[Editor's note: The following contains spoilers for No Time to Die.]One of the norms of James Bond films has been the opening teasers. Aside from Dr. No, which was the very first adaptation of the Ian Fleming novels, all the other films in the franchise have had a pre-credits sequence. While the Sean Connery era established these cold opens as a franchise trademark, the Roger Moore films turned them into the action set pieces we’ve grown to expect. But the Daniel Craig films, and especially No Time to Die, have tried something a little different. Craig’s swan song as Bond was the longest film in the franchise’s history, and the pre-title sequences set the stage by clocking in at a whopping 20+ minutes.
So how successful were the Craig pre-credits sequences? We take a look back at all five films and rank the openings. This ranking is based on how memorable each sequence was, what worked, what didn’t, and most importantly, how exhilarating the action was.
5. Quantum of Solace
Daniel Craig’s sophomore turn as James Bond was unfortunately the least successful. Quantum of Solace is universally considered the poorest entry in the new era, and the opening sequence is indicative of that.
Clocking in at only four minutes, this short teaser was a quintessential, heart-thumping chase scene. This was as James Bond as it gets. Bond is in a cool car, he’s got villains on his tail, and there’s seemingly no end to the frenzy and stunt work on display. But these are also the reasons the film’s opener is last on the list—a chase is all it was. And a chaotic, haphazardly edited one at that.
A lot of this sequence looks like a car ad. We all love a good shot of a gorgeous Aston Martin, but that’s not what a Bond film in 2008 should have been focusing on. The quick cuts also made it impossible to contextualize what was going on. At one point one of the black cars crashes and you don’t know if it’s Bond who’s crashed until he reappears. There’s nothing wrong with a simple car chase, but it still has to be a good one.
4. No Time to Die
No Time to Die has the longest pre-credits sequence in James Bond history and it packed in a lot. Unlike the majority of the franchise, this film begins with a flashback to Madeleine’s (Léa Seydoux) past and her connection with the man who becomes the primary villain of the film, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek). The scene then changes to the present where Bond and Madeleine are holidaying in Matera, Italy. A prolonged romantic moment is followed by a stunning chase along the narrow ancient streets before the final twist—Bond abandons Madeleine, thinking she betrayed him.
Young Madeleine’s (Coline Defaud) trials were overly long and quite distressing since it centered on a small child. The scenes with Bond and older Madeleine had a little bit of everything: explosions, hand to hand combat, car chases and shootouts. The scenes also set up the central mysteries that tied into the emotional core of Bond’s characterization in the film. It’s a lot to take in and one can’t help but wonder if the film suffered by trying to include too much in its cold open.
There were a few things that saved No Time to Die from the last spot on this list. The sound editing was spectacular, as were the motorcycle stunts in the action set piece. And we’ve never seen Bond look happier—except once before in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, which No Time to Die directly references with refrains from Louis Armstrong’s “We Have All the Time in the World”.
3. Skyfall
After the disappointment of Quantum of Solace, director Sam Mendes had his work cut out for him for the third Craig entry. And he came out all guns blazing with Skyfall. The film kicks off with a stunning, adrenaline-pumping action set piece. Bond is in the field with newbie Eve Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) chasing a valuable MacGuffin, and both of them have M (Judi Dench) at MI6 headquarters barking orders at them. Backing up M is Tanner (Rory Kinnear) and a huge team of agents ready to send medical evacs and pull security footage when needed. Bond is usually seen as a bit of lone wolf and the rest of MI6 are merely weapons in his arsenal, so Skyfall gave viewers a different perspective on Bond’s role and place within the organization.
The opening teaser is tightly shot and tense. Bond’s personality shines through as he attempts to risk his mission to save a colleague from bleeding out before begrudgingly following orders. He’s also an astute field operative which becomes obvious in the chase through Istanbul. Bond doesn’t need to be behind the wheel to help Moneypenny out.
The train fight scene is superbly choreographed and suspenseful. But nothing beats the cliffhanger. Moneypenny is ordered to take a shot despite the risk of hitting Bond, and winds up shooting him. Bond falls into the water and straight into the title sequence, with the audience left pondering his fate for almost five minutes.
Skyfall is regarded by many as one of the greatest entries in the franchise, and that tone is set by this tense opener.
2. Casino Royale
It’s hard to imagine that when Daniel Craig was first cast as James Bond, the announcement was met with vocal outrage. People were willing to write him off even before he’d shot a scene, but 15 years later Craig has helped rejuvenate the franchise.
With their backs against the wall, the creators of Casino Royale had to think outside the box. And they did! Adapted from the first book by Fleming, director Martin Campbell (who also helmed Goldeneye) introduces the new Bond in a completely black and white palette. We follow a corrupt MI6 section chief named Dryden (Malcolm Sinclair), who is so condescending towards Bond he might as well have been a stand-in for one of Craig’s critics. We learn through this scene that we’re meeting a very green Bond—he hasn’t even earned his 00 status yet, but he’s getting there.
Let’s be honest: we watch Bond films for the glamor and the high-octane action. There’s a tendency to forget that Bond is a spy first, so the creators made the smart move to tone down the action and focus more on that aspect of Bond’s role. The tension in the scene crescendos as the banter between Dryden and Bond plays out. We really don’t know who has the upper hand here. Interwoven with the almost static scenes in Dryden’s office is a raw and visceral fight between Bond and Dryden’s contact, in a restroom of all places. The flashbacks of the fight are grainy, a nod to both the franchise’s long history and even to the spoof Bond film of the same name.
The sequence closes with a witty remark from Bond welcoming viewers to a new era in the franchise.
1. Spectre
“The dead are alive” is the portentous title card of Spectre, which then fades into the now iconic opening sequence during Día de los Muertos, or Day of the Dead. The pre-title sequence weaves through a gigantic parade in the streets of Mexico City before settling on a masked couple heading into a hotel. It’s not long before the masks are off and the wearers revealed to be Bond and a soon-to-be-forgotten Bond girl, Estrella (Stephanie Sigman). Bond takes off to follow his quarry across rooftops.
While Skyfall arguably has the perfect Bond opener, Spectre pips it to the post by being daring. The first half of the opener is an almost five-minute long single take (in actuality some clever edits and CGI were used to remove the cuts) that sucks the audience into the scene. The technique is practically flawless and absolutely breath-taking. The camera weaves through the crowds and then zooms in to focus only on Bond and Estrella, keeping viewers in the moment. And then, when the camera follows Bond strolling across the rooftops, just watching Craig’s precise movements is enthralling.
And the teaser doesn’t end there! As the massive crowd enjoys the celebrations, Bond gets into fisticuffs in a helicopter. There’s a real sense of peril, not only for Bond but the hapless crowds beneath him, as Bond tries to fight off the villains and take control of the chopper. We’re left heaving a sigh of relief when Bond is victorious. But then the real mystery begins—what was that insignia on his quarry’s ring?
The gorgeous cinematography and camera work, plus the Day of the Dead setting, vaulted the pre-credits sequence in Spectre above the rest.