Who is the Best 007?

[Gaith]

I don't want Daniel Craig to go anywhere just yet, but you do have to wonder just what sort of 007 will follow him?

One in his mid-to-late 20s, I hope. As good an origin story as CR was, I now think it didn't go far back enough - I want to see Bond in his active duty military days; see why he decides to part ways with that team-based culture in favor of the hyper-individual style we associate him with. I wanna see what makes him tick and motivates him, whether he's ever thought of having any kind of life outside military and spy missions. Could also be fun to see a less cultured, more flippant Bond who has to learn to appreciate the luxuries of the super-rich. In CR, as much as he's grown by the end, he's already pretty much the classic James Bond in that first scene in the office.

 

[CorporalClegg]

In CR, as much as he's grown by the end, he's already pretty much the classic James Bond in that first scene in the office.

Except he drives a Ford, drinks Long Island iced tea, and dresses like a golfer.

 

[Relayer1]

In CR, as much as he's grown by the end, he's already pretty much the classic James Bond in that first scene in the office.

Except he drives a Ford, drinks Long Island iced tea, and dresses like a golfer.

http://www.golftoday.co.uk/equipment/features/james_bond/bond_golf_and_me.html

 

[Keith1701]

Sir Roger Moore of course

 

[bbjeg]

I grew up in the late 90s so Brosnan is my Bond.

I'm a 90s kid as well but I actually do prefer Connery. He is more iconic to me (speaking as a very casual Bond viewer).

I agree. Brosnan does hold a special place in the Bond lineup (which I won't list because each Bond had their qualities) but Connery defines it for me.

 

[cardinal biggles]

I don't want Daniel Craig to go anywhere just yet, but you do have to wonder just what sort of 007 will follow him?

Chiwetel Ejiofor

That would be very interesting. I was very much a fan of the idea of Colin Salmon getting the role before Daniel Craig got the job.

I seem to remember some rumors out on the interwebs that Idris Elba was already being considered for Bond even though Daniel Craig still has two more movies on his contract.

As for me, I voted for George Lazenby, partly to be contrarian, and partly because even though he may not be the best Bond, he starred in what was hands-down the best Bond film until Casino Royale. The rawness of his performance makes up for his deficiencies as an actor, and I challenge anyone who thinks that either Connery (who looked bored out of his gourd in You Only Live Twice) or Moore (a.k.a. Her Majesty's court jester) would have played the final scene as effectively.

 

[DonIago]

In Connery's defense I'd say that if it was an earlier film he'd probably provide a better performance.

 

[Mister Fandango]

Physically and charismatically, Pierce Bronson fit the role perfectly. He looked like the kind of man who could get any woman he wanted with just a hint of flirtation, and he wore a tuxedo exceedingly well. Just because the scripts weren't all that great (personally, I enjoyed the comedy aspects a great deal), that's no reason to dismiss Bronson as Bond.

And this is someone who grew up watching Connery and Moore the most. Even though Connery set the stage for the role, I don't think he actually defined it. He was just the first of several good Bonds.

Finally, while I know Daniel Craig's a popular Bond, I've yet to warm to him in the role at all. I like the more down-and-dirty take on the character, but Craig himself just doesn't really feel like Bond to me. More of a rip-off of Jason Bourne if anything, which is kind of ironic in itself.

 

[cardinal biggles]

In Connery's defense I'd say that if it was an earlier film he'd probably provide a better performance.

He probably would have, but it wasn't. I'm specifically challenging those who say that Connery circa 1969 would have given a From Russia/Goldfinger-level performance, and not the bored-off-his-ass performances he gave in You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever. That said, OHMSS had a far better script than the films that bookend it, and maybe Connery, bored as he was, might have risen to the occasion for a script with a lot more meat to it.

 

[CorporalClegg]

As for me, I voted for George Lazenby, partly to be contrarian, and partly because even though he may not be the best Bond, he starred in what was hands-down the best Bond film.

FTFY

I was high on Royale when it came out, but after several years and subsequent viewings to let it marinade for a while, I'm just not as high on it as I was. (I've had a similar experience with TDK, for example.) That's not to say I don't think it's a great film. It is. But OHMSS remains one of the best films of all time, Bond or otherwise. It's a cinematic masterpiece.

Lazenby may not have been all that great of an actor, but he was perfect for the role. And had he stay away from the drugs, I think he would have gone on to become a pretty good Bond--better than Moore, anyway.

I think Moore only gets a pass because his interpretation became so engrained in pop culture. If you look at is objectively, he wasn't very good and far and away the most removed from Fleming's.

 

[Davros]

Also Tom Baker is not the best Dr Who...

Of course not. That would be Patrick Troughton.

 

[JirinPanthosa]

I have to vote Craig, not because I think he's the better actor, but because I prefer the gritty version of Bond over the posh campy version.

 

[zakkrusz]

Sean Connery followed very closely by Pierce Brosnan.

 

[Starkers]

Chiwetel Ejiofor

That would be very interesting. I was very much a fan of the idea of Colin Salmon getting the role before Daniel Craig got the job.

I seem to remember some rumors out on the interwebs that Idris Elba was already being considered for Bond even though Daniel Craig still has two more movies on his contract.

As for me, I voted for George Lazenby, partly to be contrarian, and partly because even though he may not be the best Bond, he starred in what was hands-down the best Bond film until Casino Royale. The rawness of his performance makes up for his deficiencies as an actor, and I challenge anyone who thinks that either Connery (who looked bored out of his gourd in You Only Live Twice) or Moore (a.k.a. Her Majesty's court jester) would have played the final scene as effectively.

I doubt Elba will be the next Bond. For starters I think his age is against him. He’s nearly 42 now. Given Daniel Craig is going to make at least one more Bond film that means the earliest an Elba Bond film is likely to come out is probably 2017 meaning Elba will be about 45 when his first film comes out, in contrast Craig was around 38, Dalton 43 and Brosnan 42. Rog was about 46 and is probably the oldest Bond at the start (and the end). And this presumes Craig will only do one more film. If he does two you’d be looking at Elba being closer to 50, which may limit the number of films he can do.

Beyond that, much as I’ve been a fan of Elba since I first saw him in Ultraviolet, I’ve never been able to see him as Bond (or as the Doctor which he’s also bizarrely trotted out as a candidate for.) He just seems a wrong fit somehow.

I agree with you completely regarding Lazenby. I doubt Connery or Moore could have played it any better (Though I do think Moore is underrated as an actor, he’s no Oscar nominee but he’s better than people give him credit for) in fact I’m not sure if any of the Bond actors could have done any better, ironically in that film Lazenby’s lack of acting chops actually makes for a good performance. That said, vulnerability like that works perfectly in OHMSS, whether it would have worked as well in a more regular 007 outing I’m not so sure.

Also Tom Baker is not the best Dr Who...

Of course not. That would be Patrick Troughton.

Well top three for me (along with Smith and Davison)

 

[RJDiogenes]

Well, the thread title asks about the best Bond, but the OP asks about my favorite Bond.

The best Bond was Sean Connery. He defined the movie character (and the movie character is not the novel character-- they are two entirely separate creations who share the same name and basic concept).

My favorite Bond is Roger Moore. The first Bond film I saw in the theater was Live And Let Die, and it's still my favorite.

All that being said, Pierce Brosnan was born to be Bond. He's absolutely perfect for the role. It's a shame he didn't get better scripts and get to do it longer.

 

[tighr]

In Connery's defense I'd say that if it was an earlier film he'd probably provide a better performance.

He probably would have, but it wasn't. I'm specifically challenging those who say that Connery circa 1969 would have given a From Russia/Goldfinger-level performance, and not the bored-off-his-ass performances he gave in You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever.

In Connery's defense, at the time he filmed those final EON productions, he was in a huge contract dispute over salary for the films. He was being criminally underpaid, and for the success his acting and character-development had provided the franchise, he should have been rewarded.

Diamonds are Forever wasn't a bad script, he just mailed it in because he didn't care anymore. I would have probably preferred a film that more closely mirrored the novel, though.

I wouldn't mind seeing some of the older Fleming novels re-imagined in the present day with Daniel Craig, especially Moonraker, which was my favorite of the early books.

 

[Avon]

daltons my favorite, though i don't think he had the best films.

and on a slight tangent: for your eyes only almost had an awesome themesong by blondie.

[yt]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y2Y-hCydiXA[/yt]

 

[cardinal biggles]

Diamonds are Forever wasn't a bad script, he just mailed it in because he didn't care anymore. I would have probably preferred a film that more closely mirrored the novel, though.

Diamonds set the campy tone for Bond in the rest of the '70s, though admittedly much of that comes down to acting and directing choices — you're correct, one could read the words off the same page and get something more along the lines of From Russia or OHMSS or the Dalton films. And the less said about the horrible miscasting of Charles Gray as Blofeld...

 

[The Old Mixer]

This was a toughie. First, I'll second the assertion that "best" (thread title) and "personal favorite" (OP) are not the same thing.

So I went for my traditional personal favorite and voted for Timothy Dalton. As a fan of the books, I appreciated the effort that he put into bringing that version of the character to the screen, and I'm happy to see him getting some love here. Nevertheless, over the years I've come to see his shortcomings in the role while better appreciating what each of the other official Bond series actors brought to the role.

Sean Connery: Being a fan of the books, he's not the no-brainer choice to me that he is to so many others, but there's no denying his archetypal place in the film series or the pure charisma that he brought to the role.

David Niven: Seriously? "One of these things is not like the others...."

George Lazenby: Not a great actor, but I found him to be a refreshing alternative to the "Big Two" back when Moore was the current Bond, and he has the virtue of having starred in my absolute favorite film in the series. My dream Bond film would be OHMSS starring 1987's Timothy Dalton....

Roger Moore: He was easy to dismiss back when he was the current Bond and I was longing for a more Fleming-based approach, but the man and his films were always highly entertaining in their own right. What's more (especially considering some of the casting choices that the producers flirted with in the early 70s), I've come to greatly appreciate Moore's role in proving the longevity of the franchise beyond Connery, shepherding the role through seven films and the better part of two decades...thus ensuring that the series would live to see more Fleming-evocative days.

Timothy Dalton: For all that I loved about his take on the character, I've come to see that his shortcoming was that he was acting the role, but he wasn't owning it. He lacked the raw charisma that most of the others brought to their varying takes on the character. (A shout-out to Lapis Exilis if she's still around, as it was a post of hers several years back that brought me to this realization.)

Pierce Brosnan: When he was the current holder of the license to kill, I considered him to be perhaps the best "whole package" Bond...but he suffers a bit in hindsight for the films that he was in.

Daniel Craig: I really enjoy what he brings to the role, but I don't consider him my personal favorite. Whoever comes after him will have big shoes to fill.

Diamonds set the campy tone for Bond in the rest of the '70s, though admittedly much of that comes down to acting and directing choices

And writing...IIRC, DAF and LALD had the same screenwriters, contributing to the feel that the former has of being the unofficial first Moore film.

 

[DonIago]

^Good post.