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Moore in... I'm not really sure. I narrow it down to The Man with the Golden Gun, Moonraker or Octopussy.
Dalton in Licence to Kill.
Brosnan in The World Is Not Enough.
Craig in Spectre.
The Connery and Craig choices achieve a very high sense of Bondian coolness. A detached, nonchalant style combined with black, sarcastic humor, never too far from potential cruelty. Dalton is a slight variation on that-- because of the circumstances of the story, he has an exciting edge to him in LTK, though he adds a more human, vulnerable element. For Brosnan I would've picked TND based on the same criteria (Bond at his coolest), but I feel he is slightly better in TWINE, conveying a somewhat thoughtful, introspective and passionate Bond. Finally I'm not sure which performance to go with when it comes to Moore. TMWTGG/MR have that Bondian coolness (though there's much more of an edge in the former film) but Octopussy offers a more rounded characterization of his Bond, showcasing him in a variety of situations, whether comedic, serious or deeply romantic.
Moore : OCTOPUSSY. Roger just got better and better as timed rolled on, IMO. He looks tougher in this film to me and means business.
Dalton: THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS
Brosnan: TOMORROW NEVER DIES
Craig: SPECTRE His arc is complete and he is finally the Bond we know and love. He exudes cool throughout, and even gets an opening gunbarrel to emphasize his Bondness.
Connery: In bed with Fiona Volpe (TB)
Lazenby: First ski chase (OHMSS)
Moore: drving the Lotus Esprit underwater (TSWLM)
Dalton: Killing Dario (LTK)
Brosnan: Killing Electra (TWINE)
Craig: Train fight vs Hinx (SP)
His acting, physique and 'coolness' were all at their highest at the same time in this one. GF required less acting from Connery IMO and TB showed him a bit heavy around the waist.
MOORE: TSWLM
Moore really did age well. He looked great in this film, did a fine bit of acting and had some tremendous fighting scenes (Sandor, Jaws, the Russian agents.) People may say what they want: Moore could deliver quite a blow.
DALTON: TLD
Both performances are excellent in my opinion, but I think Dalton's chemistry with Mariam d'Abo is so good, that this, for me, is his best by a narrow margin.
BROSNAN: DAD
The film may be ridiculous as hell but Brosnan is having fun, showing some range, and by smoking those delectados he's basically telling the PC crowd to go !§#? itself.
CRAIG: CR
Craig is consistently great in my opinion, but CR has challenged him the most as an actor and in my opinion, he delivers. He's in excellent shape, does some of the best acting in the series, gets some of the coolest moments in the series, ...
Connery in TB
Moore in MR
Dalton in LTK
Brosnan in TND
Craig in QoS
This is just a perfect summary. I’d make the same choices.
In most of the cases, at least for me, the best performance matches the best entry by each actor, with the extreme and unusual exception of DAD for Brosnan and maybe Dalton, since I overall slightly consider LTK a better entry than TLD.
Connery GF To me this is when he hit his stride as Bond. His playfulness with Jill but yet the confident lover. The way he is captured and yet we never feel like he's in danger. His performance here is so confident and so bang on. Like he really got the character. Don't get me wrong I love Connery in all his movies after GF. To me GF shows him at his peak of getting the character and making it truly his own.
Moore This is one I struggle with. Maybe cause I find the work of Moore to be uneven. I would lean to TSWLM as his peak. Though again I loved his portrayal in FYEO and OP. His peak was TSWLM. He has an air of confidence to his performance. He seems to finally get material and a script that plays to his strengths as Bond. We haven't hit the full comedic Bond here. LALD and TMWTGG both seem to have been written with Connery in mind, or at least his type of Bond. Slapping around Anders, making love then cold blooded killing of Carver. Even his seduction of Solitaire comes off as creepy with the stacked deck of cards. Connery's Bond would have gotten away with those things. Moore just looks uncomfortable with it.
Dalton hate to say it but TLD was Tim's peak in my opinion. Yes the plot is convoluted and hard to follow. Yes his leading lady leaves a lot to be desired. But the way he delivers in the Saunder's scenes. His scenes with Yorgi also are great. This to me is Dalton's finest performance and his peak.
Brosnan I am very tempted to go with GE but I think TWINE might edge it out. I will say in GE he looks like he's having fun and enjoying just being Bond. His performance in TND is more conscious that he's playing a character. But in TWINE he's given some extra complexity and I think he pulls it off nicely. The film is largely forgettable and I doubt many non Bond fans would recall much of this movie. However Brosnan stands out for the scenes with Electra and the range he shows.
Craig I think I will go with QOS just because we see lots of internal stuff going on with Bond and Craig pulls it off beautifully. He's clearly grieving and that is something no Bond actor has had to show us. A lot of Craig's performance is quiet and understated. To my mind it is a great piece of acting.
Connery: Thunderball. The whole series at its peak. The Beatlemania of Bond.
Moore: The Spy Who Loved Me. The revival of Bond that made the series survive.
Brosnan: Tomorrow Never Dies. After a shaky start Brosnan really got in to the clothes here.
Craig: Casino Royale. When I saw CR in the theatre I thought ’Wow, it’s happening. Bond is great again.’ Unfortunately, the rest of his movies never reached the standard set here. Hoping for Bond 25.
Lazenby: Hilly, you old devil
Moore: Sheer magnetism
Dalton: That pulling the dinner jacket to cover his shirt in TLD.
Brosnan: That reaction shot to Straight Up With A Twist
Craig: Busting through the wall in CR
Niven: Reaction to M’s wig being off
Woody: My doctor says I can’t have bullets entering my body at any time.
Confident, playful, deadly, serious, funny, I can go on forever.
George: OHMSS
Obviously.
Roger: MR
In his first few outings Rog is more serious, and more in the spirit of Fleming dare I say, in TSWLM his self-awareness and humurous side start to develop, which comes full circle in MR.
Timothy: either
Equally strong performances in two wildly different films, for me the peak of the series.
Pierce: TWINE
I don’t agree with the backlash this outing and its main protagonist get. Pierce combines his suaveness of previous episodes with a more vulnerable touch. A seasoned agent also, it seems.
Daniel: QOS
While CR is a better movie, I think Daniel’s most Bondian moments are in his second outing: the hotel change, the foreign languages, even the way he moves. Dan is more Bond than ever here.
Connery's best film IMO, and also his finest moment as Bond. One can argue GF Connery is just as good or better, but he got a little bit more to work with in TB I feel, as the movie itself is just bigger.
George Lazenby:
It's only fair to mention Lazenby's best moments too. The dramatic ending of the film speaks for itself, but of all that's brilliant with OHMSS, this little moment is maybe my favourite. I just love it when Bond takes every opportunity to enjoy himself.
Roger Moore:
As an overall performance, it might just be TSWLM, but as far as moments goes, there's too many to mention!
Timothy Dalton:
The PTS in particular is Dalton at his best for me. A fantastic piece of cinema.
Pierce Brosnan:
Each to their own, Bond hasn't been the same after Brosnan – and I don't mean that in a positive way…
In TWINE, it's the PTS in particular I enjoy the most. One of the best of the whole series, IMO. He isn't any less entertaining to watch in DAD, but that film as a whole isn't as good as TWINE.
Daniel Craig:
Unfortunately, he hasn't been able to equal his CR performance, IMO.
You mention the PTS in TWINE. The way the man moves is just so suave and commanding. I miss that too.
TWINE gets undeserved stick on here,i like it a lot.
Its #13 in my rankings atm,usually hovering between #11 to #13,never lower.
The PTS,killing of Davidov, Caviar factory shootout and the end scenes with Elektra from the torture to Bond shooting her in the head,are brilliant,typical Bond scenes.
Moore: The Spy Who Loved Me
Dalton: The Living Daylights
Brosnan: Tomorrow Never Dies
Craig: He peaked in Casino tbh, it's hard to top that
Sir Rog - Spy/ MR
Timbo - LTK (for better or worse)
Brozzer - TWINE/ DAD
Craig - CR/ SP
Pretty much this list.
Agree! It's a sequence that brought out the best (and most entertaining) in him.
TWINE is always a joy to watch, and all those scenes you mention are among the highlights. It's a shame it gets so much stick.
Moore: Octopussy
Dalton: TLD
Brosnan: Twine
Daniel Craig: QOS
RM: OP (he just seemed more weathered and cooler, and tougher)
TD: TLD (too many great scenes: the PTS, all scenes with Saunders, confronting Pushkin, "killing" Pushkin)
PB: TND (he was relaxed and fun and genuine)
DC: I think he has two eras where he hit his stride: CR as he explores his new status in life (which continues over with a more hard-boiled edge into QoS), and SF (as he has to re-invent, re-build, and resurrect...)
Honorable mention to GL: I think when he proposes to Tracy in the barn he hit his stride...
Moore: Moonraker. The wrinkles were starting to show a bit more, but he’s still plenty threatening in the film.
Dalton: TLD for sure. Strong start. Does the “sometimes sick of his job” angle of Bond well without overdoing it.
Brosnan: TWINE for sure. Killing Elektra is still one of the coldest moments but he sells it so well - Roger couldn’t have done it, and I’m not sure Connery could have sold the regret he shows right after.
Craig: Spectre, right after he ejects from the Aston, lands on the street, drops the parachute, buttons his coat as he nods to the man on the street. It’s a small moment but a great one.
I find he comes across as quite threatening especially when he's walking toward Drax right before he picks up the laser gun.
This would match what I would be thinking, apart from Brossa, who I just wouldn't be able to rank as he never impressed ! Like what you said about George, he and Rigg are great in that scene!
Moore: TMWTGG
Dalton: LTK
Brosnan: DAD
Craig: QOS
I don't think he's that bothered,old chap ;) :
Sean Connery: Thunderball
Roger Moore: Octopussy
Timothy Dalton: Licence to Kill
Pierce Brosnan: The World is Not Enough
Daniel Craig: Skyfall
Smug git! 🤨
Brozza or me........or both perchance ?
Sean
TB: 12
FRWL: 3
GF: 2
DN: 1
YOLT: 1
DAF: 1
Roger
TSWLM: 8
OP: 5
MR: 3
LALD: 1
TMWTGG: 1
Timothy
TLD: 13
LTK: 6
Pierce
TWINE: 8
TND: 7
DAD: 3
GE: 1
Daniel
CR: 8
QOS: 5
SP: 4
SF: 1
With all of George going to OHMSS, only three films haven’t been mentioned at all: NSNA, FYEO and AVTAK.
Note: I could have miscounted here or there, I did it in a rush.