by the way...im so glad about this site...im a huge bonf fan....personal faves... licence to kill spy who loved me die another day........and the worst has to be either tomorrow never dies or view to kill
2. Moore: I don't know, but I might be the only person around here who thinks that Moore got better as he got older, with AVTAK being the best of his films.
EXACTLY. Yes yes yes! This can especially be witnessed as he is the BEST in AVTAK and FYEO (my 4th and 5th favorite films and FYEO is on right now). You are EXTREMELY right about old Roger but I can't agree on your Dalton liking. I'm very anti-Dalton.
EXACTLY. Yes yes yes! This can especially be witnessed as he is the BEST in AVTAK and FYEO (my 4th and 5th favorite films and FYEO is on right now).
I thought that Moore was fantastic in FYEO, but in AVTAK I can't get over how old he looks!
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
dalton is by far te best bond...he has kept to the character of the flemming novels more than any other....roger moore when he wanted to be ..could be excellent but then you watch octopussy and think ...oh no.
Now connery...he is olast on my list because he was so awful in romantic scenes (i know that sounds girly-but hey) he was good because hw was the original??? that dont wash with me...now lazenby...great...not a great actor...but a darn good bond....then we are left with brosnan...brosnan id fantastic...a great great bond and it so sad to see him replaced with a blonde
Dalton is amazing (and buff but thats another story) but I can't decide between him and Brosnan (who is also buff...I'm so shallow)
They both were perfect Bonds.
Moore was great at romantic scenes but he was just a bit to jokey, in view to a kill he looked like he had been stitched up and brought in in a wheel barrow. Octupussy was a complete joke but she had one heck of a cool bed
Connery was the only Bond not to do an English accent (and he was too hairy lol) He plays James Bond in every movie he's in. From King Richard in Robin Hood (that was him right?) to Remerez in Highlander
Lazenby was really good as Bond, it would have been better if he'd been given another chance
so here it is
Dalton/Brosnan (they're both perfect)
Moore(for that romantic train scene in SWLM)
Lazenby (for playing the love struck Bond perfectly)
Connery (for being everyone else's fave and starting off Bond)
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RogueAgentSpeeding in the Tumbler...Posts: 3,676MI6 Agent
1. Pierce Brosnan
I think Brosnan was physicaly a great match for the role of Bond, and he did a good job playing the role as well. However, he could of done better by bringing more of the playful humor that Connery gave to the role.
2. Sean Connery
Connery was the first Bond so he did set the standard for most viewers. Those who have read Bond books that preceeded the films could argue that those writting set the standard. However, most viewers base their Bond benchmark against the films. Connery may have at times acted the role of Bond better than Brosnan but I attribute the majority of this to better writting rather than acting ability.
3. Timothy Dalton
Not much to say, he and Brosnan do the best job of looking the part but Dalton is too serious and solemn. He should have more arrogance and playful wit.
4. George Lazenby
I think he may have been able to grow into a better Bond but we'll never know for sure. After he escapes from the mountain top institute in OHMSS and is at the bottom of the mountain running away from henchmen he looks scared. I don't think Bond should ever look scared, in any situation Bond is cool and undercontrol. That is one of the key elements that makes him Bond.
5. Roger Moore
Of all the Bonds Moore looks the least like Bond. From film one he looks like an old man that I can't imagine young women flocking to. However, he does act like a suave confident secret agent. My #1 fav. Bond film has Moore in it but I don't attribute that to Moore's acting as much as I do good writting and stunts.
All the actors are good. It's hard to seperate the actor from the writting in the movie. For example, the last Bond movie, DAD, was the worst in my opinion but Brosnan remains my favorite Bond despite that I hated 1/4 of his Bond movies.
1. Sean Connery
He was the first and still the best; nobody could deliver a one liner like Sean and his combination of ruthlessness and wit is a combination that has never been equalled.
2. Pierce Brosnan
Physically, he looks the part perfectly and he propelled Bond to new heights of popularity during his tenure. The only real issue I had with him was that he sometimes tried too hard to be tough even if the movie he was in didn't call for it. Even though Goldeneye was his first outing, I still think it's his best one.
3. Timothy Dalton
A great Bond mired in some of the worst movies; EON really let him down. He was a dead ringer for Fleming's Bond but unfortunately never dialed in the humor the cinematic Bond requires. I think that's more the fault of the scripts rather than the actor as Dalton can be quite funny and charming when he wants to be.
4. Roger Moore
Roger represents the best and worst of Bond. He was at his peak in TSWLM with a great combination of wit and toughness but he overstayed his welcome by two or three movies.
5. George Lazenby
Somebody has to come in last but that should not be considered a sleight against George. He did a very good job considering OHMSS was his first acting gig and his performance in no way diminishes the movie for me. Too bad his head swelled to watermellon sized proportions during filming; it would have been interesting to see him in another movie.
1. Sean Connery
He was the first and still the best; nobody could deliver a one liner like Sean and his combination of ruthlessness and wit is a combination that has never been equalled.
2. Pierce Brosnan
Physically, he looks the part perfectly and he propelled Bond to new heights of popularity during his tenure. The only real issue I had with him was that he sometimes tried too hard to be tough even if the movie he was in didn't call for it. Even though Goldeneye was his first outing, I still think it's his best one.
3. Timothy Dalton
A great Bond mired in some of the worst movies; EON really let him down. He was a dead ringer for Fleming's Bond but unfortunately never dialed in the humor the cinematic Bond requires. I think that's more the fault of the scripts rather than the actor as Dalton can be quite funny and charming when he wants to be.
4. Roger Moore
Roger represents the best and worst of Bond. He was at his peak in TSWLM with a great combination of wit and toughness but he overstayed his welcome by two or three movies.
5. George Lazenby
Somebody has to come in last but that should not be considered a sleight against George. He did a very good job considering OHMSS was his first acting gig and his performance in no way diminishes the movie for me. Too bad his head swelled to watermellon sized proportions during filming; it would have been interesting to see him in another movie.
Ditto for me!! My brother is right on the money on this one {[]
I've changed my list, (JFF you may be interested in this) as I have now switched Dalton and Lazenby around. Connery, Brosnan and Moore (in that order) are still my three favourite Bonds, but now Lazenby is my fourth favourite Bond and Dalton is my fifth favourite Bond.
1)Sean Connery
The perfect Bond, unequalled in every way. Suave, witty, ruthless, dangerous. Connery is and always will be Bond to me.
2)Pierce Brosnan
The best Bond since Connery. He was enormously suave and was capable of being extremely ruthless. I feel that with at least 2 of his films, he was let down by the writing. Nonetheless GE was IMO one of the 10 best films of all time while TWINE was fantastic in its own way. I also believe that Brosnan was let down by his era as he wasn't given sufficient time to indulge his ruthless side; a side that he indulged in at least 3 scenes to terrific effect but would have indulged more if he had played Bond in a less PC era.
3)Roger Moore
The most underappreciated Bond by far. It is true that Moore was perhaps the most inconsistent Bond (his best film is 6th on my list, his worst is 21st) but he was nonetheless a brilliant Bond who as time goes by will surely get the recognition he deserves. Alright let's clear up some myths: he was cool as represented by the alligator scene. He might have been the least tough of the 5 Bonds but he could still kick the butt of many people. He was ruthless, greatly so, as evidenced by his behaviour in LALD, TMWTGG, TSWLM and FYEO. He did exhibit a fun side but he did not exhibit self-parody. Also, while it might be true that Fleming purists might not like him, there is no reason why Bond purists can't like him, for he brilliantly represented the very best of (cinematic) Bond: Suaveness and ruthlessness. One quibble though. He should have retired after OP.
4.George Lazenby
Although he made just one film, Lazenby was still IMO a superior Bond than Dalton. That said, I don't agree with people that Lazenby's performance was pretty good considering it was his first acting job. The truth is, I think it would have been terrible regardless. My biggest regret was that Connery didn't do OHMSS. If he had, OHMSS IMO could have gone from a great film to one of the absolute best Bond films ever made. For IMO Lazenby's performance was absolutely dreadful. With two exceptions: the final scene, which he handled with great skill and his tremendous physicality. Other than that, I have nothing but thanks that Lazenby didn't sign on for another Bond film. Oh and that he was at least better than Dalton.
5.Timothy Dalton
A good actor but a terrible Bond. I don't believe that he was let down by bad scripts or poor direction. Rather, I believe that his films were let down by him. He was dour, constantly cold and did not realise that while Bond has a licence to kill, he's also a gentleman. My second biggest regret (see above for my biggest regret) in regards to the Bond films was that Dalton was allowed to play Bond. That said, Dalton is still my least favourite Bond. In my ideal world anybody else, but particularly Brosnan, would have done both TLD and LTK. Particularly LTK, which I believe could have been a great Bond film if Dalton hadn't played Bond.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
My favourite Bond is whoever is playing him in the film I'm watching at the time.
Ditto on that, but if I have to pick favourites:
1. Roger. He's a fantastic star and always fun to watch, whether you're laughing with him or at him. Huge charisma and enormous likeability meant he was always bigger than the films around him; and his were the biggest of the lot.
2. Sean. Great actor, sexy guy, subtle humour- has it all. He was Bond in a way Roger wasn't and is the ultimate icon, but whereas one loves Roger, one admires Sean. Superb, but I know where my heart lies.
3. Pierce. Great charisma; held the films together. My statement after leaving the cinema at the end of DAD (and the slight sense of shock at the poorness of it) was 'Pierce was very good'. He saved the film and although his mannerisms had worn very thin and attempts at 'acting' began to grate, he was undoubtably the star of the film. Unlike Sean and Roger though, I think he left just at the right time.
4. Tim. Daylights'll always be my fave, but Tim's faults are still clear. He's James Bond, but he's not the centre of the film, sadly.
5. George. Bless'im; he's dreadful. Like a sort of Bond-shaped bit of smoke; there's just nothing there at all. I still think he looked the most like Fleming's Bond and had a great physicality (wonderful fight scenes) but, well...
But none of them, despite being rubbish in fight scenes, having ginger stuntmen, being incapable of acting, having no charisma, being unutterably smug, squinting all the time, wearing a wig etc. make a Bond film unwatchable- and far from it; they're all great when you're watching them- it's only when us fans really think about it and place them side by side that they have to be compared and their faults made evident. So one thing is clear:
Roger's best.
My favourite Bond is whoever is playing him in the film I'm watching at the time.
That's the sign of a true Bond fan!
I actually do think that each of the Bonds have good qualities. Connery, Brosnan and Moore are my three favorite Bonds. Lazenby was an amazingly physical Bond and handled the final scene with tremendous skill and Dalton, well,
Dalton had brown hair.
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
In all honesty, I think all of the 5 actors who've played James Bond have given interesting,entertaining and valid performances.Each man is different and I appreciate the unique approaches they brought to 007.Having said that,I don't like all of their films, nor do I like each of them equally--but I like them all nonetheless.
Herewith my favorites--there are no "bests" or "worsts" listed here,only personal opinions.
1)Sean Connery:EON got lucky the first time around because Big Tam brought everything to the table.In his prime he was tall,dark and ruggedly handsome,and had an incredible charisma.When he walks into a room all eyes go to him-women want him and men want to be him.It was very easy to believe Connery in action - whether he was sweeping women off their feet or killing various opponents.And when Connery's Bond hit someone, they stayed down.The young Connery Bond was a sleek shark only a madman would consider crossing.His 007 was charming and intelligent--and he also looked exactly like the kind of man who might carry a license to kill and wouldn't hestitate in using it.Sean had a distinctive voice and a great way with dialogue.No one else among all of the cinematic 007s has delivered the oneliners as well as he did(and most of his oneliners were clever and unforced).No one else among the other Bond actors "owns" this role quite like he does.In fact,Connery made this part so much his own that he became the indirect template for the all of the other actors who play this role and thus an almost impossible act to follow.He's the Bond everyone else is measured against.I think Connery's at his very best in his first four movies--and they're among the finest films in the entire series.To my mind,Sean Connery is THE Jame Bond.
2)Timothy Dalton:Next to Connery,Tim's my favorite 007.Yes,he's not as charismatic as Sean Connery(who is?) or as funny as Roger Moore, and he isn't Pierce Brosnan--but that's exactly why I like him.Timothy Dalton brought Ian Fleming's literary James Bond to the screen.Fleming's James Bond is not a superhero nor is he always a nice man--he's haunted by his past and occasionally doubts himself.Bond doesn't like killing but he takes pride in being able to do it well.Sometimes 007 cuts himself off from others--often so that they won't be placed in danger.He's learned(to his dismay)that the people he allows himself to get close to often die.James Bond's a darkly handsome man and women find him attractive.Bond's a good fellow to have as a friend and a very bad man to have as an enemy.Overall,I think Dalton looked perfect in the role- as much like Fleming's saturnine "faintly piratical" character as any human being possibly could--all he needed was a faint scar running down his right cheek to complete the picture.His deep voice even matched my mental conception of how Fleming's 007 would sound.Dalton's an excellent actor, and easily one of the best things about the occasionally unfocused The Living Daylights(a generic Bond written with either Moore or Brosnan in mind), and is just superb in Licence to Kill,which was written specifically for him.When Dalton plays Bond, you can see him thinking while in character--not all of the 007 actors can put this across as skillfully. Dalton's very convincing in the action sequences,as well.And as 007, he's charming--but it's a different kind of charm than most of the other Bond actors exude.It's subtle,sophisticated and sometimes intentionally tentative--as fits the part as he saw it.It's a great shame Dalton didn't make at least two more motion pictures.
3)Pierce Brosnan:A good actor and a fine James Bond.Brosnan didn't have great screenplays to work with, but like Timothy Dalton,he has moments in his movies where he really shines.He was never my initial idea of James Bond(he was too boyish looking and too familiar from many previous performances,notably the "Remington Steele" TV series), and it took a while to accept him in the role.All that said,Brosnan was clearly an obvious and popular choice when EON went back to making the Bond movies.There's no denying that he was responsible for bringing large audiences to see his films and that for at least one generation,he's the Bond of note.And all of that accomplished with only four movies made over the course of ten years.I think The World Is Not Enough is his best film, followed by GoldenEye.The other two films are certainly entertaining, and they all have some memorable moments, but they aren't as well structured as the films I've named.Brosnan worked very hard at being 007, and he aged gracefully.In my opinion,the years added a greater weight and visual credibility to Pierce's appearance as Bond.He was simply more believable-looking and better in the role in his 40s and 50s than he might have been while in his 30s.His success as 007 was hard won and all the better for it.
4)Roger Moore:There are only a few James Bond films out of Roger's record seven that I really like- but I like the man very much, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy his performances.For me,he'll always be Simon Templar first(to my mind The Saint is best role of his career)and then he's James Bond.That said,Roger was definitely a unique 007,and usually fun to watch.I like four of his movies:For Your Eyes Only(he could play 007 seriously),Octopussy(good villains and a collection of women rivaling those in Thunderball),The Spy Who Loved Me(I liked the edge Roger finally brought to his 007 and the acknowledgment that his 007 was the same character Connery and Lazenby had played.I don't like Jaws,however.) and Moonraker(guilty pleasure--a big movie serial without chapter breaks, filmed in some of the most beautiful locales in the world.Pure nonsense and 007 should never be in outer space, but fun regardless).In 1973 Roger Moore was probably the only British actor alive who could successfully follow Sean Connery as James Bond.(In EON's news conference announcing Roger Moore as the third James Bond,a reporter is reputed to have asked Roger Moore what it was that made him different from Sean Connery."My teeth are whiter"-he responded).The pre-established image as "The Saint" and his international popularity via this role, clearly marked him as the next 007.There's no question Roger worked very hard while making his films, and if they often featured characters and situations that bordered on the ridiculous,then his raising an eyebrow and laughing at the goings-on onscreen was perfectly understandable.If no one else was being serious-why should he.Roger's a good dramatic actor, but it takes even greater skill to do comedy well--and that's something that comes easily to him.Roger Moore reshaped the Bond character to suit himself--an early reboot of the series.Roger's screenplays weren't always the best and some of the oneliners were absolutely dreadful,but he always delivered them with charm and grace.He was also a wonderful salesman for the series--actually outdoing Pierce Brosnan in that department.
5)George Lazenby:In 1969 the greatest actor in the world--even James Bond magically stepping out from one of the Fleming novels to portray himself on the screen--couldn't possibly have eclipsed Sean Connery in the eyes of the viewing public.Whoever took the part at that time had an incredible challenge facing him.I give Lazenby plenty of credit for even attempting to follow Connery, and although he wasn't an actor at the time he was starring in On Her Majesty's Secret Service,his performance does reveal a natural talent, charm and charisma.Lazenby was not a complete unknown when he was picked to play James Bond;he was one of the top male models in Europe and the official European Marlboro Man.As 007,GL is handsome and athletic, and he handles the action and the women with equal skill.Lazenby does have a few problems with his line delivery, but that's a small issue and could have easily been corrected with dialogue written to suit his strengths.Had George only had a year of acting experience prior to OHMSS,who knows how much better he might have been.Had he only been able to keep his ego in check and had actually been a professional actor,Lazenby probably wouldn't have quit halfway through the production, thus alienating the producers who personally selected him to play 007 #2.A question mark will always loom over Lazenby.WHAT IF GL had stayed with the role?It's all academic of course,and we'll never have a definitive answer to the question.At age 29,Lazenby might have been good for more than ten years as 007.Maybe even longer--had he been successful it's not unreasonable to think that he might have played the part into his 40s and early 50s.Of course,Lazenby eventually became a professional actor, and he gave some fine performances elsewhere;he also invested his money wisely and became a wealthy man,as rich as any movie star.Perhaps everything worked out for the best--although I'd rather have seen Connery play 007 in OHMSS(which he was originally slated to do,immediately after Thunderball),I'll happily acknowledge that George did a fine job under the circumstances.
So there they are:no bests or worsts among these five 007s-just some personal observations.
Some really fantastic observations in this thread, just wow!
I have an odd way of looking at cinematic Bond, it's not really a ranking just that I think there have been two actors who played Bond, one who was on the cusp, and two who played some other guy...
Connery and Lazenby fit my image of Bond, in no small part due to the films they starred in (excepting DAF, which is a guilty pleasure but a definate shift in what Bond was/is). However both men brought something to the table that for me just screamed Bond regardless. Lazenby fit the subtle change in the character that the late 60s and five increasingly BIG films brought on, but OHMSS was scaled back enough so that even Lazenby's more playboy of the world Bond worked.
Moore (and I toss DAF Connery in there as well, not much difference in my mind) embraced something that was sorta Bond, but had moved away enough to make me think twice sometimes about who and what I was watching. Chock it up to a sign of the times, I guess, but 70s Bond is a wierd, wierd beast, very fun and entertaining but as often as not not all that Bondian (the farcical moments Moore was so brilliant at really took me away from Bond, unfortunately...).
Dalton was not Bond, at least not in the films he was in, and it wasn't due to lack of talent. It was like he was a right shoe and the films were both left shoes, the fit was all wrong and painful to watch (maybe because of such great promise?). I don't even think of those films really when I think of cinema Bond...(or AVTAK, or OP for the most part, even FYEO...Glen just killed Bond for me).
I always liked the idea of Brosnan more than the delivery, similar to with Dalton but Brosnan never seemed to rise to the character for me...he was like Bond lite or TV Movie of the Week Bond. I think he finally settled into Alternate Universe Bond for me, it wasn't right or very filling but I just went with it and enjoyed what was there, similar to 70s Bond. More signs of the times, perhaps (at least for the films), but as much as I initially wanted to believe in him, Brosnan just never became Bond for me (there was also the uncomfortable certainty, for the first time with a Bond actor, that I could totally kick his butt...not the kinda thing I want in my head when I'm hero-worshipping ).
While I'm very encouraged with the Craig casting, I think he can bring a lot to the character that's been missing since the 60s, EON has made it a lifelong task to smash my expectations, over and over again...guess I'll see in November.
NightshooterIn bed with SolitairePosts: 2,917MI6 Agent
1. George Lazenby
2. Roger Moore
3. Tim Dalton (tie)
3. Pierce Brosnan (tie)
5. Sean Connery
Yes, that WAS from BEST to Worst. But the truth is, while I like them in that order, I love each Bond. I still think Connery is fantastic, and only like Lazenby a little bit more.
Harry Palmer Somewhere in the past ...Posts: 325MI6 Agent
I'm not sure I haven't given my two-cents worth already. Maybe it's in another similar post, as I couldn't find it here.
Anyway here goes:
1. Sean Connery (because he was good and he was the first) 9/10
2. Tim Dalton (because he saved Bond from silliness, took brave acting decisions) 8/10
3. Pierce Brosnan (the most complete Bond, but also the most middle of the road: a little bit of Connery and a little bit of Moore, with a dash of Dalton. Looks equally good in a tux as in a fight scene, there are no weaknesses to his interpetation of Bond; but no novelty either) 8/10
4. Roger Moore (Has the great merit of pulling off the most outrageous, the most idiosyncratic of Bond characterisations. He is a great Bond, just not the Bond I like. Loved him in FYEO and TSWLM, I'd be happy to forget his other 5 movies) 7/10
5. George Lazenby (Not bad. I think he deserved a second shot at the role. OHMSS is a great entry and I think he did fine. Great looks, good humour, didn't mind that he looked a bit stiff) 7/10
1. Sean Connery:
He was the first and original James Bond, and he was brilliant.
2. Roger Moore:
His first Bond movie LALD was my favourite, he would be number one but i cannot replace Sean because like i mention before he was the original!
3. Pierce Brosnan:
It was GoldenEye that made Pierce my third choice, such a good movie!
4. Timothy Dalton:
He is my fourth in the list as he wasn't that great but he was better than lazenby, enough said!
You guys seem to be on track with me the majority said Sean Connery 1st Pierce Brosnan 2nd and I think that also. I too think rogor moore third (the most popular third) and Timothy Dolton Followed by George Lazenby.
Nonethaless, I think this should be closed we have more than 5+ posts of top 5 James Bond.
Why? Aren't you interested in knowing the views of as many people as possible? ?:)
"He’s a man way out there in the blue, riding on a smile and a shoeshine. And when they start not smiling back—that’s an earthquake. and then you get yourself a couple of spots on your hat, and you’re finished. Nobody dast blame this man. A salesman is got to dream, boy. It comes with the territory." Death of a Salesman
Comments
pierce brosnan (brilliant)
roger moore (great)
george lazenby (good)
sean connery (ok)
EXACTLY. Yes yes yes! This can especially be witnessed as he is the BEST in AVTAK and FYEO (my 4th and 5th favorite films and FYEO is on right now). You are EXTREMELY right about old Roger but I can't agree on your Dalton liking. I'm very anti-Dalton.
Now connery...he is olast on my list because he was so awful in romantic scenes (i know that sounds girly-but hey) he was good because hw was the original??? that dont wash with me...now lazenby...great...not a great actor...but a darn good bond....then we are left with brosnan...brosnan id fantastic...a great great bond and it so sad to see him replaced with a blonde
yes
Dalton is amazing (and buff but thats another story) but I can't decide between him and Brosnan (who is also buff...I'm so shallow)
They both were perfect Bonds.
Moore was great at romantic scenes but he was just a bit to jokey, in view to a kill he looked like he had been stitched up and brought in in a wheel barrow. Octupussy was a complete joke but she had one heck of a cool bed
Connery was the only Bond not to do an English accent (and he was too hairy lol) He plays James Bond in every movie he's in. From King Richard in Robin Hood (that was him right?) to Remerez in Highlander
Lazenby was really good as Bond, it would have been better if he'd been given another chance
so here it is
Dalton/Brosnan (they're both perfect)
Moore(for that romantic train scene in SWLM)
Lazenby (for playing the love struck Bond perfectly)
Connery (for being everyone else's fave and starting off Bond)
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Lazenby's arrogance and bad council ruined any other chance he might've had...yet he was in my favorite film of the franchise...
Welcome to the boards, Tracey.{[]
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I think Brosnan was physicaly a great match for the role of Bond, and he did a good job playing the role as well. However, he could of done better by bringing more of the playful humor that Connery gave to the role.
2. Sean Connery
Connery was the first Bond so he did set the standard for most viewers. Those who have read Bond books that preceeded the films could argue that those writting set the standard. However, most viewers base their Bond benchmark against the films. Connery may have at times acted the role of Bond better than Brosnan but I attribute the majority of this to better writting rather than acting ability.
3. Timothy Dalton
Not much to say, he and Brosnan do the best job of looking the part but Dalton is too serious and solemn. He should have more arrogance and playful wit.
4. George Lazenby
I think he may have been able to grow into a better Bond but we'll never know for sure. After he escapes from the mountain top institute in OHMSS and is at the bottom of the mountain running away from henchmen he looks scared. I don't think Bond should ever look scared, in any situation Bond is cool and undercontrol. That is one of the key elements that makes him Bond.
5. Roger Moore
Of all the Bonds Moore looks the least like Bond. From film one he looks like an old man that I can't imagine young women flocking to. However, he does act like a suave confident secret agent. My #1 fav. Bond film has Moore in it but I don't attribute that to Moore's acting as much as I do good writting and stunts.
All the actors are good. It's hard to seperate the actor from the writting in the movie. For example, the last Bond movie, DAD, was the worst in my opinion but Brosnan remains my favorite Bond despite that I hated 1/4 of his Bond movies.
He was the first and still the best; nobody could deliver a one liner like Sean and his combination of ruthlessness and wit is a combination that has never been equalled.
2. Pierce Brosnan
Physically, he looks the part perfectly and he propelled Bond to new heights of popularity during his tenure. The only real issue I had with him was that he sometimes tried too hard to be tough even if the movie he was in didn't call for it. Even though Goldeneye was his first outing, I still think it's his best one.
3. Timothy Dalton
A great Bond mired in some of the worst movies; EON really let him down. He was a dead ringer for Fleming's Bond but unfortunately never dialed in the humor the cinematic Bond requires. I think that's more the fault of the scripts rather than the actor as Dalton can be quite funny and charming when he wants to be.
4. Roger Moore
Roger represents the best and worst of Bond. He was at his peak in TSWLM with a great combination of wit and toughness but he overstayed his welcome by two or three movies.
5. George Lazenby
Somebody has to come in last but that should not be considered a sleight against George. He did a very good job considering OHMSS was his first acting gig and his performance in no way diminishes the movie for me. Too bad his head swelled to watermellon sized proportions during filming; it would have been interesting to see him in another movie.
Ditto for me!! My brother is right on the money on this one {[]
1)Sean Connery
The perfect Bond, unequalled in every way. Suave, witty, ruthless, dangerous. Connery is and always will be Bond to me.
2)Pierce Brosnan
The best Bond since Connery. He was enormously suave and was capable of being extremely ruthless. I feel that with at least 2 of his films, he was let down by the writing. Nonetheless GE was IMO one of the 10 best films of all time while TWINE was fantastic in its own way. I also believe that Brosnan was let down by his era as he wasn't given sufficient time to indulge his ruthless side; a side that he indulged in at least 3 scenes to terrific effect but would have indulged more if he had played Bond in a less PC era.
3)Roger Moore
The most underappreciated Bond by far. It is true that Moore was perhaps the most inconsistent Bond (his best film is 6th on my list, his worst is 21st) but he was nonetheless a brilliant Bond who as time goes by will surely get the recognition he deserves. Alright let's clear up some myths: he was cool as represented by the alligator scene. He might have been the least tough of the 5 Bonds but he could still kick the butt of many people. He was ruthless, greatly so, as evidenced by his behaviour in LALD, TMWTGG, TSWLM and FYEO. He did exhibit a fun side but he did not exhibit self-parody. Also, while it might be true that Fleming purists might not like him, there is no reason why Bond purists can't like him, for he brilliantly represented the very best of (cinematic) Bond: Suaveness and ruthlessness. One quibble though. He should have retired after OP.
4.George Lazenby
Although he made just one film, Lazenby was still IMO a superior Bond than Dalton. That said, I don't agree with people that Lazenby's performance was pretty good considering it was his first acting job. The truth is, I think it would have been terrible regardless. My biggest regret was that Connery didn't do OHMSS. If he had, OHMSS IMO could have gone from a great film to one of the absolute best Bond films ever made. For IMO Lazenby's performance was absolutely dreadful. With two exceptions: the final scene, which he handled with great skill and his tremendous physicality. Other than that, I have nothing but thanks that Lazenby didn't sign on for another Bond film. Oh and that he was at least better than Dalton.
5.Timothy Dalton
A good actor but a terrible Bond. I don't believe that he was let down by bad scripts or poor direction. Rather, I believe that his films were let down by him. He was dour, constantly cold and did not realise that while Bond has a licence to kill, he's also a gentleman. My second biggest regret (see above for my biggest regret) in regards to the Bond films was that Dalton was allowed to play Bond. That said, Dalton is still my least favourite Bond. In my ideal world anybody else, but particularly Brosnan, would have done both TLD and LTK. Particularly LTK, which I believe could have been a great Bond film if Dalton hadn't played Bond.
Ditto on that, but if I have to pick favourites:
1. Roger. He's a fantastic star and always fun to watch, whether you're laughing with him or at him. Huge charisma and enormous likeability meant he was always bigger than the films around him; and his were the biggest of the lot.
2. Sean. Great actor, sexy guy, subtle humour- has it all. He was Bond in a way Roger wasn't and is the ultimate icon, but whereas one loves Roger, one admires Sean. Superb, but I know where my heart lies.
3. Pierce. Great charisma; held the films together. My statement after leaving the cinema at the end of DAD (and the slight sense of shock at the poorness of it) was 'Pierce was very good'. He saved the film and although his mannerisms had worn very thin and attempts at 'acting' began to grate, he was undoubtably the star of the film. Unlike Sean and Roger though, I think he left just at the right time.
4. Tim. Daylights'll always be my fave, but Tim's faults are still clear. He's James Bond, but he's not the centre of the film, sadly.
5. George. Bless'im; he's dreadful. Like a sort of Bond-shaped bit of smoke; there's just nothing there at all. I still think he looked the most like Fleming's Bond and had a great physicality (wonderful fight scenes) but, well...
But none of them, despite being rubbish in fight scenes, having ginger stuntmen, being incapable of acting, having no charisma, being unutterably smug, squinting all the time, wearing a wig etc. make a Bond film unwatchable- and far from it; they're all great when you're watching them- it's only when us fans really think about it and place them side by side that they have to be compared and their faults made evident. So one thing is clear:
Roger's best.
I actually do think that each of the Bonds have good qualities. Connery, Brosnan and Moore are my three favorite Bonds. Lazenby was an amazingly physical Bond and handled the final scene with tremendous skill and Dalton, well,
Dalton had brown hair.
2)Brosnan/Later Connery
3)Dalton/Early Moore
4) Later Geriatric Looking Moore
Herewith my favorites--there are no "bests" or "worsts" listed here,only personal opinions.
1)Sean Connery:EON got lucky the first time around because Big Tam brought everything to the table.In his prime he was tall,dark and ruggedly handsome,and had an incredible charisma.When he walks into a room all eyes go to him-women want him and men want to be him.It was very easy to believe Connery in action - whether he was sweeping women off their feet or killing various opponents.And when Connery's Bond hit someone, they stayed down.The young Connery Bond was a sleek shark only a madman would consider crossing.His 007 was charming and intelligent--and he also looked exactly like the kind of man who might carry a license to kill and wouldn't hestitate in using it.Sean had a distinctive voice and a great way with dialogue.No one else among all of the cinematic 007s has delivered the oneliners as well as he did(and most of his oneliners were clever and unforced).No one else among the other Bond actors "owns" this role quite like he does.In fact,Connery made this part so much his own that he became the indirect template for the all of the other actors who play this role and thus an almost impossible act to follow.He's the Bond everyone else is measured against.I think Connery's at his very best in his first four movies--and they're among the finest films in the entire series.To my mind,Sean Connery is THE Jame Bond.
2)Timothy Dalton:Next to Connery,Tim's my favorite 007.Yes,he's not as charismatic as Sean Connery(who is?) or as funny as Roger Moore, and he isn't Pierce Brosnan--but that's exactly why I like him.Timothy Dalton brought Ian Fleming's literary James Bond to the screen.Fleming's James Bond is not a superhero nor is he always a nice man--he's haunted by his past and occasionally doubts himself.Bond doesn't like killing but he takes pride in being able to do it well.Sometimes 007 cuts himself off from others--often so that they won't be placed in danger.He's learned(to his dismay)that the people he allows himself to get close to often die.James Bond's a darkly handsome man and women find him attractive.Bond's a good fellow to have as a friend and a very bad man to have as an enemy.Overall,I think Dalton looked perfect in the role- as much like Fleming's saturnine "faintly piratical" character as any human being possibly could--all he needed was a faint scar running down his right cheek to complete the picture.His deep voice even matched my mental conception of how Fleming's 007 would sound.Dalton's an excellent actor, and easily one of the best things about the occasionally unfocused The Living Daylights(a generic Bond written with either Moore or Brosnan in mind), and is just superb in Licence to Kill,which was written specifically for him.When Dalton plays Bond, you can see him thinking while in character--not all of the 007 actors can put this across as skillfully. Dalton's very convincing in the action sequences,as well.And as 007, he's charming--but it's a different kind of charm than most of the other Bond actors exude.It's subtle,sophisticated and sometimes intentionally tentative--as fits the part as he saw it.It's a great shame Dalton didn't make at least two more motion pictures.
3)Pierce Brosnan:A good actor and a fine James Bond.Brosnan didn't have great screenplays to work with, but like Timothy Dalton,he has moments in his movies where he really shines.He was never my initial idea of James Bond(he was too boyish looking and too familiar from many previous performances,notably the "Remington Steele" TV series), and it took a while to accept him in the role.All that said,Brosnan was clearly an obvious and popular choice when EON went back to making the Bond movies.There's no denying that he was responsible for bringing large audiences to see his films and that for at least one generation,he's the Bond of note.And all of that accomplished with only four movies made over the course of ten years.I think The World Is Not Enough is his best film, followed by GoldenEye.The other two films are certainly entertaining, and they all have some memorable moments, but they aren't as well structured as the films I've named.Brosnan worked very hard at being 007, and he aged gracefully.In my opinion,the years added a greater weight and visual credibility to Pierce's appearance as Bond.He was simply more believable-looking and better in the role in his 40s and 50s than he might have been while in his 30s.His success as 007 was hard won and all the better for it.
4)Roger Moore:There are only a few James Bond films out of Roger's record seven that I really like- but I like the man very much, and I'd be lying if I said I didn't enjoy his performances.For me,he'll always be Simon Templar first(to my mind The Saint is best role of his career)and then he's James Bond.That said,Roger was definitely a unique 007,and usually fun to watch.I like four of his movies:For Your Eyes Only(he could play 007 seriously),Octopussy(good villains and a collection of women rivaling those in Thunderball),The Spy Who Loved Me(I liked the edge Roger finally brought to his 007 and the acknowledgment that his 007 was the same character Connery and Lazenby had played.I don't like Jaws,however.) and Moonraker(guilty pleasure--a big movie serial without chapter breaks, filmed in some of the most beautiful locales in the world.Pure nonsense and 007 should never be in outer space, but fun regardless).In 1973 Roger Moore was probably the only British actor alive who could successfully follow Sean Connery as James Bond.(In EON's news conference announcing Roger Moore as the third James Bond,a reporter is reputed to have asked Roger Moore what it was that made him different from Sean Connery."My teeth are whiter"-he responded).The pre-established image as "The Saint" and his international popularity via this role, clearly marked him as the next 007.There's no question Roger worked very hard while making his films, and if they often featured characters and situations that bordered on the ridiculous,then his raising an eyebrow and laughing at the goings-on onscreen was perfectly understandable.If no one else was being serious-why should he.Roger's a good dramatic actor, but it takes even greater skill to do comedy well--and that's something that comes easily to him.Roger Moore reshaped the Bond character to suit himself--an early reboot of the series.Roger's screenplays weren't always the best and some of the oneliners were absolutely dreadful,but he always delivered them with charm and grace.He was also a wonderful salesman for the series--actually outdoing Pierce Brosnan in that department.
5)George Lazenby:In 1969 the greatest actor in the world--even James Bond magically stepping out from one of the Fleming novels to portray himself on the screen--couldn't possibly have eclipsed Sean Connery in the eyes of the viewing public.Whoever took the part at that time had an incredible challenge facing him.I give Lazenby plenty of credit for even attempting to follow Connery, and although he wasn't an actor at the time he was starring in On Her Majesty's Secret Service,his performance does reveal a natural talent, charm and charisma.Lazenby was not a complete unknown when he was picked to play James Bond;he was one of the top male models in Europe and the official European Marlboro Man.As 007,GL is handsome and athletic, and he handles the action and the women with equal skill.Lazenby does have a few problems with his line delivery, but that's a small issue and could have easily been corrected with dialogue written to suit his strengths.Had George only had a year of acting experience prior to OHMSS,who knows how much better he might have been.Had he only been able to keep his ego in check and had actually been a professional actor,Lazenby probably wouldn't have quit halfway through the production, thus alienating the producers who personally selected him to play 007 #2.A question mark will always loom over Lazenby.WHAT IF GL had stayed with the role?It's all academic of course,and we'll never have a definitive answer to the question.At age 29,Lazenby might have been good for more than ten years as 007.Maybe even longer--had he been successful it's not unreasonable to think that he might have played the part into his 40s and early 50s.Of course,Lazenby eventually became a professional actor, and he gave some fine performances elsewhere;he also invested his money wisely and became a wealthy man,as rich as any movie star.Perhaps everything worked out for the best--although I'd rather have seen Connery play 007 in OHMSS(which he was originally slated to do,immediately after Thunderball),I'll happily acknowledge that George did a fine job under the circumstances.
So there they are:no bests or worsts among these five 007s-just some personal observations.
I have an odd way of looking at cinematic Bond, it's not really a ranking just that I think there have been two actors who played Bond, one who was on the cusp, and two who played some other guy...
Connery and Lazenby fit my image of Bond, in no small part due to the films they starred in (excepting DAF, which is a guilty pleasure but a definate shift in what Bond was/is). However both men brought something to the table that for me just screamed Bond regardless. Lazenby fit the subtle change in the character that the late 60s and five increasingly BIG films brought on, but OHMSS was scaled back enough so that even Lazenby's more playboy of the world Bond worked.
Moore (and I toss DAF Connery in there as well, not much difference in my mind) embraced something that was sorta Bond, but had moved away enough to make me think twice sometimes about who and what I was watching. Chock it up to a sign of the times, I guess, but 70s Bond is a wierd, wierd beast, very fun and entertaining but as often as not not all that Bondian (the farcical moments Moore was so brilliant at really took me away from Bond, unfortunately...).
Dalton was not Bond, at least not in the films he was in, and it wasn't due to lack of talent. It was like he was a right shoe and the films were both left shoes, the fit was all wrong and painful to watch (maybe because of such great promise?). I don't even think of those films really when I think of cinema Bond...(or AVTAK, or OP for the most part, even FYEO...Glen just killed Bond for me).
I always liked the idea of Brosnan more than the delivery, similar to with Dalton but Brosnan never seemed to rise to the character for me...he was like Bond lite or TV Movie of the Week Bond. I think he finally settled into Alternate Universe Bond for me, it wasn't right or very filling but I just went with it and enjoyed what was there, similar to 70s Bond. More signs of the times, perhaps (at least for the films), but as much as I initially wanted to believe in him, Brosnan just never became Bond for me (there was also the uncomfortable certainty, for the first time with a Bond actor, that I could totally kick his butt...not the kinda thing I want in my head when I'm hero-worshipping
While I'm very encouraged with the Craig casting, I think he can bring a lot to the character that's been missing since the 60s, EON has made it a lifelong task to smash my expectations, over and over again...guess I'll see in November.
2. Roger Moore
3. Tim Dalton (tie)
3. Pierce Brosnan (tie)
5. Sean Connery
Yes, that WAS from BEST to Worst. But the truth is, while I like them in that order, I love each Bond. I still think Connery is fantastic, and only like Lazenby a little bit more.
2.Timothy Dalton
3.George Lazenby
4.Pierce Brosnan
5.Roger Moore
Anyway here goes:
1. Sean Connery (because he was good and he was the first) 9/10
2. Tim Dalton (because he saved Bond from silliness, took brave acting decisions) 8/10
3. Pierce Brosnan (the most complete Bond, but also the most middle of the road: a little bit of Connery and a little bit of Moore, with a dash of Dalton. Looks equally good in a tux as in a fight scene, there are no weaknesses to his interpetation of Bond; but no novelty either) 8/10
4. Roger Moore (Has the great merit of pulling off the most outrageous, the most idiosyncratic of Bond characterisations. He is a great Bond, just not the Bond I like. Loved him in FYEO and TSWLM, I'd be happy to forget his other 5 movies) 7/10
5. George Lazenby (Not bad. I think he deserved a second shot at the role. OHMSS is a great entry and I think he did fine. Great looks, good humour, didn't mind that he looked a bit stiff) 7/10
2 Sean Connery
3 Timothy Dalton
4 George Lazenby
5 Pierce Brosnan
Daniel Craig will be no.1 or no. 6 !!!
He will not be in the middle he will be the Best or the Worst !!!
He was the first and original James Bond, and he was brilliant.
2. Roger Moore:
His first Bond movie LALD was my favourite, he would be number one but i cannot replace Sean because like i mention before he was the original!
3. Pierce Brosnan:
It was GoldenEye that made Pierce my third choice, such a good movie!
4. Timothy Dalton:
He is my fourth in the list as he wasn't that great but he was better than lazenby, enough said!
5. George Lazenby:
Do i have to have a reason!