James Bond's top five elaborate death scenarios

Among the most instantly recognizable and enduringly popular scenes from the James Bond movie franchise are the elaborate death traps put into place for the protagonist by a seemingly endless array of antiheroes. The sadistic and convoluted plot devices create dramatic tension, or at least amuse audiences, and invariably result in 007's extraction via deus ex machina. Inspired by the James Bond Film Series, which begins tonight at the Mayan Theatre, we put together this list of a few of our favorites.

5. Live and Let Die crocodile farm
Live and Let Die features one of the best Bond theme songs, written by Paul McCartney, and later covered to satisfactory effect by Guns N' Roses. It also features a totally awesome crocodile farm, which is used to excellent effect as an elaborate death trap by the evil Kananga and his one-armed henchman, Tee Hee Johnson. Bond, being the totally awesome superspy that he is, knows the difference between gators and crocs, and also knows just how to escape the sadistic scenario: by skipping along the animals' backsides to safety.

4. The Man with the Golden Gun hall of mirrors
In The Man with the Golden Gun, Bond and his nemesis, Scaramanga, the Man with the all-powerful, one-shot-kills Golden Gun, prepare for a final showdown on the beach -- an old-fashioned pistol duel. Bond turns, takes the requisite twenty steps, and turns again to shoot -- but Scaramanga, like the rat bastard he is, turns tail and runs back inside his lair -- a hall of mirrors replete with wax statues. Bond begins to navigate the deadly hallways, trying to discern which reflection is the real Scaramanga. Wisely, Bond decides to pose as a wax statue of himself, thus able to kill Scaramanga rather easily.