Even when a Bond film is less-than-stellar (to put it mildly), it might get some redeeming value with an awesome title sequence and a kick-ass song to boot. I have for several years contemplated this aspect of Bond films from many perspectives and have determined the ones I find best suited for a good martini, shaken, not stirred.
This is TheNorm's Top 5 James Bond Title Sequences & Theme Songs.
#5
The World is Not Enough
Performed by Garbage
Yes, your eyes do not deceive you; a James Bond theme song is performed by a band named Garbage. The most ironic aspect of this strange paring is the song, at least to me, is pretty good.
I enjoy the overall sound and attitude of the song. It's arguably from the perspective of the twist villain in the film, which I find fairly clever, and it makes wonderful use of orchestral instruments to create a classical yet modern feel. The lyrics might not be the best, but they're fine enough for this kind of song.
The opening sequence that accompanies the song is pretty clever. It has a fun use of 60s era tye-dye colors along with some clever oil-based tableaus.
The song may be in service to one of Bond's less memorable adventures, but at least it's a decent intro that performs its job adequately. Plus, it's nice to listen to on its own.
#4
Thunderball
Performed by Tom Jones
While Goldfinger and From Russia with Love will remain some of the highlights of Sir Sean Connery's run as Agent 007, Thunderball remains my favorite of them; both the film itself and its theme song. Admittedly, the opening sequence that accompanies the song is not quite as visually striking or as memorable as others, mostly due to how repetitive it is. However, at least it still pertains to what can be expected from the film.
Tom Jones' voice is genuinely stunning and has a sense of power that matches the feeling of being a cool secret agent. Fun fact, apparently, when recording the song, Tom Jones had no idea what it was all about. Even so, you likely would not have even suspected upon hearing it. That's another surprise talent of Tom Jones; he can put conviction and presence into a song without even realizing it.
#3
The Man With The Golden Gun
Performed by Lulu
While the movie has a stunning performance from the late Christopher Lee as the titular villain, there is no denying that the movie's theme song is the real star of the show. It's catchy, cleverly lyrical, and has some of the best sick guitar riffs in a Bond theme song. Not to mention Lulu's voice is clear, in tune, and unusually creative, especially whenever she mentions The Golden Gun itself.
The title sequence for this song may not be as versatile as others, but it still retains some clever visuals. It also gains some bonus points for a well-timed surprise in the middle. If you've seen the movie, you might know what I'm talking about. If you haven't seen it yet, check it out. It's one of the more "good cheese" Bond films.
#2
Goldeneye
Performed by Tina Turner
Goldeneye has a reputation of being one of the best Bond films ever, and for many good reasons: it was the first (and arguably best) Bond film to star Pierce Brosnan in the lead role, it helped solidity Martin Campbell as a director who knows how to revitalize classic properties (most of the time), it spawned one of the best tie-in video games ever made, and it was the first "original" Bond film, as in not directly based on any of Ian Fleming's novels. Also, needless to say, it has one of the best theme songs and title sequences ever.
The song feels sleek, sexy, and mischievous. It cleverly hints at what the film's story is about with mentions of revenge and "superior cleverness." Tina Turner carries the song with a cool sense of attitude that only she can deliver. Listening to her hit some of the high notes makes the song all the more awesome.
Speaking of awesome, the title sequences perfectly accompanies the song. While it features the traditional exotic dancing women (a tradition of Bond title sequences), it takes everything a step further by providing vivid and highly symbolic imagery. Everything shown in the title sequence has some kind of double meaning or surprise perception. What starts out looking like skyscrapers suddenly reveals to be guns, or a seemingly innocent woman is revealed to be two-faced and has a darker side. All of the images succeed in providing clues as to the story without being too obvious. It's a fun and energetic opening worthy of a great Bond film.
#1
You Know My Name
From Casino Royale (2006)
Performed by Chris Cornell
Not only is this my favorite Bond film with Daniel Craig in the lead role, not only is it the second time director Martain Campbell successfully revitalized the Bond franchise, and not only does this have some of the best writing ever utilized for a Bond film, but it may very well be my absolute favorite theme song and title sequence to boot. From the moment the song begins with a clever new spin on the iconic image of Bond firing down the barrel of his would-be killer's gun, and that unbelievably awesome guitar riff hits the speakers, I knew that I was in for a wild ride with this movie!
The title sequence looks amazing. It's a perfect blend of classic 60s style animation with modern techniques. The incorporation of playing cards aesthetics, such as flying bullets shaped like spades, is cleverly implemented. It's a title sequence that promises great action and cool storytelling all in one package.
As performed by Chris Cornell, the song is a wonderful capsulation of how this iteration of Bond will go down. A darker and somewhat grounded version that is conflicted with what kind of agent he will ultimately become, as evidenced by lyrics like:
"If you take a life, do you know what you'll give?
Odds are you won't like what it is."
This was the heavy dose of rock & roll that Bond needed at the time. It was a huge surge of enjoyable energy then, and it still holds up today. While I must admit that I am now a bit tired of the studio continuing to force Daniel Craig to remain in the role (especially when someone like Idris Elba has earned his fair shot at the role many times over), Casino Royale will forever remain my favorite of his Bond films.
In case you're wondering, Skyfall is my second favorite, primarily for Roger Deakins and his ever-gorgeous cinematography.
There you have it, my wonderful readers. If you'd like to hear these songs and see their title sequences, you can find links to their videos on YouTube below.
Ladies & gentlemen, the name's Norm...TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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