Sean Connery is one of the most legendary actors in movie history. With a career spanning decades, Connery easily established himself as one of Hollywood's greatest and most charismatic leading men. He was cool, he was sexy, and he was tough - three qualities that led to his role as James Bond. But Bond is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Connery's career.
He has starred in many brilliant films - some of them lower budgeted Oscar fare and some of them high octane action thrillers. It seemed like no matter what he did, Connery always made a winner.
10 The Red Tent (1969): 89%
A Soviet/Italian film directed by Mikhail Kalatozov, The Red Tent is based on a real rescue story. Connery stars as Roald Amundsen, a Norwegian explorer who disappeared in 1928 while rescuing the occupants of the Italia, an airship that had crashed while exploring the Arctic. The film received strong reviews and was nominated for the Golden Globe for Best English Language Foreign Film. It currently sits at 89% on Rotten Tomatoes with just nine reviews and an average score of 7.6/10.
9 The Hunt For Red October (1990): 89%
Starring an incredible cast and directed by action veteran John McTiernan, The Hunt for Red October is a spy thriller about defective Russians wishing to enter the United States. Connery plays the commanding officer of Red October, Marko Ramius. Alec Baldwin co-stars as Jack Ryan, a character who has since grown in popularity after being played by the likes of John Krasinski and Tom Cruise. The movie has been positively reviewed, resulting in an 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and a consensus reading, "Perfectly cast and packed with suspense, The Hunt for Red October is an old-fashioned submarine thriller with plenty of firepower to spare."
8 Time Bandits (1981): 90%
Time Bandits was produced, written, and directed by Terry Gilliam and served as the first entry in his so-called "Trilogy of Imagination" (the other films being Brazil and The Adventures of Baron Munchausen). This fantasy adventure contains an all-star cast that includes the likes of Connery, John Cleese, Ian Holm, and Shelley Duvall. Like most of Gilliam's works, Time Bandits has received a strong critical reception. It stands at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes with a consensus reading, "Time Bandits is a remarkable time-travel fantasy from Terry Gilliam, who utilizes fantastic set design and homemade special effects to create a vivid, original universe."
7 The Molly Maguires (1970): 90%
The Molly Maguires is another Sean Connery vehicle to be based on a true story. Back in the 19th century, a group of Irish coalminers banded together and created a secret society known as the Molly Maguires. This group was created to fight oppression, and their acts included explosive sabotage in the coal mines and murder.
Connery stars as the gang's leader, Black Jack Kehoe, and Richard Harris stars opposite as Pinkerton Detective James McParlan. The movie currently has a 90% rating with ten reviews.
6 Murder On The Orient Express (1974): 90%
Perhaps the most famous murder mystery ever written, Murder on the Orient Express was written by Agatha Christie and published in 1934. The beloved novel was adapted for the screen in 1974, directed by Sidney Lumet and starring a then-all-star cast. Sean Connery appears as one of the train passengers and suspects, Colonel Arbuthnot. Like its source novel, the movie is often regarded as a classic, and it sits at 90% on Rotten Tomatoes with the consensus reading, "Murder, intrigue, and a star-studded cast make this stylish production of Murder on the Orient Express one of the best Agatha Christie adaptations to see the silver screen."
5 Dr. No (1962): 95%
Serving as the first James Bond film, Dr. No may seem quite tame by today's standards, but it was a revolutionary film back in its day. While serving as the first Bond film, Dr. No was actually the sixth novel in Ian Fleming's iconic series. The movie set a ton of landmarks for the still-ongoing series and serves as a wonderful bit of film history. It currently stands at a very respectable 95%, with a consensus reading, "Featuring plenty of the humor, action, and escapist thrills the series would become known for, Dr. No kicks off the Bond franchise in style."
4 From Russia With Love (1963): 95%
For many, From Russia with Love is the greatest entry in the Bond canon. Based on the fifth novel in Fleming's series, From Russia with Love serves as a fantastic spy film and is much more grounded and "realistic" than the future films in the series (even those starring Connery himself). Considered a classic Bond film, the movie also sits at 95% on Rotten Tomatoes, with the consensus reading, "The second James Bond film, From Russia with Love is a razor-sharp, briskly-paced Cold War thriller that features several electrifying action scenes."
3 The Man Who Would Be King (1975): 97%
In 1888, Rudyard Kipling published a novella titled The Man Who Would Be King. It follows two British soldiers who travel to a remote area of Afghanistan and become regarded as Kings. Nearly one hundred years later, the movie was adapted for the screen starring Sean Connery and Michael Caine as the soldiers and Kings. While a box office disappointment, the movie is regarded as an adventure classic. It currently sits at 97% with thirty reviews and an average score of 8.5/10.
2 Goldfinger (1964): 99%
Often regarded as the best Bond film ever made (or at least top five), Goldfinger was released in 1964 to great acclaim and commercial success. It set many benchmarks for future Bond films, and it's often credited with introducing a sillier, campier tone into the series. It's perhaps the best-reviewed film in the series, sitting at 99% with an average rating of 8.6/10. The consensus reads, "Goldfinger is where James Bond as we know him comes into focus - it features one of 007's most famous lines ("A martini. Shaken, not stirred") and a wide range of gadgets that would become the series' trademark."
1 Darby O'Gill And The Little People (1959): 100%
Sean Connery's best-reviewed film is actually one of his least-known. Released three years before the first Bond film, Darby O'Gill and the Little People is a live-action Disney film starring Connery as Michael McBride. The story concerns an old caretaker who is taken to a land of leprechauns and befriends their King. It is the only Sean Connery film to hold a 100% on Rotten Tomatoes. Fifteen reviews have been counted, and the movie holds an average rating of 7/10.
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