Shaken, Not Stirred

Sean Connery (the Legacy):
No one can mention the words “James Bond” without immediately thinking of Sean Connery. Connery’s portrayal of Bond is regarded by almost all Bond fans as the best portrayal. Every actor to follow Connery admits to borrowing at least some of his mannerisms.

PROS- Brought James Bond from the book to the big screen
-tough
-suave
-similar to Bond of novels
-a legacy

CONS- Known mostly for Goldfinger

-His choice to act in  an unofficial Thunderball knock-off, Never say Never Again

George Lazenby (the underdog):
Lazenby’s portrayal of James Bond for only one film is a shame. The series could have benefited greatly from his interpretation of Bond.

PROS- tougher than Connery’s bond (more fighting and action)
- good film plot
-portrays Bond’s one time marriage and the heartache to follow wonderfully
-Highly underrated simply because of lack of box office success
- charming

CONS- a model not an actor
- wears a kilt

Roger Moore (the Clown):
I won’t deny Roger Moore was my favorite Bond when I was a younger man. His sense of humor at that time was charming to me. As an adult and avid movie watcher, Moore’s portrayal of Bond is way off from the novels. While he isn’t bad, and some of the best Bond films are from Moore’s era, his reliance on humor can be a bit too much at times. To me, he seems the least effective actor as far as portraying the Bond from Ian Fleming’s novels. Some of his later Bond films have him acting (and dressing in one instance) more like a clown than a secret agent.

PROS- Starred in some of the best Bond films (For Your Eyes Only, The Spy who Loved Me)
- brings out lighter side of Bond

CONS- Glorified clown in later Bond films
-dresses as clown in Octopussy
-reliance on gadgets and bad one-liners to entertain
-played the part while he was way too old to be a young suave secret agent

Timothy Dalton (the tough guy):
Dalton is another of the underrated Bonds. His portrayal was the closest to the Bond of the novels next to Daniel Craig. While he seems angry and less suave than previous Bonds, he does one of the best interpretations of Ian Fleming’s original concept of James Bond.

PROS- tough guy look is good for action films
- more real than previous Bonds
- closest to Bond of Fleming’s novels other than Daniel Craig
- Starred in two of the best Bond films

CONS- Only in two Bond films
- not accessible to Bond fans because of angry, tough portrayal when they were used to Moore’s lighthearted Bond

Pierce Brosnan (Action Superhero Bond):
While Goldeneye is my favorite Bond movie of all time, Brosnan lost his touch after it. All but his first Bond film never felt like they captured the true nature of Bond. He turned Bond into a gadget-reliant superhero instead of a human being.

PROS- Starred in Goldeneye
- brought Bond back into mainstream after years without

CONS- Too reliant on gadgets
-super hero instead of human secret agent
-First use of C.G.I in a Bond film instead of real stunt men
-Halle Berry in Die Another Day

Daniel Craig (The Real Bond):
Craig singlehandedly rescued a franchise hurt by Brosnan’s portrayal of Bond. While most doubted him, he proved most of the world wrong based on his portrayal of Bond. He is the closest to the Bond of the novels out of the other actors. He is by far the best Bond since Sean Connery, and were Connery not a living legend, I would venture to say, the best Bond ever.

PROS- Most realistic portrayal of Bond
-human that is pushed to the edge and has to fight back
-tortured and still jokes at torturer
-nearly dies (makes him seem more human)
-everyone doubted him, he proved them wrong

CONS- will always be second to Sean Connery because of fan loyalties
- film suffered from some inconsistencies