Summary

• Never Say Never Again was voted the worst James Bond movie, but this claim is debatable, as many of the franchise's films have flaws.
• A UK poll ranked Skyfall as the best James Bond movie, and Never Say Never Again as the worst, but the latter's unofficial status and production issues may have influenced this.
• Never Say Never Again is not even the worst Bond movie starring Sean Connery, with Diamonds Are Forever and Thunderball being notably harder to watch.

According to a UK poll, 1983's Never Say Never Again is the worst James Bond movie, but this claim is debatable. James Bond has helmed some incredible projects over the years, but like any cinema legend with dozens of appearances under his belt, he's also headlined some duds. Even the worst James Bond movies tend to have something positive in them despite making fans of the franchise cringe. With so many official and unofficial outings for the character, some are bound to be less well-received than others — though the consensus on the worst film is rather surprising.

In a UK poll conducted by WilliamHillVegas, Skyfall ranked as the top James Bond movie ever. The 2012 Daniel Craig movie narrowly defeated Goldfinger, with the franchise’s most recent outing, No Time To Die coming, in third. However, one interesting takeaway from the poll’s results was which movie UK voters thought was the worst in the franchise. 1983’s contentious Never Say Never Again, which isn’t part of the official Eon films James Bond canon, ranked last out of 007’s cinematic outings. Whether the movie deserved to be placed so low is up for debate, as there are certainly worse Bond projects out there.

Why Never Say Never Again Was Voted The Worst James Bond Movie

Never Say Never Again was released in 1983 and directed by Irvin Kershner, who is otherwise most notable for directing The Empire Strikes Back. The movie isn’t even listed in Screen Rant’s official James Bond movie ranking, as its difficult production means it is not part of the official Eon Films James Bond canon. Never Say Never Again marks Sean Connery’s last appearance as Bond, with the actor returning to the role 12 years after he last played 007 in Diamonds Are Forever. The plot sees Bond investigating SPECTRE’s attempts to steal nuclear warheads, with Never Say Never Again poking good-natured fun at Connery’s age in the process.

While his 007 struggles to stay spry in Never Say Never Again, Connery was actually younger than his replacement Roger Moore. Never Say Never Again was a box office success, grossing over $160 million, but has earned a reputation as a cash-in over the decades since its release. This is likely due to the messy legal battle that preceded the movie’s production, as well as the fact that Never Say Never Again is not technically part of the official franchise canon. However, when viewed as a standalone movie without its messy production history in mind, Never Say Never Again is a surprisingly solid Bond adventure.

Never Say Never Again Isn't The Worst James Bond Movie (It's Not Even Sean Connery's Worst)

Not only is Never Say Never Again not the worst Bond movie, it is arguably not even Connery’s worst run as 007. Both the underwritten Diamonds Are Forever and the outrageously corny Thunderball are worse Connery outings. One Bond producer even famously bemoaned the fact that every 007 movie begins with the creators wanting to make From Russia With Love, only to end up with another Thunderball. On this note, Craig’s worst outing Quantum of Solace is his Thunderball, and that movie certainly isn’t as strong as Never Say Never Again. Meanwhile, Brosnan’s final movie, Die Another Day, is weaker than both those installments.

Moore’s movies also offer a lot of options for viewers trying to find the worst 007 outing, with Octopussy being about as clever as its title and The Man with the Golden Gun epitomizing 007 at his most forgettable. Dalton’s brief two-movie run largely escapes criticism. However, Brosnan’s The World Is Not Enough is a great villain and Craig’s Spectre is filled with regrettable twists and silly moments that puncture tension. As such, Never Say Never Again’s campy charms look pretty good in comparison to the movie’s inconsistent competition.

Never Say Never Again Shouldn't Really Be Included In The "Worst James Bond Movie" Debate

Since it is not an official part of the James Bond canon, it feels somewhat unfair for Never Say Never Again to be lumped in among the Eon films in a debate about the worst Bond movie. However subconscious it might be, viewers are more likely to select the unofficial entry as the worst in a series when given the option. Although Never Say Never Again does have its flaws, it seems unlikely these contributed to this movie's loss in the UK poll. After all, watching Connery quip his way through the ittedly chaotic Never Say Never Again is preferable to experiencing the dour, incomprehensible Quantum of Solace.

Similarly, although Craig’s stellar Rotten Tomatoes record proves his 007 was popular with critics and audiences alike, the fact that none of the franchise’s other actors ever starred in a non-Eon movie feels unfair to Connery. The actor was so unsure about returning to his most iconic role that Never Say Never Again was named after his famous comment about playing 007 one more time. Never Say Never Again is filled with in-jokes alluding to Connery’s troubled relationship with Bond, and these meta-gags make up for set pieces that never fully gel and a messy plot.

Why Never Say Never Again Didn't Hurt Sean Connery's James Bond Legacy

Even if Never Say Never Again is dubbed the “worst" James Bond movie because of this poll, it doesn't hurt Connery’s 007 legacy. For one, Never Say Never Again’s critical reception was surprisingly solid at the time of its release. Even the rare retrospective reviews that look back on the movie struggle to claim that it's worse than most of Moore's outings. Furthermore, the fact that Never Say Never Again is unofficial helps the movie’s case, as it can’t technically tarnish Connery’s Bond reputation since it isn’t part of the canon.

Additionally, almost all Bond actors had inconsistent runs. Brosnan’s Bond had bad movies, Moore starred in plenty of misfires, and even Craig had a flop or two. As such, Connery’s reputation is safe from any damage that Never Say Never Again may have caused. Connery’s Bond influenced every version of the character that followed and helped shape an entire genre of blockbusters, so the actor was always guaranteed a little grace when it came to his lesser outings. However, the fact that Never Say Never Again isn’t even a bad movie doesn't hurt (even if the recent poll suggests otherwise).