Big-Screen 007s

[karlhenning]

Just curious what the consensus is.  (I am guessing that it will not align with my own opinion.)

If you vote, thanks for taking part.

If you wish, please advise of your "second-favorite," as well.

[DavidW]

I think that both Brosnan and Connery exuded charm and filled the role well... but I like Craig's rough and ready bond.  If I had to pick one closest to the novels (in the character not the stories) I might actually go with Moore despite not caring for his movies as much.  See they're all pretty good in their own way, except of course Timothy Dalton.

[The new erato]

Connery no contest. Dalton is far better than he is given credit for and is my 2nd. Daniel Craig would have been my no 2 from his superb first film, but with his crappy no 2 the jury is still out.

[Sergeant Rock]

I'm a Dalton fan but Craig's Casino Royale was incredible. I was hoping they'd continue the franchise in that direction...but no... 


Sarge

[DavidW]

Casino Royale is my favorite!  I think I might be do a rewatch of some Bond movies though, it's been awhile.

[Lethevich]

My favourite two are, I suppose, amongst the least preferred: Moore and Brosnan.

As a kid I liked Moore because he was fun to watch - even when he acted straight he looked slightly comedic. I didn't like the macho Bonds and still don't, I don't really enjoy the style in the same way I don't like hardboiled fiction so much, and this leads me to Brosnan, who is wonderfully anonymous and inoffensive - shame that the films he appeared in were increasingly poor, but this is yet another parallel with Moore.

I can see why people like Craig, as he comes closest to Dalton and Connory, who seem to be the favourites.

[eyeresist]

Connery. He has the most charisma.

Roger Moore came to the role too late (he's older than Connery). I recall him being very good in the TV adventure series The Saint.

Dalton was "gritty" years before Craig! But I find something limited about his screen presence.

If I could vote someone last, it would be Lazenby. A charisma-free zone and ugly to boot (but his movie has probably the best score - excepting that GOD-AWFUL Christmas Trees song. YouTube it for the full horror).

[Coco]

GoldenEye is still probably my favorite Bond film, so I'd go with Brosnan. Close second would be Moore — I like the corny jokes. Neither have any overriding associations with me other than Bond, which is probably why they seem so right to me. Connery's films are utterly boring to me. OHMSS was one of the better films, and Lazenby is anodyne enough that I don't mind him, but the fast-forwarded fight scenes are really obvious in a bad way and Telly Savalas is too darn nice to seem like an effective baddie. Haven't seen the Dalton Bonds yet, suspect I'll like them. Dislike Craig's mugging face and don't find him persuasive.

[Coco]

Also: favorite baddie is Klaus Maria Brandauer in the 80s Connery revamp Never Say Never Again. Effectively sleezy.

[springrite]

Roger Moore because I went to the US in 1980. For several years, and he was the James Bond that I knew.

Second place goes to Brosnan because I liked him as Remingtong Steel, and at the time told friends that he will be the James Bond one day and be perfect for it. I was right!

[eyeresist]

Connery's films are utterly boring to me.

I agree that most of the 60s films feel VERY slow. One of the reasons I prefer Never Say Never Again to Thunderball. But Goldfinger still works IMO.

Re Never Say Never Again, anyone have thoughts on this orphan Bond? I actually rate it as one of my favourites. It's got Connery, for a start, with a great nasty villain in Klaus Maria Brandauer, and a surprisingly enjoyable Felix Leitner. Kim Basinger is one of the less terrible Bond girls. There are a number of good sequences: Connery being amusing when "put out to pasture" at a health retreat, the intrigue with the iris imprint, the "video game" contest of wills between hero and villain, and the bike chase followed by the death of Fatima. The only real downer is the theme song, and even then I blame that less on the song itself than on the crappy recording and singer.

[The new erato]

I agree that most of the 60s films feel VERY slow.

It's called drama and development. Much popular until filmmakers understood that instead of simply thinking, they could make something explode and make the movie more appealing to the great unwashed masses.

[The new erato]

Re Never Say Never Again, anyone have thoughts on this orphan Bond? I actually rate it as one of my favourites.

Me too. Of couse it impacts were especially great as it were released (IIRC) at about the time that Roger Moore's crappiness were most strongly felt.

[eyeresist]

It's called drama and development. Much popular until filmmakers understood that instead of simply thinking, they could make something explode and make the movie more appealing to the great unwashed masses.

Sometimes it's just bad film making! I like plenty of old movies, but never want to sit through Dr. No or Thunderball again.

[mc ukrneal]

I love many of those '60's films. Moore is last on my list - he had a couple good ones, but fizzled (Moonraker being a total stinker, though perhaps not entirely his fault). I love Craig and could see voting for him in 10 years if he does a few more good films. It's hard to vote for the current Bond, because the case is still open.  Dalton wasgood too - just not many films.

[eyeresist]

Last time I saw Moonraker, admittedly a while ago, I received the impression that it was actually pretty good - until they got into space. You know what happened then

I do like the score (sadly the 30 minute release remains the only version available, due to someone in France holding the recordings to ransom). The low-key title song grows on you, and "Flight into space" is a grand number.

[karlhenning]

. . . Brosnan, who is wonderfully anonymous and inoffensive - shame that the films he appeared in were increasingly poor, but this is yet another parallel with Moore.

Of Brosnan's, I have only seen GoldenEye, which as a Bond movie I think very strong.  Agree that the Moore tenure aged poorly . . . still, I have a sentimental attachment to Live and Let Die, which was the first Bond movie I saw on a big screen, inside (a couple of the Connery movies, certainly You Only Live Twice, I first saw when my folks took us to a drive-in).

[karlhenning]

. . . It's hard to vote for the current Bond, because the case is still open.  Dalton wasgood too - just not many films.

Agree to both.  Though the latter does not prevent me from casting my vote for Dalton ; )

:: Edit, typo ::

[karlhenning]

Re Never Say Never Again, anyone have thoughts on this orphan Bond? I actually rate it as one of my favourites.

Me too. Of couse it impacts were especially great as it were released (IIRC) at about the time that Roger Moore's crappiness were most strongly felt.

Yes, it's a fun one . . . something of a wry comment on The Franchise, a very enjoyable snapshot of the times.

[karlhenning]

If I could vote someone last, it would be Lazenby. A charisma-free zone and ugly to boot (but his movie has probably the best score - excepting that GOD-AWFUL Christmas Trees song. YouTube it for the full horror).

I don't think I can have seen the whole movie (at least, if I have, then my memory of the Christmas tree bit has been mercifully excised by space aliens).  My favorite element of On Her Majesty's Secret Service was . . . Diana Rigg's cameo.

There! I've said it! And I'm GLAD, I tell you!

Of course, there was a cute reference in one of the episodes of The Avengers ("Too Many Christmas Trees," I think) . . . Steed opening a Christmas card that Cathy Gale sent from Fort Knox. "Wonder what she's doing there?"