That still doesn’t specify YOUR opinion, just reactions to ours. ;)
You’re a Connery guy ain’tcha?
I was just about to post that!
Connery, Dalton and Craig … yes!
And Moore above Brosnan, hell, anyone else, even that other guy we never mention, above Brosnan if i really had to choose.
You Moore fans? Go watch Moonraker and Octopussy back to back. You deserve it ;-).
More seriously, he always struck me as by far the least dangerous Bond. Connery and Craig are both always on the edge of extreme violence despite their sophistication and cool. Brosnan, Lazenby, and Dalton also can project real intensity when appropriate. Moore’s capable of raised eyebrows and sardonic quips but never conveys a sense of menace. Even The Spy Who Loved Me, pretty much everyone’s favorite Moore film (mine too!) is memorable for the gadgets, girls, and goons, not for Moore.
Please, Dalton was the least dangerous bond. Every time he shot a gun he looked like he was gonna cry. And I love how y’all keep mentioning LAME Moore movies when we have awesome ones like The Spy Who Loved Me and For Your Eyes Only. Fuckin’ represent, people.
No way, Brian! After Moore’s complete lack of physicality, Dalton brought some tough guy brawling and coldness back to the role. He’s not on the level of Connery or Craig, but he’s way better than Moore. If you need a reminder of how different he was (and if you have the time), here’s a link to a six-part YouTube analysis of the Dalton Bond years. The first two minutes are just a montage–the analysis kicks in after that.
(and besides, Prince Barin would never cry!)
Lack of physicality? Please, he had some, but I always saw Moore more as the English Gentleman Bond, rather than more of a Brawler Bond. :)
Well, that was the problem with Moore in a nutshell, really. Flemming’s Bond isn’t a proper English gentleman, he’s more an assassin with a veneer of sophistication who happens to fight for the right side. Flemming said that Bond was a man with “dark, rather cruel good looks” who served as “an anonymous, blunt instrument wielded by a government department”.
Connery and Craig convey this very well; Dalton, Brosnan, and Lazenby are pretty good at it; and Moore is the worst. Admittedly, Moore’s scripts tend towards the comic and campy, but I think the actor’s demeanor and abilities had a strong influence on the scriptwriters.
I’ll admit I’ve not read the books, and am only going by the movies, but according to a best friend of mine who’s read them all, she says Moore is closest to the Bond in the books. I’ll ask why that is…
I’ve read most of them, but it’s been about 25 years since I did so and I’m therefore not much of an authority on them. Still, they did help form my ideas on what Bond “should” be, and Moore ain’t it :-).
Personally, my favorite Bond is Simon Vance. He’s the narrator for the audiobook versions of the original books, currently available on Audible.
The books are wildly outdated, full of the casual racism and sexism of the day, while lacking the crazy gadgets. However, Bond himself is far closer to Daniel Craig’s Bond, which helped me enjoy the new series greatly.
I’ve read a couple of the Bond books. I like Craig’s portrayal in most ways, but he doesn’t seem quite as sophisticated as the Bond in the books.
I enjoyed the Moore films back in the day, but they are goofy.
I vote we stake Mark.
I also enjoyed the Moore films, so you’ll have to stake me too.
Brian, I was wondering if you ever checked in with your friend who read all the books and says Moore matches them best? Obviously, I’m in complete disagreement with your friend, but I’m curious to learn her rationale.
If I do, I’m so totally taking your Honda Fit.
NO! NOT THE FIT! You…you…BASTARD…Take the girl, but not the Fit!
Oohh, thanks for reminding me, lemme do that.
Hey, here’s her response:
Fleming’s Bond was upper class British. Fleming didn’t like that Connery was chosen, said he was not even close to what he imagined, too rough.
Dalton & Craig the same IMO‘Name: Bond, James. Height: 183 cm, weight: 76kg; slim build; eyes: blue; hair: black; scar down right cheek & on left shoulder; all-round athlete; expert pistol shot, boxer, knife-thrower; does not use disguises. Languages: French and German. Smokes heavily (NB: special cigarettes with three gold bands); vices: drink, but not to excess, and women.’
Ian Fleming, From Russia With LoveAll I can say is while reading the books, especially Casino Royale, he is who I saw in my mind. A more modern version would be Pierce Bosnan. A civil servant. Imagine Sir Harry Pearce from MI5/Spooks
While her description is indeed taken from the book, other details are wrong. To begin with, Bond was not upper-class British, though he was a Royal Navy Commander. His father was Scottish, his mother Swiss. They were affluent enough for him to spend much of his early life in Europe (where he learned French and German) but his father was essentially a traveling salesman–for Vickers. He only moves to England after the death of his parents, and is raised by an aunt.
Personally, I’ve always viewed the movie Bonds as “the latest agent assigned that name and 007 number”, with there really being NO actual James Bond. Its like the Bourne thing–just a name and a number used by the latest killer they are sending out, along with all the other “00” numbers that also likely have generic names assigned and re-used. They aren’t all assassins, presumably–there are probably 5th columnists and recruiters and other jobs that get assigned “00” numbers and names.