Favorite James Bond Actor

Atavachron wrote: Politician wrote: Can't say I rate Daniel Craig as Bond; I think he was badly miscast (although I liked "Casino Royale" a lot, and thought "Quantum Of Solace" had its moments). Anyone who has read the books (and I've read them all) will know what a complex character the literary Bond was: outwardly charming, eloquent and even slightly effete, but inwardly quite vicious, self-loathing, insecure and rather paranoid, with a deep disgust for what he does for a living. Also, he wasn't particularly successful with women, being quite adept at seducing them, but hopeless in forming the lasting, stable relationships he needs. which is exactly how Craig has played him..  who would you have cast ?

My wife's a Bond nut and she puts Connery at the top, Lazenby at the bottom, Dalton next above him, Moore and Brosnan about equal in style and rank above Dalton, and is really starting to dig Craig. 

We haven't been to the new one yet, but we will be catching it at the theater as has been a requisite ever since we started dating.  As good as home theaters have become, Bond movies are still one of those go and see it affairs. 

Edited by Slartibartfast - November 26 2008 at 18:13

Easily Connery

Daniel Craig, no doubt about it!

Can't say I rate Daniel Craig as Bond; I think he was badly miscast (although I liked "Casino Royale" a lot, and thought "Quantum Of Solace" had its moments).

Anyone who has read the books (and I've read them all) will know what a complex character the literary Bond was: outwardly charming, eloquent and even slightly effete, but inwardly quite vicious, self-loathing, insecure and rather paranoid, with a deep disgust for what he does for a living. Also, he wasn't particularly successful with women, being quite adept at seducing them, but hopeless in forming the lasting, stable relationships he needs.

Indeed, in "Casino Royale" his fiancée commits suicide; in "Moonraker" the policewoman he falls in love with tells him she's engaged already and simply isn't interested; in "From Russia With Love", the girl who moved in with him gets bored with their relationship and returns to America; in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" his wife is murdered within hours of their wedding; in "You Only Live Twice" he stays with his Japanese bride only until his amnesia wears off, whereupon he leaves to rediscover his earlier life; and the final novel in the series "The Man With The Golden Gun" ends up with Bond in a relationship with his secretary, already bored and knowing it's not going to work, although she's madly in love with him.

Craig captures the vicious, insecure side of the character well, but he's simply not charming or posh enough, coming across as a slightly unhinged thug. Sean Connery and Roger Moore were both excellent, but too cocksure, and both seemed to give the impression that being a secret agent and killing people is a bit of a lark, an opinion certainly not shared by the literary character. Pierce Brosnan is hard to judge, as none of his scripts were particularly good, but overall he struck me as rather anodyne.

Timothy Dalton came close to capturing the literary character, but to me George Lazenby was far and away the best Bond. It helped that he had the best film script of all (and the only one that is virtually identical to the novel), but his performance is perfectly judged throughout, especially in the love scenes with Diana Rigg, perfectly balancing Bond's outward elegance with his self-doubt and need to be loved (possibly reflecting Lazenby's own insecurity, as he was not an actor by profession).

As an interesting footnote, Ian Fleming always wanted the character to be played by Noël Coward.

For me it doesn't get any better than Connery.

 ^ an Ursula fan..  nice!

I think Craig is great, best since Connery though he doesn't appear to be Scottish which Bond is suppose to be.. great choice though, and Casino Royale was terrific

Dalton followed closely by Lazenby. 

Connery

Roger MOORE....classy!                 Brosnan and Connery following!