Today, we continue our ranking series with a ranking of the chases involving James Bond. For this category what constitutes as a chase is three things:
-
That BOTH the pursuer and those who are being pursued know they are involved in a chase. So if someone is just following or tailing someone without the other’s knowledge, that is NOT a chase.
-
A chase CAN include animals or inanimate objects such as a missile.
-
A chase can occur with a land vehicle, an aerial vehicle, a water vehicle, on skis or sleds, swimming on or under water, while skydiving, while riding an animal, or being on foot.
Only one chase per film please, which, admittedly, will may be hard to select for some films.
Again Never Say Never Again is eligible to be included.
So how do you rank the Bond chases?
Here’s mine:
-
James Bond chases Mollaka Danso in foot chase – CASINO ROYALE – Jumps right into the action with a great introduction for the new 007. Extra points for showing the audience something new that few had seen before (parkour). Innovative and exciting sequence that perfectly shows and showcases Bond’s ability to assess and react quickly to various situations and adapt to them while still applying the pressure to a more skilled opponent. Well done set piece that removes any doubt that Daniel Craig could be James Bond.
-
Bond chased by Carver’s Hamburg CMGN Security Guards in car chase – TOMORROW NEVER DIES – Another innovative set piece that is put over the top by having Bond drive his car via remote control from the backseat. The setting may have been cramped in the parking garage, but the action bristles with various stunts and gadgets. And the music by David Arnold is outstanding.
-
Bond chased by Sergei Barsov & 3 Barsov’s Pals in ski chase – THE SPY WHO LOVED ME – This one was a hard one to pick from as TSWLM also has TWO other great chases with a car chase and an underwater vehicle chase. But my pick is the opening ski chase. The stunts are great up to and including the spectacular ski jump off the cliff. A fantastic opening PTS.
-
Bond chased by Gonzales’ Thugs in car chase – FOR YOUR EYES ONLY – Another hard choice as the ski chase is also excellent. This one is probably the hardest for me to choose. Can’t go wrong with either one. I went with the car chase since Bond is at a severe disadvantage in driving the Citroen, and yet he still manages to hold his own with some skillful maneuvering. Well done.
-
Bond chases Ourumov’s Driver in tank/car chase – GOLDENEYE – This chase flips the usual chase on its head by this time giving Bond the more powerful and indestructible vehicle–a tank. And it is a hoot to see Bond crashing through the streets of St. Petersburg like a juggernaut in an attempt to rescue Natalya Simonova.
-
Bond chases Franz Sanchez and his men in truck chase – LICENCE TO KILL – Arguably, this is the most exciting grand finale of any Bond film thanks to the wonderful truck chase, which is highlighted by Bond’s 18-wheeler going up on nine wheels. Well staged and performed.
-
Bond chased by SPECTRE Thugs in ski chase while escaping Pig Gloria – ON HER MAJESTY’S SECRET SERVICE – The first ski chase is the best one in the film highlighted with Bond having to ski on one ski. Great photography by Willy Bogner which would become a staple in the series.
-
Bond chased by Czech Cops and Czech Army in car chase – THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS – Another solid chase for a new Bond which utilizes some nice gadgets. Also gets some extra points for putting part of the chase on snow and ice. Well done.
-
Bond chased by 4 SPECTRE Helicopter Pilots in autogyro/helicopter chase – YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE – The chase and film that introduced everyone to Little Nellie. She and Bond more than hold their own in a four-on-one scenario, but as the radio ad says: “They…don’t stand a chance.” Bond creatively dispatches each opponent and makes a star out of Ken Wallis’ autogyro.
-
Bond chased by surface-to-air missile in aerial chase – OCTOPUSSY – Bond doesn’t have to be chased by a person to have an exciting chase. The missile targeting 007’s Acrostar Bede jet provides a lot of tension and fun as it mirrors all of Bond’s moves. And it only takes Bond’s ingenuity to fly through the quickly narrowing airplane hangar exit to escape safely. Another well done chase and PTS.
-
Bond chases Giulietta da Vinci aka Cigar Girl in boat chase – THE WOLRD IS NOT ENOUGH – Exciting chase on the Thames. Bond’s Q Boat really shines with its abilities both in, above, and below the water as well as with its gadgets. A fun chase.
-
Bond chased by Tan Ling Zao in car chase – DIE ANOTHER DAY – An entertaining chase that actually goes back and forth with both Bond and Zao driving gadget-laden vehicles and who, at various points, alternate between being the pursuser and the pursued. Top marks for a new and creative use of the ejector seat. Just edges out the hovercraft chase in the PTS.
-
Bond chased by Las Vegas Cops in car chase – DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER – Fun car chase through the streets of Las Vegas. Nice stunts that is only (slightly) marred by a pick-up shot being filmed on the wrong wheels.
-
Bond chased by SPECTRE Thugs in car chase in Matera – NO TIME TO DIE – The first car chase gets the pick here in the Aston Martin DB5’s most exciting car chase of the series. Nice bit of dropping the roller bombs out of the bumper. Also, great overhead shot of Bond whipping the DB5 into a 360-degree turn while firing Gatling guns that one could argue starts the final part of the chase.
-
Bond chased by Medrano’s Thugs in boat chase – QUANTUM OF SOLACE – Exciting and fast-paced chase that is only marred by trying to figure out how Bond was able to end the chase. David Arnold does a good job with the music as well.
-
Bond is chased by Goldfinger’s Korean Thugs in car chase on the Auric Enterprises back woods property – GOLDFINGER – The first car chase in the film shows off Bond utilizing various gadgets from his DB5 and almost getting away only to run out of road. The film that introduced a gadget-laden car that would become a series staple.
-
Bond chases SPECTRE Thugs in plane/car chase – SPECTRE – Unusual chase involving an airplane chasing cars. Despite Bond’s disregard for his plane and it’s slowly losing parts, he manages to keep on Hinx and company’s heels as he tries to save Madeleine Swann. Entertaining.
-
Bond chases Patrice in motorcycle chase – SKYFALL – Bond keeps on Patrice’s tail whether on the the streets of Istanbul or above the Grand Bazaar. Fun chase that ends with both men on a train.
-
Bond chased by Adam and Kananga’s Thugs in boat chase – LIVE AND LET DIE – A world record stunt occurs early in the chase which ends up being (I think) the longest chase in the series. LALD also has a bus/motorcycle & car chase and a plane/car chase on land that are also entertaining, but I’ll go with the boat chase which is the centerpiece of the film.
-
Bond chased by Fiona Volpe, Vargas, Janni, and SPECTRE Thugs in foot chase – THUNDERBALL – Not an over the top set piece, but it is suspenseful and features a rare instance of Bond being injured with his first time being shot. John Barry’s great music helps a lot here.
-
Bond chases Francisco Scaramanga in car chase – THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN – A classic 360-degree barrel roll stunt not only highlights the chase but the film as well. A stunt so good that the producers used it twice more–with a boat in The World Is Not Enough and with a helicopter in SPECTRE. The rest of the chase is more pedestrian, but that barrel roll is a fantastic and memorable stunt.
-
Bond chased by Drax’s Thugs in boat chase on the Amazon – MOONRAKER – The second boat chase features one of the series’ best boats in Bond’s gadget-laden Q Craft. The set piece is once again helped by Barry’s music which features, to date, the last usage of the iconic 007 theme.
-
Bond chases Fatima Blush in motorcycle/car chase – NEVER SAY NEVER AGAIN – This chase is a little different in that who is the hunter and who is the prey? Bond seemingly is the hunter only to find himself led into a trap, which he soon gets out of and becomes the hunter once again. Highlighted with Bond sliding the motorcycle under the semi-truck’s trailer and his jumping the motorcycle over the wharf and over a car. Now, if only Michel Legrand’s music could have been better.
-
Bond chases May Day in car/parachute chase – A VIEW TO A KILL – A different type of chase that is heavily marred by the obvious shots of stuntmen driving Bond’s car. Never has a Bond film had such obtrusive shots in its stunts.
-
Bond chased by Morzeny and SPECTRE Thugs in boat chase – FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE – A short chase that is the only chase in the film. It has a nice finish, but there’s not enough action beforehand to get higher.
-
Bond chased by No’s Hearse Driver in car chase – DR. NO – Another short chase, this one hampered by clear shots of back projection. As a result, the tension is missing from the scene as those shots take you out of the film, and which leave this chase at the bottom of the list.
So what are your rankings of the James Bond chases?