Will the "real" James Bond please stand up

[Justice Hog]

So, I'm on my way home from dinner with my girlfriend when I posed the question, "Who was your favorite James Bond?"

Her reply, "Pierce Brosnan". I disagreed, suggesting that Sean Connery was the best.

What do y'all think?

[UK Skins Fan]

Ah, thank the Lord for James Bond. Allows all us Brits to believe that the empire still exists, and that we really are still big players in the world. Well, maybe we still are, but Bond let's us escape into a world where we are top dog, in an underhand and devious kind of way!

For me, Pierce Brosnan is the best by quite a margin. Exactly the right blend of humour and menace, subtlety and ruggedness. After the Timothy Dalton years (Dalton tried hard and brought new depths of grit to the role, but didn't really convince me that he was a particularly good actor), Brosnan took the role on and perfected it. To my mind, he did this by returning it to it's roots. He was a Connery for the 90's and the new millennium, but was better at it than even Connery was.

Connery comes second. One of my all-time favourite actors (how could you not love a guy who can get away with playing a Russian submarine captain, or an Irish Chicago cop, both with a Scotish accent?), he set the original benchmark. I always thought the smirking misogenist was a little overplayed by Connery, but he was the best until Brosnan came along.

I'd put Dalton in third, becaues he actually tried to add something to the role, although he never quite pulled it off.

Moore and Lazenby were disastrous jokes as far as I'm concerned, although Lazenby probably suffers because the film itself was a bit of a dog.

David Niven was a great actor, miscast in the role. What menace and aggression he was able to bring to the table was just too subtle to work on screen.

Never seen Barry Nelson's effort, but I find it hard to believe that an American could ever make the role work. Maybe that doesn't matter for the international audience, but an American bond really can't work over here.

Interested to see how Daniel Craig works out. He'll be very different, I think, to what we've seen before. Could be a disaster, but it could also be a masterstroke.

[skinsRin]

I like a few of the different Bonds, but Dalton was terrible in my eyes, but maybe it was the writers fault beacaue it seems to me that the few films they made with him were crap!

[Punu]

tough call, but i go with Sean Connery.

[Brandon777]

Bond rules! I have every single Bond film on DVD. For me, it's a toss up between Connery and Moore. I grew up watching Roger Moore as Bond, before I checked out the earlier movies with Connery, so I lean towards Moore. But Connery is kick ass and I can easily see why the majority of people would say he's the favorite.

[Skinsfan55]

I am a huge fan of Bond, the movies and the books (try the Fleming novels some time, they are easy to read, and give you an interesting look inside Bond, also, he pretty much invented this genre.)

Ian Fleming actually wanted Roger Moore to be James Bond instead of Sean Connery, but Connery comes out as a closer match to the literary hero.

Moore had some good fight scenes but he just wasn't mean enough to play Bond. He didn't have that kind of killer instinct sort of thing. He was joking too much and seemed too slight.

Lazenby probably could have been better than Connery if he'd stayed with it. (I wish he'd taken the money!)

Dalton was too severe, he was Moore's opposite. Still, he was pretty good (better than Moore I think!)

Brosnan was the closest to Connery IMO. He did action scenes well, was mean enough, looked right, etc. It's maybe for the best that he couldn't get out of Remmington Steele because he might not have been as good as a younger man...

So my list goes:

Connery
Brosnan
Dalton
Moore

Lazenby (Incomplete, can't judge him by the others for one film.)

[Redskin in Canada]

Ah, thank the Lord for James Bond. Allows all us Brits to believe that the empire still exists, and that we really are still big players in the world.

Did an Irish and a Scott pair of actors manage to create such Patriotic feelings?

[Irn-Bru]

If Brosnan had even semi-decent scripts to work with, I think that he would have been the best. I give it to Connery but like Brosnan more (maybe because, while growing up, Brosnan was Bond).


I'm looking forward to seeing how Daniel Craig (or, as we call him at my house, 'Joe Montana') will take on the role.

[UK Skins Fan]

Ah, thank the Lord for James Bond. Allows all us Brits to believe that the empire still exists, and that we really are still big players in the world.

Did an Irish and a Scott pair of actors manage to create such Patriotic feelings?

Well, Scottish is British (regardless of Mr Connery's feelings on the matter), and Brosnan does a good job of pretending to be English, having lived in London for a long time. Besides, Ireland is in the British Isles.

[UK Skins Fan]

Bond rules! I have every single Bond film on DVD. For me, it's a toss up between Connery and Moore. I grew up watching Roger Moore as Bond, before I checked out the earlier movies with Connery, so I lean towards Moore. But Connery is kick ass and I can easily see why the majority of people would say he's the favorite.

Moore's eyebrows made it impossible to take him seriously. Especially when combined with that ludicrous voice. I hated him so much that Dalton was a relief when he took over. And I grew up with Moore as Bond too!

[Redskin in Canada]

Well, Scottish is British (regardless of Mr Connery's feelings on the matter), and Brosnan does a good job of pretending to be English, having lived in London for a long time. Besides, Ireland is in the British Isles.

So, if I ever become a separatist, do I become a Knight of the British Empire too?

I am not touching Ireland (the Republic of) as part of the British Isles. Too hot to handle.

Brosnan was a bit too feminine and vulnerable to fit "modern" values in the old chauvinist 007 stereotype. Let's face it, 007 was a (horny) pig in its dealings with women as conceived by Ian Flemming. Most girls would laugh at the guy these days.

My favouriye (horny) pig movie was "You only live twice" some of the best music with a nice combination of genuine Japanese martial arts. Great song and lyrics by Nancy Sinatra too.

[skinsRin]

I think we need a thread listing our top 5 Bond movies.

[UK Skins Fan]

I think we need a thread listing our top 5 Bond movies.

Yep - and then we need another one for our top 5 Bond theme tunes!

[skinsRin]

I think we need a thread listing our top 5 Bond movies.

Yep - and then we need another one for our top 5 Bond theme tunes!

Yes, I agree. What about top 5 Bond villans.

[UK Skins Fan]

I think we need a thread listing our top 5 Bond movies.

Yep - and then we need another one for our top 5 Bond theme tunes!

Yes, I agree. What about top 5 Bond villans.

Top 5 Bond girls? Perhaps we need our own website for this?!!

[skinsRin]

I think we need a thread listing our top 5 Bond movies.

Yep - and then we need another one for our top 5 Bond theme tunes!

Yes, I agree. What about top 5 Bond villans.

Top 5 Bond girls? Perhaps we need our own website for this?!!

LOL, I think your right. All these things are good topics. What about top 5 Bond gadgets.

[skinpride1]

I say there is nothing like the original!!!Sean Connery will always be the original "James Bond"!!!!I think the top three guys of my book played the part really well.Number one:Sean Connery(60's/70's bond)Number two: Roger Moore(70's/80's bond)Number Three:Brosnan(90's/today bond.).I grew up with Roger Moore being bond and It's a tuff call between Connery and him but after watching all the bond flicks over the years I understand why Connery help make Bond the Mega star he is today.What I really want to know is who will be the next James Bond......Don't you dare shake my Martini!!!