So here we are with the two favourite fights from each 007 era - the winners made their game pretty clear, while the second place was usually closer contested. A surprise may be that neither Connery’s Bond vs Odd Job nor Bond vs Franks made it - at least it was for me.
Anyway here goes: poll on the finale remains open until October 31st. noon-ish GMT.
Grant vs Bond has everything. The build-up with he villain explaining the whole plan in detail, Bond setting the trap (Connery’s acting is brilliant in this) and playing stupid. A brutal but realistic fight (you don’t see proper defense moves that often in movie fights) and finally the villain’s unfair advantage turning against himself.
Sounds all pretty cliché, but let’s not forget: this is the mother of them all. This one set the standards for all the other ones.
Great point. It’s ten or so minutes prior to the fight that make it what it is - a violent denouement to the entire Red Grant plot strand. Both actors play it brilliantly - Shaw’s ability to make Grant more than the charicature that would too often be what followed, is balanced by the rare vulnerability displayed by SC. We really believe that Bond is a couple of steps behind until the moment he twists the garrote wire, and that elevates the realistic brutality of the combat. And in classic “villain” fashion, it’s Shaw that has best lines “You might know the right wines, but you’re the one on your knees.”
With 13 votes Connery’s fight Bond vs Grant stands head and shoulders (and torso and most of the legs to the ankles) above all the other strong contenders.
And after so many years and different actors following in his footsteps, this still holds true for Connery’s depiction of Bond himself - he set the gold standard.
Of the six fights that got picked by someone, I find it interesting that every James Bond actor had a fight of his chosen except for Timothy Dalton while Sean Connery was the only 007 to get two fights selected.