Keeping with my theme of wrapping up “The 007 Files” with the release of Skyfall on Blu Ray tomorrow and the fact that I’ve watched all 23 official Bond films in a very short amount of time, today we add my (00) 7 Best Bond Girls.
Of course, this is just my personal opinion and I’m sure 007 lovers might strenuously disagree with my picks, but here they are. Please note that this list does not include female Bond villains… there’s going to be another blog post for greatest villains later this week. These are the officials “Bond girls” who wanna love James, not fight him.
Without further adieu, my picks for the seven greatest women in 007’s life.
7. Octopussy (Maud Adams) in Octopussy
Ms. Adams actually has the distinction of playing two totally different Bond gals, once in 1974’s The Man with the Golden Gun and here, as the title character in 1983’s Roger Moore entry. Her character is pretty badass and she even has a totally hot army of women she trains.
6. Teresa di Vicenzo (Diana Rigg) in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
I am standing firm in my belief that OHMSS is pretty damn overrated (some consider it the best Bond film… not this guy). However, the movie does have the distinction of having Rigg’s character, referred to as Tracy, being the first gal to steal 007’s heart. He even marries her! The marriage, alas, is extraordinarily short-lived. Rigg, well-known from the TV series “The Avengers”, is a bright spot in an otherwise very uneven Bond flick.
5. Pussy Galore (Honor Blackman) in Goldfinger
She certainly has a memorable name and is considered by many to be Bond’s greatest girl. I wouldn’t go quite that far, but Blackman gives a winning performance in one of the very best 007 pictures. Bond’s introduction to her is a classic.
4. Anya Amasova (Barbara Bach) in The Spy Who Loved Me
Roger Moore’s best 007 movie has the best girl he got to romance, KGB agent Anya. Barbara Bach’s performance is average, but it’s the dynamic of her character with Bond that makes her interesting. It seems James killed her boyfriend on a previous mission (something Anya doesn’t discover until later in the picture). The backstory between 007 and Anya is well-written and gives Bach a role to play that’s not your typical Bond gal.
3. Tatiana Romanova (Daniela Bianchi) in From Russia with Love
Tatiana is the second main Bond gal and she’s a great one. Stunningly beautiful, Daniela Bianchi has a wonderful chemistry with Sean Connery. Her character is also notable for a memorable scene in which leered at by Rosa Klebb, the main villain. The homosexual undertones were pretty darn risque for 1963.
2. Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) in Casino Royale
Vesper, played in a fine performance from Eva Green, makes Bond fall the hardest he has for any girl since that brief marriage 27 years before (in movie release time). Daniel Craig’s chemistry with Green is wonderful. We actually believe he’d want to quit MI6 to be with her.
1. Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) in Dr. No
Just because Dr. No is the first 007 picture doesn’t mean it’s the best (it’s not) or has the best villain (it doesn’t). But I’ll be damned if it doesn’t have the best girl with Ursula Andress playing Honey Ryder, whose entrance coming out of the ocean is legendary. Is her character particularly fascinating? Truthfully, no. Andress is absolutely gorgeous, though, and her interplay with Connery works quite well. This is the Bond gal that all others are measured against. Some others have come very close, but not quite Ursula territory.
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