Pierce Brosnan never got the credit he deserved as James Bond. He was perfect in the role every moment he was on-screen, even when the writing wasn't up to snuff. He balanced the darker elements that Timothy Dalton had presented to mixed fan reception in the '80s, along with the eyebrow-wagging absurdist humor pioneered by Sean Connery. Brosnan clearly was having a blast throughout his tenure, and it's no wonder many fans still support the possibility of a Logan-esque return. Here are the best scenes from all four Pierce Brosnan James Bond movies.
The Tank Chase in 'GoldenEye' (1995)
GoldenEye is the first James Bond movie set after the Cold War, which had been Bond's trappings ever since his debut on the page. Martin Campbell's action-heavy, iconic entry deconstructs the character with playfulness and pathos, while delivering several of the best set pieces in the entire franchise. Most fans would say one such set piece stands out above all the rest.
About two thirds of the way through the film, Bond commandeers a tank in the streets of St. Petersburg in pursuit of a captive Natalya Simonova (Izabella Scorupco). This leads to massive destruction executed with seamless practical effects. It's a perfectly executed set piece as much as it's a perfect performance from the actor. Brosnan adjusting his tie after he's leveled countless buildings is a masterful touch. Natalya looks like she falls in love with Bond a little in this scene. Maybe this is right where you fell in love with Brosnan's take on the character.
Bond Finds Paris Dead and Kills Doctor Kaufman in 'Tomorrow Never Dies' (1997)
Tomorrow Never Dies is easily one of the most underappreciated of all James Bond films, and one that is aging superbly. The similarly action-heavy follow-up to GoldenEye has a presciently imagined villain in Jonathan Pryce's media mogul Elliot Carver, and Michelle Yeoh gives the most physical Bond Girl performance ever as Chinese Col. Wai Lin. Many will point to a centerpiece chase scene of a helicopter pursuing Bond and Lin on a motorcycle as the best part of the film, but there's a dramatic beat a little earlier that's even more memorable.
Teri Hatcher plays Paris Carver, one of the great tragic Bond Girls, a former lover of Bond's who's now married to Carver. After Paris and Bond rekindle their old flame and hook up in Bond's hotel, a conflicted Paris gives Bond top-secret information about her husband's operations. The betrayal gets Paris killed at the hands of the sadistic Doctor Kaufman (Vincent Schiavelli). Bond eventually gets the upper hand, and executes Kaufman with a gunshot to the head at close range.
Over the years, many have said the scene would be more poignant if a former Bond girl actress were brought back and wed to Carver, but as it stands, this is a marvelously macabre, genuinely sad piece for Brosnan to sink his teeth into. From the tenderness he expresses at seeing Paris' corpse, to the chilly, almost pleasured or playful way he offs the henchman, this is a showcase of Brosnan's mastery of the character.
Bond Kills Elektra King in Cold Blood in 'The World Is Not Enough' (1999)
Another underrated Brosnan entry, another dead Bond Girl. Most of the first two acts of 1999's The World Is Not Enough builds Braveheart star Sophie Marceau up as perhaps a major love interest for Bond, intentionally even evoking Diana Rigg's Teresa di Vicenzo with certain visual cues. In one of the franchise's better and most effective plot twists, oil heiress Elektra King is revealed to be the maniacal villain of the film, the only female big bad in Bond history so far.
Brosnan delivers his overall best and most confident performance in this movie, and Marceau is his match. In a series of unforgettable villains, this is a demented turn that stands out as god-tier. There's a mixture of emotions built up in the relationship between Bond and Elektra by the film's finale, and after she nearly tortures him to death with a garotte, Bond commits one of his chilliest acts in any of the films. Shooting a woman in cold blood would have been a shock even in a Connery picture, but no one could argue Elektra didn't have it coming. It's a tense, well-acted scene that makes you wish Brosnan got more character beats on this scale.
The Swordfight in 'Die Another Day' (2002)
Die Another Day deserves its reputation as one of the series' worst, and it deserves your ire for what it did to Brosnan's trajectory in the role. There was no way of coming back from this. Die Another Day is still pretty passable by the standards of dumb blockbusters, with the star in top form and some excellent action early on. The swordfight between Bond and Gustav Graves (Toby Stephens) in a fencing club is a standout, showcasing Brosnan's physicality and the film's over-the-top style. For more on Brosnan's Bond legacy, check out Pierce Brosnan's 'Die Another Day' Finds Global Streaming Success in June 2026.
