The ten Greatest Q Appearances within the James Bond Motion pictures, Ranked

Q is brief for Quartermaster, and he’s the pinnacle of the analysis and improvement division on the Secret Service, the place James Bond is agent 007. Q is integral to the success of the company and all its brokers, however the motion pictures make it appear as if Q and Bond have a particular relationship, a longlasting friendship. The smartest of any James Bond characters, Q is modern, clever, quick-witted, and a useful ally to any Secret Service agent.

Among the many twenty-six James Bond motion pictures comprised of 1962 till now, Q was performed by six actors – Peter Burton, Desmond Llewelyn, Geoffrey Bayldon, Alec McCowen, John Cleese, and Ben Whishaw. Gregg Berger voiced Q within the 2002 James Bond online game, Nightfire. Out of the six actors, Desmond Llewelyn is probably the most memorable Q; he served the function from 1963 to 1999, and stays the one and solely Q to most of the franchise’s followers. Total, Q’s components within the motion pictures are all the time ingenious, with some being downright legendary. Seeing the Quartermaster is all the time enjoyable, however a few of his appearances are way more iconic than others.

10

‘By no means Say By no means Once more’ (1983)

Directed by Irvin Kershner

Never Say Never Again was a little bit of a bizarre one. Sean Connery returned to the function as soon as extra since 1971, and the film’s identify was a pun on Connery’s return to the franchise regardless of him claiming he’d by no means play Bond once more. It is the primary non-EON-produced film (which produced all different Bond motion pictures); this makes the film not a part of the official Bond motion pictures canon. The truth is, it was launched the identical yr as Octopussy, which the media then named The Battle of the Bonds. By no means Say By no means Once more is the second adaptation of the novel Thunderball.

Connery’s James Bond is introduced again from retirement in By no means Say By no means Once more, being summoned by M as the one agent that may tackle Ernst Blofeld, the infamous SPECTRE agent and chief. Alec McCowan portrays Q, and he reveals as much as Bond’s capturing apply in probably the most Q means attainable – with a close-up of him dialling up a seemingly common fountain pen with the British flag on it. As he factors it at Bond’s goal, he triggers the pen, and it explodes, destroying the whole lot in entrance of it. Bond, impressed, holds the pen and says “You might write a really banging contract with this.”

Watch on Amazon Prime

9

‘The Dwelling Daylights’ (1987)

Directed by John Glen

The Dwelling Daylights was the primary of solely two James Bond motion pictures that starred Timothy Dalton as 007. On this film, Bond is tasked with organizing the defection of a KGB normal, however is being chased by a fantastic Soviet agent. As soon as he accomplishes the mission, the overall disappears and Bond realizes his defection was a ploy for a a lot bigger mission involving mass weaponry. Bond joins forces with the attractive Soviet agent, they usually chase him around the globe to stop its destruction.

Desmond Llewelyn performs Q, and Caroline Bliss replaces Lois Maxwell as Miss Moneypenny. In a scene the place Bond and Q are taking a look at pictures of feminine Soviet spies, Q says certainly one of them makes use of the strategy of “strangulation with palms or thighs,” probably foreshadowing GoldenEye and its foremost villainness. Q, Moneypenny, and Bond then witness a brand new weapon check; loud music performs and certainly one of Q’s males is holding a boombox on his shoulder. The boombox opens and launches a rocket on the goal. Q gleefully says he is creating the weapon for the People, chirping out the phrases “It is known as a Ghetto Blaster!” This is without doubt one of the occasions we see Q having fun with his work, and Llewelyn makes him all of the extra lovable.

Watch on Amazon Prime

8

‘Octopussy’ (1983)

Directed by John Glen

The heavily overlooked Octopussy, starring Roger Moore, is his sixth and penultimate look as James Bond. On this film, Bond should chase down a Soviet normal who additionally works as an artwork thief, stealing helpful jewellery and artwork from the Kremlin artwork repository. His mission takes him to India, the place he meets the elusive and seductive jewel smuggler often known as Octopussy. She runs the Octopus Cult, consisting of lethal girls she took in from the streets and skilled to be alluring assassins.

In his twelfth look as Q, Desmond Llewelyn reveals up in a scene after Bond escapes some henchmen by means of a pretend commercial wall. In Q’s India HQ, he might be seen testing quite a few hidden weapons, equivalent to a mechanic rope and a lethal door. When Q and Bond meet up in Octopussy, their rapport is full of back-and-forth banter; Q constantly feigns remorse that Bond survived the assaults towards him, whereas Bond continues to throw jabs at his failed weapons (when the mechanic rope falls, Bond provides “Having issues conserving it up, Q?”). Llewelyn and Moore present nice chemistry, and their dialog is classically British comical banter stuffed with puns that must be seen in full.

Watch on Apple TV

7

‘Thunderball’ (1965)

Directed by Terence Younger

Thunderball was directed by thriller grasp Terence Younger, and it is the primary Bond film filmed in Panavision. Its widescreen projection grew to become a particular occasion, and Thunderball probably the most profitable Bond motion pictures. Sean Connery returns as James Bond with a mission to cease SPECTRE from launching two NATO atomic bombs, which they’ve stolen and threaten to explode a metropolis within the US or UK. Bond arrives on the MI6 headquarters within the Bahamas and meets with Q and his builders to study in regards to the weapons Q devised for his mission.

Q’s look right here reveals classic Bond-Q banter; when Q enters the room, Bond turns round and solemnly says “Oh no,” however Q retorts again by saying he is simply as stunned to be equipping 007 on the sphere. In a blue and inexperienced pineapple-patterned Bahama shirt, Q proceeds to indicate among the deadliest weapons he is ever devised, together with a innocent radioactive machine that serves as a homing sign. Q and Bond have a short and direct, however witty and enjoyable dialog, with Desmond Llewelyn delivering certainly one of his most charming Q appearances.

Watch on Amazon Prime

6

‘Tomorrow By no means Dies’ (1997)

Directed by Roger Spottiswoode

Within the Pierce Brosnan-led Tomorrow Never Dies, Desmond Llewelyn reveals up in his penultimate function as Q. He welcomes 007 in Hamburg, Germany, the place he enters the scene as a automotive rental agent going by means of a guidelines of questions with Bond. Although Q urges 007 to “develop up,” the 2 have an outstanding chemistry and heat of their interplay. That is what makes Brosnan’s interactions with Llewelyn way more genuine and likable; there’s greater than only a humorous back-and-forth; Brosnan appears to embrace Llewelyn’s efficiency totally.

Tomorrow By no means Dies is the eighteenth James Bond film produced by EON, and it follows James Bond visiting Germany, Russia, China, and Vietnam, as a way to cease the corrupt media mogul Elliott Carver (Jonathan Pryce), from orchestrating a warfare between China and the UK. The Bond lady on this film is Michelle Yeoh as Wai Lin, one of the best Bond girls thus far. Though her look is spectacular, the dialogue between Bond and Q is, as all the time, as much as par and memorable.

Watch on Apple TV

5

‘For Your Eyes Solely’ (1981)

Directed by John Glen

Roger Moore’s fifth stint as 007 in For Your Eyes Solely can be one of his better ones. After 5 motion pictures, this one appears probably the most grounded and back-to-the-roots. Espionage is on the coronary heart of the twelfth James Bond EON film, the place 007 is tasked to discover a vanished missile command system whereas making his means round Greece. Bond is seemingly prevented from his mission by the native businessmen and the femme fatale Melina Havelock (Carole Bouquet).

Q seems in a number of scenes, with For Your Eyes Solely together with certainly one of his biggest hits. When Bond is summoned to a Greek church, he enters the confessional sales space and begins off with the everyday phrase “Forgive me Father, for I’ve sinned.” Nevertheless, when the opposite sales space is proven, there’s Q carrying a false beard and a priest’s garment, responding to Bond “That is placing it mildly, 007.” This epic scene entrance cements Llewelyn’s legacy as Q, a person critical about teasing and poking at Bond as a lot as he’s critical about his job.

Watch on Apple TV

4

‘Skyfall’ (2012)

Directed by Sam Mendes

Skyfall is a part of the Daniel Craig-era of James Bond motion pictures, and probably the most effective in all of his 5 options, that are characterized as quite dark. Craig is a a lot totally different Bond than his predecessors, and his storyline is principally reset when he is launched in On line casino Royale, his first Bond movie. Although it is the third Craig film, viewers do not meet his Q till Skyfall. Ben Whishaw performs Q within the youngest model of any film to this point; he is a contemporary, extremely impressed and expert innovator with abilities like hacking and gadget-making, although he does inform Bond the company now not “makes exploding pens.”

When Q and Bond first meet in Skyfall, their encounter is organized by M (Judi Dench) to happen in London’s Nationwide Gallery. Bond waits and Q sits beside him, chatting him up in regards to the surrounding artwork earlier than introducing himself because the Quartermaster. His curly hair, giant black glasses, and semiformal outfit make him look the half, however when he tells Bond he might “do extra harm on his laptop computer in his pajamas than Bond can do in a yr within the subject,” that is what actually establishes him nearly as good outdated Q and marks a worthy entrance into the franchise.

Watch on Apple TV

3

‘Goldfinger’ (1964)

Directed by Man Hamilton

Probably the most effective Sean Connery-led James Bond film, Goldfinger additionally establishes Q extra, giving him an outlined function and Desmond Llewelyn the freedom to step into his legendary character with a bit of extra sass and perspective. It looks as if most Llewelyn-Connery scenes within the James Bond motion pictures encompass Connery’s Bond touching issues that Llewelyn’s Q completely hates. On this non-verbal a part of their relationship, they’re established as a guiding determine (Q) and a cautious however impatient listener (Bond). The most effective Q second in Goldfinger is when he introduces Bond along with his legendary automotive, the Aston Martin DB5.

As Q reveals Bond all of the features hidden within the Aston Martin, from the radar to the bulletproof windscreen instructions, Bond thinks of as many attainable puns for every enchancment. When he lastly reveals a pink button on the gearstick, he implores him to not press the button; he says that button blows up the automotive’s roof and ejects the passenger seat. When Bond scoffs at that and says, “You are joking!,” Q severely retorts with “I by no means joke about my work, 007.” This second helped Q develop into one of the greatest side characters in a film franchise.

Watch on Apple TV

2

‘GoldenEye’ (1995)

Directed by Martin Campbell

GoldenEye follows Pierce Brosnan in his first function as James Bond. The franchise had misplaced some viewers curiosity, since at that second, seven years had handed since Timothy Dalton performed Bond in Licence to Kill. Pierce Brosnan was a reasonably new face for this type of film (having beforehand starred principally in romantic motion pictures and dramas), however GoldenEye later proved to be a profitable (if not probably the most profitable) revival of the James Bond franchise. Many would argue Brosnan was the most effective Bond, which appears to be true at the least in his relationship with Q. Desmond Llewelyn returned to the franchise because the impressed inventor Q, in one of many biggest re-introductions to his character.

When Bond arrives on the Quartermaster’s check lab, he’s in a wheelchair with a solid on his leg. As Bond expresses sympathy for his harm, Q launches a rocket from the solid and will get up as if nothing had occurred. Behind them, a whole lot of different issues are taking place whereas Q explains devices important to Bond’s mission – a person will get trapped in a telephone sales space by an airbag, whereas one other man will get shot out with an ejector seat. The chaos of the innovation division is normal for Q. When, lastly, Bond sees a bunch of devices, he reaches for a sandwich suspiciously; Q reprimands him, saying that is simply his lunch.

Watch on Amazon Prime

1

‘Licence to Kill’ (1989)

Directed by John Glen

Typically, the favourite Q look in any of the James Bond motion pictures is in Licence to Kill. Many followers contemplate his function in Timothy Dalton’s second and final Bond movie as integral to the plot and 007’s character improvement. On this film, his function goes from having quips to each Bond’s transfer to expressing real concern for him, and even praising him, saying he is one hell of a subject agent. This can be due to the film’s premise, as Bond retires from MI6 to precise private revenge towards the drug lord Franz Sanchez (Robert Davi).

Whereas on a mission with DEA informant Pam Bouvier (Carey Lowell), Bond is about up in a elaborate resort; on the reception desk, he is informed he has a customer. When he and Pam gear up, getting ready for an armed confrontation, Bond barges into the room and sees Q. Q, caring for him, bringing a suitcase stuffed with devices that may assist Bond make his mission profitable, together with a laser-shooting Polaroid digital camera which nearly kills each of them. That is the most effective Q look as a result of his and Bond’s relationship is extra intently outlined; he additionally emphasizes the importance of his department for Bond’s survival, which everybody is aware of is true.

Watch on Amazon Prime

KEEP READING: Every Portrayal of Moneypenny in the James Bond Movies, Ranked