Welcome! Wikis are websites that everyone can build together. It's easy!

Who is the best Bond?

Connery or Moore? Brosnan or Craig?


Swayed by the brutish sex appeal of Craig? Consider yourself a rare Dalton fan? And what about that other guy? Add your argument to the ones below.

Have a simple rant? Leave a comment.

May the best Bond win!


Sean Connery

Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond


Case for:
  • The first - defined Bond a generation
  • Athletic, rugged, handsome, deadpan - the complete package
  • A tough guy, with refinement. Connery learned his lessons from Terence Young well, and made an archetypal character--smart, relaxed, smooth
  • The Alpha Wolf--did it first, did it best--everybody else has to catch him.

Case Against:
  • This is tough. He did come back for that unofficial Bond remake of Thunderball - Never Say Never Again. It wasn't bad though.
  • Portrayal of Bond as a womanizer stigmatized the characer.
  • Couldn't compete against all the spectacle and gadgetry, and became sort of lost in the chaos starting with "Thunderball"


George Lazenby

Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond

Case for:
  • A few great one-liners
  • Stalked the producer at a salon in hopes of being cast - it worked
  • The closing scene of On Her Majesty's Secret Service - maybe George can act!
  • Most faithful representation of the Bond based on the novels.
  • Portrayed Bond as sensitive and emotionally charged.
  • Did the action scenes and the "This Service owes her a debt" and "...those girls" scenes impeccably, but that's about it...

Case Against:
  • One hit wonder
  • Model turned actor
  • Blowing a huge opportunity by behaving like a recalcitrant tosser
  • "Wooden" performance, saved by extensive dubbing throughout
  • The one-liners should be credited to the writers, not the actor.


Roger Moore

Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond

Case For:
  • He, like, tried to be funny and stuff.
  • Successfully updated Connery's sexual wit and innuendo without being condescending to women. Made Bond assessable to a wider audience. Can you imagine if Connery's "man talk" comments and smacking women on the bum was still par for the character?
  • He made the one-liner a staple of the Bond character.
  • Portrayed Bond as a softer, wittier character. Added depth to the character.
  • Most romantic of the Bonds

Case Against:
  • Following Connery is no easy feat....
  • Fashion: did Moore get saddled with the most depressing era of men's attire of 20th century?
  • Masculinity: Did you ever once real feel like Moore could kick anyone's ass? Seriously, would Pussy Galore have rolled in the hay (yes, literally) with Roger Moore?
  • Moonraker: nuff said


Timothy Dalton

Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond

Case For:
  • He was a member of the Royal Shakespeare Academy.
  • After Bond he made several appearances on the Lifetime channel.
  • Reinterpreted Bond as a cynical, angry character. Gave Bond an edge and a dark side.
  • And thus, is the most faithful representation of the Bond based on the novels.
  • Only actor who seems to have actually read Fleming
  • Attempted more of his stunts than previous actors
  • Insisted on cutting innumerable "one-liners" from scripts
  • His Bond set the stage for darker, more serious Bond performances from Brosnan and Craig

Case Against:
  • The end of the cold war and AIDS did not give a womanizing secret agent much of a chance...
  • Lacked some of the compassion of other portrayals that made Bond a more three-dimensional character.


Pierce Brosnan

Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond

Case For:
  • The guy can wear a suit, i.e. modern sex appeal.
  • Is anyone old enough to remember Remmington Steele?
  • The most well-rounded Bond portrayal: Witty, charismatic, reflective of Fleming's original character, and believable ass kicker.
  • Rejuvenated the series and made Bond "matter" again

Case Against:
  • Die Another Day - we didn't deserve that
  • Unlike the other portrayals, contributed nothing to the mythos of "Bond"
  • Best performance was "Goldeneye," though they all had their moments
  • Despite working hard, may have been the dullest Bond
  • Perhaps in an effort to "butch" Brosnan up, kept putting him through interminable fire-fights with automatic weapons *Yawn*


Daniel Craig

Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond Who is the best Bond? - James Bond

Case For:
  • Masculinity: Craig's brooding thug looks capable or hurting someone - how refreshing.
  • Stoic, introverted portrayal of Bond very similar to Fleming's
  • Takes Bond away from the "pretty boy" stereotype that was destroying the character
  • Makes Bond capable of doing incredible stunts, while making him vulnerable and "human"--tough to pull off!
  • Certainly the best Bond since Connery--maybe even better in the future
  • Taking the role much more seriously than an "actor"--seems to be more of a participant in the production

Case Against:
  • Range? Does Craig have it to be an enduring leading man?
  • Positions Bond solidly within the "action hero" stereotype
  • Bond as the muscle-bound ass-kicker. Lacks of subtlety.
  • Blond Bond? I mean, come on! I suppose they'll cast a woman as Bond next.



Anonymous  (Get credit for your thread)


(Showing the last 5 of 35 - view all)
Started By Thread Subject Replies Last Post
Anonymous Best Bond 14 Wednesday, 2:49 PM EDT by Anonymous
Thread started: Apr 7 2008, 11:53 PM EDT  Watch
1. Roger Moore: The only real 007. He had the James Bond attitude perfectly.
2. Timothy Dalton : He is simply James Bond physically.
3. Sean Connery : The Original Version, a classic one.
4. Daniel Craig : Very Good but it is too hard to judge with only one movie.
5./6. : George Lazenby and Pierce Brosnan : Laz didn't do enough 007 film and Brosnan was a gob in Goldeneye but he was in the three others very ordinary.
Show Last Reply
Anonymous best bond 2 Wednesday, 2:30 PM EDT by Anonymous
Thread started: May 4 2008, 4:26 AM EDT  Watch
There's only one Bond.James Bond! Sean Connery. The rest are just substitudes. Apart Lazenby! Who on gods name thought he could be Bond!!! The man was a dissaster! He could hardly speak! Acting? Well thats a good one!
0  out of 3 found this valuable. Do you?    
Keyword tags: None
Show Last Reply
Anonymous Best Bond 3 Apr 26 2008, 11:50 PM EDT by mkfreeberg
Thread started: Apr 26 2008, 2:08 PM EDT  Watch
Pierce Brosnan is definately the best Bond. He is suave sexy, sophisticated and witty.
3  out of 5 found this valuable. Do you?    
Keyword tags: None
Show Last Reply
Anonymous I think. 0 Apr 26 2008, 2:22 PM EDT by Anonymous
Thread started: Apr 26 2008, 2:22 PM EDT  Watch
i think best bond is Sean Connery but Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan is great too.However, firstly Daniel Craig and George Lazenby shouldnt have been Bonds.They dont live up to their name.
moore4ever Best 007 (page: 1 2 3) 45 Apr 16 2008, 4:34 PM EDT by moore4ever
moore4ever
Thread started: Aug 16 2007, 2:18 PM EDT  Watch
No doubt...Roger Moore is the true Agent 007.
Next...Connery
Then...Craig and Dalton-They both seem equal.
Lastly...Brosnan and Lazenby
4  out of 19 found this valuable. Do you?    
Show Last Reply
(Showing the last 5 of 35 - view all)

Related Content

(what's this?Related ContentThanks to keyword tags, links to related pages and threads are added to the bottom of your pages. Up to 15 links are shown, determined by matching tags and by how recently the content was updated; keeping the most current at the top. Share your feedback on Wetpaint Central.)