Every Sean Connery Movie Ranked Worst To Best

In the '90s, making big budget Hollywood adaptations of old 1960s TV shows seemed to be all the rage, with "Lost In Space," "Mr. Magoo," and others. Sean Connery took a shot at one himself, starring as the villain in the 1998 adaptation of the hit 1960s British action spy series "The Avengers." Starring Ralph Fiennes and Uma Thurman as secret agents John Steed and Emma Peel, it saw Connery flip the script to play the would-be world-conquering villain battled by super-spies. Here he starred as the wicked baddie Sir August de Wynter, a mad scientist who creates a weather control machine to terrorize the planet.

Despite its all-star cast and big budget, the movie was an absolute disaster from every conceivable angle. It bombed at the box office and was thrashed by critics, with the Washington Post saying "[its] badness is banal ... not enough wit, too much money, no clear tone, no confidence, nothing to say." It failed to become the next big action spy franchise that it aspired to be, and made Connery the butt of many jokes for his buffoonish performance as a live action cartoon super-villain. 

Taking place in the midst of the Arab Oil Embargo of the early 1970s, when Arab nations boycotted those countriees supportive of Israel by blocking oil exports, "The Next Wave" saw Sean Connery play Saudi Arabian minister of state Khalil Abdul-Muhsen. Abdul-Muhsen has a bold proposal to ease tensions by recognizing Israel's statehood and offering his own country's rich oil deposits to smaller nations in dire need of the valuable resource. But his plan to support Israel makes him a number of enemies. 

The terrorists send a woman named Nicole Scott to infiltrate Abdul-Muhsen's office in an apparent assassination attempt, but things become complicated for her when she develops romantic feelings for him. A suspenseful political thriller, "The Next Man" was criticized for casting the Scottish Connery, who could not be believed as an Arab diplomat. From its poor casting to its dubious plot, it was butchered by reviewers on its release in 1976 and is no more loved today. 

Decried for its not-so-subtle racism and backwards attitudes, "A Good Man In Africa" is set in a fictional African province that's recently gained its independence from British rule. A British diplomat — the hard-drinking, womanizing Morgan Leafy (Colin Friels) — is eager to back to his home isles, but must deal with one last crisis before he departs. When an oil deposit is discovered in the region, he and his colleague Fanshawe (John Lithgow) must negotiate with the African nation's soon-to-be-elected President Adekunle (Louis Gossett Jr.). 

But when a young girl is struck by lighting and ritual customs require dealing with it in a specific manner, it causes trouble for them. Connery stars as Alex Murray, the British doctor tasked with helping Leafy, and supposedly the only man with any moral compunction among them. Though lambasted by critics for its complicated and politically incorrect tone, as well as the awkward and uncomfortable story, Connery did receive praise for his charming performance as the character referenced in the title.

The only true Western in Connery's prolific filmography, "Shalako" saw the Scotsman anachronistically take on the role of title character, a grizzled veteran of the US Cavalry. The movie begins with a group of aristocratic English trophy hunters traveling the American frontier of New Mexico, when then become the targets of the Apache. The young and beautiful countess accompanying their group (played by '60s bombshell Brigette Bardot) is taken captive and rescued by a renegade gunslinger named Shalako (Connery).

Shalako attempts to help save the party from more attacks, but the arrogant and pretentious leader of the group doesn't want to listen. The hunting party soon finds themselves in way over their head, and it's up to Shalako to save them from their own hubris. Filled with unimpressive and "routine action" (per Roger Ebert) that failed to impress, "Shalako" is a forgettable Western, notable only for seeing the famed Scot playing a cowboy. It was also his only on-screen collaboration between he and Bardot, which was rumored to be fraught with tension.

The 1974 film "Ransom" (alternatively titled "The Terrorists" in some territories) starred Sean Connery as Colonel Nils Tahlvikthe, national head of security for a fictitious European nation who must rescue the British Ambassador, taken hostage by a group of terrorists. Tahlvikthe clashes with British officials — they want to capitulate to the terrorists, while he takes a hardline stance of non-negotiation. But a second crisis erupts at the capital city's airport when a plane is taken over by a second group of terrorists led by Ray Petrie (Ian McShane). 

When Petrie plots to have the British ambassador moved from his residence to his hijacked plane, Tahlvikthe realizes that there's more at work than a simple ransom demand. An ambitious action thriller, "Ransom" is ultimately just a run-of-the-mill action drama that would likely not even be worth watching without Connery in the lead role. Thanks to the former Bond star's strong performance. the film is saved from being little more than a Saturday afternoon movie of the week.

A neo-noir crime comedy, Sean Connery starred in the 1989 film "Family Business" as mafia family patriarch Jessie McMullen, who came to American shores in the 1940s and founded his family's criminal empire. Son Vito (Dustin Hoffman) followed in his father's footsteps, but left the family business after the birth of his own son Adam (Matthew Broderick). But Adam comes to admire and look up to his grandfather, and when he comes of age, finds himself disillusioned with his ordinary future, and is drawn back into the family business. 

Now with his father and grandfather, three generations scheme to pull off a daring heist. But when their best laid plans go disastrously wrong, it threatens to pull the entire family apart. Though it tries to be a heartfelt generational crime drama, it doesn't succeed. Despite the strong cast though, the old school caper film disappointed, with the New York Times noting the fine actors involved simply "[had] nothing to work with."

The 1982 political satire "Wrong Is Right" put Sean Connery into the unexpected role of a hard-nosed but sardonic TV news reporter. Perhaps a bit too ahead of its time, the film shows a dark and disturbing future where sex and violence are glorified and the nightly news has become little more than sensationalistic tabloid fare. Connery is Patrick Hale, host of one of the country's highest rated news program — one that peddles the most outrageous stories and opinion news. Sent overseas to interview a foreign leader, he soon uncovers a nuclear bomb plot that threatens the United States, and a President who doesn't seem to know how to handle it. 

The apocalyptic black comedy wasn't well-received, with the New York Times commenting on the lame attempts at comedy and a plot that didn't stack up. But Connery himself managed to turn in a strong performance, with Time Out giving him high marks, but noting that the "ham-fisted nuclear blackmail thriller" didn't give him enough to work with. 

In perhaps one of his most infamous films, Sean Connery stars in the 1981 science fiction cult classic "Zardoz." Set in a far-out post apocalyptic future world where the Earth is ruled by an immortal race called the Eternals, whose tyrannical rule sees them lord over a lesser race of human warriors called the Brutals. Worshipping the Eternals' artificial stone god Zardoz, the Brutals live in an oppressed society until one man, a Brutal named Zed (Sean Connery) fights back.

With mutton chops, a thick bushy mustached and clad in a red diaper and knee high boots, Zed sets out to discover the truth of the Eternals and lead a Brutal rebellion. Perhaps one of the most bizarre science fiction films ever made, "Zardoz" has become a bona fide cult classic by fans who appreciate it for all of its weirdness, including its dream-like opening sequence that depicts a stone deity vomiting guns and ammo.

Set in the 1930s, Sean Connery plays an aging doctor named Douglas Meredith, matched with a woman more than half his age — the charming and beautiful Kate (Betsy Brantly) — whom he is taking on a trip to the Swiss Alps. However, there's much more controversy to their relationship than the large age difference, and its revealed that their trip is actually their first time away together from the prying eyes of their judgmental family. 

But while Douglas begins spending time to himself during their retreat, Kate is off getting to know the charming young man who has been their tour guide: the dashing, younger Johann Biari (Lambert Wilson). As their feelings grow, Biari learns of the true nature of Kate's relationship with her much older lover, and tries convincing her to leave Douglas for him. Caught in between her heart and her head, Kate is conflicted, but while out on a mountain climb together, the rivalry between Douglas and Biari suddenly becomes dangerous. 

A box office bomb, "Five Days One Summer" is a trite melodrama that hasn't aged well, and will likely make modern audiences cringe.

After being miscast as the ghostly villain in an Arthurian legend once before in "Sword Of The Valiant," the medieval drama "First Knight" saw Connery take on the role that was tailor made for him: That of the majestic Camelot ruler himself, King Arthur. Richard Gere and Julia Ormond played Sir Lancelot and Guinevere in a modern day take on the classic legend that eschewed the magical elements and opts for gritty, more grounded and realistic take on the Middle Age myth.

Unfortunately, despite Connery's impressive take on the Arthurian King, the film didn't compare favorably to others in the genre. Gere, as the lead of the film, was woefully miscast, while the film itself lacked the charms of other similar movies that might have made up for it. Still, "First Knight" was a modest box office success, and generated a handful of good reviews. It's not the worst take on the legend, and might be a worthy decent for fans of the former Bond star.

Based on the novel by Michael Crichton, the 1993 action thriller "Rising Sun" released the same summer as another Crichton-penned blockbuster, "Jurassic Park." This one, released just a year after the novel hit shelves, features a screenplay by the author himself, and stars Wesley Snipes, Sean Connery, Harvey Keitel, and Cary-Hiroyuki Tagawa. Snipes and Connery play a pair of Los Angeles detectives called in to investigate the body of a sex worker found in the offices of a Japanese conglomerate. Despite a clash of cultures, the investigation proceeds, with evidence turning up in the form of a disc loaded with security footage that reveals their suspect.

But things take a turn when it's revealed that the footage itself may have been digitally altered, and the detectives soon realize that dangerous new technologies could help a murderer go free. A smart, stylish thriller, it's an engrossing crime drama let down by a script that loses a lot of what made it great during its translation to the screen.

The 1961 film noir gangster flick "The Frightened City" starred a young Sean Connery in the uncharacteristic role as a small time crook. The film begins with a night club owner who is running a protection racket under the table. His accountant proposes they broaden their business across greater London, but need a strong arm to be their collection agent. Enter Paddy Damion, a small-time Irish burglar played with aplomb by Scotsman Sean Connery. In need of cash after his criminal cohort is wounded in a botched robbery, Paddy takes the job and becomes an important part of a sprawling criminal enterprise.

Though no all-time classic, "The Frightened City" is a fun if ordinary crime drama with Sean Connery in a standout performance. Variety's review called it "a conventional but brisk gangster yarn," and gave Connery praise, sating "newcomer, rugged Sean Connery makes a distinct impression as an Irish crook, with an eye for the ladies." Given that endorsement, it's no wonder he'd be cast as Britain's greatest secret agent a year later in "Dr. No."

In one of the actor's final films, Sean Connery would return to the spy thriller genre in "Entrapment," a mind-bending heist film that takes place at that dawn of the new millennium. Catherine Zeta-Jones stars as Gin, a supposed investigator out to catch renowned art thief Robert "Mac" MacDougal, who is the prime suspect in the theft of a priceless painting from a New York City skyscraper. Posing as a fellow thief, Gin proposes they attempt a daring heist, leading to a plot to defraud an international bank of $8 billion. 

The action-packed thriller plays a number of classic spy games as allegiances are questioned, and agents double and triple cross one another. In the end, "Entrapment" is an exciting, big budget espionage adventure, a modern update to spy classics of old. Roger Ebert, among many reviewers, praised the film, saying it was "the very embodiment of a star vehicle: a movie with a preposterous plot, exotic locations, absurd action sequences, and so much chemistry between attractive actors that we don't care." He lauded Connery for his ability to deliver ludicrous dialogue that only an actor of his caliber could get away with.

In this 1995 legal thriller, Sean Connery plays Paul Armstrong, a Harvard law professor fiercely against capital punishment. He also has a reputation for fighting death penalty cases and successfully keeping his clients out of the electric chair. He's asked to help with the case against Bobby Earl Furguson (Blair Underwood), who sits on death row and whose mother insists he's been wrongfully convicted of murder. The case hinges on a faulty confession obtained through the use of force by local cop Tanny Brown (Laurence Fishburne), who is now the town's sheriff.

As Armstrong interviews Furguson, and then Brown, he becomes convinced that the Furguson is innocent, and zeroes in on a convicted murder (Ed Harris) as the real killer. But as more information comes to light, the more Armstrong begins to doubt everything about the case. A classic murder mystery with a shocking twist, "Just Cause" is an effectively suspenseful thriller. Kate Capshaw ("The Temple Of Doom"), Scarlett Johansson ("Black Widow") and Ned Beatty ("All The President's Men") also star.

"Playing By Heart" follows nearly a dozen seemingly unconnected characters living in and around Los Angeles as they navigate the ups and downs of life and love. A broad cast, it features Sean Connery and Gena Rowlands as an aging couple who are planning to renew their wedding vows after the discovery that Connery's character has terminal cancer. The rest of the coupled cast includes Angelina Jolie and Ryan Phillipe, Randy Quaid and Madeline Stowe, and Gillian Anderson and Jon Stewart. Each couple finds themselves dealing with different problems in their unique relationships.

Though at first the film makes it seem these pairings are all random, unrelated people, they are slowly revealed to be connected as the movie progresses. A spiritual precursor to Garry Marshall's Holiday trilogy, Roger Ebert called it a "near-miss" while acknowledging it was a likable movie with charming moments. The New York Times was far kinder to the film, saying it "percolates with an earnest charm," and calling it a "comedy set in an urban lotus land where every morning promises a Valentine's Day surprise." 

Returning to the fantasy genre in 1986, Sean Connery would play a key supporting role in the adventure epic "Highlander." The movie starred Christopher Lambert as an immortal warrior named Connor MacLeod. Connery co-starred as the swordsman Juan Sánchez-Villalobos Ramírez, an immortal born centuries before in Egypt and who has made his way across the world. In Scotland, he encounters MacLeod, a younger immortal banished from his village after he miraculously heals from a fatal wound at the hands of the villain Kurgan — Ramírez's old foe.

Ramírez trains MacLeod and together they hope to find and defeat Kurgan. But in a duel, Ramírez is killed, and MacLeod takes up his mentor's sword and mantle, looking for vengeance. Though by all accounts it was a box office bomb, it grew a devoted fan following and garnered a number of sequels, a long-running television spin-off, an animated series, and a number of books, comics, and tie-in toys and board games. In his career, "Highlander" remains Sean Connery's only original film (the Bond movies were book adaptations) to have spawned its own mass media franchise.

Directed by Richard Lester, the 1976 fairy tale adventure "Robin And Marion" put a new twist on the classic myth. It told the story of an older Robin Hood (played by Sean Connery) and his one true love, Maid Marion (Hollywood legend Audrey Hepburn). Robert Shaw, Nicol Williamson, Denholm Elliot, Ian Holm, and Richard Harris rounded out the cast. The story follows Robin Hood, now an older captain the King's guard, who even in his twilight years fights for good, refusing an order to sack a castle full of women and children. 

Reuniting with his band of merry men in Sherwood Forest, Robin reunites with Maid Marian, now a superior nun. But trouble strikes for them both when the Sheriff of Nottingham issues an order to arrest her, by decree from King John. Robin Hood once again comes to her rescue, setting them out on one last adventure together.

Possibly one of Connery's least known films is the Disney family movie "Darby O'Gill And The Little People." The 1959 adventure sees the Scottish actor Connery playing a lad from Dublin named Michael McBride. In the film, McBride is brought in to take over for Darby O'Gill (Albert Sharpe), the aging caretaker of the estate of Lord Fitzpatrick (Walter Fitzgerald). Darby makes the young Dubliner promise not to tell his niece Katie he's been retired, so as not to upset her. 

But when Darby trips through a portal and enters a land of leprechauns, he meets the fantasy land's ruler King Brian, who follows him back through the portal onto the Fitzpatrick estate. Once he catches the leprechaun King, he's granted three wishes, and must be extra clever if he is to use them wisely. The rare Connery movie to feature a musical number, a memorable scene sees McBride singing a duet with Katie, though sadly it's not Connery's voice we hear, as he's instead dubbed over by crooner Ruby Murray (via Irish Times).

The historical drama "The Wind And The Lion" was a movie very loosely based on the 1904 Perdicaris affair, which began when Moroccan chieftain Mulai Ahmed er Raisuli kidnapped a wealthy American citizen and their family. Sean Connery stars as the enigmatic chieftain Raisuli, who demands a ransom for the family in an effort to discredit his political opponents and spark a diplomatic crisis. Back in the United States, President Theodore Roosevelt intends to use the incident to show off his country's emerging status as a global military super power, in the hopes of improving his chances at re-election.

Written and directed by John Milius ("Apocalypse Now"), the film takes quite a few liberties with the historic account, but its Connery who impresses as the roguish, charismatic chieftain Raisuli. His dominating performance anchors the film, complimented by the lush visuals and a good mix of sweeping epic adventure and smart political thriller.

The 1977 ensemble war film "A Bridge Too Far" was directed by Richard Attenborough and featured an expansive cast. Alongside Sean Connery the film featured James Caan, Michael Caine, Anthony Hopkins, Gene Hackman, Laurence Olivier, Robert Redford, Elliott Gould, Maximilian Schell, Ryan O'Neill, Denholm Elliott, and John Ratzenberger. It tells the story of Operation Market Garden, one of the most disastrous Allied efforts during the Second World War.

The film begins in 1944, with Sean Connery's General Urquhart planning to lead British and American forces on a daring mission to take a long stretch of road that leads into the heart of German territory. But the Allied forces soon discover that they may be in over their heads. Impressively shot, the film was applauded for its gritty realism, all-star cast, and vast scope.

James Bond returned in 1967 for Sean Connery's fifth turn in the role, you "You Only Live Twice," inspired by Ian Fleming's 1964 book. With a screenplay by Roald Dahl ("Charlie And The Chocolate Factory"), the film discarded the main story from the book and crafted something entirely new using the same characters. In the movie, set firmly in the midst of the Cold War, both the United States and the Soviet Union lose track of a spacecraft in Earth's orbit, and nuclear armageddon draws closer. 

British intelligence believes one of the missing craft may have landed off the coast of Japan, and sends James Bond to investigate. There he allies himself with Tiger Tanaka (Tetsuro Tamba) and Japanese bombshell Aki (Akiko Wakabayashi), where he learns that none other than Blofeld and SPECTRE may be involved in a plot to instigate a new world war. Following "You Only Live Twice," Connery would briefly retire from the role of 007, before returning in 1971 for "Diamonds Are Forever."

Connery seemed to love heist movies, and the 1978 film "The First Great Train Robbery" (released in the United States simply as "The Great Train Robbery") is a prime example. Written and directed by Michael Crichton ("Jurassic Park") and based on his own book of the same name, it also stars Donald Sutherland and Leslie-Anne Down. It is set in 1855, when traveling by locomotives was still in its relative infancy. Connery plays Edward Pierce, an well-respected member of London's social scene, who lives a secret double life as a master criminal. Looking for a new challenge, Pierce assembles a small team to attempt the unthinkable: robbing a heavily guarded moving train.

With a gold shipment on its way from London to the port city of Folkstone, Pierce devises a clever plan to break into the train and collect their prize. With two safes within, Pierce needs the help of a friendly pick-pocket and safe-cracker, his lovely mistress, and his loyal chauffeur. Loosely based on a real-life gold heist in 1855, "The First Great Train Robbery" may also be Connery's first great heist movie.

In the middle of his James Bond days, Sean Connery took a detour to star in the romantic psychological thriller "Marnie" in 1964, directed by celebrated filmmaker Alfred Hitchcock. Starring Tippi Hedren as Marnie, we meet a mysterious young woman and con artist who has just stolen $10,000 and changed her name. Later, she goes to work for Mark Rutland (Sean Connery), a publishing magnate in Philadelphia, with her eyes set on another score. This time, though, Rutland recognizes the woman as a thief. But rather than have her arrested, Rutland wants to help the troubled woman. 

Eventually, the two fall in love and marry, but Marnie is haunted by nightmares, and Rutland becomes determined to unlock the secrets of her shadowy past. A gripping, tension-filled drama, Connery and Hedren's performances, along with Hitchcock's masterful direction, turn an otherwise outlandish premise into an effective mystery. Though it's not among the director's best films, it's certainly Connery's most impressive thriller.

There have been several adaptations of the Agatha Christie classic "Murder On The Orient Express" over the years, and the 1974 film starring Albert Finney as Detective Hercule Poirot was the first to make it to the big screen. Connery starred as Colonel Arbuthnot, and the film teamed him with director Sidney Lumet for the third time. The movie follows the murder of a wealthy industrialist aboard a packed train, and the famed detective — who happens to be onboard — sets out to find the killer before they reach their destination.

Nominated for six Academy Awards, included Best Adapted Screenplay, it's still regarded as the best screen adaptation of Christie's novel, despite its flaws. Most of the criticism in fact lies with star Finney, who was not as faithful an interpretation of Poirot. Still, Roger Ebert loved it, saying it "provides a good time, high style, a loving salute to an earlier period of filmmaking."

The 1990 action flick "The Hunt For Red October" was the first movie adapted from a Tom Clancy novel, and the first appearance of Jack Ryan on screen. Directed by action movie veteran John McTiernan ("Die Hard," "Predator," and "Last Action Hero"), it stars Alec Baldwin as Ryan and Sean Connery as Marko Ramius, commander of the Russian stealth submarine Red October at the height of the Cold War in 1984. Ramius goes rogue and threatens the United States, leading CIA analyst Ryan to spearhead the effort to track him down.

Featuring an all-star cast, Ryan's supporting cast included James Earl Jones, Scott Glenn, and Courtney B. Vance, while Ramius' crew included Sam Neill, Stellan Skarsgård, and Tim Curry. A stunning thriller and a box office success, it spawned a veritable franchise for Jack Ryan, who would be subsequently played by Harrison Ford, Ben Affleck, Chris Pine, and more recently, John Krasinski. Despite making almost no effort to disguise his own accent, Connery was praised for his performance as the powerful Russian commander Ramius. 

Adapted from the 1950s TV series starring Robert Stack, which in turn was based on the book of the same name, the 1989 Brian De Palma film "The Untouchables" told the real life story of the famed crime busting Prohibition agent Eliot Ness. Ness and his team of so-called "Untouchables," so named for their upstanding character and incorruptible nature, set out to take down notorious Chicago mob boss Al Capone. Led by Ness, the group also included disillusioned veteran cop Jim Malone (Sean Connery), a retired officer who is impressed enough with Ness' integrity to join his quest for justice. The impressive cast also included Robert De Niro as Capone.

Though it received mixed reviews upon its release by the likes of Roger Ebert, it has since become a classic gangster movie, in no small part thanks to the performances of its star-studded cast. Connery himself would take home his first and only Academy Award for his part as world-weary law enforcer Jim Malone.

After the success of "Dr. No," it didn't take long  before Sean Connery suited back up as the iconic British super-spy. The follow-up film "From Russia With Love" landed just a year later, and dealt with the direct aftermath of Bond's defeat of SPECTRE agent Dr. No. In one of the more complex Bond plots, the evil organization attempts to lure Bond into a trap using a beautiful female agent, who poses as a Russian defector and claims to possess a valuable decoding machine. Meanwhile, SPECTRE leader Kronsteen waits in the wings to execute his diabolical plans to spark a war between world powers. 

One of the most effective true thrillers in the series, "From Russia With Love" boasts a sense of taut suspense seldom equaled in the franchise. It's also the rare sequel that outdoes the original — upping the stakes, cranking up the drama, and delivering twists and turns that would make Sherlock Holmes blush. Connery cemented himself as the greatest spy in cinema, while the pre-title sequence and the use of advanced techno-gadgets marked the beginning of two long-running Bond traditions. 

Written and helmed by legendary director John Huston, "The Man Who Would Be King" was based on a Rudyard Kipling novella first published in 1888. The film's famously languished in development hell for years, with the films cast evolving from Humphrey Bogart and Clark Gable to Sean Connery and Michael Caine. But once it landed, audiences were treated to one of the most epic adventures ever put to screen.

In the film, Connery and Caine play a pair of ex-British soldiers, Daniel Dravot and Peachy Carnahan respectively, who dream of discovering a primitive far-off land that they can conquer and rule. Through a series of good fortunes and serendipity, they find their lost world: an undiscovered country called Kafiristan. Pretending to be a holy man and his servant, the two are soon revered, with Dravot worshiped as a god while Carnahan condescends in frustration. Ultimately, "The Man Who Would Be King" is not the gripping thrills of James Bond nor does it explore complex issues or intrigue with unconventional ideas. It is simply a fun, light-hearted adventure with Connery as a would-be leader of men.