The James Bonds from best to worst and what you think about them
Helpful chap77
Posts: 26MI6 Agent
I know this thread could become a little controversial but I think it'll be a fun thread nevertheless. I'd like to know people's favourite Bonds, from most favourite to least favourite. Also you could explain why you like them or don't like them.
My list:
1. Roger Moore
The man that gets a lot of stick for being too comical, although in my opinion his portrayal of Bond has more to him than fun. For instance in The Spy Who Loved Me which in my opinion is still the greatest Bond film (pre-Skyfall) his execution of Stromberg is quite ruthless, whilst in For Your Eyes Only Rogers Bond kicks a car with someone in it off a cliff, proving he can be brutal. Roger was Bond from the 70's in to the 80's and he still loves the character and is a supporter of the franchise, he's a great person, humble and a Little to hard on himself for his acting skills. Pierce Brosnan was Bond as I was growing up but Roger was truly Bond when I was younger and he made me become a big fan of the franchise.
2. Sean Connery
His films are arguably still the peak of the franchise, I love watching From Russia With Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball, they are amongst my favourite Bond films, there all such great adventures. I'm not sure that I could hear a valid reason as to why Sean was not a good Bond, he was a great actor that moved well and looked great in the fighting scenes, love scenes and when he delivered the funny lines, they never felt forced at all, it just felt natural.
3. Timothy Dalton
Was offered the role in his younger years but had to turn it down, I think that was the right decision, although if he took over the role for A View To A Kill, I think the film would of suited him and it would of been better than it was, although it was actually a decent film in my opinion. Pierce Brosnan looked set to star in The Living Daylights and I'm glad that he didn't because Dalton was fantastic in that film. Timothy Dalton gave Bond a harder edge and he was brilliantly ruthless in the role, his two Bond films are in my top ten, they are highly enjoyable. I hear countless people who are casual fans write Dalton off as being ‘rubbish’, which I find annoying because they probably haven't sat down too much to watch one of his films. Timothy Dalton and Roger Moore's portrayal of Bond were completely different, but both of them have a place in the franchise.
4. Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig's appointment of Bond was questioned and even ridiculed by the media and fans alike, who have now ironically jumped on to his bandwagon. There was or still is a silly website called danielcraigisnotbond.com. In my opinion people who disliked Daniel Craig's appointment of Bond now look pretty damn silly as he has done a fantastic job of playing the character, and even re-inventing him, although I have to say switching a Vodka Martini for a Heineken was going too far, and I feel it'll look out of place in Skyfall. Anyway as people have said Daniel Craig doesn't look like you're typical James Bond but he's a marvellous actor and has made people believe that he is James Bond. Casino Royale is a brilliant film with some fantastic scenes, I loved the PTS with the black and white scenes and the foot chase literally made my jaw drop. Quantum of Solace shared a similarity with Tomorrow Never Dies in my opinion, they were both bad films that followed on from a great one. I now hope that Skyfall will be another hit and it looks like it's going to be which is great, Daniel Craig defiantly has what it takes to move up my list.
5. George Lazenby
George has received his fair share of stick over the years for his portrayal of Bond in the one film that he did, stick that's unfair I'd say. George was a model and chocolate advertiser before he played James Bond, now I'd like to see the critics who bashed George Lazenby take on the role as they would be going in to the role completely inexperienced, just as George did. I feel that On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a classic, a top three Bond film, with a great plot and great acting, Tracy is my all time favourite Bond girl and George brought vulnerability in to the role, adding to the realism. George should definitely have done at least two Bond films, and I think he still regrets not doing two today. If he did do two or more he probably would be higher on my list.
6. Pierce Brosnan
I like all of the actors that have played Bond, don't get me wrong and I'm sorry that someone has to come bottom on my list, that person is Pierce Brosnan. I liked him as Bond and I feel that he had a certain coolness about him. His Bond was very calm under pressure and always looked like he could handle any situation, although I do like it when there's a certain vulnerability to the character. He was the first Bond actor in my opinion since Roger Moore to completely nail the comedic side of Bond, Pierce always seemed so naturally comfortable delivering the one liners. I don't have anything really negative to say about Pierce's James Bond, except that maybe he was partly picked due to the way he looked and maybe slightly fortunate in that sense, as there may have been better actors around at the time that could of played the role, although you can't get more fortunate than George Lazenby landing the role. In my opinion his first film was by far his best film, it's a classic and number two on my list, however despite The World Is Not Enough being underrated in my view, his other films were just not up to standard. I don't blame Pierce for this, he did the best that he could do, the scripts were just not good enough on Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day which in my opinion could of been brilliant but so could Moonraker, in fact both were very good films for a while.
I might update my list once I see Skyfall, but for now that's my list. So what your list?
My list:
1. Roger Moore
The man that gets a lot of stick for being too comical, although in my opinion his portrayal of Bond has more to him than fun. For instance in The Spy Who Loved Me which in my opinion is still the greatest Bond film (pre-Skyfall) his execution of Stromberg is quite ruthless, whilst in For Your Eyes Only Rogers Bond kicks a car with someone in it off a cliff, proving he can be brutal. Roger was Bond from the 70's in to the 80's and he still loves the character and is a supporter of the franchise, he's a great person, humble and a Little to hard on himself for his acting skills. Pierce Brosnan was Bond as I was growing up but Roger was truly Bond when I was younger and he made me become a big fan of the franchise.
2. Sean Connery
His films are arguably still the peak of the franchise, I love watching From Russia With Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball, they are amongst my favourite Bond films, there all such great adventures. I'm not sure that I could hear a valid reason as to why Sean was not a good Bond, he was a great actor that moved well and looked great in the fighting scenes, love scenes and when he delivered the funny lines, they never felt forced at all, it just felt natural.
3. Timothy Dalton
Was offered the role in his younger years but had to turn it down, I think that was the right decision, although if he took over the role for A View To A Kill, I think the film would of suited him and it would of been better than it was, although it was actually a decent film in my opinion. Pierce Brosnan looked set to star in The Living Daylights and I'm glad that he didn't because Dalton was fantastic in that film. Timothy Dalton gave Bond a harder edge and he was brilliantly ruthless in the role, his two Bond films are in my top ten, they are highly enjoyable. I hear countless people who are casual fans write Dalton off as being ‘rubbish’, which I find annoying because they probably haven't sat down too much to watch one of his films. Timothy Dalton and Roger Moore's portrayal of Bond were completely different, but both of them have a place in the franchise.
4. Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig's appointment of Bond was questioned and even ridiculed by the media and fans alike, who have now ironically jumped on to his bandwagon. There was or still is a silly website called danielcraigisnotbond.com. In my opinion people who disliked Daniel Craig's appointment of Bond now look pretty damn silly as he has done a fantastic job of playing the character, and even re-inventing him, although I have to say switching a Vodka Martini for a Heineken was going too far, and I feel it'll look out of place in Skyfall. Anyway as people have said Daniel Craig doesn't look like you're typical James Bond but he's a marvellous actor and has made people believe that he is James Bond. Casino Royale is a brilliant film with some fantastic scenes, I loved the PTS with the black and white scenes and the foot chase literally made my jaw drop. Quantum of Solace shared a similarity with Tomorrow Never Dies in my opinion, they were both bad films that followed on from a great one. I now hope that Skyfall will be another hit and it looks like it's going to be which is great, Daniel Craig defiantly has what it takes to move up my list.
5. George Lazenby
George has received his fair share of stick over the years for his portrayal of Bond in the one film that he did, stick that's unfair I'd say. George was a model and chocolate advertiser before he played James Bond, now I'd like to see the critics who bashed George Lazenby take on the role as they would be going in to the role completely inexperienced, just as George did. I feel that On Her Majesty's Secret Service is a classic, a top three Bond film, with a great plot and great acting, Tracy is my all time favourite Bond girl and George brought vulnerability in to the role, adding to the realism. George should definitely have done at least two Bond films, and I think he still regrets not doing two today. If he did do two or more he probably would be higher on my list.
6. Pierce Brosnan
I like all of the actors that have played Bond, don't get me wrong and I'm sorry that someone has to come bottom on my list, that person is Pierce Brosnan. I liked him as Bond and I feel that he had a certain coolness about him. His Bond was very calm under pressure and always looked like he could handle any situation, although I do like it when there's a certain vulnerability to the character. He was the first Bond actor in my opinion since Roger Moore to completely nail the comedic side of Bond, Pierce always seemed so naturally comfortable delivering the one liners. I don't have anything really negative to say about Pierce's James Bond, except that maybe he was partly picked due to the way he looked and maybe slightly fortunate in that sense, as there may have been better actors around at the time that could of played the role, although you can't get more fortunate than George Lazenby landing the role. In my opinion his first film was by far his best film, it's a classic and number two on my list, however despite The World Is Not Enough being underrated in my view, his other films were just not up to standard. I don't blame Pierce for this, he did the best that he could do, the scripts were just not good enough on Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day which in my opinion could of been brilliant but so could Moonraker, in fact both were very good films for a while.
I might update my list once I see Skyfall, but for now that's my list. So what your list?
aaahhgh!...Thud..(sorts out tie) what a helpful chap
Comments
Yeah, I understand that people will probably struggle to put their lists together. It will be interesting though to see everybody's different opinions, I bet Craig will probably end up in the middle on most lists, as people will just not know where to put him. As you mentioned he does not look like Bond but his films are great and he's made people believe that he is James Bond.
This list is subject to shuffling the first three actors depending upon the day and what movie I've recently watched.
1. Sean Connery - suave, great actor, incredible machismo. Just swagger, in nice digs. Also, I like Sean for a more personal reason: he is a brown haired, brown eyed Caucasian guy, much like myself. That's actually validating to me in some way. In the myriad levels of social order, the brown eyed souls rarely get the same admiration as fairer-eyed ones, in my experience. I also like SC's "Bond, James Bond" from DN better than any other.
2. George Lazenby - Who is only slightly edged-out by Connery. I know this will be a bane of contention for some ,but I thoroughly enjoy Lazenby. His "acting" style imparts a certain vulnerability and hesitation that I think rears its head in the IF novels from time to time. Also, Lazenby is really convincing when it comes time for fisticuffs. Hell, reportedly he actually landed a few real blows in OHMSS. I also think that Diana Rigg was the best Bond girl and the last few minutes of OHMSS brought a greater level of humanity to Bond that ANY other scene captured on film.
3. Daniel Craig - This is where my list probably gets controversial. I agree that DC doesn't really look like what Bond is supposed to be, but I like his intensity. I think Casino Royale is great and it is the film that brought me into the series. I am looking forward to SF and I think there might be a lot more Craig believers after seeing it.
4. Timothy Dalton - TD is a great actor and blah blah but to be honest, I never get any feeling at all that he wanted to be there in either TLD or LTK. As several critics pointed out, he just seems bored and that translates to boring. His hair is god forsaken. His suits are baggy. Sorry to the Dalton die-hards.
5. Pierce Brosnan - I think my opinion of PB is that he is too calm. He takes Connery's calm and collected portrayal and pairs with it a nice, fat 1990s marijuana cigarette that he inhaled (but claimed not to). I like GE and TWINE quite well, that being said.
6. Roger Moore: I respect Roger Moore as a person, humanitarian, and ambassador to the Bond brand but I just don't get his portrayal of Bond. Too goofy. Too old. Lousy fashion, lousy films. I can appreciate TSWLM like any good Bond fan, and FYEO but LALD, Moonraker, AVTAK - just embarrassing. TMWTGG is actually my "Bad Bond Movie" guilty pleasure - I love it.
Edit: Despite my sometimes harsh critiques, I like all the Bond actors and the movies. I'd rather be watching Moonraker than a lot of what is coming out these days. AVTAK, not so much.
Aside from being the original, I thought he was the one that made 007 a well rounded character. He has just the right balance of aggression, aloofness, and suavity. His one-liners, when he uses them, are actually quite witty rather than overdone. He is at ease putting bullets into Professor Dent or fighting hand to hand with Red Grant as he is in making love to a woman. That's what makes him a great Bond.
2. Timothy Dalton
I really should put him equal first. I think Dalton's portrayal of James Bond is closest to the literary Bond envisaged by Fleming. Dalton's Bond is pretty much Fleming's Bond. He is cold, and aloof, his disdain for his job is evident in the way he says "if he fires me I'll thank him for it". He is also very vulnerable, a far cry from the invincible superhero that the cinematic Bond is. That, briefly, is what Bond should be, because that's the way Fleming wrote him. While Dalton's portrayal of Bond lacks Connery's suavity, I'm not sure the literary Bond can properly be described as "suave".
3. Daniel Craig
I like him for much the same reason as I like Dalton. His performance as Bond is 'by the book' ... well, almost. I don't think Craig does Bond's vulnerable side anywhere near as well as Dalton does. I also think that Craig doesn't look anything like Bond. Fleming's Bond has a slim build, which is very unlike Craig. Craig's Bond is more of an action hero than a spy.
4. George Lazenby
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is quite underrated by some circles of Bond fans, along with Lazenby's performance. But I thought that Lazenby was superb. He may not have been classically trained as an actor, but he knows how to fight, and his fight scenes are superbly done. The film is also superb. In my view the film is the second best of the series. I think it's a shame that Lazenby didn't stick around to do more.
5. Pierce Brosnan
Granted, Brosnan probably didn't get the best of scripts, and his Bond movies have, in my view, been average at best. I don't think any of Brosnan's films as particularly outstanding, although there are elements of his performance that harks back to the Fleming Bond: his "I've never liked killing in cold blood" line in The World Is Not Enough, is definitely by the book, as was his reaction after killing Electra King. Killing is a part of Bond's job that he does very well, but he has never liked it. He doesn't kill because he gets a thrill out of it, but because it's part of his job.
6. Sir Roger Moore
Sorry, Moore fans, I've never seen a moment in a Moore film where I thought that his man is the James Bond that has a rather cruel smile and a scar down his cheek, who looks 'dangerous'. Moore was anything but. Even after kicking the car off a cliff in For Your Eyes Only, or pushing a man off a roof top in The Spy Who Loved Me, he had to crack a one-liner ... hardly appropriate. Moore's portrayal of Bond was far too jovial. It was too far removed from the original Fleming concept for him to be believable as James Bond.
Although I understand and appreciate why people would put Roger at the bottom of their list, I disagree with what you said about the one-liner in The Spy Who Loved Me. I don't think it's any different from ‘I think he got the point’ or ‘I think they were on their way to a funeral’, James Bond has always used witticism as a sort of defence mechanism, to try and make light of the situation. The helpful chap line in The Spy Who Loved Me, which is a classic line I feel was no different.
I think that when the one liner is delivered by a credible Bond it makes a big difference. For me Roger never seemed even vaguely credible except possibly in LALD for a few scenes. It's about light and shade in my view.
I think that when the one liner is delivered by a credible Bond it makes a big difference. For me Roger never seemed even vaguely credible except possibly in LALD for a few scenes. It's about light and shade in my view.
"I think he got the point" got morphed into Predator's "Stick around." Yeah, Bond needed to go subtle & elegant with it after that.
#1.TLD/LTK 2.TND 3.GF 4.GE 5.DN 6.FYEO 7.FRWL 8.TMWTGG 9.TWINE 10.YOLT/QOS
Fair enough, I respect your opinion. I just don't get swayed from liking Roger because others don't like him and I hope that's the same with other people. For instance I wouldn't understand if people said some harsh words about Pierce Brosnan and the fan that was on the receiving end of the comments decided to suddenly change his mind and agree with those comments. It boils down to opinion at the end of the day, which is why I wouldn't be able to understand people taking offence to things that are said, it's just interesting hearing peoples different opinions.
1. Pierce Brosnan.
Proberbly VERY controversial to put him on first place, and I really had to think about it as well. I wouldn't call him the best Bond by no means, and same goes for his films, but he's proberbly still my favorite when I think about it. Brosnan was often viewed as the ideal cocktail with elements of all the previous Bonds, mainly Connery and Moore. I have to agree with that. He does seem to have a perfect balance between being suave, dangerous, cool and delivers one liners like no other. The scripts he got weren't the best, thus making him a pretty underrated Bond. I also think it comes with some sentimental value, since he is the Bond I grew up with.
2. Sean Connery
Proberbly the best Bond. And I always view him as thé orignal one. I am also one of the view people who wasn't disturbed by his 'bored' performance in YOLT. I did think he did worse in DAF though. Connery pretty much seems to be the definition of James Bond. You can easily believe that women would fall for this man, and you simply easily want to be like him. And his introduction in Dr. No remains legendary!
3. Timothy Dalton
VERY good Bond, arguably the Best Ian Fleming Bond. I really appreciate his take on Bond, IMO his performance was amazing in both of his movies. And of course he is the Bond that stars in my favorite Bond movie. Though of course, his weaklink seems to be his oneliners and humor, but he makes up for that by being of of the most intresting Bonds in the pack.
4. Roger Moore
Definitely one of my all time favorites, I have always liked him, and I think I will always do. Though his performance was completly different to all of the other Bonds, you just gotta love his take on it. Surely, Moore was never believably dangerous, but boy was this guy funny! Only in the Moore movies would you laugh simply at Bonds facial expressions, clever oneliners, and sarcastic face. His scene in TMWTGG where he puts Mary Goodnight in the closet to later tell her, "don't worry darling your time will come
5. Daniel Craig
Over the years he has really grown on me, but he is yet to make it higher into the list. Perhaps his performance in Skyfall will blow me away. Back when he was announced I really had to get used to start seeing him as James Bond... I do like that he's sort of like Dalton, and even pulls of the oneliners better then Dalton did. However, he doesn't really look like Bond. Overall a very good actor, I really started to like him over the years.
6. George Lazenby
Sorry to all Lazenby lovers, but to me, this guy is on a WHOLE lot lower level then the other five. Why a male model with zero acting expierence was chosen to be the James Bond to follow up Sean Connery is still beyond me.. Inmagine that happening nowadays! His inexpierence really translates to the screen, and to me, he doesn't work at all. His oneliners are really terrible, I always facepalm myself whenever he says: "He branched off...", "looks like we hit the rush-hour.." or "He had lots of guts!" They feel so forced and it's embarrassing to watch! He also seems to miss the complete sauve side of the character that all of the other actors are able to translate to the screen. He just seems very wooden to me. I do have to give him credit for how he did the end of OHMSS along with the scene in the barn. The rest was just complete rubbish, they should have gone with, I don't know... an actor maybe?
YouTube channel Support my channel on Patreon Twitter Facebook fanpage