Staying Fit

This month, Daniel Craig, 53, steps into the role of James Bond for the last time in the much-delayed No Time to Die, which finally hits theaters on Oct. 8. But how will his fifth outing rank among the franchise’s best? Over the decades, the films have swung wildly between gritty realism and campy indulgence, often reflecting outdated attitudes toward women and reacting to the cinematic trends of the day — from Cold War intrigue to kung-fu fighting to CGI spectacles. Everyone has a favorite Bond actor and era, but here are our choices for the best and worst of the bunch. If our ranking leaves you shaken or stirred, sound off in the comments with your picks!

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THE BEST BOND MOVIE COUNTDOWN
5: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969)
The Bond: George Lazenby, 82
The plot: Lazenby was an Australian model with no acting experience when he was hired to replace Sean Connery, but he acquitted himself rather nicely in his one and only turn as Bond. He’s helped along by a deliciously devious plot by supervillain Blofeld (Telly Savalas), who has brainwashed 12 beautiful “Angels of Death” from around the globe to contaminate the world’s food supply and thus sterilize all livestock and agricultural plants.
The best part: Hot off her star-making turn in The Avengers, Diana Rigg stars as Contessa Teresa “Tracy” di Vicenzo, the only Bond girl to ever really marry James — not counting undercover schemes.
Watch it: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, on Pluto TV (free)
4: Skyfall (2012)
The Bond: Daniel Craig
The plot: Craig’s third go-round as Bond had prestige written all over it: It was directed by American Beauty Oscar winner Sam Mendes (56) and costarred two other Academy Award honorees, Judi Dench (86) as M, the head of MI6, and Javier Bardem (52) as Raoul Silva, an ex-MI6 agent–turned–cyberterrorist. The film is best remembered for its show-stopping set piece at Skyfall, the Bond family estate in the Scottish Highlands, where Bond, M and gamekeeper Kincade (Albert Finney) lure Silva and set up a series of elaborate booby traps.
The best part: Amazingly, Adele’s title tune was the first Bond theme to win an Academy Award for best original song; it also picked up a Grammy.
Watch it: Skyfall, on Hulu
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