Pierce Brosnan or Daniel Craig?
JohnMasterson
MinnesotaPosts: 326MI6 Agent
Between Pierce and Daniel which Bond actor is the lesser of two evils for you? I know both sides have their share of lovers and haters but if you're somewhere in-between which one is easier for you to tolerate? Which one annoys you less? Do you find yourself not loving GoldenEye and Casino Royale but not hating them either?
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Comments
I also find Craig's Bond a far more interesting character, though that may be due to the film scripts rather than his performances.
On balance, I'd prefer Craig so far, though neither of them would be my favourite Bond.
Ironically, in spite of all the talk Craig's films are more typically Bondian in their visual scope and colour. Yet very often the talk among non purists is 'Well, you want all the gimmicks and gadget cars and evil lairs...' it's a cliche that gets spouted and I don't agree really, don't want to see daft cars.
But neither Craig or Brosnan get great one-liners. Overall, I think Brosnan had more potential, but unrealised.
Roger Moore 1927-2017
I know they're entirely different networks but the names "NBC" and "ABC" sound like they are completely interchangeable, especially to a person like me, who hardly watches TV anymore and couldn't careless about either local television network.
I actually enjoyed both films, but when it comes to the interpretations of Bond as a character, I have to agree with others that a lot any negative criticisms should be directed at the writers and directors more than the actors. Pierce to me was a perfect choice for Goldeneye at that time and carried the dramatic parts off as well as he did the lighter touches. Always thought this is very difficult for an actor to do in these films, because it depends on whether the script is mostly dramatic with just a hint of wry humor, or if its over the top in plot with broader humor (as in the Moore scripts). My problem with him is that in the most dramatic and tense moments (as when he was being tortured in TWINE), I knew he would escape somehow, and I also saw he was acting. He's very good and his looks fit, but it undercuts the reality for me. Now with Craig, I realize he doesn't fit the standard matinee idol look, but given the fact his turn as the character is a total reboot and directed at being a more real, modern agent and that we are discovering how he ticks internally, Craig convinces me. When I watched his intense scenes in CR (especially the torture scene), I sat there and thought...is he really going to survive this? - even though I knew he would. It was almost painful to watch it for it's brutally realistic depiction, and another shock to actually see two skillful actors really given some solid scripted meat to chew on in a Bond film. So when it comes down to either of those films or the actors, again, I say they both did a solid job for the scripts they were given, but I have to give a nod to Craig for getting to make the character more real.
This is kind of a strange topic. I think Brosnan's best Bond is TWINE. I've watched it far more times than Casino Royale. Also, Brosnan played Bond more times than Craig who really might not be Bond yet. Still, I think I might like Casino a bit more than TWINE. I'm not really sure yet. Both have strong and weak points. Right now, both actors don't have a Bond film that is a classic. Which is really the problem to me. Connery has his first group of films. Moore, like him or not, has TSWLM and a bunch of really fun Bond films. They might not be classics but they are always enjoyable. Dalton has his two films which are great, solid Bond films. Of course there is OHMSS which is amazing. Brosnan never put his stamp on his films. Craig is charting new territory since he is a completely different Bond. Skyfall will either be great or maybe the Spider-Man 3 of Craig's Bond films. Then we'll need another reboot...
I thought most of the people who saw Quantum of Solace had already considered that to be the Spider-Man 3 of Craig's Bond films....Or is it the Batman Returns of Daniel's Bond outings? I don't really know. Quantum of Solace certainly wasn't as violent, vulgar, and nonsensical as Batman Returns but it was definitely just as disappointing especially after the first movie (Batman 1989 & Casino Royale 2006) which had divided the fan-base. Which means some people could put up with Batman killing criminals and James Bond playing poker and some people could not.
Quantum of Solace still has its good moments unlike Spider-Man 3 which I have zero interest in watching again. Batman Returns is like Spider-Man 3 in that regard. I still love Quantum's opening car chase and the soundtrack is great. I can live with small changes. Bond playing poker was cool. Not as bad as I thought it was going to be. Batman killing criminals was fine. Especially if you recall watching the old TV show. The darker and serious Batman was amazing to see on the big screen. That final battle was the battle for the city.
this was hindsight for me of course...the first Bond i was introduced to was Goldeneye, and back then as i watched in the theater i thought 'this is the most awsomest thing ever!!'
and i thought Brosnan was the best Bond after Connery all along ...up to Craig. Craig's take is so different and 'real' that as one person here put it, you had to wonder if he was going to survive the torturing in CR. Only Connery was able to conjure up such a reaction, so for this Craig is better.
Neither the title nor the plot, and is more like the image of the character created by Brosnan Fleming, that of Craig, although I think ¨ ¨ Craid defender, and expected to play James Bond in more movies
Reflections in a double bourbon...
Well, GoldenEye is like a holdover Dalton film without Dalton but maybe that was the problem....Or maybe they should have given Brosnan a darker script for GoldenEye. :007)
In any event, Craig is almost Dalton like with regards to the Fleming character, not all the time mind, but there are definitely traces of the original character shining out every now and again when he's in the role. Brosnan was a bit too punny for me sometimes, more like an americanized Moore every now and again and I'll say he was past it by the time of 2002s Die Another Day, whether he wanted to continue or otherwise it was for the best that someone else more appropriate took the role for Royale, you could never imagine an ageing 'less than Charles Atlas physique' Brosnan doing those free running scenes in Madagascar, that bit was ridiculous enough but at least Craig made it slightly more believable
Brosnan looked the part in Goldeneye and TWINE, but less so for TND and DAD, Craig was a shock to me first time around with his blue eyes, blond hair and WWE physique, but if you can look beyond that he hasn't done too bad a job, even if the second appearance was a bit of a major let down
But it was ABC that screwed Lazenby in their re-edit of OHMSS!
As for Brosnan, as far as I'm concerned, his best performance as Bond came in The Thomas Crown Affair, which probably says more about my opinion of the actual Bond movies Brosnan had the misfortune of starring in.
If Brosnan was working for British Intelligence in that movie then I would agree with your statement, but I don't believe he was...
Its funny you compare QOS with Batman Returns, I always compare DAD to Batman and Robin. Both movies were so bad that they rebooted the franchise afterward to get a fresh start. Also both movies had ice themes and dealt with diamonds and some sort of death beam. Also Zao looked a lot like Mr. Freeze. Lol
But as far as the topic at hand, I like Brosnan, but he seemed a little too pretty boy GQ. He always looked like he was posing. Where as Craig is more rugged and tough. Two opposite sites of the character. I suppose it comes down to whether you prefer a more handsome suave bond or a more masculine tough guy bond.
Didn't Ian Fleming give Bond a Scottish backround, though?
1. GoldenEye 2. Goldfinger 3. Skyfall 4. OHMSS 5. TWINE
-Casino Royale, Ian Fleming