This month marks the return of the much-loved super spy James Bond with the 24th film in the series: Spectre. The character has had his ups and downs with regards to films released over the years. Here we have a look at this young writer’s favourite film of each of the six Bond actors.
6. Sean Connery – Goldfinger
Goldfinger, released in 1964, was Sean Connery’s third outing as James Bond. Sean Connery is mine and many peoples favourite Bond; he was cool, suave, and looked like he could handle himself in a fight. He kick-started the long-running Bond franchise with Dr No. and followed that up a year later with From Russia With Love, both great films. But it was Goldfinger that really started the Bond franchise, introducing key elements that would shape the film canon from there on, such as introducing the beloved Aston Martin DB5.
This film saw Bond face off against the memorable Goldfinger and contained one of the most famous scenes from any of the 23 films, featuring Bond strapped to a table with a laser pointed at him. This film was the benchmark for future films. There’s the memorable Pussy Galore, the great scenery such as Fort Knox, and Shirley Bassey’s classic rendition of the soundtrack.
5. George Lazenby – On Her Majesty’s Secret Service
Now this one is a no-brainer as it was actor George Lazenby’s only outing as the spy. Released in 1969, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service follows Bond, who once again faces off against longtime enemy, Ernst Stavro Blofield. The film is one of the most underrated films in the series. Lazenby was a decent Bond who added a bit of vulnerability to the character. It would have been great if he would have chose to stay on and continue with the story instead of quitting after the one film.
4. Roger Moore – The Spy Who Loved Me
Roger Moore, love him or hate him, was Bond for seven films starting with Live and Let Die in 1973 to A View to A Kill in 1985. Moore’s films are often criticised for being too lighthearted and comical compared to the rest of the series. I liked Moore’s outing as Bond, he wasn’t the toughest fighter, but he had enough charm and charisma to carry even the weakest of films (Moonraker).
The Spy Who Loved Me, released in 1977 saw a more serious turn of Moore’s Bond. Gone were the silly characters from his previous two films and in turn we were introduced to one of the best Bond villains in Jaws. The Spy Who Loved Me was full of memorable scenes and gadgets that make it the actor’s most memorable and enjoyable film, from the underwater car sequence, to the introductory iconic scene of Bond skiing off a mountain only to open a parachute with the Union Jack on it, which remains one of the greatest stunts in the series.
3. Timothy Dalton – License to Kill
Timothy Dalton introduced a darker, more grounded version of Bond. Gone were the silly action scenes heavily featured in Moore’s film, and instead we are introduced to more realistic villains. Licence to Kill, released in 1989 was the actors second and final outing as Bond. This film is often critized for being edgier than the rest of the series (it got a 15 certificate rating in the UK) and for featuring gritty scenes not normally found in the Bond series.
Licence to Kill was a fresh take on the character, and was far more memorable than Dalton’s first film, The Living Daylights. Sanchez the villain was far more memorable than any villain in The Living Daylights, and the stunts were pushed to the limits with scenes involving trucks and a mountain cliff.
2. Pierce Brosnan – GoldenEye
Released in 1995, GoldenEye marked the return of Bond to the big screen after a six-year hiatus. Pierce Brosnan took over from Dalton in the role, bringing Bond crashing into the 90’s. GoldenEye mixed great stunts, cool gadgets, and memorable villains. It was everything a Bond film should be, making the character cool and suave again for the 90s generation.
Brosnan was a good Bond let down by poor writing. Each of the films after GoldenEye got gradually worse, up until Die Another Day, one of the most disliked films in the franchise.
1. Daniel Craig – Casino Royale
Daniel Craig was cast as Bond to much criticism. The actor was tasked with bringing the franchise back from one of the worst films in the series with Casino Royale. Released in 2006, the rebooted franchise introduced the most human Bond to be seen on the big screen. Casino Royale dissected the character, taking away some of the sillier gadgets and grounding him into reality. The film was a fantastic introduction into the newly rebooted character, and Craig proved doubters wrong arguably becoming the next best Bond after Connery.
With talks of a new Bond being cast in the near future, there is much speculation across the fandom as to whether any other actors will be able to live up to the standards set by the likes of Craig, Dalton, and the rest. For now, we can only wait with bated breath to see which actor will don the suit and bow-tie in the future.
So here is my list of my favourite films from each actor. Do you agree with my choices? Let us know what you think in the comments. Don’t forget to give us your opinion and follow us on Twitter!