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2. Craig
3. Dalton
4. Lazenby
5. Moore
6. Brosnan
2. Daniel Craig made me believe in Bond again. Best since Connery.
3. Timothy Dalton has surprised me with just how damn good he was. Deserved so much more
4. George Lazenby also surprised me. Better than most think, a good fighter, and OHMSS is a fantastic movie and part of that is because of Laz.
5. Pierce Brosnan was integral to me becoming a Bond fan back in '95, and he felt like the second coming...then. Not so much now, mainly because I discovered Craig, Dalton and Lazenby and because DAD is so bad.
6. Roger Moore has never been a favorite of mine, but he's not that bad. The biggest charmer. But that's mostly where it ends for me. Several of his movies are among the worst Bond films ever, sad to say.
My current ranking, likely never to change:
1. Timothy Dalton - 5/5. One of the best actors ever giving the definitive screen portrayal of Ian Fleming's character. Flawless portrayal and almost the same thing can be said for both his movies. Consummate professional and I've always admired his loyalty to the franchise and those involved even though he got screwed over. Looked the most like Fleming's description of Bond - look up Fleming's sketch, the resemblance is uncanny - and is the most intimidating, most dark Bond. Deserved more films, I could've believed him as Bond from as early as 1981 and as late as 2002. Likely my favourite portrayal of a literary character in the history of cinema. In my eyes, Timothy Dalton IS Bond. James Bond.
= Daniel Craig - 5/5. This man's casting revived a dead film series. I have never had such a positive viewing experience nor come out of a theater so elated as when the end credits started rolling for Casino Royale. When he turned and fired into the gunbarrel at the end of the PTS, the theater I was in, and I along with it, erupted into applause. It was the most defining moment in the series since the ski jump in 1977. Daniel is one of the best actors working today and I hope he carries on with Bond for at least one film after 25. I get that he's aging now but he's just so goddamn fantastic that I don't want to ever let go of him. Craig is the cruelest, most efficiently deadly Bond. The most brutal one. Tied with Dalton, though if you want a technical decision then Tim wins it by a hair. They're both perfect though. QoS was a stinker but Daniel was amazing in it.
3. George Lazenby - 4.5/5. Oh, George. Why'd you leave? I won't dwell on it for too long. Amazing portrayal. Not perfect by any means but he was great. If he'd done even two more films he could easily rival Dalton and Craig for me. Due to his background, easily the best at the fights and action sequences as well.
4. Sean Connery - 4/5. Nothing but respect for his conception of the cinematic James Bond. However, some issues. One, the fact that he fell asleep halfway through his portrayal. Two, turning his back on Cubby after DAF. Three, no effort to mask the Scottish accent and basically portraying himself after his first three films. Four, a distinct lack of Fleming outside of FRWL. Still great, still iconic. Just not the best.
LINE OF SHAME
5. Roger Moore - 3/5. I've warmed to Moore a little after really appreciating his performance in TMWTGG. He had the potential to deliver a real, Fleming performance, perhaps even moore so (hehehe) than Connery. But Moore didn't want his hands to get dirty, didn't want to be gritty, didn't want to be dark. He wanted humour and to turn the character into a caricature. He chose the wrong role and he's certainly the most inappropriately casted Bond ever. He went on way too long and by AVTAK it's cringeworthy to see him with the girls at his age. Terrible in the fight scenes too, easily the worst "action" Bond. I do appreciate that he had fun with it and knew his limitations, knew at times how bad he could be, but that doesn't change the fact that he was often quite a poor successor to Connery and the Laz. Poor and fun is still poor.
BIGGER LINE OF SHAME
6: Peter Sellers, David Niven, Barry Nelson, Toby Stephens' voice and Austin Powers - 2.5/5
THE U.S./CANADA BORDER-SIZED LINE OF SHAME
11: Pierce Brosnan - 2/5. Remington Steele in Tomorrow Never Dies... I mean James Bond. Yeah. James Bond... You can say what you want about Lazenby. This man cannot act his way out of an open doorway. His line delivery is awful, he's wooden as a stick in his first two films. GoldenEye, save for CR, has the best script in the series and there was so much there that a better actor would've made gold. Instead, powerhouses like Sean Bean, Alan Cumming, and especially Judi Dench were robbed of excellent scenes by having to share them with Brosnan. He was Remington Steele in GE, a machinegun toting Terminator in TND, and it was only by TWINE that he gave a performance I can speak positively about. I really like a lot of his work in TWINE, but there are still many moments "He knew about my shouuuuuulder/Knew exactly where to huuuuurt me" that I bury my face in my hands with. Not to mention that he threw it all away and reverted to a performance almost as bad as the one in GE with his performance in DAD (though really, did ANYONE involved in that film give it any serious effort?) Overall, the world really isn't enough to save Brosnan from being my absolute worst Bond. It doesn't make up for three other pitiful at best efforts. Dalton should've done all of Brosnan's films.
It is, if you don't agree with it. I guess that's what it is, public opinion. It's always interesting to note though, when we get in to discussions such as 'Brosnan was shit'.
1. He's a character and not an actor;
2. He doesn't feature in a Bond film.
It's wit. Austin Powers is a better James Bond than Pierce Brosnan in my books and I felt like making a bit of a joke with that.
It doesn't bother me really. I'm a big Moore fan, but it doesn't piss me off when I meet people who hate him. I just always like to see a bit of balance. I also don't incessantly berate any actors or films that feel like they fall below par.
1. Sean Connery- The king of kings in his first 4 films. Commands the screen in a certain way no other has done since. The total package who mastered all the traits we've come to look for since, no weaknesses to be seen.
2. Daniel Craig- overcame the odds, and the series has never been more popular since the days of Connery. The best pure actor when it comes to conveying emotions and has that Connery-like quality of commanding your attention at all times. Savvy to the business and had a clear vision of what he wanted the character to be and has delivered. Has a natural dry wit in Connery's manner yet smartly realizes his limits, and knows what works for him and what doesn't.
3. Timothy Dalton- Craig is a bit better in the humor and fighting skills department, the only thing that separates them for me. Otherwise he's the best Bond by Fleming book standards of being a burnt out yet highly volatile and dangerous 00, and like Connery may have had some influence on Craig's portrayal. Criminally underrated by the press and casual fans.
4. Roger Moore- his sense of natural wit and charm is unmatched, and a very smart actor who knew his limitations and how to make the character his own while keeping the franchise going strong. He was not however as dangerous as he needed to be, not a proficient fighter, and thus for the most part too gentle to be taken seriously as a feared 00 and professional assassin.
5. Pierce Brosnan- while he had some moments when he shined a bit in his first two films as a 00 trying to adapt to a changing world, his Bond was more about GQ looks and Moore style humor than being consistently dangerous in a Flemingesque manner. His last two films and his inability to insist on a direction he wanted the character to go that would have better established his legacy ultimately sabotaged him. In the end, for me he wound up as a "greatest hits" type of Bond, proficient in all areas but mastering none, that was just filling the role in a creatively safe manner as it was envisioned for the times. His publicly bitter feud with EON upon his release turned those on the fence about him into detractors.
6. George Lazenby- the only non actor, an action type of star that was in way too far over his skill set for what the role and the challenging script required. Also green to the business and got a big head and took advice that encouraged that while ruining any chance he had at true stardom. Positives were a good sense of humor, great fighting and action skills, but ultimately he was rather like a sleek and shiny sports car that looked good but was a very bumpy ride at anything less than high speeds.
That is identical to my list.
#1 Timothy Dalton
#2 Sean Connery
#3 Daniel Craig
#4 Roger Moore
#5 Pierce Brosnan
#6 George Lazenby
Dalton WAS Bond in his two appearances, as Connery WAS Bond between 1962 - 63, but the Scots subsequent appearances often left a lot to be desired. Craig has been the best since Dalton, Moore falls down the down the list for too much emphasis on humor, Brosnan was never going to be a favorite, and George only had the one appearance to his name. If not for his interfering agent and done one or two further releases, he would of been able to move up a place for two, but there would seem little change from before on this
1. Connery: on pedestal
2. Lazenby: not too far below. He can reach up and clink martini glasses from his perch.
the mere mortal Bonds
3. Moore
4. Dalts
5. Broz
6. blue snuggers.
5. Remington Steele.
4. Layer Cake.
3. Highlander.
2. Hot Fuzz.
1. The Saint.
I also like how Moore is staring up at Dalton. A picture is worth a thousand words.
2. Timothy Dalton
3. Daniel Craig
4. Roger Moore
5. George Lazenby
6. Pierce Brosnan
1. Dalton (TLD, LTK) = Craig (CR, QoS, SF) [10/10]
2. Connery (DN, FRWL, TB) = Lazenby (OHMSS) [9.5/10]
3. Connery (GF, YOLT) = Moore (TMWTGG, OP) [9/10]
4. Moore (TSWLM, FYEO) [8.5/10]
5. Moore (LALD) [8/10]
6. Brosnan (TWINE) [7.5/10]
Line Of Shame
7. Moore (AVTAK) [6/10]
8. Connery (DAF) = Moore (MR) [5/10]
9. Brosnan (GE) [4/10]
10. Brosnan (TND, DAD) [3/10]
Final Scores:
1. Dalton (20/20) = Craig (30/30) [100%]
2. Lazenby (9.5/10) [95%]
3. Connery (51.5/60) [85.83%]
4. Moore (54/70) [77.14%]
5. Brosnan (17.5/40) [43.75%]
2. Craig - Connery (Tie)
3. Dalton
4. Moore
5. Lazenby
[-(
2) Craig
3) Moore
4) Dalton
5) Brosnan
6) Lazenby
2- Conners for second. Just classic and suave, no more to be said.
3- Tim comes in third. He's grown on me, Tim. He can both pull of his dark side and that respectable, gentlemen side. Both films in my top 10.
4- Dan for fourth. Similar to Tim, but there seems to be something lacking. I don't know what, but I've never been a big fan of Dan. Maybe he'll grow on me like Tim.
5- Laz for fifth. A bit wooden at times, but no one could have pulled off those last lines. Probably the most intriguing Bond.
6- Brozzers brings up the rear. Nice chap, but he didn't bring anything new to the role for me. Bit of an "action man".
I'm impressed at how close Lazenby is to Moore given how many more films ol' Rog made. George seems to be a knucklehead in real life, but he totally kicked butt in his one outing.
That's an average per film not a running total. Craig's total probably goes up slightly in bad guys killed if they counted Skyfall. He killed quite a few in that last battle at Skyfall. I don't know how accurate the stats are though. Did Craig really drink 5 martinis per film ? He did drink a lot in CR in the casino especially but I don't remember that many in QOS. Seems that Moore didn't have time for drinking, too busy scoring with the ladies I guess.
On the plane with Mathis he mentions it's like his seventh or some such number.
1-Timothy Dalton
2-Daniel Craig
3-Roger Moore
4-Sean Connery
5-George Lazenby
6-Pierce Brosnan
Tim 99
Dan 98
Sean 98
Pierce 90
Rog 80
George 79
See? All of 'em are good!
Great list as well.
Daniel
George
Pierce
Roger
Tim
1. The Lazenby "era"-10/10 by default
2. The Craig era so far-9/10
3. The Dalton era-8/10
4. The Connery era-7/10
5. The Moore era-5/10
6. The Brosnan era-2/10