I'll join in on the fun Hanzo is having. Who's your favorite director of the Bond movies? I'm going with Terence Young. I think I was able to handle both the less gadget-driven story-fueled movies (From Russia with Love) as well as the big budget blockbusters that define the series (Thunderball).

Who's yours?

Terence Young (Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Thunderball)
Guy Hamilton (Goldfinger, Diamonds are Forever, Live and Let Die, The Man With the Golden Gun)
Lewis Gilbert (You Only Live Twice, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker)
Peter Hunt (On Her Majesty's Secret Service)
John Glenn (For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, Licence to Kill)
Martin Campbell (GoldenEye, Casino Royale)
Roger Spottiswoode (Tomorrow Never Dies)
Michael Apted (The World is Not Enough)
Lee Tamahori (Die Another Day)

Arguments can certainly be made for Hamilton, Gilbert, Glenn and Campbell. Hamilton helped define the series with Goldfinger and made two good Moore films, Glenn directed more 007 flicks than anyone else and Campbell has shown a knack for revitalizing the series.

Some say Hunt got a raw deal, but he is notable for revolutionizing the way action movies are edited. I thought he did a nice job directing, personally.

Judging just by the Bond Movies, probably Lewis Guilbert. Yet Terence Young is a great director even beside the Bond Movies.

Goldfinger is the greatest Bond movie ever, ergo, Guy Hamilton is my favorite Bond director. But credit must also go to Terence Young, who set the tone by directing the first two movies.

And Young saw himself as Bond. (so did his family, I've seen interviews where they'd talk about how alike they were) I always thought that was kinda cool.

Tough to choose here; I'm torn between Terence Young and Martin Campbell.

Martin and Young by a country mile; Young by quite a big margin after that. He innovated the style and tone of the Bond films, so he wins.







How could the guy who directed Goldfinger direct those other three bags of sh!t?!?!?!

I love DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER. It veers away from the source quite a bit, but it's a very trippy movie, nonetheless.

I don't care for Moore, but LIVE AND LET DIE is a decent Moore flick. MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN is...well, not that good, but Christopher Lee's performance redeems it somewhat.

That aside, I have to agree with the consensus: It's really between Terence Young and Martin Campbell. I'm kind of torn as to which is better. On the one hand, Young really set the right initial tone for the series. On the other hand, Campbell reinvigorated it twice.

I guess I'll give it to Young because GOLDENEYE, as good as it was, did mock the Bond formula a bit. To me, it loses some points for that.

Also, he had Connery at his best.

Tough choice.

However, I can say Tamahori is the WORST Bond director ever.

As much as I loved Casino Royale, I'll have to go with Young.

Rafael should make a "Worst Bond Director?" thread.

Hopefully Marc Foster won't join the ranks of "worst."