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Has Each Bond Actor Done a "Classic" Bond film?

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  • Agent007391Agent007391 Up, Up, Down, Down, Left, Right, Left, Right, B, A, Start
    Posts: 7,854
    BAIN123 wrote:
    Haha. I guess I'm defensive of that film because I belong to that generation that played on N64.

    I clocked up HUNDREDS of hours with that game over the years.

    You and I clearly have something in common.
  • OHMSS69OHMSS69
    Posts: 2,341
    Shoreline wrote:
    There are some great things about OHMSS as you mention, but it is not enough to make it a classic. The whole thing is hampered by the terrible Lazenby. And, by the time we get to all the Hilary stuff, it just doesn`t seem to be a Bond film at all. More of a carry on film in places. For me, it`s a real mixed bag, all over the place, and really drags in the middle. Some Bond films do this, but you have lead actors who carry you through. Lazenby never possesed the skill, wit, looks or talent to do this.
    Even Moores lightest episodes where carried through with his natural charm, and knowing humour. I`m sure this has a lot to do with direction also.

    GE even if you don`t like Brosnans take on Bond, has to be considered a classic. It did so much for the franchise at the time. It`s a classic Bond story with classic villains, plenty of nods and aknowledgment to the past, but never afraid of contemporising Bond.
    Brosnan, also, looked like classic Bond.

    Shoreline you should watch the film with an open mind. The music, the subplot involving his romance with Tracy...btw, most characters in Bond films are one dimensional but Tracy and even Bond himself have a character "arch" where they evolve during the course of the film. The film ends on that same road where they met in the PTS (did you notice?). Tracy was attempting suicide and now she had something to live for and then "bang" she is cut down by Bunt's bullet. Powerful. Veteran Bond screenwriter, Dick Maibaum once said that this was his best Bond screenplay. The editing, the cinematography, the exciting ski scenes (this was the first film to have ski chases) the bobsleigh fight with Bond and Blofeld. Classic. This was the only film where old Ernst takes part in the dirty work rather than leaving it to underlings.
    It is also the only film that shows M's home residence.

    As for Brosnan, I never thought he looked the part. he is too "pretty" and should have been selling suits at Brooks and Brothers rather than saving the world. I was sold on all the previous Bonds, but Brozzo never did it for me. His films were formaliac and routine. GE was his first and in my opinion his best but I would not call it a classic either. After GE his films progressively got worst finally culminating in that hogwash, train wreck of DAD.

  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited January 2012 Posts: 11,189
    I never understood the whole "Brozza doesn't look the part" thing. True he's a little puny in GE but he still has the "straight" "tall, dark handsome" good looks that we normally associate with Bond. At least he looks a bit more eligant and refined than a certain Mr Craig (I'm not knocking Craig but I strongly feel a snob like Fleming would have called him too "working class").
  • licensetoforumlicensetoforum
    Posts: 371
    To me Brosnan had the Bond look, but not the Bond physicality.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    I don't kow. I'm not saying he was the toughest of the bonds but being lean did at least make him more agile. Also he apparently did quite a few of his own stunts (certainly not all but a few). I read that he did the jump out of the window in the TWINE PTS but not sure if that's true.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited June 2012 Posts: 12,837
    licensetoforum wrote:
    To me Brosnan had the Bond look, but not the Bond physicality.

    I think he had both. Sure he wasn't as physical as craig but his films had a few good fight scenes.
  • ColonelSunColonelSun
    Posts: 1,493
    For me:

    Connery's first five Bond's are total classics.

    Lazenby's one shot, OHMSS, was dead on target.

    Moore: LALD and TSWLM

    Dalton: TLD

    Brosnan: GE

    Craig: CR - and, you never know - Skyfall (?)
  • jaguar007jaguar007
    Posts: 638
    I think there are two answers to this question. The first being what are classics to the individual person. In my mind Pierce Brosnan was the only actor who never made a great Bond film.
    Connery had the first four,
    Laz, OHMSS is classic
    Moore had TSWLM and FYEO,
    Dalton had TLD and
    Craig so far has CR.

    As far as the public perception at large goes (not talking about hardcore Bond fans) perhaps the word "iconic" fits better than "classic"

    -Connery's first five films especially Goldfinger are definetly classics and iconic
    -OHMSS has a cult following but to the general audience a trivia question.
    -TSWLM is really Moore's iconic film, and the only Bond film that does not star Sean Connery that stands on the iconic level of the Connery films.
    - As much as I love Dalton and TLD, niether of his films have an iconic status.
    - Brosnan has GE. Although I find it mediocre, there is no deneying it has an iconic status (althogh not in the leage of Connery's films or TSWLM).
    - Yes, CR clearly has established iconic status in the public mind.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    Connery: FRWL
    Lazenby: OHMSS
    Moore: TSWLM
    Dalton: TLD
    Brosnan: GE
    Craig: CR
  • St_GeorgeSt_George Shuttling Drax's lovelies to the space doughnut - happy 40th, MR!
    Posts: 1,699
    For me, the only one who hasn't featured in a classic, unfortunately, is Dalts - sorry, guys, I just don't rate TLD <i>that</i> highly. Here's the other five (and more), mind:

    Conners: DN, FRWL and GF
    Lazers: OHMSS
    Sir Rog: LALD and Spy
    The Brozzer: GE
    Craig: CR (so far...)
  • StuartStuart
    Posts: 4
    The first film of each actor seems to be the top... even Sean Connery's first film (not much gadgets, et. al.) It would seem the 'first film' was produced with the previous actor in mind. Bond is a three-dimensional character to be played in a two-dimensional way. It seems each actor has done an excellent job of adding a facet to the character.
  • DoubleOhhSevenDoubleOhhSeven
    Posts: 1,778
    Stuart wrote:
    The first film of each actor seems to be the top... even Sean Connery's first film (not much gadgets, et. al.) It would seem the 'first film' was produced with the previous actor in mind. Bond is a three-dimensional character to be played in a two-dimensional way. It seems each actor has done an excellent job of adding a facet to the character.

    That's certainly true for TLD and GE but I doubt Casino Royale was written with Pierce Brosnan in mind. The same could be said with OHMSS and LALD. I don't see much of Connery's influence in those.
  • 00Beast00Beast
    Posts: 4,762
    Connery: From Russia with Love
    Lazenby: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
    Moore: The Spy Who Loved Me
    Dalton: The Living Daylights
    Brosnan: GoldenEye
    Craig: Casino Royale
  • GetafixGetafix
    Posts: 11,425
    Connery has 4 classics IMO:
    DN
    FRWL
    GF
    YOLT

    I think OHMSS is a classic, so Lazer is a yes. I actually think it wouldn't have been as good as it is with Connery, who by this point in the series was beginning to phone in his performances.

    Roger has one classic movie - TSWLM - and plenty of other enjoyable moments and not bad films.

    Dalton I think arguably delivers a classic performance in two not so classic films, although the TLD a pretty damn good Bond film in the more traditional vein.

    Brozza - zilch.

    Craig is turning in good performances but he needs to lighten up a little (not too much). I personally was a little underwhelmed by CR. It looks good and has some nice scenes, but is overlong and ultimately for me, a little boring. I thought QoS picked up the pace quite nicely, although obviously still not a classic.

    Here's hoping Sam Mendes can work some magic on Skyfall, although the plot leaks so far sound distinctly worrying - please leave M to do the paperwork back at HQ and don't let's have another tedious 'plot' driven by personal history and score-settling. Yawn.
  • Michael_I6Michael_I6
    Posts: 3
    Connery: TB
    Lazenby: OHMSS
    Moore:TSWLM
    Dalton: TLD
    Brosnan:TWINE
    Craig: not yet......
  • The_ReaperThe_Reaper
    Posts: 1,092
    Connery made four, the first four.

    Laz's one is classic.

    Moore had Spy and FYEO.

    Dalts had one, TLD, though I love LTK.

    Brosnan had one good film, GE, but I wouldn't say it was classic.

    Craig has CR, the 2nd best in the entire series, IMO.

    So total:

    Connery- 4
    Lazenby- 1
    Moore- 2
    Dalton- 1
    Brosnan- 0
    Craig- 1 (so far)
  • W_PPKW_PPK
    Posts: 172
    SC: Thunderball
    GL: OHMSS
    RM: Live and Let Die
    TD: The Living Daylights
    PB: GoldenEye
    DC: Casino Royale.
    Most classic Bond films usually are the best of each actor.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    Classics, for me:

    From Russia With Love
    Dr. No
    Goldfinger
    On HerMajesty's Secret Service (even though not a fav of mine)
    The Spy Who Loved Me
    The Living Daylights
    Goldeneye (for sure)
    Casino Royale (so happy to add a recent one; I do think it is a classic)
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,217
    Connery's first 4 are classics to me.
    Lazenby's only made one, but luckily for him it is a classic.
    Roger? I'd say TSWLM.
    Tim has 2 good efforts, but only TLD would qualify for me.
    Pierce has GoldenEye, for sure. Damn good film.
    Craig has CR so far. I don't think he'll top it.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I'm grouping this one per actor.
    Connery: Thunderball (Connery+Barry Score)
    Lazenby: OHMSS (OHMSS Theme)
    Moore: FYEO (Best Moore performance.)
    Dalton: TLD (Classic Bond)
    Brosnan: GoldenEye (First one I saw and it's epic.)
    Craig: Casino Royale (Very good.)

  • SirHenryLeeChaChingSirHenryLeeChaChing
    Posts: 3,494
    Per actor-

    Connery- the first four undeniably.
    Lazenby- OHMSS a classic film, but not because of George
    Moore- LALD because everyone knows the film or at least the song, and TSWLM because it is his classic impression.
    Dalton- not to the general public, but both of his films are classics to me.
    Brosnan- GE comes closest, but none for me in this era. If Barry did the soundtrack, yes, but a Bond movie that doesn't sound like a Bond movie can't be a classic. I think the popularity of the video game lends to the impression that it is classic.
    Craig- CR absolutely a classic and the best Bond film since LTK.
  • 4EverBonded4EverBonded the Ballrooms of Mars
    Posts: 12,480
    SirHenryLeeChaChing wrote:
    Per actor-

    Connery- the first four undeniably.
    Lazenby- OHMSS a classic film, but not because of George
    Moore- LALD because everyone knows the film or at least the song, and TSWLM because it is his classic impression.
    Dalton- not to the general public, but both of his films are classics to me.
    Brosnan- GE comes closest, but none for me in this era. If Barry did the soundtrack, yes, but a Bond movie that doesn't sound like a Bond movie can't be a classic. I think the popularity of the video game lends to the impression that it is classic.
    Craig- CR absolutely a classic and the best Bond film since LTK.

    For many people, the video game doesn't influence their ranking of Bond films. I get what you are saying about the lack of Bond style music in GE (that is the only thing that bothered me about the film, and they corrected that with the next film) but I definitely don't rule it out as a classic simply because of the music; but that's my perspective. I do respect that you think differently about that.
  • QsAssistantQsAssistant All those moments lost in time... like tears in rain
    Posts: 1,812
    Connery - FRWL and GF
    Lazenby - OHMSS
    Moore - TSWLM
    Brosnan - GE
    Craig - CR

    The only one I feel didn't make a classic Bond film was Dalton. While he was an awesome Bond and his movies were good, they were not classics.
  • 0BradyM0Bondfanatic70BradyM0Bondfanatic7 Quantum Floral Arrangements: "We Have Petals Everywhere"
    Posts: 28,694
    QsAssistant wrote:
    Connery - FRWL and GF
    Lazenby - OHMSS
    Moore - TSWLM
    Brosnan - GE
    Craig - CR

    The only one I feel didn't make a classic Bond film was Dalton. While he was an awesome Bond and his movies were good, they were not classics.

    I wouldn't say GE is classic. I like it, but just don't think it is.
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    It always comes out near the top in best Bond film polls, and it's one of the most remembered by fans, that to me, makes it a classic.
  • EllisEllis
    Posts: 224
    Connery: Goldfinger
    Laz: OHMSS
    Rog: The Spy Who Loved Me
    Dalton:TLD
    Pierce: GE
    Dan: CR
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,978
    Connery :: FRWL
    Lazenby :: OHMSS
    Dalton :: TLD
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    edited October 2013 Posts: 12,837
    I think every actor has done a classic. My personal list.

    Connery- FRWL, maybe YOLT
    Lazenby- OHMSS
    Moore- TSWLM
    Dalton- Both
    Brosnan- GE, maybe TWINE too
    Craig- CR, hoping SF will be one

    And these are the ones that I think are actually seen as classics by the public.

    Connery- GF/FRWL
    Lazenby- OHMSS
    Moore- TSWLM
    Dalton- TLD
    Brosnan- GE
    Craig- CR
  • SaintMarkSaintMark
    Posts: 7,653
    Connery - DN, FRWL, GF, TB & YOLT
    Lazenby - OHMSS
    Moore - MR, FYEO & OP
    Dalton - none
    Brosnan - GE & TWINE
    Craig - Too early to tell
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    Dalton NONE ?!, Oh dear... :-L

    Connery - Doctor No, From Russia with Love, Thunderball

    Lazenby - No, I'm afraid, should of been given another chance to change that

    Moore - Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, For Your Eyes Only

    Brosnan - Goldeneye, The World Is Not Enough

    Dalton - The Living Daylights

    Craig - Casino Royale
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