You can barely see his face through the haze of 1962-brand cigarette smoke, but there's no better debut line than Sean Connery's introduction as Fleming's super spy. Poise, class, a hint of danger and a carefree innocence about the dangers of tobacco – it immediately nailed the film franchises' colours to the mast.

49. Desert Greene (Quantum of Solace)

James Bond has a real skill in thinking up creatively brutal death sentences for villains. At the end of 2008's Quantum of Solace, he throws the treacherous environmentalist Mr Greene into Chile's Atacama Desert with nought but a can of oil for fluids. ''I bet you'll make it 20 miles before you considering drinking that,'' he declares. Mr Greene is found dead – with oil in his gut.

48. Rosa gets her kicks (From Russia With Love)

Lotte Lenya was a Russian actor of high regard, and brought credibility to the role of the cruel SPECTRE operative Rosa Klebb. Who else could've pulled off those poison-tipped pointy shoes? The best part of her desperate final attempt to shiv Bond in the shin involves 007 fending her off with a chair.

47. The honeymoon is over (Licence to Kill)

Timothy Dalton's second outing as Bond begins with a joyous pre-credit sequence where he and Felix Leiter arrest drug kingpin Sanchez in spectacular style, before parachuting in for Felix's wedding. It's all going swimmingly; until Sanchez escapes, kills Della and wounds Felix. Sure, it's required for Bond to throw in his licence to kill and go rogue, but it's still a startling turnaround.

46. Dragged at sea (For Your Eyes Only)

Roped together, Bond and Melina Havelock (the breathtaking Carole Bouquet as one of the more cerebral Bond girls) are thrown off a boat and dragged behind it, in one of those classic, overly complex murder scenarios – you know, the ones Scott Evil righteously questioned in Austin Powers ''Why don't you just shoot them?''. They escape with the help of a previously left-behind scuba tank.

45. Jaws in love (Moonraker)

Producers apparently got so much mail from kids asking why Jaws had to be a bad guy, that they decided to transform him into a good guy by the end of Moonraker. The change begins when Jaws meets tiny, bespectacled Dolly and their odd, virtually silent romance is sweet and endearing.

44. Valentin Zukovsky (GoldenEye/The World Is Not Enough)

Bond films have a history of bringing back enjoyable ancillary characters, and none of the modern era have been as enjoyable as Robbie Coltrane as Zukovsky, the ex-KGB agent adjusting to a post-Soviet world. Introduced in GoldenEye, then eventually dying heroically in The World is Not Enough, Zukovsky has plenty of witty bon-mots ... ''Can't you just say hello like a normal person?!''.

43. Opium drop (The Living Daylights)

Bond winds up stuck on a cargo plane he's just planted a bomb on; but is able to dispatch the crew, drop the bomb over the Soviets to help the Mujahideen, then parachute out on a jeep with cellist Kara Milovy. Welcome to the franchise, Timothy Dalton.

42. Mr Wint and Mr Kidd (Diamonds Are Forever)

Ian Fleming wasn't known for having a broad understanding of homosexuality – famously writing that gay men couldn't whistle. The assassins Mr Wint and Mr Kidd (Bruce Glover and Putter Smith) are a ramped-up reflection of this: polite, obsessed with personal grooming and deadly with a scorpion.

41. Remote control car chase (Tomorrow Never Dies)

Sure, it's a BMW, not an Aston Martin, but the fact that Bond can control it with his dinky little 1997 Ericsson mobile phone is still pretty cool. In reality, it was a steering wheel built low into the car driven by a stunt driver, but hey, we're talking the pre-iPhone era here. Bond appropriately smashes up a Hamburg parking lot, before plunging the Beamer into an Avis. Brosnan's delighted laugh after reinflating his punctured tyres is a highlight.

40. Sex with Grace Jones (A View To A Kill)

Playing henchman – er, woman – May Day, Grace Jones makes an imposing lover. When 007 attempts to soften her with the line ''I see you're a woman of very few words'', she replies ''What is there to say?''. Roger Moore's face clearly reads ''Help.''

39. Plenty O'Toole (Diamonds Are Forever)

There are – well, plenty – of Bond girls with suggestive names, but the repost Bond utters after Plenty O'Toole introduces herself is a classic: ''Named after your father, perhaps?''. Fun fact: Plenty was played by Lana Wood, the younger sister of movie star Natalie Wood.

38. Girl fight (From Russia With Love)

One can only imagine the influence this gypsy girl fight sequence had on a generation of young movie-going boys back in 1963. The best part is how the girls' skirts come off as if by magic, and they're left to wrestle, scratch and tumble in sexy pants, while Bond watches on with a smug, satisfied grin.

37. 006 (GoldenEye)

Sean Bean is one of the greatest working actors alive today, and his international stardom really rocketed with his casting as Alex Trevelyan, the MI6 agent thought killed in Russia, only to turn up as terrorist, traitor and Bond's new nemesis Janus. His reappearance truly stuns Bond: ''What, no pithy remark, no glib comeback?" Brosnan, by the way, is particularly dishy in GoldenEye, especially when he shows vulnerability. Sean Bean gives him plenty of opportunities to do just that, because Sean Bean is awesome.

36. Mustang mistake (Diamonds Are Forever)

When the Ford Mustang Mach II enters a Las Vegas alleyway to escape pursuing police, it tips up onto its right wheels to squeeze through a narrow section. But when it emerges, it's on its left wheels. The reasons lie in various takes being unusable. A justification was found: hence an inset shot of Bond and Tiffany Case reeling from one side of the car to the other, suggesting that it has somehow transferred from a wheelie on one side to a wheelie on the other side. One of the most beloved of the Bond bloopers – but still a pretty cool car chase.

35. Dinner with the enemy (Dr No)

Kidnapped, de-radiated and clad in fine clothes, Bond and Honey Ryder are invited to a splendid feast with implacably calm Spectre agent Dr Julius No, in his underwater lair off Jamaica. The Hollywood trope of a villain explaining his plan in detail to his intended victim was not new in Dr No, but it's execution was so delectable, it became the model for all to follow.

34. Swimming with sharks (Thunderball)

Q's nifty little portable breathing pen comes in very handy (as Q's gadgets invariably do) when Emilio Largo has him thrown to his collection of pool sharks (sharks being a favourite pet of many Bond villains: see also Dr No, Kananga, Stromberg, Sanchez). It also helps later on during the amazing underwater fight sequence between CIA and Spectre forces.

33. Bond does Evel Knievel (The Man With the Golden Gun)

Bond's spectacular car jump over a broken bridge – including a mid-air flip – was completed on the first take. Composer John Barry then decided to put a slide whistle ''ally-oop!'' sound effect over the shot. Apparently, he lived to regret the decision.

32. Jaws on the line (Moonraker)

A stuntman almost slipped and fell to his death while shooting this grandiose cable car battle high above Rio de Janeiro. Richard Kiel himself was scared of heights; but while the close-up of him biting through a cable was real, the cable itself was a stunt one made from liquorice. There's also another classic Bond line as scientist Holly Goodhead (yes, really) asks who he is: ''His name's Jaws. He kills people.''

31. Clowning around (Octopussy)

They put James Bond in clown make-up. OK, fair enough, he's being chased, needs a disguise, and happens to be in a circus. But still. They put James Bond in clown make-up.

30. Third nipple (The Man With the Golden Gun)

They put a third nipple on James Bond. OK, fair enough, he needs it to identify as Scaramanga, and it turns out to be a – ahem – booby trap anyway, but still. They put a third nipple on James Bond.

29. Oddjob (Goldfinger)

The henchman by which all others are measured, Auric Goldfinger's Korean butler, driver and bowler-hat-throwing assassin is menacing, intimidating and mesmerising – all without saying a word. His epic final fight with Bond in Fort Knox is singular in that it eschews musical accompaniment, allowing the force of two big men to be the star.

28. Little Nellie (You Only Live Twice)

The sensational sky battle over Japan featuring the autogyro Little Nellie is daring, feisty and cleverly edited. Bond dispatches SPECTRE helicopters as effortlessly as he downs sake and spa baths elsewhere in the movie.

27. Yaphet Kotto explodes (Live and Let Die)

Is this the cheesiest villain death ever? Yes. Yes it is. Bond shoves a shark gun pellet into Kananga's mouth, causing him to inflate like a balloon and burst. Live and Let Die was Moore's first outing as Bond, and this over-the-top death essentially sums up his signature style.

26. Tank chase (GoldenEye)

The sight of a T-55 tank crashing through a wall to the swelling horns of Monty Norman's classic theme was a blessed ''welcome back'' for Bond fans, deprived of action for six years. The location may have actually been Britain's Leavesden studios, but dang it if we didn't rejoice at 007 smashing up Moscow more thoroughly than Boris Yeltsin after a few morning vodkas.

25. Elevator fight (Diamonds Are Forever)

It's a brutal close encounter in just over a square metre of space. Ornate glass shatters as Bond and smuggler Peter Franks fight while the lift takes an appropriately slow upward journey. This was Connery's last moment of real wetwork; and there are seeds of Daniel Craig's toilet fight in Casino Royale here.

24.Toilet fight (Casino Royale)

The clever juxtaposition of a calm black-and-white Bond discussing his first, vividly technicolour kill with his soon-to-be-second set the tone for the whole gritty reboot. It shows Bond is not likely to shy away from killing – whether hot-blooded or cold-blooded. And it ends with Bond taking the gunbarrel pose. Perfect.

23. Shocking (Goldfinger)

James Bond pre-credits sequences are as legendary as the films themselves. These days they tend to connect to the main story, but some of the earlier films took a more laissez-faire attitude. In this memorable 5 minutes, Bond swims into a location disguised as a duck, reveals a white tuxedo under his dive suit, blows up a silo, pashes a chick, gets attacked by her heavy then kills him via a fan in the bathtub. ''Shocking,'' Connery deadpans. ''Positively shocking''. This sequence more than anything else heralded the pandemonium that would forever flavour the series.

22. Space war (Moonraker)

A direct response to the success of Star Wars, Moonraker was out of this world in every possible way. Bond and scientist Holly Goodhead wind up wrecking crazed supervillain Hugo Drax's space ark for beautiful dumb people, and are joined by an army of American spacemen to do battle with lasers.

21. Lotus submerged (The Spy Who Loved Me)

TSWLM has many brilliant design concepts – Stromberg's aquatic lair, ships that ''eat'' submarines, Barbara Bach's outfits – but none more thrilling than the Lotus Esprit, which conveniently transforms into a mini-sub after Bond drives it off a pier. He and Agent XXX peer around the Atlantis before popping back up on a beach, with Bond depositing an errant fish out of the window as flabbergasted onlookers look on.

20.Death of Elektra (The World Is Not Enough)

Revealed as the villain after enchanting Bond; Elektra King's killing is one of the coldest in the series. Sophie Marceau practically dares Bond to pull the trigger; Brosnan lets his mask down just briefly to mark her demise before plunging off her balcony to stop a nuclear explosion and rescue Denise Richards. Well, one out of two ain't bad.

19. ''My name is Pussy Galore.'' (Goldfinger)

Honor Blackman was one classy Bond lady. Still, that name… a drowsy Bond, waking up on a plane after being knocked out, gives the only appropriate reply: ''I must be dreaming.''

18. Sexist, misogynist dinosaur (GoldenEye)

The long-awaited return of James Bond in 1995 saw Judi Dench stamp the role of spymaster M so firmly that she remains a cornerstone of the franchise. Slamming Bond as a relic of the Cold War, she makes it clear 007 can't charm his way past her. And yet, M's fondness for Bond, explored in later movies, is evident even here.

17. Jet pack (Thunderball)

Thunderball's beautifully shot opening stunt sequence made everyone believe they'd soon be able to escape the Cold War by the simple deployment of their standard-issue jet pack (a Bell Rocket Belt, to be precise). Fifty years on, we're still waiting.

16. Aston Martin DB5 (Goldfinger)

The Aston Martin is as linked to the Bond mythos as martinis and misogyny. Bond may joke about Q's ejector seat (''I never joke about my work, 007'' retorts the sublime Desmond Llewellyn), but he finds it proves highly useful while battling Goldfinger's goons in Switzerland.

15. Ernst Stavro Blofeld (You Only Live Twice)

Donald Pleasance was a late ring-in for the SPECTRE supremo, who'd previously been seen in From Russia With Love as just a hand stroking a fluffy Persian cat. But his mangled face and affected speech defined the role. ''As you see, I am about to inaugurate a little war,'' he deadpans, cementing his place as the best Dr Evil impersonator in the world.

14. Shower scene (Casino Royale)

Vesper Lynd, traumatised after Bond's bloody dispatching of hired goons during the poker game, sits fully clothed in a luxurious shower, shivering cold and obsessing over blood on her hands. Bond sits down with her, tenderly takes her fingers into his busted hands, and licks them clean. It's so intimate it almost feels inappropriate to watch; this is a Bond girl reacting in truthful shock to a brutal moment, and Bond showing genuine empathy.

13. Moneypenny (In Almost Everything)

Lois Maxwell played M's secretary for the first 14 films of the franchise, and is still fondly regarded by all fans. Her sexual tension with Bond goes unfulfilled; frustrating for her, but no doubt the reason for her longevity. Their gentle flirtation actually shows a softer side to Bond, even though it helps cement the notion that it's rare for Bond to bed a woman he respects.

12. Golden Girl (Goldfinger)

Pierce Brosnan recalls that his first vivid memory of going to the movies was seeing poor Jill Masterson's golden body – a horrific punishment for betraying Goldfinger – and the image is certainly an iconic one for the franchise. (Quantum of Solace even recreated it using oil as the weapon). Based on dodgy science – you can't actually suffocate to death by being painted – it nevertheless secured actor Shirley Eaton a memorable place in the Bond canon.

11. Daniel Craig emerging from the water in blue shorts (Casino Royale)

No explanation required, really.

10. Ursula Andress emerging from the water in a white bikini (Dr No)

No explanation required, really.

9. All the time in the world (On Her Majesty's Secret Service)

George Lazenby gets a bad rap, but try to imagine Sean Connery or heaven forbid, Roger Moore, playing out the death of Tracy di Vincenzo, and the Australian Bond doesn't seem so shabby. Passionately in love, Bond declares to his new bride (played by the divine Diana Rigg) that they have all the time in the world, moments before she is gunned down by Blofeld. ''She's just having a rest,'' Bond tells a policeman. ''We'll be moving on soon.'' It's damn heartbreaking.

8. Silhouettes (All films)

Maurice Binder created the seriously iconic title sequences, which evolved from the simple painted woman in the Goldfinger opener to complicated silhouettes and slow-moving figures. Languid, artistic and cleverly orchestrated, they're a highlight of every film. For a great modern example of one, Madonna's Die Another Day is highly underrated. No, really, that's not a joke – it's a tightly put-together account of Bond's torture in a North Korean prison. Really.

7. Crocs (Live and Let Die)

One of the simplest but most dramatic stunts in the entire series, Bond's escape from a Louisiana crocodile farm is so watchable, you could play it on a loop for a day and not get bored. Left stranded on a small island surrounded by an array of ''potential overnight bags'', Bond resorts to using the backs of four crocs as terrifying stepping stones. Real-life croc farm owner Ross Kananga actually performed the stunt, which is why you only see legs bounding spritely across the screen.

6. Q's final farewell (The World Is Not Enough)

Famously gadget-phobic in real life, Desmond Llewellyn is everyone's sentimental favourite. In 1999's the World is Not Enough, he finishes his rundown with Bond by offering two pieces of advice: never let them see you bleed, and ''Always have an escape plan''. The timing is perfect; Q disappears into the floor, sadly never to be seen again in the series. Llewellyn was 84 when he filmed that scene; and he died in a car accident not long after the film premiered. In retrospect it's bittersweet and touching.

5. You've had your six (Dr No)

It's easy to overlook in all that's come since, but Bond began as Fleming intended: a cold, ruthless and efficient killer. Realising that Professor Dent is in the pay of an enemy, he ambushes him. After bleating for a while, Dent picks up his gun and attempts to scare Bond. Connery, cigarette dangling from his lips, states calmly ''That's a Smith and Wesson. And you've had your six.'' Dent's gun is empty, and Bond shoots him in the chest, then a second time in the back. Bond then quietly removes his Walther PPK's silencer, and blows away the smoke. This is Daniel Craig 45 years before Daniel Craig.

4. Union Flag parachute (The Spy Who Loved Me)

''But James, I need you!'' pleads a nubile blonde, urging Bond not to leave their Austrian chalet. ''So does England,'' comes the noble rejoinder. Queen and country first, m'dear. But 007's downhill ski is ambushed, and he must fend off a phalanx of Soviet agents while avoiding a crash. At the end of the sequence, Bond sails off a perilous mountain top, the camera watching as his skis and poles come free and tumble out of view. Then, out of his backpack unfurls a parachute, and as the Monty Norman riff kicks in, we see it's the Union flag. Absolute Bond at its best.

3. Blofeld's Volcano Lair (You Only Live Twice)

To be honest, it's hard to choose a favourite location from the Bond films. From M16 headquarters in wrecked ships and pyramids, to bad guy lairs in jungles, underwater and in ice castles, production designers always come up with gold. But in a way, it all began in Blofeld's lair, hidden within an extinct volcano. Designed by Ken Adam, it's full of steel, computer consoles and henchmen in overalls, and is the perfect location for a big fight scene.

2. Torture (Casino Royale)

Bond has endured a fair bit of torture over the half-century, but none more striking (er, literally) than the encounter his testicles had with Le Chiffre and a laden stocking. Daniel Craig's acting in this sequence is phenomenal; he shows genuine fear and pain, but keeps enough of his wits about him to mock Le Chiffre: ''Now the whole world's going to know you died scratching my balls.'' A gritty scene that shocked audiences, and confirmed the franchise had the, er, balls to reinvent itself.

1. ''I expect you to die'' (Goldfinger)

It's the greatest scene in the Bond franchise, and one of the greatest scenes in any movie, anywhere. Strapped to a table, with a new-fangled laser slowly travelling towards his vital parts, Bond is at the mercy of Auric Goldfinger, the chubby, gold-loving mega-villain who drives a Rolls Royce and cheats at golf. ''Do you expect me to talk?'' he says defiantly. Goldfinger (played by Gert Frobe but dubbed) looks puzzled for a brief moment, before uttering the immortal line ''No, Mr Bond, I expect you to die!''. Regardless, Bond somehow talks his way out of it; winding up with a clonk on the head from Oddjob instead. But as a scene, it combines gadgets, villainy, libido and witty dialogue – it's got everything.