What would you say are the essential Bond movies? Which ones give you the best sense of each actor’s tenure as Bond and the franchise as a whole. If you were introducing a new viewer to the world of Bond. For me:
What say you?
Add From Russia with Love, and exchange Skyfall for Casino Royale, and I’d agree.
Goldfinger
The Spy Who Loved Me
GoldenEye
Casino Royale
I think all the others are fun, or exciting, but not essential, including the Lazenby and Dalton ones.
I definitely count OHMSS as essential Bond and probably LTK too. But that’s my opinion.
For us fans OHMSS yes it is, but not if you are showing a couple of essential movies to someone who isn’t a fan.
I would never start with OHMSS or LTK, but with the other four I would.
DR NO–Begins it all
GOLDFINGER–Solidifies a template
OHMSS–First attempt at replacing Bond plus fewer gadgets
DAF–Connery Bond #2 and a shift from 1960’s Bond to 1970’s Bond
TMWTGG–The path abandoned by Moore Bond
TSWLM–Setting the correct Moore Bond iconography
MOONRAKER–Closing the 1970’s and Mooore Bond’s apogee
FYEO–Back to basics and introducing the John Glen era
TLD–Enter Dalton Bond
GOLDENEYE–The start of the Brosnan Quartet
CASINO ROYALE–Welcome to Craig Bond
If going for a total novice, rather than seeking to make some sort of point about the architecture or validity of the series (if they were that interested, they’d already know) - Moonraker.
Nothing is more outright entertaining than Moonraker, regardless of its “value” to, or significance in, the series as a whole. Entertain first, “educate” second.
I will come at this from a personal angle, I have had requests from younger members of my team who have never seen a Bond movie and wanted to know where to start so I did start them with Moonraker…
I guess that’s pure essence of Sir Roger for me.
Next we watched Quantum of Solace because I thought it zips along whilst paying heed to the tropes ( tuxedo etc.)
Both of these went down very well ( post work, big projector nice way to wind down ) the guys requested this to be a monthly thing so
Next I went for Goldfinger which they thought a bit smarmy , but they all liked Connery so chose From Russia With Love , much better received, then Goldeneye which was enjoyed. Lockdown has clipped our viewing but to the non fan I didn’t feel that I could show Dalton or Lazenby …yet
DR. NO
GOLDFINGER
LIVE AND LET DIE
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
CASINO ROYALE
But if you don’t love YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE, then you don’t really love the Bond films.
License to Kill would be the one to show them next, I think. Like TND and QoS, it’s an action film, more than any of the others, so would probably go down well with the younger generation.
Especially in a post-John Wick world.
Quite true…
I thought about this thread and we could expand it. I was rereading a bit of @Jim 's 007th minute and wondered if we could distill the essence of each Bond to a scene.
For example
The sauna scene in Goldeneye for me embodies the very best of Brosnan’s Bond.
The bathroom scene in Thunderball perfectly captures ConneryBond.
The final scene of OHMSS is purest LazenbyBond
Dalton for me has to be his shooting of Kara.
Craig the shower scene with Vesper and MooreBond for me would be the clown / bomb disposal scene.
It passed a bit of time 
From a mainstream point of view:
GOLDFINGER
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME
GOLDENEYE
CASINO ROYALE
That’s exactly what I was saying too. That are the four essential ones.
Definitely.
I would disagree with the four, as I think the average punter would see Moonraker as far more essential than TSWLM and likely choose Skyfall over casino Royale.
Goldfinger
Moonraker
Skyfall
Goldeneye
And from a deep cut point of view, but absolutely still essential:
DR. NO
ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE
LICENCE TO KILL
Dr No - the first one
FRWL - Connery did a brilliant job in one of Flemings better books.
GF - 007 gets his formula
TB - 007 got everything right in this movie
OHMSS - Lazenby played the part in a movie that was perfect, he could not muck it up anyhow.
LALD - Roger Moore’s first with New Orleans and a killer soundtrack
MR - like TSWLM only better
FYEO - A great movie with a lot of Fleming lore included.
OP - Nobody did it ever better swansong for Moore
GE - A new 007 for a new era
CR - a new 007 for a new era
-Goldfinger(the blueprint to the Super Spy formula)
-Thunderball
-The Spy Who Love Me(when Moore made it his way as Bond, a few great score)
-For Your Eyes Only(a lot of great score in the soundtrack, a bit trying to be serious. But still a great movie with Super Spy formula)
-The Living Daylights
-Goldeney(for the great first part of the precredit and it score)
-Tomorrow Never Dies
-Skyfall(when Daniel Craig changed some long time Bond fans mine, about him as James Bond. When they didn’t think he was right for the role after being picked and in Casino Royale)