Who Is The Best James Bond?

[tgpo]

Pierce Brosnan all the way!!

Poll Submitted by Cornucopia
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[GreyDeath]

I voted for Sean Connery because those films had the best storylines out of the bunch. But I do like Moore's because of all the nifty gadgets. Brosnan's, though, has the best opening titles--can't beat Goldeneye. Yum!

I'm suprised they haven't come out with a video compilation for them. Sigh, guess I'll have to make my own.

[Tommyknocker]

There was only one James Bond. Every one else was a reasonable facsimile. I cannot believe you just asked, "Which one am I referrring to?"Sean Connery, of course! 8)

[Double]

1. Roger Moore
2. Sean Connery
3. Pierce Brosnan

This poll is probably also closely linked to the "how old are you poll"

Who are all those other guys anyway?

-D

[tgpo]

George Lazenby played 007 in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Tomothy Dalton played 007 in Licence to Kill (1989) and Living Daylights, The (1987)

David Niven played Sir James Bond in Casino Royale (1967)

Woody Allen played Jimmy Bond in Casino Royale (1967)

[stiltman]

Sean Connery did the best job without a ton of special FX
Roger Moore did a great job with and without FX

I voted for Sean Connery. He made 007 what it is today.....


Timothy Dalton just about killed the 007 franchise
Pierce Brosnan has to rely on FX to sell the role

tgpopussy, wasn't that the fat hick sheriff from Louisiana who couldn't spit tobacco?

[Tommyknocker]

David Niven played the first James Bond in the movie Casino Royale.

[mkelley]

As one of the previous posters said, there is no doubt this poll is linked to your age.

For those of us old enough to see the Bond films from the beginning, there is no contest. Sean is by far the best, and will always be Bond. Roger Moore (for us) isn't even on the map -- he was a cartoon figure closely on par with Woody Allen or Peter Sellers (both Bond in Casino Royale).

But I do like Pierce's work -- of the modern era Bonds he is truly wonderful, and I will miss him when he leaves. Dalton was a breath of fresh air after Moore, and even Lazenby has the distinction of being in the Best Bond Movie Ever (although he was pretty awful himself).

Ah... so many Bonds, so little time <g>.

[marvel2020]

Well you have left out one other person out of the vote and although he's not well known like the other actors (except for his British TV Shows), he was after all the Very first Actor to Ever play James Bond.

Who's this person i hear you ask...

Well his name is Bob Holness, and he's well known in the UK for his TV Quiz show BLOCKBUSTERS.

Now if you still don't beleive me here's a link to prove it......


http://www.bbc.co.uk/dna/360/A817797

[Gazorgan]

I'm just impressed you got Casino Royale!!!

[i_am_dave]

Sean! He was also good in Darby O'Gill and the Little People. and Zardoz!

[dwill123]

There was only one James Bond. Every one else was a reasonable facsimile. I cannot believe you just asked, "Which one am I referrring to?"Sean Connery, of course! 8)

I have to second that, Sean Connery. Maybe it’s my age but Sean Connery was the epitome of ‘cool’. Come on he was the smoothest of all the Bonds. Props to Roger Moore for stepping in and filling some very big shoes. I will also say this George Lazenby was a surprise at how well he did when OHMSS came out. To date myself I remember going to see that movie when it first came out in a real movie theatre with ushers and flashlights. I liked Timothy Dalton but he was too short and Pierce Brosnan needs to put on a few pounds.

[j1d10t]

I'd have to say Connery is the best, followed by Brosnan. Dalton was the worst. And I thought that TGPOpussy wasn't really a Bond movie, it was a "bondage" type movie

[Solarjetman]

Well, overall, I liked Sean connary the best. He IS Bond. But I really liked the way Pierce Brosnan played him. He gave Bond a more down to earth human touch. You could see the weaknesses in him and his flaws just barely show. And Brosnan's portrayal is more believable because of it.

[Metaluna]

Arguing whether Connery was the best Bond is like arguing whether Humphrey Bogart was the best Sam Spade. The fact that there's even an argument over this is astonishing!

[whenevere]

George Lazenby !!

Lazenby only played Bond in one movie (On Her Majesty's Secret Service), but that movie is considered one of the best ever, a true classic. The plot, the love story, the score, the ski scenes, the fights.

[MJPollard]

Perhaps you should have made this poll, "Who (besides Sean Connery) is the best James Bond?", as you didn't have to be a rocket scientist to know that the Conneryphiles were going to run away with it.

(I've seen several of the Sean Connery Bonds, and with all due respect to the Conneryphiles, I wasn't impressed. It's good, but in my view, his Bond didn't live up to all the hype it gets. He's in my top three, but he's not #1.)

[MOVIEGEEK]

It does depend on your age.I started to watch Bond films in the 70's so of course I like Roger Moore,I like his wit and in some of his films he battled "Jaws".
The best opening scene was from "The Spy Who Loved Me" where he is being chased in the mountains on skis and he jumps off the cliff and opens his Union Jack parachute.
8)

[tgpo]

I never could really get into the James Bond movies. I've always enjoyed Die Hard much more.

[SquirrelDip]

Sean Connery was the best! And I have to agree with GreyDeath:

But I do like Moore's because of all the nifty gadgets

However, of all who chould be playing Bond I would have to say that, currently, Pierce Brosnan is the best choice.

I recall reading that Pierce Brosnan was actually the guy they wanted for the movies that Tomothy Dalton played but he was under contract for the Remington Steele series.

[mkelley]

Actually, the full story is sadder.

They actually *picked* Pierce for the Bond movies (after Moore) and Remington Steel, the series he was in at the time, was cancelled and due to go off the air.

But either Pierce or his publicist or *someone* leaked the choice of the future Bond, and suddenly he was *hot*. So NBC ordered another season of the show, Pierce was contractually obligated to do it, and had to turn down the Bond role. He thought he had lost it forever, but was given a second chance years later.

I've always identified, even if just slightly, with Pierce because of this. I know what it's like to want something so very badly and not get it when you want it only to get it years later. It just isn't the same. So as much as you can feel sorry for someone who is incredibly handsome, earns more money in a month than I will in my life, and is famous to boot, I feel some emphathy for him (there is also what he went through with his first wife, but that's nothing to do with show business).

[ROBERT BLACK]

[code]Well you have left out one other person out of the vote and although he's not well known like the other actors (except for his British TV Shows), he was after all the Very first Actor to Ever play James Bond.

Who's this person i hear you ask...

Well his name is Bob Holness, and he's well known in the UK for his TV Quiz show BLOCKBUSTERS
[/quote]



I've seen that adaptation of Casino Royale. Interesting as a curio piece. But producer Albert Brocolli and Sean Connery made what James Bond is today.

[j1d10t]

I'm not sure about your age being the key factor in the issue of which Bond you like best. I'm in my early 20's, and I like Connery the best. I grew up watching all the Bond films (except the ones with Brosnan, of course), so I had my pick. Connery's were just a little more sophisticated, cool... He could really pull off the beat up the bad guy, dust himself off, straighten his tie, and act as if noting had happened, thing. Roger Moore tried, but (in my opinion) just couldn't get it right. Brosnan comes very close to Connery, though.

[Tommyknocker]

Although Connery may be the most popular (my favoerite as you already know), and Dalton may be closest to him. But Lazenby has a particular kudo in my opinion: He is closest to Ian Fleming's Bond. A dark, cruel, troubled, merciless, killing machine haunted by the senseless murder of his wife by Blowfeld. You think Goldfinger got sucked out of that airplane? Nah, that was Oddjob. James Bond beat ol' Auric to death with his bare hands in the novel.

[mkelley]

Um, you're not describing Lazenby.

His wife doesn't die until the very END of OHMSS, so Lazenby has no time (or acting ability, but that's a whole other matter) to develop any dark, cruel, troubled, merciless, killing machine mentality (it was actually left to Moore to voice this in, I believe, The Spy Who Loved Me, at the bar in Cairo. As usual, Moore wasn't up to the task. Pierce did a much better, if subtle, reference to it later on).

The very start of "Diamonds are Forever" has Sean taking revenge on Blofield -- at this point he is the dark, cruel, troubled, merciless, killing machine you describe (although much too light-hearted in his interpretation).

[Craig Tucker]

1. Sean Connery
2. Pierce Brosnan
3. Roger Moore

[mkelley]

Oh, should actually give an honorable mention here to Dalton.

As long as we're talking about dark, cruel, troubled, merciless, killing machines, there is no closer interpretation of it than in Dalton's License to Kill. Here, at the end, he is taking his revenge for the villian (can't remember the name) killing his best friend's wife and crippling his friend -- he has already gone off the deep end and left MI6 because he can't continue his revenge.

During the course of the movie he also gets to shove a villian into a shark tank (more revenge) and other assorted goodies. The villian is also particularly good, whipping his woman with a sting-ray tale (out of one of the short stories) and throwing the aforementioned friend into a shark tank just to cripple him (from Live and Let Die, the book). This is the darkest version of Bond yet.

[mkelley]

As A General Rule I don't ever advertise my web site, but here's a link to where I discuss seeing (then) all the Bond films available:

http://www.kelleytown.com/reviews2.html#bond

I've been a Bond fan since before Dr. No -- I started reading the novels when President Kennedy did, and found them just as intriguing. Once ever five years or so I reread them all, and I would recommend them to anyone who can understand some things will be dated and not at all like the films (for one thing, Bond drives a car more suited for John Steed than any of the people who've played Bond in the movies).

All my life I wanted to be Bond -- and I grew up more like Peter Sellers. I guess there is an irony here <g>.

[Gees]

Sean. That man is still sexy. :c)

[Tommyknocker]

Um, you're not describing Lazenby.

His wife doesn't die until the very END of OHMSS, so Lazenby has no time (or acting ability, but that's a whole other matter) to develop any dark, cruel, troubled, merciless, killing machine mentality (it was actually left to Moore to voice this in, I believe, The Spy Who Loved Me, at the bar in Cairo. As usual, Moore wasn't up to the task. Pierce did a much better, if subtle, reference to it later on).

The very start of "Diamonds are Forever" has Sean taking revenge on Blofield -- at this point he is the dark, cruel, troubled, merciless, killing machine you describe (although much too light-hearted in his interpretation).

I think I did not make myself clear. I mean to say, what Fleming's Bond was as opposed to what Hollywood thinks he is. I was not that concerned about the movie storyline as much as how the characters come off and why. That is why I made the reference to Goldfinger.