3. Martin Campbell
Before we start talking about the colossal, mis-judged failure that was
Green Lantern, hear me out. Because as far as Bond directors go, Martin Campbell is probably the cream of the crop. After all, this was the man who directed both
GoldenEye and
Casino Royale, two of the most beloved (and critically-acclaimed, mind you) Bond movies of all time. And though many of you are bound to disagree with me, I think
Casino Royale is probably the best Bond movie ever made. And that's because of what Martin Campbell did: he brought it up to date beautifully. And though
Skyfall is certainly up there as one of the better efforts (top 5, easy), I think
Casino Royale was - above all - a more plainly enjoyable Bond picture. In the shadow of
Skyfall's success, it's a movie that more and more people are bound to forget about, but, for my money,
Casino Royale did a lot to re-invigorate the Bond franchise - perhaps even more than
Skyfall did. The action sequences, I think, were far more interesting and better executed, and in
Bond 24, I'm really hoping we're granted some absolutely mind-blowing set-pieces - Campbell is up to the challenge.
Casino Royale also had a lot of heart, and Campbell managed to give Bond a new, human edge that blended flawlessly with the action. That's no easy task, of course, and it'd be a shame to forget that the New Zealand director did so much to make James Bond "cool" again. That said, Martin Campbell is probably in the directing doghouse at the moment, given that he's been branded with much of the blame for the travesty that was
Green Lantern. Maybe he deserves it? As far as competent Bond directors go, though (and we're talking about somebody who has already shown he can make 007 magic), Martin Campbell is certainly your go-to man.