Favorite James Bond?
Posted: Thu Apr 12, 2007 8:01 pm
Having just picked up the dvd of "Casino Royale" I have to say that I am very pleased that Daniel Craig has taken over the role of 007. He gives a realistic gritty performance, much more in line w/the Ian Flemming character than recent cinema showings (Die Another Day ... please 
) That said, I'm curious who is the favorite Bond here on the forum. My brief thoughts ....
Connery - Quite good, but probably gets a bit too much credit by virtue of his being the first. "Dr.No" & "From Russia with love" featured very strong performances by him, as did "Goldfinger" But his later Bonds were marred by silly acting, especially the awful "Diamonds are Forever"
Lazenby - Ironic that one of the best scripts featured one of the weakest actors. With no formal training, he was bound to give a weaker performance. Thankfully his co-stars were all strong. It would have been interesting to see what he could have done with a second film...
Moore - Nothing like the Flemming character, his silly acting fit the Bond movies of the 70's. There was never any element of danger w/Moore, minus "For your eyes only" which was a brief return to the former style. Still, all his films were very entertaining.
Dalton - About as opposite of Moore as you could get, Dalton's Bond was dark and gritty, much like the Flemming character & early Connery. His return to the original style, coupled with his serious interpertation of the character, probably saved the franchise which was losing both critical & commercial support.
Brosnan - Love him one minute, hate him the next. No consistency w/this actor, who is only as good as the scripts he worked with. "Goldeneye" is one of my favs, "Die Another Day" one on my least. Much too cocky, Brosnan was never quite able to make the role his own.
Craig - Smashing debut, Craig gives a performance that is true to the character of Bond. No stupid puns, elaborate gadgets, or cocky swagger. Can't wait to see him in the next one!
) That said, I'm curious who is the favorite Bond here on the forum. My brief thoughts ....Connery - Quite good, but probably gets a bit too much credit by virtue of his being the first. "Dr.No" & "From Russia with love" featured very strong performances by him, as did "Goldfinger" But his later Bonds were marred by silly acting, especially the awful "Diamonds are Forever"
Lazenby - Ironic that one of the best scripts featured one of the weakest actors. With no formal training, he was bound to give a weaker performance. Thankfully his co-stars were all strong. It would have been interesting to see what he could have done with a second film...
Moore - Nothing like the Flemming character, his silly acting fit the Bond movies of the 70's. There was never any element of danger w/Moore, minus "For your eyes only" which was a brief return to the former style. Still, all his films were very entertaining.
Dalton - About as opposite of Moore as you could get, Dalton's Bond was dark and gritty, much like the Flemming character & early Connery. His return to the original style, coupled with his serious interpertation of the character, probably saved the franchise which was losing both critical & commercial support.
Brosnan - Love him one minute, hate him the next. No consistency w/this actor, who is only as good as the scripts he worked with. "Goldeneye" is one of my favs, "Die Another Day" one on my least. Much too cocky, Brosnan was never quite able to make the role his own.
Craig - Smashing debut, Craig gives a performance that is true to the character of Bond. No stupid puns, elaborate gadgets, or cocky swagger. Can't wait to see him in the next one!
