Top 10 Most Overrated Iconic Movie Lines

1) “A martini. Shaken, not stirred.” Goldfinger, 1964

This line, first spoken by Sean Connery as James Bond in 1964’s Goldfinger, is placed at number 90 on the AFI list. Connery’s self-introduction from Dr. No (“Bond. James Bond.”) came in at number 22 on the list. Together, these quotes represent the two most iconic lines in a film franchise that turned 50 years old on October 5, and this year saw the release of its 23rd film, Skyfall, starring Daniel Craig as Bond.

Four of the six actors who have played Bond have ordered “shaken, not stirred” martinis (Connery, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig) and the other two (George Lazenby and Roger Moore) have had the drink ordered for them. The specificity of Bond’s drink order is meant to highlight what a classy and refined man-of-the-world he is. There’s just one problem: it doesn’t make sense!

You see, when Ian Fleming was first writing the Bond novels in the 1950s, vodka wasn’t that popular outside of Russia, and most martinis were made with gin. So, at the time, it was fairly unique and distinctive for Bond to order a vodka martini. But why the “shaken, not stirred” request? Well, prior to the 1960s, most vodka brands were refined from potatoes instead of grain, making them somewhat oily. So in Fleming’s 1953 novel Casino Royale, Bond orders a shaken martini because the shaking will help disperse the oil. He even tells the bartender that vodka made from grain rather than potatoes would improve his drink.

But the first Bond movie came out in 1962, and ever since then Bond has been insisting on “shaken, not stirred” martinis. Why? He’s drinking vodka refined from grain, not potatoes. Bond worrying about being served oily, potato-based vodka is an incredibly anachronistic concern that belongs in the fifties, not the present day. It would be like if the next Bond movie featured 007 fretting that Sputnik may be equipped with atomic bombs, or if it had him seducing a woman by complimenting her poodle skirt.

Maybe that’s why in 2006’s Casino Royale, after a despondent Bond has lost millions in poker and is asked by the bartender whether he wants his martini shaken or stirred, he gives the only appropriate answer someone can give to such a question: “Does it look like I give a damn?”

So, what do you think? Do you find these lines equally annoying? Are there any lines that I forgot to mention? Let us know your thoughts in the comments!