James Bond The franchise has become one of the most iconic film series of all time. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, every actor who has played 007 has brought their own unique glamor to the character, allowing the franchise to continually reinvent itself. Along with a revolving cast of actors, James Bond is a franchise (and, indeed, a character) defined by its commitment to death-defying stunts.
Some of these stunts have truly gone down in cinematic history for several reasons. Be it The Bond franchise consistently sets new recordsor even making silly mistakes while making a film that end up in the final cut, each of these stunts have endeared themselves to audiences across generations. While modern technology has helped the rapid development of computer graphics, the Bond franchise is known for its dedication to practical effects where possible, including incredible stunt work.
10
Mustang Alley
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Sean Connery’s last appearance as 007 Diamonds are foreveras he embarks on one last mission to foil Blofeld’s plan to destroy Washington DC with a space laser. One of the most iconic moments in the film is when Bond escapes from the police in a Ford Mustang in Las Vegas. Approaching a narrow alley, he asks his passenger to step aside and manages to squeeze the car down the alley on just two wheels in a dangerous game of balance.
Diamonds are forever tries to explain away the mistake with a car shot that appears to flip the car, but it does little to correct the mistake.
This stunt, performed entirely through practical effects and the work of real stuntmen, became iconic not only because of Bond’s ability to balance a car on two wheels, but also because of the critical error that occurs after performing the stunt. The Mustang enters the lane on the right wheels and exits on the left. Diamonds are forever tries to explain away the mistake with a car shot that appears to flip the car, but it does little to correct the mistake. Ultimately, it was this mistake that made the Mustang Alley stunt such an iconic and exciting part of Bond stunt work history.
9
Cable car wrestling
Moonraker (1979)
MoonrakerThe film stars Roger Moore in his fourth film as Bond as a spy investigates the disappearance of a space shuttle, a mission that will ultimately take him into outer space. However, Moonrakerthe best trick happens on earthMore precisely, in Rio de Janeiro. With Sugarloaf Mountain as a backdrop, Bond battles the towering Jaws (Richard Kiel) in a dramatic fight scene on a moving zip line hundreds of feet above the ground.
While some of the action was shot on location at Pinewood Studios, much of the wide-angle footage was shot on location in Rio. All the cable cars were real, and the stuntmen and coordinators had to work at the dizzying heights shown in the film to perfect the scene. Dizzying heights, gritty action and incredible scenery, while Moonraker known for some absurd momentshis The zip line fight is the epitome of how to pull off a truly incredible James Bond stunt.
8
Crocodile Bridge
Live and Let Die (1973)
Roger Moore’s first appearance as James Bond Live and let diewhere Bond finds himself in a world of gangsters and voodoo magic while trying to overthrow an international drug organization. Live and let die also features one of the most incredible stunts in the entire franchise. When Bond finds himself trapped on a small island surrounded by crocodiles, he uses his quick thinking to lure the crocodiles into a makeshift bridge before gracefully running across them.
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What does Live and let dieThe iconic gimmick of this film is the fact that real crocodiles were used during filming. Although the stunt was performed by stuntman and crocodile expert Ross Kananga, that doesn’t make it any less impressive. Arguably one of the most dangerous stunts ever performed in the Bond franchise, one wrong move can lead to a nasty encounter with crocodiles.
7
Aston Martin Barrel Roll
Casino Royale (2006)
A lot depended on Daniel Craig’s first appearance as 007 in the film. Casino Royaleas the franchise attempted to reinvent itself for modern audiences. In this regard, the film certainly succeeds, aided in large part by one of the series’ most memorable moments. During a high-speed chase, Bond drives an Aston Martin DBS, swerves sharply to avoid hitting a tied-up Vesper (Eva Green), and ends up flipping the car several times as it speeds down a hill.
In total, the DBS flipped as many as seven times before eventually stopping, making the stunt full of action but also the product of careful planning and coordination.
The stunt itself was 100% real: the team used a gas cannon to launch the Aston Martin this way, all with a stunt driver inside. However, what really makes the barrel stand out is the fact that it has been included in the Guinness Book of World Records for the most flipping of a gun-powered car in history. In total, the DBS flipped as many as seven times before eventually stopping, making the stunt full of action but also the product of careful planning and coordination.
6
Rooftop motorcycle chase
Skyfall (2012)
Skyfall is often considered one of the best Bond films, and part of its success can undoubtedly be attributed to its incredible action scenes. Of these, the most significant comes at the beginning Skyfallwhere Bond chases mercenary Patrice (Ola Rapace) across the rooftops of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. Sounds simple enough until you realize that the chase takes place with both characters on motorcycles.
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The stunt team had to use specially modified bicycles to cope with the rugged terrain of the rooftops and the extremely narrow spaces of the bazaar itself. Additional suspension and modified tires gave the bikes better traction, and the roofs were reinforced to support the weight. Even though CGI was used, the efforts of the stuntmen and production team to create such breathtaking action paid off. SkyfallMotorcycle chase has a place on this list.
5
Bungee jumping from the dam
GoldenEye (1995)
After a six-year hiatus, Bond returned (as Pierce Brosnan) with renewed vigor in 1995. Golden Eye. It was the long-awaited return of 007 and audiences were expecting a lot. They certainly weren’t disappointed. One of Golden EyeIn the opening scenes, Bond runs along a dam, strapped on a cable, before jumping into the abyss.
This is a master class in Bond stunts – no explosions, no chase, just James Bond, a bungee cord and a jump.
This stunt is incredible, primarily because it introduced the world to a new era of 007, perfectly setting the tone for Brosnan’s tenure as a spy. However, the execution of the stunt itself also deserves some praise: the entire scene is filmed at the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland. This is a master class in Bond stunts – no explosions, no chase, just James Bond, a bungee cord and a jump. It’s simple but perfect.
4
Crane fight
Casino Royale (2006)
Casino Royale this is a movie full of incredible stunts, like the Aston Martin barrel roll, but none of them come as close to stunt perfection as the crane fight. In this episode, set on a construction site in Madagscar, Bond pursues a bomb maker. The chase eventually leads to the two colliding on top of a huge crane hundreds of feet in the air. It was such a heartbreaking action that forced Casino Royale such a good opening film for Daniel Craig’s version of Bond.
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The stunt team worked with parkour experts to make the scene as authentic as possible. Indeed, the man Bond is pursuing, Mollaka, was played by French runner Sébastien Foucan, a man who could advise on how best to play the scene. Craig said that Casino RoyaleThe crane fight was the most difficult stunt of his time as Bond due to the actor’s fear of heights and the precision of operating cranes at such dizzying heights.
3
Record explosion
Ghost (2015)
Ghost turned out to be one of the most unique works in the Bond franchise.seeing 007 confront the ghosts of his past, as well as a modern re-imagining of his nemesis Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). In one of GhostIn the most memorable scene, Blofeld’s base in the desert is destroyed by Bond, who watches from afar as it is engulfed in a fiery explosion. For those who think this scene was created using CGI, think again.
The Specter explosion also had to be filmed in one take, making the destruction of Blofeld’s base even more impressive.
GhostThe powerful explosion was actually achieved largely due to the practical consequences, namely 24 explosive charges and almost 8,000 liters of fuel. The stunt also entered the Guinness Book of World Records as the biggest movie explosion ever, truly cementing its place as one of the most ambitious and well-executed Bond scenes of all time. GhostThe explosion also had to be filmed in one take, making the destruction of Blofeld’s base even more impressive.
2
Skiing off a cliff
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
One of the most beloved stunts not only in a James Bond film, but in the history of cinema, takes place in The Spy Who Loved Me. Roger Moore’s third outing as Bond also saw the spy pull off potentially the most ambitious stunt of the entire franchise. In a moment of timeless stunt magic, Bond skis to the edge of a cliff before jumping off. All seems lost before the spy deploys his famous Union Jack parachute and completes his descent safely.
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Performed the trick professional skier and stuntman Rick Sylvesterwho jumped off Mount Asgard in Canada for this stunt. This seemingly simple maneuver, which cost $500,000, became the most expensive stunt in cinema history at the time. From the ski jump to the moment Bond hangs in the air to the sigh of relief when his parachute opens, this stunt is all about The Spy Who Loved Me this is pure action movie gold.
1
Corkscrew Hornet Jump
The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
The Man with the Golden Gun is one of the most beloved Bond stories. Moore reprises his role as 007, taking on the role of iconic villain Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), whose solid gold weapon inspired the film’s title. In one of the most iconic 007 scenes of all time: Bond chases Scaramanga in his AMC Hornet and is forced to cross a broken bridge.. Through faith and a corny sound effect, Bond is able to force the Hornet into a perfect spin before landing safely on the other side of the river.
The mathematical precision involved in this stunt is unlike anything seen in a Bond series before or since: the car had to hit the ramp at exactly 78 mph to effectively perform the spin.
Before CGI was capable of such a feat, Hornet’s spin was performed entirely practically, with assistance from stuntwoman Lauren “Bumps” Willerta. The mathematical precision involved in this stunt is unlike anything seen in a Bond series before or since: the car had to hit the ramp at exactly 78 mph to effectively perform the spin.
Precision, danger and stakes all combine to make The Man with the Golden GunThe corkscrew jump is James Bond’s greatest stunt of all time. It may be trivial and relatively small in scale, but that takes nothing away from the ambition and precision of such a feat in James Bond movie.