It’s a debate which will rage as long as Britain’s number one secret agent continues to keep the world safe from unstable megalomaniacs with plans for world domination.
For true Bond aficionados the definitive way of measuring which of the actors who have played the role has filled James Bond’s perfectly tailored suits the best is to compare their portrayals to the Bond of the Ian Fleming novels.
Fleming’s Bond was slim built with blue-grey eyes and a cruel mouth. He was a heavy smoking, hard drinking womaniser. His attitude to his own mortality was one of wry acceptance and although he didn’t particularly enjoy killing others, when called to do so he did it with cold efficiency.
He was arrogant, ruthless and flawed.
The best screen James Bond, therefore, must surely be the actor who has come closest to bringing these qualities to the big screen.
Sean Connery as James Bond
Connery moved with the grace of a panther and looked as comfortable in a dinner jacket as he did in a wet suit. His attitude to women was deplorable and some of the scenes in the earlier bond movies are now uncomfortable to watch (e.g. the rape of Pussy Galore in Goldfinger), but hold true to the Bond of the novels. He fights with the survival instincts of someone who is determined to emerge victorious.
Defining Bond Moment: Connery lights his cigarette in Dr No and utters those immortal words with such cool authority. “Bond… James Bond.” It’s the best introduction ever.
Worst Bond Moment: Wearing a pale blue one-piece jumpsuit in Goldfinger. Whatever the fashion of the day was, there’s no excuse for that.
George Lazenby as James Bond
Lazenby’s one-movie stint as Britain’s super spy wasn’t helped by having his voice dubbed at the start of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. It was helped though, by being in one of the best Bond adaptations to date. Lazenby’s Bond displayed moments of emotion, making audiences aware that James Bond had a life which extended beyond saving the world every other year.
Defining Bond Moment: A downbeat end for a Bond Movie was a real shock. “It's all right. It's quite all right, really. She's having a rest…”
Worst Bond Moment: Looking at the camera and saying: “This never happened to the other fella.”
Roger Moore as James Bond
The quintessential Englishman in the role of a quintessential English hero… except, shock, horror, that James Bond isn’t exactly English. His father was Scottish and his mother Swiss. Moore had the debonair good looks expected of a screen Bond, but ruthless and borderline cruel? Too much of a ‘Saint’ for that. He might have redefined Bond to suit his own persona, but upping the eye brow raising humour element took Bond on a journey away from his literary roots.
Defining Bond Moment: Bond discovers Rosie Carver is in the employ of villain Kananga in Live and Let Die and threatens to kill her - classic Bond behaviour. The bad guy is the bad guy… even when she’s a girl.
Worst Bond Moment: No matter how exciting the opening to ‘The Spy Who Loved Me’ is, there can be no pardon for Bond wearing a bright yellow ski suit with red woolly hat. Sartorial elegance it isn’t.
Timothy Dalton as James Bond
There’s nothing particularly wrong with Timothy Dalton’s interpretation of James Bond, he just lacked that dangerous charisma which makes Bond so attractive. Dalton’s Bond was possibly too sensitive; a by-product of the politically correct eighties. At least Dalton brought a touch of realism back into the Bond role, even if he himself isn’t particularly memorable.
Defining Bond Moment: In a commendable disregard for authority Dalton’s Bond, resigns in Licence to Kill and has his licence revoked.
Worst Bond Moment: Dalton just couldn’t deliver the lines ‘Bond, James Bond with any pizzazz. He might as well have been saying, “Jones, John Jones from the corner shop.”
Pierce Brosnan as James Bond
Smooth, sophisticated, wore his clothes with panache and exuded more than a hint of danger, Pierce Brosnan was a welcome successor to the Bond throne. Anyone who had seen his brief, but chilling performance in The Long Good Friday knew that here was a Bond who not only looked good, but wasn’t afraid to get his hands dirty when the going got tough. Brosnan breathed new life back into Bond and made him stylishly sexy all over again.
Defining Bond Moment: In Tomorrow Never Comes, Bond waits for an assailant in a hotel room, glass of neat vodka by his side, wearing a white shirt and with shoulder holster visible. It is pure Bond cool and harks back to the style of the early movies.
Worst Bond Moment: Any of the surfing bits in Die another Day. James Bond just shouldn’t ‘do’ surf boards.
Daniel Craig as James Bond
Outrage ensued when it was announced that Daniel Craig had taken over the James Bond mantle, but only from those who didn’t know Daniel Craig and, worse, didn’t really know James Bond. Craig’s Bond ticks all the right boxes - arrogant to the point of recklessness, ruthless to the point of being cruel; he’s mad, bad and dangerous to know. Best of all, he’s unpredictable and in a franchise that’s lasted over 40 years that’s saying something. Casino Royale is possibly the best Bond movie to date.
Defining Bond Moment: Craig’s delivery of those immortal words at the end of Casino Royale is electric and a real goose bump raiser.
Worst Bond Moment: It might have provided eye candy for some, but Craig’s emergence from the sea in Casino Royale hits a wrong note.
So who is the best James Bond? At the moment it still has to be Sean Connery, but Daniel Craig most certainly has him right in the sights of his trusty Walther PPK.
Jack Montgomery - Feature writer, guidebook author, copywriter, blogger and photographer specialising in the Canary Island of Tenerife.
Join the Conversation