May as well. Bit negative, but also a bit positive.
Favourite
Sean Connery
George Lazenby
Roger Moore
Timothy Dalton
Pierce Brosnan
Daniel Craig
0voters
…and least favourite
Sean Connery
George Lazenby
Roger Moore
Timothy Dalton
Pierce Brosnan
Daniel Craig
0voters
With no particular parameter for your reasoning for “favourite” or least favourite, at all - might be best actor, the one “Closest! To! Fleming!” or just the one you like to watch most even if he’s a bit crap really, or least offensive ears, most flamboyant shoelaces or least likely to be caught eating a bag of crisps; up to you.
Lazenby had one enormous advantage in his single outing: he got one of the strongest books and the adaptation was very close to the source material. I don’t see Lazenby doing anywhere as well with, say, THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN or OCTOPUSSY.
He was perfect for that one film but he may actually have been lucky to leave at a point when the gold in Fleming’s books had been mined and presence and charm became more important than plots.
It is the advantage Connery has, and, indeed, Craig had in his first outing - experience as an actor meets Fleming’s better works. Moore, Dalton and Brosnan never had the latter at their disposal.
For me, it’s usually whichever one I’m currently watching.
Except George Lazenby-- he is always last. Not awful, just not as good as any of the others. And yes, I wish (engaged) Connery had stuck around for OHMSS, particularly as he ended up returning two years later anyway, drawing even more attention to his absence from the film.
It’s not so much Craig I’m not crazy about as his films. I’m still waiting for the one that isn’t about his becoming MI6’s top agent and all the emotional pain he went through to get there. I don’t think NTTD is going to be it, either.
Although I do appreciate that Connery’s first four (and Lazenby’s one) stuck closest to the source material, there’s just something I like about Sir Roger and his movies (perhaps it’s being a tall, fair-haired smart*ss meself).
I agree. He had IMO the best possible story, soundtrack and cinematography (or very close to it) from the series on his side. An extended era isn’t always going to bring that level of quality.
But for that one film he’s absolutely perfect - with his lack of acting experience being an asset in terms of vulnerability. People say he blew it by turning down DAF (which obviously has truth to it), but I do think in the long run, OHMSS has protected Lazenby and made his tenure be viewed in a more favourable/understanding light. Imagine if he did two or three more - the inexperience, growing into the role commentary wouldn’t have carried as much weight if ‘wooden’ criticisms remained.
I do appreciate Lazenby’s Bond but I’m glad Roger came along when he did.
Definitely. A romp like DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER would have called for a different type of actor, especially when the connection to ON HER MAJESTY’S would have been much stronger with the same ‘face’. And Lazenby pulling something like the crocodile sub or even the Union Jack parachute could have easily turned into disaster.
He also has the benefit of being the immediate successor to Connery, grounding any complaints in reason. I imagine anyone would’ve faced an uphill battle. Lazenby only did one Bond film, but you can only choose one film as your favourite at any one time. And mine happens to be OHMSS.
While we’re talking about OHMSS - I wonder if Lazenby’s original Sir Hillary Bray voice still exists? We’re unlikely to ever hear it, but it would be interesting to know. #ReleaseTheLazenbyAudio
Fortunately, and kudos to them, EON has not misstepped in choosing any of their 007s. All have done well, and I like all six of them, but of course, I prefer some a little more than others. The top three are really close together.
You’re right. Sean Connery and George Lazenby had the best Ian Fleming stories. Roger Moore was able to get the leftover Fleming novels and some of his short stories. Timothy Dalton had the short story The Living Daylights. Even Daniel Craig has Casino Royale. Pierce Brosnan, however, is the only James Bond not to have any of his films based on a Fleming novel or short story, which is a shame, but c’est la vie.
Went with Roger as “favorite” because that’s so much easier than answering who’s “best.”
Pierce comes in last for me because he really is the “hybrid Bond:” a patchwork Frankenstein cobbled together from bits and pieces of his predecessors and ultimately, for me, nothing unique, special or memorable. But in that sense, the perfect Bond for his films.
I never know where to put Craig because all these years later, I still don’t feel like he’s playing the same character all the other guys are.
Roger has always been number 1 for me. Craig has 2 of the best in the series. Connery’s great, but falls a bit for his Bond being a misogynist and a borderline rapist and racist at times. Brosnan’s accent comes in 4th and Dalton and Lazenby are at the bottom as they just don’t have a large enough sample size.
That look that Connery gives in the direction Mr Jones from the phone booth in DR. NO - like a lion who has decided to play with his food - is why he was born to play James Bond and the others, fond as I am of them, were merely hired to.