma. Where the film really excelled, however, compared to other Brosnan entries, was in a story that stayed true to the spirit of Fleming's original stories.

the film cleverly used the end of the Cold War as both an important plot device and a means of making meta-commentary on James Bond's status as a franchise

Alec Travelyan's villain twist remains genuinely shocking years later, while the film cleverly used the end of the Cold War as both an important plot device and a means of making meta-commentary on James Bond's status as a franchise. Combined with Famke Janssen's memorable turn as Xenia Onatopp, GoldenEye had a winning formula that it makes full use of. The legacy of the iconic videogame based on the film has only enhanced its reputation in the years since.

1 Skyfall (2012)

Rotten Tomatoes – 92%

Although Casino Royale ranks as the best Daniel Craig Bond film, Skyfall is certainly the best Bond movie not to be based on a Fleming novel. Combining some of the most stylish action sequences from the entire series with a gripping plot, great performances, and one of Bond's best modern villains was always going to be a recipe for success. However, the fact that Skyfall is one of the few James Bond films to combine these ingredients so successfully demonstrates what a remarkable achievement the movie is.

Perhaps the most successful aspect of Skyfall is the empathy explored in its plot. Not only does the film delve back into Bond's past, exploring his complicated upbringing, but it also examines 007's nuanced relationship with M – as well as the toxicity that relationship can create. This emotional depth helps elevate Skyfall above other James Bond movies, reflected in its status as the only franchise film to $1 billion at the global box office.

Source: Rotten Tomatoes