"Debut" Bonds Seem to be the Best

Gassy Man

Either the director or the actor, but usually both. I realized when watching For Your Eyes Only today that John Glen's best Bonds were that film and The Living Daylights.

Casino Royale is still Martin Campbell's and Daniel Craig's best Bond, in my opinion. Many fans consider Goldeneye to be the same with him and Pierce Brosnan, though I don't agree. I still prefer Tomorrow Never Dies of the Brosnan films.

Peter Hunt's and George Lazenby's one-off is one of the best of the series, Lewis Gilbert's You Only Live Twice, I think, is his best, and so is Guy Hamilton's Goldfinger. From Russia with Love has a better plot, but in many ways, Dr. No is a more inventive film for Terrance Young, if for no other reason than elegantly creating the pattern for megalomaniacal villain.

Of course, there are exceptions. Each of Brosnan's films had a different director, for instance, and most of them were middling films. Quantum of Solace is the worst of the Craig films. But it seems like the director and actor team just try harder when it is the first film in their attempts.

MooseWithFleas

I've always thought that the debut for each Bond actor was when they were at their "coolest". Connery would do better in FRWL and GF, but the coolness of Dr. No from his opening line to You've had your six would not be surpassed.

Moore was in classic form and at his best during TSWLM and MR, but he was coolest in LALD going into Harlem with all eyes on him and not giving a damn.

Dalton and Pierce were both at the peak of their coolness in their debut . Craig was undeniably cool and bad ass throughout CR.

chrisisall

MooseWithFleas wrote:

Dalton and Pierce were both at the peak of their coolness in their debut

Beg to differ here, but the Daltinator was equally awesome in both his flicks IMO.
Carry on.

MooseWithFleas

I love Dalton in both films, but his scenes at the orchestra just oozed coolness. No doubt he delivered a tremendous performance in LTK. If you ask me which film was he at his most suave, it would be TLD.

Firemass

Here's my list:

007 Actor Debut being their best:
Casino Royale
Goldeneye
The Living Daylights
OHMSS (Would Lazenby have topped this one? )
Dr. No (maybe…too close to call)

Actor Debut NOT being their best:
Roger Moore - Live and Let Die

---

Director Debut being their best:
Terence Young for Dr. No
Guy Hamilton for Goldfinger
Martin Campbell for Goldeneye

Director Debut NOT being their best:
John Glen - OP, AVTAK, TLD, and LTK are all much stronger films than FYEO
Lewis Gilbert - TSWLM and MR outshine YOLT.

Firemass

I agree this list of 007 debuts is quite impressive.

1. Dr. No
2. OHMSS
3. Live and Let Die
4. Living Daylights
5. Goldeneye
6. Casino Royale

Thunderpussy

With your second post Firemass, " I guess this ain't exactly your debut at this
sort of thing ! " )

Sir Hillary Bray

For me, the third film of each actor is the best of their tenure. GF, TSWLM, TWINE and SF are my favorites of each leading man. Obviously, Lazenby and Dalton never got that far. We'll see if Craig breaks the streak next time out.

chrisisall

So, what's the best of the 'debut' movies?
My favourite is obviously TLD, but objectively speaking, I'd say it's between DN & CR....

Thunderpussy

My Favourite would have to be OHMSS followed by CR. -{

chrisisall

Thunderpussy wrote:

My Favourite would have to be OHMSS followed by CR. -{

Seriously now, TP? I never would have guessed it... 8-)

Thunderpussy

) Just in case you weren't paying attention 007 !

samurai4114

I definitely see what your saying Gassy Man and frankly I'd tend to agree with you. Dr. No, OHMSS, TLD, GE, CR, all brought out the best of the "new' Bonds, and I think were all received well by fans who either wanted change, or were optimistic about a new start. I think the only exception really is Moore in LALD. I just think the movie in general was just sort of blah, and Moore who's okay, definitely found his stride later on, ie. TSWLM, FYEO.

I've never even considered the directors, but once you pointed it out to me, you certainly have a point when it comes to the returning directors over the years. Dr. No can be argued as Young's best picture. Guy Hamilton with GF for sure. Gilbert, maybe, I'd be a bit more partial to TSWLM, but I'm picking up what you're putting down. Peter Hunt certainly. What if he directed more after OHMSS, that might already be a topic on the forum. I do concur with Glen's best Bonds being FYEO and TLD.

Maybe it's just the new idea, or anticipation of change, or people maybe just wanting the Bond franchise to succeed with new faces, but there is definitely a trend there

DaltonFan1

I'd say Live And Let Die is Moore's best film by miles. Great music, epic chase, the crocodiles, the air of mystery surrounding the villains, Roger Moore being believable as a killer etc.

I think the debut of each actor needs to be a good one so the new Bond can win over viewers that almost invariably go in yearning for the old Bond and come out rather excited about the new one.

UltimateTruth

A question for The Gassy Man............

Is your screen name lifted from that King of the Hill episode where Bobby stinks up the church's restroom?

Gassy Man

Haha, no, never saw that. I thought it was fairly original, haha.

ZorinIndustries

Debuts just all seem so fresh and simple. Love em!

AlphaOmegaSin

Debuts are like Work Probation Periods when starting a new Job -{

Thunderpussy

On every debut movie each actor is sent for, .... The long stand or
The stripped paint. ) or with it being a Bond film.
The noisey silencer and invisible car.

AlphaOmegaSin

Connery had the best 'Opening Screen' Appearance, whilst Moores was not that spectacular.

Thunderpussy

) I posted before that they seemed to try and not bring attention to
The fact that they had changed Connery again !
I liked Lazenby's introduction and Dalton's windswept look ( very Heathcliff ).
Connery's was good along with Craig's " film noir " . Sadly Moore and Brosnan
Got a very poor introduction, one making coffee the other hanging about in a
Russian toilet.

AlphaOmegaSin

Brosnan's Tenure began with **** and ended with **** )

Thunderpussy

) ) )
Sadly an occurring theme.
Although I don't blame him, he didn't write the script or direct any of them.
IMHO he always gave 100%, even when he didn't have much to work with. -{

chrisisall

I like you TP; the rest here are mean to Brosnan! X-(

always shaken

chrisisall wrote:

I like you TP; the rest here are mean to Brosnan! X-(

hey I always stick up for Brozzers, especially DAD

Blackleiter

AlphaOmegaSin wrote:

Connery had the best 'Opening Screen' Appearance, whilst Moores was not that spectacular.

Correct!

chrisisall

always shaken wrote:

hey I always stick up for Brozzers, especially DAD

Yeah, I was just bein' knee-jerk for a moment. Lots of Brozzer fans about. -{

Silhouette Man

always shaken wrote:

chrisisall wrote:

I like you TP; the rest here are mean to Brosnan! X-(

hey I always stick up for Brozzers, especially DAD

Me too, apart from DAD.

chrisisall

Silhouette Man wrote:

Me too

To your credit, sir! -{

Agent Purple

GE was no doubt a solid debut for Broz, both as a movie and regarding his performance, but my fave 007 performance of his is prob in TND. Although TWINE does have the iconic scene of him killing Elektra.

Ornithologist

Thunderpussy wrote:

Brosnan got a very poor introduction, ... hanging about in a
Russian toilet.

And we don't count the breathtaking stunt before because it's a stuntman doing the jump? )