James Bond's Best Scenes Ranked By Masculinity

For decades, movie audiences have been entertained by the ongoing adventures of iconic British super-spy James Bond, as conceived in a series of espionage novels penned by Ian Fleming. 

Since 1962, Bond has been the cinematic face of MI6, the British government's premier intelligence agency, defending the free world from megalomaniacal terrorists and nefarious syndicates around the world. Played by a variety of actors across dozens of films, Bond has utilized dazzling gadgets and vehicles, performed high-octane stunts, and charmed countless beautiful women to get the job done. In doing so, he has become an enduring symbol of masculinity, blending sophisticated bravado, unceasing virility and unflinching grit in order to flex his license to thrill.

Below are the most masculine sequences from across the Bond films, for better or worse. Whether 007 has been pulling off death-defying stunts that have to be seen to be believed or exuding unflappable cool and swagger in the face of mortal danger, he has remained remarkably unchanged over six decades, even into a modern age when everything is being reevaluated. With a new Bond on the horizon, it will be interesting to see how Bond's macho ways will be re-interpreted — if at all. 

With Sean Connery in the lead, 1964's "Goldfinger" established a lot of the cinematic formula that would define the Bond film series, including a gadget-laden car and a prologue sequence largely unrelated to the rest of the movie's story. Just as the "Skyfall" sequence in Shanghai and Macau would highlight Craig's strengths as 007, the "Goldfinger" prologue served as an excellent showcase for Connery's tenure. More than just informing the trajectory of the film series, this sequence would be imitated numerous times, both in and outside the franchise.

"Goldfinger" opens with Bond destroying a drug manufacturing facility in an unspecified Latin American country, then killing a henchman interrupting an amorous encounter. With two previous films under his belt, Connery is in top form here, able to handily lay out his enemies before delivering one last quip — all while effortlessly charming beautiful women. The concept of a secret agent concealing a full tuxedo under a stealthy suit would get direct nods in "True Lies" and "XXX," both among the many films citing this scene as a progenitor.

In several ways, Craig was the first canonical Bond whose films directly acknowledged the character being well into middle age. 

In 2012's "Skyfall," Bond returns to service after being presumed killed in action for months. 007 soon comes to the realization that he isn't as physically capable as he once was. After formally being reinstated, Bond finds himself reinvigorated during an attack on MI6 itself by the villainous Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) in the heart of London.

Intentionally allowing himself to be captured and interrogated by MI6, Silva stages a daring escape, leaving Bond scrambling after him before targeting M while she testifies at Parliament. Racing across the British capital on foot, Bond arrives just in time to save M and drive Silva away after a fierce gunfight. Arriving on the scene with a quiet wink to his besieged allies, it's clear that Bond is back and never has to worry about passing a physical ever again.

While Timothy Dalton earned some fans for his late '80s portrayal of Bond, he only appeared in two films. It was a tricky time for 007, one where his greatest enemy wasn't so much an evil madman but shifting cultural expectations and a full-blown AIDS epidemic that had the films dialing back on lovers in lieu of safe sex messaging. 

1989's "Licence to Kill" depicted a Bond going rogue, resigning from MI6 to pursue Latin American drug czar Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi) and avenge his friend Felix Leiter (David Hedison). This culminates in Bond disrupting a large drug convoy escorted by Sanchez, resulting in an explosive car chase on oil tankers through a deadly mountain pass.

This action set piece is the last to feature Dalton as Bond, and it perfectly encapsulates how his films differed from other incarnations of the long-running franchise. From brutally dispatching henchmen to relying on his own wits and determination rather than gadgets, Dalton's Bond brought an impressive amount of grit. For Dalton, every victory was hard-earned, and his fiery showdown with Sanchez in "Licence to Kill" sent the actor out on a high note.

In one of many Bond recurring motifs, the spy has laid eyes on several potential love interests as they emerged from the water; with "Royale," the franchise acknowledged the shifting tides of society by flipping the script, making him the object of desire.

In the flick, the recently-promoted spy decides to investigate a suspected terrorist in the Bahamas by approaching his home from the sea. This involves him surfacing from the water, wearing nothing but a light blue pair of swim shorts, his full muscular frame in view.

Craig's Bond was often depicted as being in peak physical condition (even if he was older than most Bond incarnations), and this role-reversed emergence from the ocean was a welcome change of pace. Gone was the leering male gaze, replaced by a more self-aware era. Ever since Craig rose from the ocean in this shot, each subsequent film boasted at least one scene showing off his athletic frame — his shirtless scene in "Casino Royale," however, remains the best.

After seven movies fueled by Moore's light-hearted approach to Bond, Dalton took over for 1987's "The Living Daylights," marking a seismic shift in tone. Considerably less flippant and playful than his immediate predecessor, Dalton's Bond was a hardened killer, rendered world-weary and cynical by his lethal profession. This was quickly apparent once "The Living Daylights" kicked into high gear as Bond traveled to Bratislava to assist with the defection of a Soviet general (Jeroen Krabbe).

Dalton's Bond is taciturn and sullen with this assignment, disobeying direct orders to eliminate a cellist (Maryam d'Abo) who appears to be taking aim at the general with a sniper rifle. When Bond is threatened by his MI6 colleague (Thomas Wheatley) for potentially jeopardizing the entire mission, 007 says he'll thank M if he's fired. This more contemplative, morose Bond established Dalton an a unique interpreter of the character, setting him apart from predecessors and returning the franchise to its cloak-and-dagger roots.

Widely considered one of the greatest Bond films of all time, 1963's "From Russia with Love" marked Connery's sophomore appearance as the iconic secret agent, and it was filled with plenty of Cold War intrigue. It also has one heckuva fight scene.

Bond is sent to Istanbul to seduce Soviet clerk Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi), stealing an advanced decoding machine from the Soviet embassy. The two are unaware, however, that this is all an elaborate revenge scheme by SPECTRE designed to kill and discredit Bond, overseen by assassin Red Grant (Robert Shaw).

Grant springs the trap after drugging Tatiana while she is riding out of Istanbul with Bond on the Orient Express, with Bond both outwitting and out-punching his formidable opponent. Tricking Grant into opening a boobytrapped briefcase, Bond goes on the offensive in a brutal fistfight that culminates in 007 garroting the SPECTRE operative in a tightly confined train car. In a stunning display of brains and brawn, Connery cements his portrayal of Bond as one of the best in an action sequence that still holds up.

While Bond has always wielded his catchphrases as adeptly as his Walther PPK, how the man introduces himself stands above the rest. 

Giving his name simply as "Bond. James Bond," it has become a hallmark of the series that every cinematic iteration of the character has uttered the line at some point. Of course, the actor that blazed this particular trail was Connery in his debut flick, 1962's "Dr. No."

After winning big against Sylvia Trench (Eunice Grayson) in a high stakes game of baccarat, Bond formally introduces himself while lighting a cigarette. Soon enough, he's receiving orders to travel to Jamaica for his next mission, but this introduction leaves an impression on Trench, who sneaks into Bond's flat before he leaves to give him a romantic send-off. After such an iconic entrance, the phrase would appear in the majority of subsequent Bond films, each actor getting at least one chance to introduce themselves with those three famous words.