For some franchises, it's not the same unless they open up in a certain way. For over fifty years, the official James Bond films have always featured the iconic introduction. James Bond being aimed at by a gun barrel before he casually turns and shoots right at the camera. Together with the iconic Bond theme and blood dripping over the screen, the gun barrel intro is iconic.
This has resulted in each James Bond actor providing their own unique takes on the intro. Which ones did it the best and which did it the worst? In order to judge this, it will require judging the walk, the stance, the turn, the music, and the look of the gun barrel itself. So expect a lot of nitpicking.
Daniel Craig Ver. 2 - Quantum Of Solace
An argument can be made that this was not meant to be a traditional gun barrel sequence. It was meant to signify the end of Daniel Craig's Bond origin and he was now becoming the Bond we know and love. That is a fair argument to make.
Still, this gun barrel intro (or outro in this case) for Quantum Of Solace is just awful. Craig walks onto the screen way too fast and his final stance is a bit lacking; the lighting on Craig makes it hard to look at. The blood effect is really cheap looking and the gun barrel transitioning into the title of the film was an odd choice.
Daniel Craig Ver. 4 - Spectre
Four movies into the Daniel Craig era, fans were excited to see Daniel Craig finally start a movie with a classic gun barrel sequence. Unfortunately, it is another one that disappoints for different but equally annoying reasons. In a way, it reflects Spectre itself for some fans.
Daniel Craig's stride is much better, more casual, and his final stance is great. However, Craig is not even trying to hide the pistol, unlike other Bonds. The blood effect still looks half-done and the gun barrel is a bit tacky like they just imposed a drawing onto the scene. The gun barrel also just fades to black rather than widening onto an establishing shot.
Daniel Craig Ver. 3 - SkyFall
Once again, Daniel Craig was given a gun barrel outro in SkyFall. Director Sam Mendes stated that he felt that the gun barrel didn't work at the beginning because of his first shot. It's odd reasoning seeing how it opens up to a great shot of James Bond, so the gun barrel opening up to that actually would have been perfect.
This gun barrel scene features many of the same problems as the other two. Cheap blood and barrel, Craig's walk and stance are okay but the blood drips down way too fast. It makes up for it by transitioning to the celebration of Bond's fiftieth year afterward.
Roger Moore Ver. 1 - Live And Let Die
In Roger Moore's first outing as James Bond, he, of course, made his entrance via the gun barrel sequence. This gun barrel intro would be used for Live And Let Die and The Man With The Golden Gun.
Roger Moore's casual stride is great but the final stance is less than stellar. Roger Moore looks more awkward than cool in the final post and he seems off balance. There's less confidence in the pose but both feature really good versions of the Bond theme and great establishing shots.
George Lazenby Ver. - On Her Majesty's Secret Service
George Lazenby's one and only gun barrel scene is a bit of a mixed bag. The music is great and the blood effect wiping away James Bond as if it's coating the barrel hole is a nice touch. There is also a really pretty shimmering effect given to the barrel to make it look more metallic.
Lazenby's walk is good but there is a strange bit of tracking with the gun barrel. It almost makes it look like James Bond is just striding in place in a couple of spots. Finally, there's Lazenby's final stance which is odd; Bond twirls down onto his knee to shoot and it just looks awkward.
Sean Connery Ver. 1 - Dr. No
The very first gun barrel sequence in the franchise. It would be used for Dr. No, From Russia With Love, and Goldfinger respectively. It holds its place in history and without it, the gun barrel intro likely wouldn't have ever been a staple.
Now, this intro did not use Sean Connery but instead, it was a stuntman. With high-definition re-releases of the films, it is definitely noticeable that it's not Connery. That being said, it's still a good stride and final pose, even if the little hop Bond does is a little funny.
Sean Connery Ver. 2 - Thunderball
Starting with Thunderball, Sean Connery filmed the second gun barrel scene that would be used for the rest of his films until George Lazenby took over. Connery has a perfect stride and turn but his final stance is a little wobbly.
Still, it is a good intro scene that delivers that cool, suave, and casual nature of James Bond. Daniel Craig would even tribute Sean Connery's stance in nearly every gun barrel sequence of his own.
Sean Connery Ver. 3 - Diamonds Are Forever
After George Lazenby was only given one movie, Connery returned to the role in Diamonds Are Forever. The gun barrel introduction for that film is more or less the same as the previous Sean Connery ones.
What sets it apart is the improved gun barrel effect with shimmer effect a la On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It looks even better here and it's a shame that future Bond films would not use it.
Roger Moore Ver. 2 - The Spy Who Loved Me
Moore's second gun barrel intro is much better. The stride, the pose, the gun barrel effect: it's all perfectly done for a solid intro. This version of the gun barrel sequence would be used from The Spy Who Loved Me until the end of his tenure with different tweaks, music, and obviously, establishing shots.
There is an odd error in the gun barrel in For Your Eyes Only. It starts off great by first focusing on the grave of Bond's wife before moving over to him. However, instead of opening like usual, the gun barrel just cuts away.
Timothy Dalton Ver. - The Living Daylights
Timothy Dalton, AKA the most underrated Bond, featured a really good gun barrel intro used in both of his films. His stride is great and his final pose when firing the gun feels like a better version of what George Lazenby was going for. The blood effect is a nice, strong hue of red that more resembles the actual color of blood.
In a way, this gun barrel intro is the perfect precurse for this version of James Bond. It's darker, grittier, and more intense. The version used in License To Kill is even stronger due to the clearer look at Dalton and the more foreboding version of the Bond theme song.
Daniel Craig Ver. 1 - Casino Royale
The first and definitively best gun barrel intro for Daniel Craig. Rather than starting Casino Royale with it, it comes after James Bond earns his status as 007. One of the men he just fought attempts to surprise attack him and from the gun barrel's point of view, James Bond turns to shoot.
This Craig intro perfectly tributes other gun barrel sequences of the past. It's black and white like Sean Connery's, the gun barrel is a nice 3D effect like from Brosnan's era, and Craig's pose is similar to Dalton's era. Then as a bonus, the blood effect is the absolute best thus far and the way it transitions into the title sequence is beautifully done.
Pierce Brosnan Ver.
It has the perfect pace with a suave stride by Pierce Brosnan. The turn and pose are unique to his bond and capture the suave and cool nature of his version of Bond. The 3D effect of the gun barrel is beautiful and really should have been brought back for later Daniel Craig films.
Until Casino Royale came along, these films also had the best blood effect. The only slight complaint to be had is music that plays with GoldenEye: it is a strange remix. Luckily, later Brosnan films would use more traditional Bond themes. Die Another Day actually adds to the intro by having Bond's own bullet travel down the gun barrel; a small but nice touch.