Ah now this is a subject close to my heart. I have an appreciation for the Bond series which borders on obsession.
For me it will always be Sean. The third actor to play Bond-David Niven in Casino Royale and Blockbuster's host Bob Holdness on a radio production preceded him-Sean Connery understood the man and looked the part. Chosen partly because he pyhsically resembled the Bond cartoon-strip, the former milkman encapsulated the sex, violence and humour of Flemming's 007.
The only Scottish actor to play Bond (Flemming wrote that Bond was in fact 'half Scottish and half Swiss')Connery growled 'Bond, James Bond' in his unique voice and a legend was born.
My next choice would be Pierce Brosnan. Seen by many as the 'pretty' Bond or the 'light-weight' Bond, to me he was the right choice for the Bond of the late 90s. Smoother than Connery, he nevertheless has steel in his eyes and looks very comfortable blowing the bad guys away. Goldeneye, Brosnan's first outing as Bond, resurrected the franchise and did so in style.
This is where it gets tricky. My obsession with Bond is inextricably linked with my profound love of Sean Connery!
When it was time to replace the great man no one was suitable, George Lazenby was given the chance for God knows what reason-random Aussie, yep he'll do?! And then came Roger Moore.
I'm never sure about Mr Moore. There's just something too American about him.-Stay with me here, I know he's not American but the tan, the beige suits, it was all a little too Miami Vice for my liking. He did however possess the ability to raise one eyebrow sardonically just like Sean and therefore had the longest run of Sean's successors.
Timothy Dalton, a fine Shakespearean actor and a bit too much of a thespian to be Bond. He had a decent stab at it, and his outings as Bond aren't bad, they just aren't particularly memorable either.
Daniel Craig, the 'blond Bond' is an actor I like, however I felt when he was cast that he just didn't have the humour or the charisma to play Bond. I haven't changed my mind. Casino Royale is a pretty good action film, and Craig does well as a hardened agent, it's just that that agent is not my idea of 007.
Finally last and sorry but definitely least is George Lazenby. An odd choice and possibly cast in desperation in the first place, Mr Lazenby is wooden and has one of the weakest plots in Bond history to contend with. Marrying off Bond was never going to work and Diana Rigg should have asked for a better class of Bond to play against.The highlight of this film is Louis Armstrong's wonderful 'We Have All The Time In The World', the rest is best ignored.
First published on www.Helium.com on 18/7/08
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