Who is your favorite 007?
There have been six actors thus far who have portrayed James Bond in feature films. The original was Sean Connery, who began the Bond brand, starring in the first five films and then again in #7. The first five Sean Connery Bond films were:
Dr. No (1962)
From Russia with Love (1963)
Goldfinger (1964)
Thunderball (1965)
You Only Live Twice (1967)
George Lazenby became 007 in 1969, starring in On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. George wasn't well received (his Bond was pretty sucky compared to what everyone was accustomed to), so he was one and done as a super spy. He looks more like a postman than a superspy.
Sean Connery Returned in 1971 in Diamonds are Forever. Diamonds, yes, not Connery; no more Bond for him after this one.
In 1973, the Roger Moore era of seven 007’s began. Moore was already well known from TV as The Saint, a spy guy himself. Moore's Bond was more refined than Connery's, and it worked well. The Roger Moore 007 films were:
Live and Let Die (1973)
The Man With the Golden Gun (1974)
The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
Moonraker (1979)
For Your Eyes Only (1981)
Octopussy (1983)
A View to the Kill (1985)
Next up, Timothy Dalton, two movies, The Living Daylights (1987) and License to Kill (1989). Dalton, a very talented and successful actor elsewhere, was kind of creepy as Bond. I have no recollection of The Living Daylights, and License to Kill was blechhhh. Twenty years earlier, Dalton had been offered the Bond for On Her Majesty's Secret Service (that Lazenby got) and declined.
Pierce Brosnan (remember Remington Steele?) became Bond #6 and stayed there for four films:
Golden Eye (1995)
Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
The World is Not Enough (1999)
Die Another Day (2002)
Finally, we were introduced to the current Bond, Daniel Craig, in 2002. He’s done two films so far.
Casino Royale (2006)
Quantum of Solace (Newly Released)
Now, I thought there would be no better Bond than Sean Connery. The original and the best, as they say. Fighting Odd Job, the giant Asian guy, what could be cooler?
Roger Moore was very good, very convincing, very likable (and he bagged Ann-Margret, one of the hottest hotties of her day).
Pierce Brosnan was better than I expected him to be. He's one of the most likable actors I can think of, also one of the bravest actors (have you seen the movie version of Mama Mia where he sings? he's surely courageous... a horrible singer), and his 007 films were really good.
The new guy, Daniel Craig, after one movie, is now my favorite. Part of the reason is that his Bond revealed character flaws and weaknesses, his Bond is darker, brooding, much different than any Bond before. The new movie is about to pop, I'm ready.
Who's yours?
