The James Bond franchise has become one of the most iconic movie series of all time. From Sean Connery to Daniel Craig, each actor to play 007 brought their own unique brand of glamour to the character, allowing the franchise to constantly reinvent itself. Alongside the ever-changing actors, James Bond is a franchise (and indeed, a character) defined by its commitment to death-defying stunts.
Some of these stunts have truly cemented themselves in cinematic history for several different reasons. Whether that’s the Bond franchise consistently setting new records, or even making silly film-making mistakes that make it into the final cut, each of these stunts has endeared itself to audiences across generations. While modern technology has helped CGI progress rapidly, the Bond franchise is renowned for its commitment to practical effects wherever possible, and that includes its incredible stunt work.
10 Mustang Alley
Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
Sean Connery’s final outing as 007 came in Diamonds Are Forever, as he embarks on one final mission to foil Blofeld’s plan of destroying Washington D.C. with a space-based laser. One of the most iconic moments of the movie is when Bond is escaping from the police in a Ford Mustang in Las Vegas. Approaching a narrow alleyway, he asks his passenger to move to one side and manages to squeeze the car through the alleyway on just two wheels in a precarious game of balance.
Diamonds Are Forever
attempts to explain this mistake with an in-car shot that seems to flip the car, but this does little to overcome the error.
This stunt, achieved entirely through practical effects and the work of real-life stunt drivers, has become iconic not just for Bond’s ability to balance a car on two wheels, but for the critical mistake that occurs after the stunt is performed. The Mustang enters the alley on its right-hand wheels and leaves on its left. Diamonds are Forever attempts to explain this mistake with an in-car shot that seems to flip the car, but this does little to overcome the error. Ultimately, this mistake is what makes the Mustang Alley stunt such an iconic and enthralling part of Bond’s history of stunt work.
9 Cable Car Fight
Moonraker (1979)
Moonraker, starring Roger Moore in his fourth outing as Bond, sees the spy investigate the disappearance of a space shuttle, a mission that eventually takes him to outer space. However, Moonraker‘s best stunt happens on Earth, in Rio de Janeiro to be exact. Set against the backdrop of Sugarloaf Mountain, Bond battles with the towering Jaws (Richard Kiel) in a dramatic fight sequence on a moving cable car hundreds of feet above the ground.
While some of the more action-intensive moments were shot on the ground at Pinewood Studios, much of the wide-angle footage was filmed on location in Rio. The cable cars were all real, with stuntpeople and coordinators having to work at the dizzying heights seen in the film in order to perfect the sequence. Vertigo-inducing heights, gritty action, and an incredible set piece, while Moonraker is known for some absurd moments, its cable car fight is the true epitome of how to perform a truly incredible James Bond stunt.
8 Crocodile Bridge
Live And Let Die (1973)
Roger Moore’s first outing as James Bond came in Live and Let Die, where Bond is thrust into a world of gangsters and voodoo magic as he attempts to overthrow an international drug organization. Live and Let Die also includes one of the most incredible stunts in the entire franchise. When Bond is trapped on a small island surrounded by crocodiles, he uses his quick thinking to lure the crocodiles into forming a makeshift bridge, before gracefully running across them.
Related Live And Let Die’s Terrifying Crocodile Jump BTS Makes The Movie Better
Live And Let Die marked Roger Moore’s Bond debut and featured a stunt involving crocodiles, which behind-the-scenes video reveals was terrifying.
What makes Live and Let Die‘s landmark stunt so iconic is the fact that real crocodiles were used while filming. While the stunt was performed by stuntman and crocodile expert Ross Kananga, this does not make it any less impressive. It is probably one of the most dangerous stunts ever performed in the Bond franchise, with one wrong move potentially leading to a nasty encounter with the crocodiles.
7 Aston Martin Barrel Roll
Casino Royale (2006)
There was a lot riding on the shoulders of Daniel Craig’s first appearance as 007 in Casino Royale, as the franchise attempted to reinvent itself for a modern audience. The movie certainly succeeded in this regard, being helped a lot by one of the most unforgettable moments in the series. During a high-speed car chase, Bond is driving an Aston Martin DBS, swerves violently to avoid hitting the tied up Vesper (Eva Green), and ends up flipping the car multiple times as it barrels down a hill.
In total, the DBS flipped a whopping seven times before eventually stopping, making this stunt full of action, but also the product of meticulous planning and coordination.
The stunt itself was 100% real, with the team using a gas-powered cannon to launch the Aston Martin in this way, all with a stunt driver inside. However, what truly makes the barrel roll stand out is the fact that it was awarded a Guinness World Record for most cannon-powered rolls of a car in history. In total, the DBS flipped a whopping seven times before eventually stopping, making this stunt full of action, but also the product of meticulous planning and coordination.
6 Motorbike Rooftop Chase
Skyfall (2012)
Skyfall is often regarded as one of the best Bond movies made, and part of its success can surely be attributed to its incredible action sequences. Of these, the most iconic comes at the beginning of Skyfall, where Bond pursues mercenary Patrice (Ola Rapace) across the rooftops of Istanbul’s Grand Bazaar. Sounds simple enough, until one realizes that the chase happens with both characters on motorbikes.
Related James Bond: Why Skyfall Killed Off Judi Dench’s M
Skyfall saw the demise of Dame Judi Dench’s ‘M’ after an almost 20-year run, but why was she killed off in the 23rd James Bond film?
The stunt team had to use specially modified bikes in order to handle the rough terrain of the rooftops and the extremely tight spaces of the Bazaar itself. Extra suspension and modified tires gave the bikes more grip, and the rooftops were reinforced to support the weight. While some CGI was used, the efforts of the stunt drivers and the production team in creating such a feat of heart-stopping action earned Skyfall‘s motorbike chase a spot on this list.
5 Dam Bungee Jump
GoldenEye (1995)
After a six-year hiatus, Bond returned (as Pierce Brosnan) with a bang in 1995’s GoldenEye. It was a much anticipated return for 007, with audiences expecting great things. They certainly weren’t disappointed. One of GoldenEye‘s opening scenes sees Bond running along a dam, securing himself with a bungee rope, before leaping off into the abyss.
It’s a masterclass in how to execute a Bond stunt – there are no explosions, no chase, just James Bond, a bungee cord, and a jump.
This stunt is incredible, primarily because of how it introduced the world to the new era of 007, perfectly setting the tone for Brosnan’s tenure as the spy. However, the execution of the stunt itself also earns it some flowers, with the entire sequence being shot on location at the Verzasca Dam in Switzerland. It’s a masterclass in how to execute a Bond stunt – there are no explosions, no chase, just James Bond, a bungee cord, and a jump. It’s simple, but it’s perfect.
4 Crane Fight
Casino Royale (2006)
Casino Royale is a movie that is full of incredible stunts, such as the Aston Martin barrel roll, but none come as close to stunt perfection as the crane fight. This sequence, set on a building site in Madagscar, sees Bond chasing down a bomb-maker. The chase eventually leads the two to clash atop a massive crane, hundreds of feet in the air. It’s heart-pumping action like this that made Casino Royale such a good opening movie for Daniel Craig’s iteration of Bond.
Related The Original Casino Royale Movie Made Daniel Craig’s Darkest Bond Scene Even Worse
Daniel Craig’s first Bond outing featured the 007 franchise’s darkest scene, but the version in 1967’s Casino Royale might just be worse.
2
The stunt team worked with parkour experts to make the sequence as authentic as possible. Indeed, the man that Bond is chasing, Mollaka, was portrayed by French free runner Sébastien Foucan, a man who was able to advise on how best to execute the scene. Craig has said that Casino Royale‘s crane fight was the most challenging stunt of his time as Bond, due to the actor’s fear of heights and the precision involved with navigating the cranes at such a dizzying altitude.
3 Record-Breaking Explosion
Spectre (2015)
Spectre proved to be one of the most unique entries in the Bond franchise, seeing 007 face the ghosts of his past, as well as a contemporary reimagining of his archenemy, Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). In one of Spectre‘s most memorable scenes, 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 achieved with CGI, think again.
Spectre’s explosion also had to be shot in a single take, making the destruction of Blofeld’s base all the more impressive to watch.
Spectre‘s massive explosion was actually achieved largely with practical effects, namely 24 charges of explosives and nearly 8,000 liters of fuel. The stunt would also go on to set a Guinness World Record for being the largest movie explosion ever, truly cementing its place as one of the most ambitious and well-executed Bond scenes of all time. Spectre’s explosion also had to be shot in a single take, making the destruction of Blofeld’s base all the more impressive to watch.
2 Skiing Off A Cliff
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
One of the most beloved stunts, not just in James Bond, but in cinematic history, occurs in The Spy Who Loved Me. Roger Moore’s third outing as Bond also saw the spy embark on 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. It looks as though all is lost, before the spy deploys his iconic Union Jack parachute and safely finishes the descent.
Related Every Roger Moore James Bond Movie, Ranked Worst To Best
Roger Moore is the James Bond movie franchise’s longest-serving 007, and here are all seven of his adventures ranked from worst to best.
The stunt was performed by professional skier and stuntman Rick Sylvester, who leaped off Mount Asgard in Canada for this particular stunt. At a cost of $500,000, this seemingly simple maneuver became the most expensive movie stunt in cinematic history at the time. From the ski-jump, to the moment when Bond is suspended in mid-air, to the breath of relief when his parachute is deployed, everything about this stunt in The Spy Who Loved Me is pure action movie gold.
1 The Corkscrew Hornet Jump
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974)
The Man with the Golden Gun is one of the most beloved Bond stories ever. Moore reprises his role as 007, taking on the iconic villain Scaramanga (Christopher Lee), whose solid gold weapon lends its name to the movie’s title. In one of 007’s most iconic scenes of all time, Bond is chasing Scaramanga in his AMC Hornet and has to cross a broken bridge. With a leap of faith, and a corny sound effect to go with it, Bond is able to make the Hornet perform a perfect corkscrew spin before landing safely on the other side of the river.
The mathematical precision involved in this stunt is unlike anything seen in the Bond series before or since, with the car having to hit the ramp at exactly 48 miles per hour to execute the corkscrew effectively.
In a time before CGI was capable of such a feat, the Hornet corkscrew was performed entirely practically, with the help of stunt driver Loren “Bumps” Willert. The mathematical precision involved in this stunt is unlike anything seen in the Bond series before or since, with the car having to hit the ramp at exactly 48 miles per hour to execute the corkscrew effectively.
The accuracy, the danger, and the stakes involved all combine to make The Man with the Golden Gun‘s corkscrew jump the greatest James Bond stunt of all time. It may be corny, and relatively small in scale, but this does not take anything away from the ambition and precision of such a feat in the James Bond movie.
James Bond
The James Bond franchise follows the adventures of British secret agent 007 as he combats global threats. With a license to kill, Bond faces off against various villains and criminal organizations, employing high-tech gadgets, espionage, and charm. The series spans multiple films, featuring exotic locations, thrilling action sequences, and memorable characters. Bond’s mission to protect the world and uphold justice remains central, making the franchise an enduring icon in the spy genre.
Created by Ian Fleming , Albert R. Broccoli First Film Dr. No Latest Film No Time to Die Upcoming Films James Bond 26 First TV Show Fleming: The Man Who Would be Bond First Episode Air Date January 29, 2014 Cast Sean Connery , George Lazenby , Roger Moore , Timothy Dalton , Pierce Brosnan , Daniel Craig Expand