James Bond movies are a bit of a Marmite “love them or hate them” type of thing. But it seems most people are firmly in the latter camp – and here are five good reasons why we love the peculiarly British super-spy:

Goldfinger (1964)

“Goldfinger” has many great moments to choose from but the best has to be the Aston Martin DBS car chase. This is the first Bond movie where our hero really gets to use all his tricks and gimmicks in a high speed chase. Among these are smokescreens and oil jets as we speed along the road.

However, it isn’t enough to stop Bond from getting caught and being forced to drive at high speeds with a gun to his head. But then, of course, the ejector seat comes into play – a gimmick Bond had previously scoffed at when it was first shown to him!

Diamonds Are Forever (1971)

In this movie, there is a scene where James Bond follows a villain (Bert Saxby) who has stolen diamonds with him. It gets really surreal, though, when he goes into a secret US Government base near Las Vegas. Bond is following him and when they’re inside, our hero poses as a scientist to get the diamonds back. But during this process, Bond comes across a sound stage where the Apollo 11 moon landing is apparently being filmed with the astronaut-actors walking around slowly swaying arms like they’re in space – and helping to spawn more moon landing doubters en route!

The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)

There are many great moments in this movie – but one that stands out is the point where a Lotus Esprit becomes a mini submarine. Bond and the inevitable girl by his side are trying to evade capture by a helicopter when our hero suddenly drives the Lotus into water where it becomes the so-called “Wet Nellie” mini-submarine, at which point James says: “Alone at last.”

Casino Royale (2006)

One of the best Bond movies ever made and certainly the best of the modern era, this movie is surely best remembered for the casino scene.
In this movie, Bond is trying to beat the villain by playing the casino game of Texas Hold’em. Things don’t initially go well for our hero, but he manages to get some additional cash from the Americans and all is right with the world in the end. The casino scenes in this movie are simply unmissable.

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Last but not least, we have the “Quantum of Solace” air-fight sequence in which Bond manages to outmanoeuvre both a jet and a helicopter before jumping from his plane in a classic modern Bond moment. Bond and the girl he’s with are nearly killed on landing but the hero manages to pull the cord on the parachute that the two are sharing, just in the nick of time. You wouldn’t have it any other way – would you?