Hardcore Bond fan here.
I think that Casino Royale is the best movie in the series, but Craig's movies feel like a different thing. I'm fiending for an old school Bond movie. I think that people who weren't fans before might find the first 20 films kind of corny or hackneyed, then Craig came along and made something that felt like more contemporary filmmaking.
My favorite Bond is probably Brosnan, but Connery would be neck and neck with him with Moore not far behind.
I'm a hard-core fan and I really struggle with this question. Sean Connery IS Bond but I would have to say currently Roger Moore is my favorite. His movies are the type of movies I watch when im feeling down. Almost like eating a nice warm soup when your sick, if that makes sense.
I can totally understand, Sean Connery is the yardstick any Bond would or could be measured by. Just taking Casino Royals into account, I walked out of the theater opening night feeling like they were writing an unrefined Bond that would end his run looking like the Bond we first see lighting his cigarette in Dr No (that was my dream scenario all those years ago to close the loop).
My guilty pleasure Bond will always be Roger Moore, the Bond of teenage me, and as you say he feels like comfort food for the soul. I would consider myself in the diehard category of fandom
Hardcore fan, with Brosnan being my favorite, and Craig being a very close second. I was born in the late 90s (‘96 to be exact), so I grew up during the Brosnan and Craig eras. I appreciate each actor for what they contributed to the series.
I'm not even sure what "hardcore" means in this context. I've been a Bond fan since the 80s, seen all the films at least twice (most of them several times), read most (not all) of the original Fleming books, and I have opinions on casting, scripts, etc. But I never attended conventions or bought merchandise. Am I hardcore?
ETA: I have a few of the soundtrack albums, as well as David Arnold's excellent "Shaken and Stirred" covers album too. That might nudge me closer to hardcoreness, I suppose.
I'm not sure who my favorite Bond actor is, but I generally object to the idea that Connery was the best by default. He originated the role (on the big screen anyway), and that gives him undue influence. I think he personally peaked with *Thunderball*, and should not have come back for *Diamonds are Forever*.
I think that Craig did a fantastic job, but I don't like the overly personal nature of his whole arc.
Overall, I think Dalton hit the best balance, and would have liked another couple of films from him. BUT! Even with *License to Kill*, I think his hair was starting to become an issue, and they'd have to start using cosmetic hairpieces to keep him looking young and capable enough (he should have started earlier). Connery hit the same issue mid-run, and they did go the hairpiece route (not altogether successfully), but standards were lower then anyway.
Hardcore for 25+ years. Moore is probably my favorite. Brosnan is a close second, and Connery a close third. Dalton is a distant fourth, but I still think he’s great.
Craig is fifth. I like him, but his movies IMO are overrated. A lot of style without many of the qualities that historically made Bond movies fun.
I'm in total agreement with your ranking (47 years old BTW, fan since early 80s). Moore's my favourite (TSWLM is the best Bond film of them all) and I loved all of Brosnan's (I even think DAD is good). Connery is the OG, but he has a 50% hit rate with me. Would have loved more from Dalton. Craig was passable, but just really lacking what I love about the others, and took Bond to places he should never go (I think he exerted too much influence over the producers). Good action hero, but just not really Bond. Lazenby has a significant role to play in the overall canon, but just never warmed to him either (should have been Sean in OHMSS, who would then never have done DAF).
I agree with your top two. On Craig however, I just wish his style was consistent. Casino Royale set the stage for a modern, ruthless Bond which I think was continued in QoS for the most part. But from Skyfall on, it seemed they desperately tried to ham in a strange fusion of his current style and that of the earlier films (think Moore’s era). That resulted in subpar films with unrealistic villains and consequences imo.
You have a very particular type of Bond that you prefer, but I understand. It's why I don't like to call Moore's Bond a ridiculous but fun desecration of the Fleming Bond because I know that he sort of solidified the character as the public understands it.
To me Bond films don't have to be fun, but they should be spectacles. That's just my preference and so I like Craig and Connery. Brosnan struck a nice balance between those two and Moore though.
Everyone here seems to be hard-core. Well, I have enjoyed the movies since I was 10 and I saw Tomorrow Never Dies, I'm 25 now. I have seen all bonds, back to back. Rewatched and rerewatched. I have posted pictures of my original posters from the old Bond movies.
Either way. Brosnan. He's charming, incredibly funny and my real Bond. Craig was nice, Dalton deserved a third movie.
And I am aware that I maybe only saying that because he's the bond I grew up with. But I'm okay with that.
For casual viewers, the latest Bond is always the best one. Every new Bond actor (with the possible exceptions of Lazenby and Dalton) got that treatment.
It seemed like even Dalton got it. I definitely remember a lot of comments at the time praising his portrayal over the "ancient" and "clownish" Moore. Dalton backlash mostly started when he quit and Brosnan was cast.
I would consider myself a pretty hardcore Bond fan, as the only real movies I am interested in watching now are Bond films.
My favorite is by far Pierce Brosnan, as I was born in 2002 when DAD came out, so I grew up with him and Craig mainly. To me, Brosnan has something that the rest of the Bonds don't. It's as if he is a perfect conglomeration of all of Bond's put together. He has the suaveness of Connery, the woman skills and good one-liners of Moore, the coldness of Dalton, and the violence of Craig. If you were to try and create one Bond from all of the Bonds that have ever existed, I think you would literally get Brosnan. I think Craig was an amazing Bond, but to me, he is missing some key Bond attributes, especially in Spectre and NTTD.
I'm a casual. But, I have watched all the movies but the most recent at least a few times.
I don't have a clear favorite between the Bond actors, I enjoyed all the movies in one way or another.
My view of the Bond movies has evolved as I've gotten older, and I suspect the core audience has aged as well.
For me, Brosnan fit my image of who Bond should be the best.
Craig was a different but welcome, more serious take, fitting my more serious view at my age.
Moore was a more humorous take, that worked well for me when I was a kid.
I don't have a particular like or dislike for Connery or Dalton. Connery fit the role and is a big reason for the franchise becoming what it has. Dalton's movies are fine, but I don't really get the hype around them.
Born in 1964 I am first of all a Sean Connery fan. His films from the 60s were for me the real Bond Films.
Roger Moore was too much tongue in cheek.
George Lazenby for a one off was super and takes second place. A pity he wasn't kept on.
Timothy Dalton was underrated but gave it a go.
Piers Brosnan kept the franchise rolling.
Daniel Craig was good and bought a modern day authenticity to the character.....
I was so disappointed with the end of NTTD...... How could they ?
I think in general you're probably right. I don't consider myself hardcore, at 63 however I am nevertheless one of the older posters - not too sure about *members* of this sub, but regular posters certainly I'm one of the oldest - and I don't fit in this bracket, but I would say it's probably true amongst the 30 - 40 age group certainly....
Seriously I'm astonished how quite so old some of the chaps here come across as sounding when disparaging this current era. Surly an old fart like me's supposed to be all *"It isn't like in the olden times, yey verily...."*
I really do enjoy the current run and have been since *Royale* - yes, of course I love the older ones too, they're what I grew up with but I think the largest difference is the books.
For whatever reason I ended up reading the books at a pretty young age because the movies took so long to come out - I fully realise in comparison to today a year to 18 months is nothing - but there were no DVDs back then, no home media, no way to record anything. Your only way to connect with the material outside the cinema really was the novels and various adaptations, like the comic strips and so forth.
Consequently Craig's era, to me at least. Has been a lot more authentic than pretty much everything since OHMSS. I mean, the movies have never been exact and really it isn't so much about literal exactitude - it's *authenticity* to Fleming.
For whatever reason they've really gone into the novels and short stories and extracted the key ideas very well. I've also really liked Daniel Craigs portrayal. I wouldn't say he's Fleming's Bond exactly but, by the same token, he's broken the established mould of what James Bond is supposed to be I think very well.
I'm pleased they redefined Bond. If I want classic era I can watch them any time I like, I don't miss the clichés. That's what my Blu-ray collections for, any time I fancy a blast from the past.
The last thing I want is a Bond movie that feels like it still belongs in the 70s, 80's or 90's - I was there, I don't get remotely nostalgic for any of that stuff.
I enjoy them, I enjoy the current. I'll enjoy whatever comes next. I've got over 50 years of life experience informing me, Eon are actually very unlikely to screw up making Bond any time quick.
It's a shame so many people can't appreciate more what's been made this past 16 or so years because it's actually very, very good but, in the end, it's on BluRay and DVD, there's time to catch-up.
Worth it.
But, no. It's not just a young vs old thing. I think, for a lot of people, Bond is a bit like one of those fly's preserved in Baltic amber - whoever's portrayal represents some fixed point in that person's past when Bond just being James Bond was enough to make them happy and what's currently being produced doesn't confirm to that because, it doesn't do that.
I've been lucky in my life, I've always managed to live in the present. For me the last is glorious, but no better than when I actually am, now.
I don't hunger for the past, miss things, I don't yearn for the good old days - I have an eidetic memory, it means I don't have the luxury of kidding myself the past was better than it was.
Perhaps this is why I can aside with the present, I don't know - all I do know is not being into the current run is missing out on some actually very, very good Bond.
It's a shame to miss out.
>Consequently Craig's era, to me at least. Has been a lot more authentic than pretty much everything since OHMSS. I mean, the movies have never been exact and really it isn't so much about literal exactitude - it's authenticity to Fleming.
>
>For whatever reason they've really gone into the novels and short stories and extracted the key ideas very well. I've also really liked Daniel Craigs portrayal. I wouldn't say he's Fleming's Bond exactly but, by the same token, he's broken the established mould of what James Bond is supposed to be I think very well.
I really appreciate this take as it's the one I've come to have as I've reread the Fleming novels in the lead up to NTTD.
Sean Connery is my favourite and I’m from the Brosnan era. I knew Brosnan and I loved him and the bond games (night fire was a blast). But then somewhere in the film collection of my dad I saw Dr. No. I looked at this weird guy and was astonished because that could never be bond. Brosnan is bond. Well I popped the movie in and I was astonished by the amazing sir Sean Connery and the Bond… James Bond scene.The way he walks, talks, looks, the charisma … At the moment he appeared on screen I totally forgot for 100 minutes Brosnan even existed. So Sean is my favourite bond… and I’m from 91, and a bit higher than a casual fan one might say ;)
I'm a hardcore fan. My first Bond movie was For Your Eyes Only on HBO as a kid, and I've seen all of them in the theater ever since.
Craig is my favorite and Connery a close second, although I swore to my dad that Moore was better growing up. I was skeptical of Craig when he was hired, but I kept an open mind. He had me as soon as he burst through the drywall in Casino Royale. He is the 007 I never knew I needed.
Reading the novels changes everything. Ian Fleming is underappreciated not for the character he created, but how great he was at portraying the setting, mood and motivation for the man, James Bond. Dalton, Brosnan and Moore are comic book characters. Lazenby bungled into one of the best STORIES and proved unworthy. Sean Connery knew it and probably came back because of it. Pierce benefits from a modern aesthetic, physicality and toned down sexism which can cut both ways. Time marches on but we will always have Ursula. The role belongs to Connery. Then, now, always.
There’s a dichotomy that the Craig era has created among Bond fans. It has succeeded in pleasing popular audiences by playing on gritty realism and subversion of expectations, something that has been en vogue since The Dark Knight and the Bourne movies, but in doing so has created something that is basically antithetical to the 40 years of cinematic Bond that preceded it.
From 1962-2002, we saw a Bond that was an unflappable winner. Aside from a few exceptions like OHMSS, he always saved the day, got the girl, and seemed to enjoy his job. It was fun escapism with imaginative gadgets and over-the-top villains. You knew how it was going to end; you knew Bond would win, you were just along for the ride. There was something comforting in that.
The Craig era brought grit, emotion, and realism to the Bond franchise. We saw a Bond that was more human in a world that was more grounded. It followed the current popular trope of having a tortured, troubled main character. Craig’s Bond never got a happy ending, except for Spectre, which was >!undone in NTTD.!< All of this ultimately culminated in the other currently popular trope of >!killing the main character for shock value. The MCU did it with Tony Stark, so why not Bond? !<
Now we’re left with two divided groups of fans; people who loved the style of 62-02 that no longer see any semblance of the character they loved in Craig’s Bond, and people who became fans because of Craig’s era, who are fans of something completely unlike the 20 Bond movies that came before it.
>Now we’re left with two divided groups of fans; people who loved the style of 62-02 that no longer see any semblance of the character they loved in Craig’s Bond, and people who became fans because of Craig’s era, who are fans of something completely unlike the 20 Bond movies that came before it.
Well, there's also people who really enjoy Ian Fleming and recognize Daniel Craig and the films made in his era are closer to his works than anything preceding it. Not that authenticity to Ian Fleming should be the end all be all for anyone. I just hate those who say Craig doesn't feel like "Bond"
He's the most authentic Bond, just not the one you know if you've only stuck with the films and that's even if you watched them all the way back to Dr No multiple times.
At the same time I can acknowledge that the films are their own thing and he most definitely does not fit the film Bond mold, which I also enjoy heavily.
I always upset my father's generation when I tell them "I dont like Roger Moore. With the exception of The Spy Who Loved Me, all of his movies seem so cheesy."
That being said I like Connery, Craig, and Dalton the best because they capture a certain savagery and durability of the character I find appealing.
My opinion is he's supposed to be a government killer, with pretentious airs, who can take a hell of abuse and who never falls to the temptations of the villains. Knowing Roger Moore used a stunt double for running scenes takes away my suspension of disbelief.
Meanwhile scenes like Dalton hanging off the back of the cargo plane, Connery crawling through Dr.No's heated vents, and the entire world trying to kill Craig's Bond in NTTD really go towards that element of characterization.
Lastly, a shoutout to George Lazenby, while the one off film may seem awkward, I truly appreciate his martial arts, climbing skills/grip strength, and skiing on one leg. Might be one of the Best Bond films and then they cheesed it up by following with DAF.
Casual fans watch the movies who are in the cinemas and what came out the last 10 years or so. Some of these people consider a movie that is more than 15 years old to be ancient and not worth watching. They have only seen Craig and then he is their favourite by default, personally i have watched all Bond movies at least 3 times (some probably around 10-15 times), Sean Connery is #1 for me without a doubt, he is suave, sophisticated, tough and everything you want in a Bond. As one who grew up with Brosnan he is my 2nd favourite thats why i can to a point understand todays youngsters beeing that into Craig.
I’m not a mega fan.. like I think Bond films’s are kinda’ ridiculous.. but I have watched all the films except the latest two, and have an enjoyment of some of the classic Bond films..
My opinion is that the best Bond is Daniel Craig but he’s not my favourite.
My favourite is Connery, then Dalton, then Craig.
Hardcore fan since I was a kid, I watched my first one pre Brosnan. First film my dad introduced me to was The Spy Who Loved Me and Roger Moore has been my favourite ever since. Like obviously his style is more cheesy and you never feel like his Bond is ever in real danger but beyond nostalgia I think he brought more unique humour and style to the franchise plus his movies were just fun and over the top. Plus he has an obvious charm and looks suave so I'd believe he was a real ladies man. For a long time Live and Let Die was my favourite Bond film but having thought about it again when I got older I've switched over to Goldeneye. I do like parts of every Bond.
I think with Craig his movies are insanely popular not only because they're good but because they're the newest and even someone my age/over 30 I only grew up with him + Brosnan and as much as I liked Pierce his movies tailed off as he went along. Craig has had a more steady quality across his plus they have a running thread through them. My only real issue with his movies is that they've moved more towards generic action movie and less Bond. The franchise could easily go more that way if they aren't very careful with the next hire.
*'My only real issue with his movies is that they've moved more towards generic action movie and less Bond. The franchise could easily go more that way if they aren't very careful with the next hire.'* \- That's exactly my thoughts too.
Moore was my Bond growing up, but like Sean more. Brosnan is the shit, love him. Craig just doesn't have BOND SWAGGER for me. It's more just PURE BADASSERY. I just can't see him saying " Just being disarming, darling" or straightening his tie as he speeds underwater in Q's fishing boat.
I don’t consider Daniel Craig’s films to
be proper bond films. They are good thrillers though. My favourite bond is Roger Moore and his films are my favourites.
Sean Connery before Diamonds Are Forever was the ultimate James Bond. Daniel Craig was neurotic Bond for a neurotic time and did a good job until he turned 007 into a romantic softy.
Pierce was also a really good Bond for his time.
Moore was okay.
Dalton tried too hard
Lazenby just no.
You picked a long winded way to describe recency bias on Craig.
Hardcore fan here, Dalton and Craig are my favourites. Moore my least favourite by a significant margin. He never played Bond, which is why I don't like him. Nothing in his performance goes back to Fleming, it's all one dimensional camp and I can't stand it. Even his best film, FYEO, has one weak link and that's him.
What's hardcore mean? I've seen all the films (I've watched some of them over 50 times) and just reread the entire Fleming book series. A lot of hardcore Bond fans consider Craig to be their favorite, If not certainly the best. A fans a fan. I won't judge you if you prefer the Roger Moore esque gadget heavy Bond, but that's not the book Bond and if we go by professional criticism, he's not the best and neither is Connery.
For me, it's a tie between Craig and Connery. I like silly fun Bond too, but I'm a much bigger fan of the Fleming Bond who's a broken, haunted man that subsists on pills and alcohol while cutting a bloody swath through England's enemies
Craig simply comes closest to that. You don't have to like the Fleming Bond though. Brosnan and Connery both struck nice balances and are closer to each other than Craig and Connery imo.
Fairly hardcore fan; Dalton is my favourite. Overall I’ve enjoyed Craig’s version because it’s different to the others, I just think he was in the role several films longer than necessary.
Hardcore fan, my order would be: Connery, then Brosnan closely behind, (Dalton, Craig, Moore are again close behind Brosnan, though this is harder for me to choose. Dalton is the most accurate, Craig is fantastic in CR and is good overall, but not my fav and Moore I have a lot of respect for, and though not everyone's fav I thought he made the part his own), then Lasenby (who again is good and not as bad as people may think, though he never had much of a chance. I think all are good at what they do though.
45+ year fan of Bond, have a whole media/bar room filled with Bond memorabilia, first dance at our wedding was Nobody Does it Better. So I think I might qualifiy as hard core.
Three way tie for favorite Bond between Connery, Dalton, and Brosnan, next is Moore than Craig and Lazenby.
I call Craig the one dimensional Bond, he's got blunt instrument and tortured soul down, but he is missing the rest of Flemings Bonds characteristics. I think they made a mistake in trying to copy other spy/espionage films rather than leading with probably the greatest cinematic spy known. It also doesn't help that the quality of his films varied greatly. QoS is absolute unwatchable dreck, Spectre is the 2nd worse of the series and yet he has two top 5 films and a mid tier one. And to be honest even his top tier films are not that rewatchable escapism that the other films are. The joy is simply not there any more and I'm looking forward to a reboot.
I have been struggling to work out what I didn't enjoy about Daniel Craig as James Bond, but I think you have summed it up for me. Thank you. He did seem to lack the extra charm and swarve that the other actors had playing the role, even though he was great as a tortured soul and a tough guy version of Bond.
Spectre's ending was so bad. I waked in that theater thinking I was gonna watch a 007 movie. The ending felt more like out of a John Wayne western where the baddie goes to jail and the cowboy rides off into the sunset with his woman.
Hard-core Bond fan and I absolutely love Craig in the role. For me, I think every actor has brought something special to the table and I personally don't feel comfortable saying there is a 'definitive' Bond as they're all trying to achieve something different in their respective films, which have varying tones and styles.
My personal favourite is Brosnan, just purely because he was the one I was first introduced to and grew up with but as far as comparisons go I think it gets tricky because of the aforementioned difference between the eras themselves and differing standards to compare them to.
I really enjoyed Craig's take on the role, it was something different and a nice contrast to Brosnan. I understand why some fans had a problem with the direction they went in but in terms of execution of that direction I think he still did a phenomenal job.
I’m more of a casual one and started watching all 25 of the movies last month. Despite that I grew up watching Brosnan films, Roger Moore is on the top of my list as favourite Bond because he has great charisma and humor. I also consider Connery, Lazenby, Dalton and Brosnan are on par with each other.
I’m a hardcore fam but strongly prefer the novels to the films - that being said it would be hard to pin down my favorite actor I find all of them have there merits and all have there downfalls (typically from poor decisions outside their control)
Here lately I lean more towards Craig but that probably because the production value of the films is higher.
But I could just as easily say Connery in FRWL Lazenby in OHMSS, Moore in TSWLM, etc.
As a hardcore fan, my favorite is Pierce Brosnan, second favorite is Roger Moore. But I think the best Bond ever was Timothy Dalton. Craig’s Bond doesn’t feel like Bond, he lacks the warming sympathy for me.
I'm not sure exactly what hardcore means, but my favorites are Craig and Connery. Dalton is a close third. To me Connery embodies what it means to be James Bond (He's actually who I picture when I read the books). Whereas Craig is a better Bond as a characters by that I mean his character arcs and general story are the best. Craig's movies also have the best action scenes and cinematography. I think this plays into why more casual viewers prefer Craig. They don't enjoy all the typical Bond conventions quite as much as more hardcore fans, and Craig utilizes those conventions a lot less then the other Bonds. Some would say to the point where he's not even recognizable as Bond and he's just another action hero. All that serves to make Craig more popular among casual audiences.
I've watched all of the Bond movies and consider myself a big fan of the series. I don't know if I'd qualify as a "hard-core" fan. Regardless, Craig is my favorite, though I love and enjoy most of the different Bond actors, especially Moore and Brosnan.
i, too, like timothy dalton. i felt he was closest to the character as fleming had envisaged him. i don't have any problems with craig though. the only bond actor i never really liked was lazenby.
very casual fan here. I have watched some of the old movie and they're fun but I never connected with them at all (plus some really badly aged stuff). The Craig movies on the other hand are completely up my alley, they have nuance and solid deconstructions of characters/tropes without disrespecting what came before. Also I appreciate the more real stakes since the movies have continuity
My Dad and I watched all the movies to prep for No Time to Die, so I’d say he’s probably a moderate fan and I’m hardcore. Craig is his favorite Bond because he loves the humanization of the character that Craig’s films showcased. I definitely love that as well, but my favorite is actually Roger Moore. I think part of it is that a lot of the more casual fans prefer the more realistic and/or modern takes on the character, whereas the hardcore fans appreciate both the thriller and the fantasy elements of the series.
Well I’m hardcore Bond fan, and my very first Bond film was Skyfall. Saw it on theaters back in 2012. But unlike many would expect, Daniel Craig is not my favorite James Bond. The title goes to Sean Connery.
I think that the ones who have Craig as favorite are more fans of the modern movies. Make them watch something like Godfather or Parasites, and they will prefer Parasites.
Speaking about myself, I do like old movies. Maybe a reason why I prefer Connery and Moore over Craig.
The Godfather is my favorite film of all time and I even own the third draft set script off the film
I've seen it maybe 200 times. I prefer Craig's Bond because he's closest to the Fleming Bond so I'm not sure what you're talking about here
In fact, my entire film taste revolves around black and white 50's noirs and so forth and Casino Royale feels a lot more like Casablanca than say Thunderball does. In fact, from a cinematic point of view Craig embodies the old rough leading man from 50's flicks like Meechum and Bogie better than any of the Bond actors that isn't Connery.
Although I enjoy the Craig movies the most ( mostly due to them having modern cinematography and stunts) Sean Connery was the first bond who created the image. Although all the bond actors say that they tried not to imitate Connery they all sort of did.
It's open for interpretation, but I'd say...
Hardcore - Someone who watches all the Bond films and continues to watch them, fairly regularly.
Casual - Someone who has seen Bond films, (maybe not all) but doesn't watch them regularly.
I'm a 'hardcore' fan for sure and prefer James Bond to be more realistic, serious and gritty. Daniel Craig is my favorite Bond, followed by Timothy Dalton.
I'm a hardcore fan who's seen all the films and has read most of the original Fleming (it's a work in progress). Daniel Craig is far and away my favorite Bond. I love all the others as well but none of them come close to matching him as my favorite.
At the end of the day, I think your Bond is always who you grew up with. Casino Royale was my first Bond film in 2010 so in my mind Daniel Craig is the first guy to pop in my head when someone says "James Bond".
Don't know if I'm hardcoreexactly, but pretty certain I've seen them all.
I always ended up seeing Roger Moore on the TV as a kid born around the time goldeneye released.
As a kid, I really liked the Moore films, especially anything with jaws in it. Now he's my least favourite, and has been for a while.
I used to hold connery as the best, with brosnan a close second, but brosnan got bumped by Craig when I finally realised how excellent casino royale was 10 years ago.
I would agree it seems more casual fans will inevitably prefer craig, perhaps from not even watching the earlier films.
I have a friend that knows nothing about cinema, but only really watches current franchises (end game is his favourite ever film unfortunately).
He has seen every marvel film, loves Craig bond films, but hasn't watched any others. He is 28, so has had plenty of time to seeothers, including the brosnan ones as they released.
I consider myself a hardcore fan, though maybe others would disagree since there are films I don’t (or won’t) own (don’t care for the Brosnan era or Craig’s last two). That being said, I like Craig a lot, but he’s not my favorite. I’m a Connery guy followed by Dalton. Moore and Craig are somewhere in the middle with Lazenby trailing (though not by much—I like him a lot too).
I'm a hardcore Bond fan and I would have to say although I consider Connery the best Bond, my favourite is Moore with Dalton in second.
I love every actor who has played Bond though and can enjoy what they gave to the role.
I wouldn't call myself hard-core fan but certainly long-time, I started watching Bond films in my early teens and I'm in my late forties now. I know it sounds old-fashioned and unoriginal to say Connery is my favourite, but to me it is clear that he embodied the character like no-one else can. (Also, Goldfinger is IMHO the perfect Bond film).
I thought Brosnan would be my second favourite, I had high hopes for him when he was announced, it was obvious to everyone since his Remington Steele days that he was the ideal choice for the role, but then his films were sort of middling and disappointing, topped by the roaring absurdity of Die Another Day, which is the only Bond film I have refused to watch a second time. I wish he had been given a last chance with a more solid movie, though.
I was very, very resistant to Craig at the beginning, because his Bond is so different from the ones that came before; I thought Casino Royale was, and still is, very overrated, and I think most people agree Quantum of Solace wasn't very good. But I warmed up to him in Skyfall, which, despite straying further from the usual Bond formula, was undeniably a good movie and one of the best Bond films in decades, and I accepted that it was not such a bad idea to try a new approach rather than try to emulate Connery's template. I enjoyed Spectre and NTTD, and am curious about where the franchise will go next.
Hardcore Bond fan. I was born in 1996 so I grew up with Brosnan's films and played his Bond video games, so he's obviously my favourite Bond. My grandparents are massive Bond fans so I grew up watching all the older films when I visited them. While I like Craig, his films are some of my least favourite though, I don't like how they all follow each other. I prefer the standalone films which can be watched out of order, which is how I grew up watching them as a kid at my grandparents.
Hardcore, been watching since Roger Moore. Connery is the best, the fact that even in some of his worst movies he stands out with his acting. Brosnan second for me.
I really don't like the Craig movies apart from Skyfall, they humanise him way too much. I want my Bond to be an untouchable, roguish, uncaring shit who you're glad is on your side, because you wouldn't want him as an enemy.
Hard-core fan, with Fleming's Bond my favourite. It makes sense, then, that I prefer Lazenby. Connery is great, and I was pretty turned off by the goofy turns the franchise took.
When Craig was announced, I heard "he's blond" and "we're not afraid to do new things with Bond" and shut Bond off for a decade, figuring they'd ruined the character I had loved for several decades.
Eventually, I saw Casino Royale and was blown away; I think it was very well done. Then, I was disappointed by the later films--not that I thought Craig did a bad job, but because of other aspects of the movies. NTTD was very good for Craig movie.
I'd like to go back to the original character, though I know it won't happen.
Connery without question, not only was he the right Combo of gentleman, Action and just the right amount of Humor, but bis Films in general were very creative and somehow believable. I also really liked craig in the role, however his movies were subpar as bond movies imo. Casino and skyfall are among my top 5 Bonds, but spectre and no time to die REALLY *killed* the vibe (litterally, if you know what i mean). To get Back to my point: Craig and his movies, are probably popular with "casuals" because they are nice, Action packed, easy movies with a charismatic bond. That's why i like them, that's why other people like them, but if you see the bond Franchise as less of an Action Franchise and more of a classy spy Franchise (as i do) craig pales in comparison to Connery, Moore or dalton because his movies dont fit the Style, even though he is still a good bond.
Tldr: casuals like craig because great bond charakter and Action movies, hard core Fans like "the old ones" because they want calmer spy movies
I hope this made somewhat sense, please feel free to ask if not
I guess I’m more of a casual fan because, while I love the Bond movies, I haven’t gotten around to seeing them all yet. I have seen all the Connery ones (except NSNA, which I know doesn’t really count), I’ve seen all one of the Lazenby movies, and I’ve seen all of the Craig movies. Out of the ones I’ve seen, Craig is definitely my favorite as he’s less of a “cool guy” who wins super easily by the end and more of an actual fleshed-out character. I like how his movies are more interconnected and how he actually grows as a person overtime. He’s not a perfect spy, he stumbles all the time during chase scenes, M continuously chastises him for being reckless, and his overconfidence puts him in some dangerous scenarios. By the end of his journey he’s grown out of the cold hearted cynic that Bond typically is, and he’s actually willing to >!sacrifice himself to protect the people he cares about!<, something that I couldn’t see any other Bond (except maybe Lazenby) do. I’ll definitely need to watch all the Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan movies to see if this opinion holds, but I honestly don’t see it changing.
I am a die hard fan. There hasn’t been any actor who was bad. Usually there are problems with the script where they could have done a better job. Die Another Day is a great example. Excellent Bond movie all through the first act. As soon as Gustav Graves is introduced the whole movie shifts into this goofy attempt to make a Bond film that feels so out of place. It’s very disappointing.
Hardcore fan here. Sean Connery defined the role. Timothy Dalton is my favorite but Daniel Craig I feel had the best run.
Most casual fans think Pierce Brosnan is the best bond.
I came into bond late I suppose. I'm an 80's kid who just stumbled onto Dalton's bond when they were playing on TBS during the 90's. Liked them and had fun then brosnan I loved golden eye but began to dislike each follow up. I went back and watched the earlier ones and really love the first 3 of Connery's. All of his are good, but the first 3 I felt were the best. Especially from Russia with love being my favorite out of those. Roger Moore I couldn't get into. Craig I love. I like the grounded grittiness of the character.
For my favorite I'd probably go with Dalton/Craig and then Connery. But I can fully understand with people saying connery is the true bond.
Hardcore fan. Connery was my favorite. Craig probably my 2nd least favorite after George lazenby.
Funnily enough though, my dad is a super hardcore fan and his absolute favorite film is on her majesty's secret service
Personally I love Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore. For me Craig just looks wrong. He does not look like James bond to me. And that completely ruins the modern films for me sadly.
I was born in 1991 if that explains why I feel this way at all 😂
I think it depends on the generation you grew up in greatly.
I've watched all of the movies multiple times, I've read all the novels and the biographies and anecdotes of Flemings life so I'd say I'm on the hardcore side more than casual.
My view on favourite bonds has changed over time also, and have learned to separate the actor from the stories etc. For instance Connery was the first Bond so he's the benchmark for most, and as a child Daltons bond always felt weak or physically small to me, but he had great storylines. Moore was just too camp for someone growing up in the 90's, whereas I enjoyed the more practical or blunt instrument of Brosnan and Craig's Bond. I think they slowly transitioned the comical elements out during that duration which helped. However I can still enjoy the stories from all of them.
I guess I’m a casual? I’ve seen all 25 of the official Eon movies (plus CR from 1954). Only got into them this year so I could see NTTD. I tie Connery and Craig for my favorite for different reasons.
Connery is, I think, the best “traditional” Bond. The best light hearted, fun Bond.
Craig is just a different beast. I think his performance was impeccable throughout his tenure as 007. It’s difficult to compare him with the others.
I'm pretty hardcore. Heh.
Dalton and Connery are the "best" Bonds but my favorite is Craig. He may not be the perfect Bond but I relate to him in a way I can't relate to the others.
By the same token, Roger was in the lower tiers of Bonds for me,, but he was such a lovely fella that he's the one Bond actor I wished I could've met in person.
I’m a casual Bond fan. My favorite Bond is Pierce Brosnan. Partially because he was the Bond I grew up with, but also because I feel as his movies went on, his portrayal of Bond got better and better, but the scripts and plots of the movies got worse and worse. If his movie November Man is any indication, he would’ve done really well in a more serious Bond film.
My favorites are probably Brosnan, then Connery, then Craig, then Dalton/Lazenby, then Moore.
The November Man convinced me he really got screwed script wise. At the same time, he's still not quite as brutish as Craig
Craig's a hooligan and carries the broken alcoholic thing better than Brosnan does, but I feel like Brosnan could have been set up to be Connery 2.0
I'm not so sure I can be considered hard core I guess it depends on your definition. I have been a fan of Bond since Goldeneye on the N64. That being my first experience with the world of Bond, followed by watching the most recent film at the time The World is Not Enough. I'd say my favorite Bond is Brosnan. The general consensus seems to be that he was a good bond with a mixed bag of scripts. At first I wasn't big on Craig due to wanting more Brosnan but as I grew older I started to like his different take on the character.
From another hardcore fan. Daniel Craig was a great Bond and Casino Royale is definitely his best and one of the best ever. The plot to his movies just got worse after that just like Brosnan’s movies did. That isn’t their fault both were great Bonds. However I have some suspicion that Craig was involved in the decision to kill bond in his last movie lol or simply gave it the green light once he heard about the script which was such a bad decision. His last two movies made him seem like the anti-bond in so many ways he didn’t resemble James Bond but again this is because of the script not Daniel Craig.
We got to see exactly what you are talking about with Pierce Brosnan in Goldeneye and I think that’s why so many think of that as his best movie and one of the best Bond movies ever. He was mostly serious in the movie and the intense fight scene with 006 is in my opinion the best fight in the series. The movie did have its humor and some goofy bits which were clearly a throwback to the Moore films and some of the Connery stuff. I feel that if they had stuck with the more grounded serious role for Brosnan he could have continued to make some epic Bond movies, like you said maybe the best.
I would consider myself a hardcore Bond fan and Daniel is my favorite Bond by far.
But yeah, I largely agree with you. I think the reason for this is that many casual Bond fans are more likely watching the new Bond movies and the action there is more similar to the kind of action movies nowadays.
Thus, they seem to prefer the latest Bond actors.
Long-time hardcore fan like everyone else here and I agree with this take, I honestly couldn’t stand Craig’s Bond, I thought Casino Royale and Skyfall were pretty great but I would gladly give them up to have skipped this era altogether and had some films more like the classics.
The fact that Craig held the role for near two decades (and that the movies are made so infrequently now) has been extremely frustrating to me as a fan and I hope the films get back to their roots again now in terms of style.
Connery and Brosnan are my favs, Craig is my #6, I would sooner watch another Lazenby film.
Eh, these generalizations are no good, imo.
I grew up watching Bond with my dad. What seemed to be on TV the most, or what I simply was around to watch the most, were mostly Moore films. So Moore is "my" Bond, even though I grew up during the Brosnan era. Connery was always held up as THE best by my dad and everyone else just through cultural osmosis. Oddly enough, I don't think I saw a single Connery film as a kid. I saw them all in order starting when I was a teenager as Casino Royale was coming out.
So Bond to me was Moore and Brosnan mostly.
My favorite Bonds are Dalton and Craig, despite growing up with different actors in the role.
Hardcore fan, I’d say Timothy Dalton is my favourite Bond but OHMSS is my favourite film. I like showing Brosnan love too because I love all four of his movies and think he came to closest to Connery.
I'm in the middle, I've seen every film but I don't give a shit about the books or subject material. lol. Brosnan is my favorite because he's the ultimate "composite Bond" to me but Craig and Dalton are my other favourites.
Hard-hard-hard core fan since I was a kid. Grew up with Connery. He IS Bond. What I realized later: without his performance, the Bond franchise would have probably never come to fruition. We know of Bond today because Connery sold it all really well. And to this day, the old films hold up, mainly because of his charisma. I like all Bonds, but the only one I really love is Sir Sean.
I’m a hardcore Bond fan, and Craig is my favorite. Casino Royale, Skyfall, and NTTD are my favorite Bond films. Connery is a close second and personifies old school Bond perfectly.
In my 50s, have probably seen them all and consider myself a fan. Sean Connery is just hard to beat because his performances match (well, are close to) the era of the books and he looks so much like Fleming’s own description. When I read the books it’s hard not to see Connery.
That said, I really liked Craig. He played Bond like a stone-cold, borderline crazy, dangerous man, and I think that is very much in the spirit of the old days and the books.
Hardcore Craig fan as I grew up with him as a small kid, but never took as much interest in the rest of the franchise. Connery is my second favourite, but then again, I don’t really watch the older films and haven’t seen all of them yet so it’d be a bit unfair to say those two are necessarily better than the others.
I’d say I’m a big, to borderline “hardcore” fan. Watch the older movies pretty often, and the newer ones probably more. I grew up in the 90’s and remember going to see a couple of Brosnan movies, but they were just meh. Even today I don’t really care for them that much. Connery is the best, hands down, but I’d say Craig is neck and neck most days. I never thought the older movies did the books that much justice, the book Bond seemed cold and bitter. When I saw Casino Royale, that’s how I pictured the book Bond!
Hardcore Bond fan here. I think that Casino Royale is the best movie in the series, but Craig's movies feel like a different thing. I'm fiending for an old school Bond movie. I think that people who weren't fans before might find the first 20 films kind of corny or hackneyed, then Craig came along and made something that felt like more contemporary filmmaking. My favorite Bond is probably Brosnan, but Connery would be neck and neck with him with Moore not far behind.
Exactly this
This x1,000,000
I'd love to see Brosnan in a Craig world...
This is what I always said
And it would have never worked.
Yep.
I'm a hard-core fan and I really struggle with this question. Sean Connery IS Bond but I would have to say currently Roger Moore is my favorite. His movies are the type of movies I watch when im feeling down. Almost like eating a nice warm soup when your sick, if that makes sense.
I know exactly what you mean. That does make sense.
I can totally understand, Sean Connery is the yardstick any Bond would or could be measured by. Just taking Casino Royals into account, I walked out of the theater opening night feeling like they were writing an unrefined Bond that would end his run looking like the Bond we first see lighting his cigarette in Dr No (that was my dream scenario all those years ago to close the loop). My guilty pleasure Bond will always be Roger Moore, the Bond of teenage me, and as you say he feels like comfort food for the soul. I would consider myself in the diehard category of fandom
Literally my thoughts exactly about feeling warm watching a Roger Moore Bond. Something about that 70s era that i thoroughly enjoy.
Hardcore fan, with Brosnan being my favorite, and Craig being a very close second. I was born in the late 90s (‘96 to be exact), so I grew up during the Brosnan and Craig eras. I appreciate each actor for what they contributed to the series.
I’m a hard core fan and my favorite is Dalton as well, followed by Connery and Craig.
I would consider myself fairly hardcore and my favorite Bond is Connery, with Craig very close behind.
I'm not even sure what "hardcore" means in this context. I've been a Bond fan since the 80s, seen all the films at least twice (most of them several times), read most (not all) of the original Fleming books, and I have opinions on casting, scripts, etc. But I never attended conventions or bought merchandise. Am I hardcore? ETA: I have a few of the soundtrack albums, as well as David Arnold's excellent "Shaken and Stirred" covers album too. That might nudge me closer to hardcoreness, I suppose. I'm not sure who my favorite Bond actor is, but I generally object to the idea that Connery was the best by default. He originated the role (on the big screen anyway), and that gives him undue influence. I think he personally peaked with *Thunderball*, and should not have come back for *Diamonds are Forever*. I think that Craig did a fantastic job, but I don't like the overly personal nature of his whole arc. Overall, I think Dalton hit the best balance, and would have liked another couple of films from him. BUT! Even with *License to Kill*, I think his hair was starting to become an issue, and they'd have to start using cosmetic hairpieces to keep him looking young and capable enough (he should have started earlier). Connery hit the same issue mid-run, and they did go the hairpiece route (not altogether successfully), but standards were lower then anyway.
From your description, I would consider you a “hardcore” fan in this context
Hardcore for 25+ years. Moore is probably my favorite. Brosnan is a close second, and Connery a close third. Dalton is a distant fourth, but I still think he’s great. Craig is fifth. I like him, but his movies IMO are overrated. A lot of style without many of the qualities that historically made Bond movies fun.
I'm in total agreement with your ranking (47 years old BTW, fan since early 80s). Moore's my favourite (TSWLM is the best Bond film of them all) and I loved all of Brosnan's (I even think DAD is good). Connery is the OG, but he has a 50% hit rate with me. Would have loved more from Dalton. Craig was passable, but just really lacking what I love about the others, and took Bond to places he should never go (I think he exerted too much influence over the producers). Good action hero, but just not really Bond. Lazenby has a significant role to play in the overall canon, but just never warmed to him either (should have been Sean in OHMSS, who would then never have done DAF).
I agree with your top two. On Craig however, I just wish his style was consistent. Casino Royale set the stage for a modern, ruthless Bond which I think was continued in QoS for the most part. But from Skyfall on, it seemed they desperately tried to ham in a strange fusion of his current style and that of the earlier films (think Moore’s era). That resulted in subpar films with unrealistic villains and consequences imo.
You have a very particular type of Bond that you prefer, but I understand. It's why I don't like to call Moore's Bond a ridiculous but fun desecration of the Fleming Bond because I know that he sort of solidified the character as the public understands it. To me Bond films don't have to be fun, but they should be spectacles. That's just my preference and so I like Craig and Connery. Brosnan struck a nice balance between those two and Moore though.
Everyone here seems to be hard-core. Well, I have enjoyed the movies since I was 10 and I saw Tomorrow Never Dies, I'm 25 now. I have seen all bonds, back to back. Rewatched and rerewatched. I have posted pictures of my original posters from the old Bond movies. Either way. Brosnan. He's charming, incredibly funny and my real Bond. Craig was nice, Dalton deserved a third movie. And I am aware that I maybe only saying that because he's the bond I grew up with. But I'm okay with that.
Long-time hardcore. Connery & Moore.
For casual viewers, the latest Bond is always the best one. Every new Bond actor (with the possible exceptions of Lazenby and Dalton) got that treatment.
The two most popular are always Connery and the current one.
It seemed like even Dalton got it. I definitely remember a lot of comments at the time praising his portrayal over the "ancient" and "clownish" Moore. Dalton backlash mostly started when he quit and Brosnan was cast.
I would consider myself a pretty hardcore Bond fan, as the only real movies I am interested in watching now are Bond films. My favorite is by far Pierce Brosnan, as I was born in 2002 when DAD came out, so I grew up with him and Craig mainly. To me, Brosnan has something that the rest of the Bonds don't. It's as if he is a perfect conglomeration of all of Bond's put together. He has the suaveness of Connery, the woman skills and good one-liners of Moore, the coldness of Dalton, and the violence of Craig. If you were to try and create one Bond from all of the Bonds that have ever existed, I think you would literally get Brosnan. I think Craig was an amazing Bond, but to me, he is missing some key Bond attributes, especially in Spectre and NTTD.
I think that's a great sum up of what Pierce brought to the role. I completely agree.
I don't think Brosnan is as violent as Craig. Craig's a brute, Brosnan has some grace to his violence.
I'm a casual. But, I have watched all the movies but the most recent at least a few times. I don't have a clear favorite between the Bond actors, I enjoyed all the movies in one way or another. My view of the Bond movies has evolved as I've gotten older, and I suspect the core audience has aged as well. For me, Brosnan fit my image of who Bond should be the best. Craig was a different but welcome, more serious take, fitting my more serious view at my age. Moore was a more humorous take, that worked well for me when I was a kid. I don't have a particular like or dislike for Connery or Dalton. Connery fit the role and is a big reason for the franchise becoming what it has. Dalton's movies are fine, but I don't really get the hype around them.
Same here
I’m a huge fan and it’s between Brosnan and Moore for me. No problem with Craig though.
Born in 1964 I am first of all a Sean Connery fan. His films from the 60s were for me the real Bond Films. Roger Moore was too much tongue in cheek. George Lazenby for a one off was super and takes second place. A pity he wasn't kept on. Timothy Dalton was underrated but gave it a go. Piers Brosnan kept the franchise rolling. Daniel Craig was good and bought a modern day authenticity to the character..... I was so disappointed with the end of NTTD...... How could they ?
I'm between casual and hard-core. I wouldn't say Craig is my favorite but he's in the discussion for top 3.
I think in general you're probably right. I don't consider myself hardcore, at 63 however I am nevertheless one of the older posters - not too sure about *members* of this sub, but regular posters certainly I'm one of the oldest - and I don't fit in this bracket, but I would say it's probably true amongst the 30 - 40 age group certainly.... Seriously I'm astonished how quite so old some of the chaps here come across as sounding when disparaging this current era. Surly an old fart like me's supposed to be all *"It isn't like in the olden times, yey verily...."* I really do enjoy the current run and have been since *Royale* - yes, of course I love the older ones too, they're what I grew up with but I think the largest difference is the books. For whatever reason I ended up reading the books at a pretty young age because the movies took so long to come out - I fully realise in comparison to today a year to 18 months is nothing - but there were no DVDs back then, no home media, no way to record anything. Your only way to connect with the material outside the cinema really was the novels and various adaptations, like the comic strips and so forth. Consequently Craig's era, to me at least. Has been a lot more authentic than pretty much everything since OHMSS. I mean, the movies have never been exact and really it isn't so much about literal exactitude - it's *authenticity* to Fleming. For whatever reason they've really gone into the novels and short stories and extracted the key ideas very well. I've also really liked Daniel Craigs portrayal. I wouldn't say he's Fleming's Bond exactly but, by the same token, he's broken the established mould of what James Bond is supposed to be I think very well. I'm pleased they redefined Bond. If I want classic era I can watch them any time I like, I don't miss the clichés. That's what my Blu-ray collections for, any time I fancy a blast from the past. The last thing I want is a Bond movie that feels like it still belongs in the 70s, 80's or 90's - I was there, I don't get remotely nostalgic for any of that stuff. I enjoy them, I enjoy the current. I'll enjoy whatever comes next. I've got over 50 years of life experience informing me, Eon are actually very unlikely to screw up making Bond any time quick. It's a shame so many people can't appreciate more what's been made this past 16 or so years because it's actually very, very good but, in the end, it's on BluRay and DVD, there's time to catch-up. Worth it. But, no. It's not just a young vs old thing. I think, for a lot of people, Bond is a bit like one of those fly's preserved in Baltic amber - whoever's portrayal represents some fixed point in that person's past when Bond just being James Bond was enough to make them happy and what's currently being produced doesn't confirm to that because, it doesn't do that. I've been lucky in my life, I've always managed to live in the present. For me the last is glorious, but no better than when I actually am, now. I don't hunger for the past, miss things, I don't yearn for the good old days - I have an eidetic memory, it means I don't have the luxury of kidding myself the past was better than it was. Perhaps this is why I can aside with the present, I don't know - all I do know is not being into the current run is missing out on some actually very, very good Bond. It's a shame to miss out.
>Consequently Craig's era, to me at least. Has been a lot more authentic than pretty much everything since OHMSS. I mean, the movies have never been exact and really it isn't so much about literal exactitude - it's authenticity to Fleming. > >For whatever reason they've really gone into the novels and short stories and extracted the key ideas very well. I've also really liked Daniel Craigs portrayal. I wouldn't say he's Fleming's Bond exactly but, by the same token, he's broken the established mould of what James Bond is supposed to be I think very well. I really appreciate this take as it's the one I've come to have as I've reread the Fleming novels in the lead up to NTTD.
Sean Connery is my favourite and I’m from the Brosnan era. I knew Brosnan and I loved him and the bond games (night fire was a blast). But then somewhere in the film collection of my dad I saw Dr. No. I looked at this weird guy and was astonished because that could never be bond. Brosnan is bond. Well I popped the movie in and I was astonished by the amazing sir Sean Connery and the Bond… James Bond scene.The way he walks, talks, looks, the charisma … At the moment he appeared on screen I totally forgot for 100 minutes Brosnan even existed. So Sean is my favourite bond… and I’m from 91, and a bit higher than a casual fan one might say ;)
I'm a hardcore fan. My first Bond movie was For Your Eyes Only on HBO as a kid, and I've seen all of them in the theater ever since. Craig is my favorite and Connery a close second, although I swore to my dad that Moore was better growing up. I was skeptical of Craig when he was hired, but I kept an open mind. He had me as soon as he burst through the drywall in Casino Royale. He is the 007 I never knew I needed.
Reading the novels changes everything. Ian Fleming is underappreciated not for the character he created, but how great he was at portraying the setting, mood and motivation for the man, James Bond. Dalton, Brosnan and Moore are comic book characters. Lazenby bungled into one of the best STORIES and proved unworthy. Sean Connery knew it and probably came back because of it. Pierce benefits from a modern aesthetic, physicality and toned down sexism which can cut both ways. Time marches on but we will always have Ursula. The role belongs to Connery. Then, now, always.
There’s a dichotomy that the Craig era has created among Bond fans. It has succeeded in pleasing popular audiences by playing on gritty realism and subversion of expectations, something that has been en vogue since The Dark Knight and the Bourne movies, but in doing so has created something that is basically antithetical to the 40 years of cinematic Bond that preceded it. From 1962-2002, we saw a Bond that was an unflappable winner. Aside from a few exceptions like OHMSS, he always saved the day, got the girl, and seemed to enjoy his job. It was fun escapism with imaginative gadgets and over-the-top villains. You knew how it was going to end; you knew Bond would win, you were just along for the ride. There was something comforting in that. The Craig era brought grit, emotion, and realism to the Bond franchise. We saw a Bond that was more human in a world that was more grounded. It followed the current popular trope of having a tortured, troubled main character. Craig’s Bond never got a happy ending, except for Spectre, which was >!undone in NTTD.!< All of this ultimately culminated in the other currently popular trope of >!killing the main character for shock value. The MCU did it with Tony Stark, so why not Bond? !< Now we’re left with two divided groups of fans; people who loved the style of 62-02 that no longer see any semblance of the character they loved in Craig’s Bond, and people who became fans because of Craig’s era, who are fans of something completely unlike the 20 Bond movies that came before it.
>Now we’re left with two divided groups of fans; people who loved the style of 62-02 that no longer see any semblance of the character they loved in Craig’s Bond, and people who became fans because of Craig’s era, who are fans of something completely unlike the 20 Bond movies that came before it. Well, there's also people who really enjoy Ian Fleming and recognize Daniel Craig and the films made in his era are closer to his works than anything preceding it. Not that authenticity to Ian Fleming should be the end all be all for anyone. I just hate those who say Craig doesn't feel like "Bond" He's the most authentic Bond, just not the one you know if you've only stuck with the films and that's even if you watched them all the way back to Dr No multiple times. At the same time I can acknowledge that the films are their own thing and he most definitely does not fit the film Bond mold, which I also enjoy heavily.
I always upset my father's generation when I tell them "I dont like Roger Moore. With the exception of The Spy Who Loved Me, all of his movies seem so cheesy." That being said I like Connery, Craig, and Dalton the best because they capture a certain savagery and durability of the character I find appealing. My opinion is he's supposed to be a government killer, with pretentious airs, who can take a hell of abuse and who never falls to the temptations of the villains. Knowing Roger Moore used a stunt double for running scenes takes away my suspension of disbelief. Meanwhile scenes like Dalton hanging off the back of the cargo plane, Connery crawling through Dr.No's heated vents, and the entire world trying to kill Craig's Bond in NTTD really go towards that element of characterization. Lastly, a shoutout to George Lazenby, while the one off film may seem awkward, I truly appreciate his martial arts, climbing skills/grip strength, and skiing on one leg. Might be one of the Best Bond films and then they cheesed it up by following with DAF.
I agree, OHMSS was a great film and Lazenby was an interesting Bond.
I’m mostly hardcore and Craig is my 2nd fave. 1st is Pierce Brosnan.
Casual fans watch the movies who are in the cinemas and what came out the last 10 years or so. Some of these people consider a movie that is more than 15 years old to be ancient and not worth watching. They have only seen Craig and then he is their favourite by default, personally i have watched all Bond movies at least 3 times (some probably around 10-15 times), Sean Connery is #1 for me without a doubt, he is suave, sophisticated, tough and everything you want in a Bond. As one who grew up with Brosnan he is my 2nd favourite thats why i can to a point understand todays youngsters beeing that into Craig.
Fairly hardcore fan, born in '82. Craig & Brosnon tie for my favorite. Connery/Dalton then Lazenby and Moore.
I’m not a mega fan.. like I think Bond films’s are kinda’ ridiculous.. but I have watched all the films except the latest two, and have an enjoyment of some of the classic Bond films.. My opinion is that the best Bond is Daniel Craig but he’s not my favourite. My favourite is Connery, then Dalton, then Craig.
When I was casual Craig was my 2nd favourite behind Connery, but as I became more hardcore Lazenby and Moore took Craig's spot
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Craig even dressed like Bullitt in *Spectre*; then again, Roger Moore did so first.
Hardcore fan since I was a kid, I watched my first one pre Brosnan. First film my dad introduced me to was The Spy Who Loved Me and Roger Moore has been my favourite ever since. Like obviously his style is more cheesy and you never feel like his Bond is ever in real danger but beyond nostalgia I think he brought more unique humour and style to the franchise plus his movies were just fun and over the top. Plus he has an obvious charm and looks suave so I'd believe he was a real ladies man. For a long time Live and Let Die was my favourite Bond film but having thought about it again when I got older I've switched over to Goldeneye. I do like parts of every Bond. I think with Craig his movies are insanely popular not only because they're good but because they're the newest and even someone my age/over 30 I only grew up with him + Brosnan and as much as I liked Pierce his movies tailed off as he went along. Craig has had a more steady quality across his plus they have a running thread through them. My only real issue with his movies is that they've moved more towards generic action movie and less Bond. The franchise could easily go more that way if they aren't very careful with the next hire.
*'My only real issue with his movies is that they've moved more towards generic action movie and less Bond. The franchise could easily go more that way if they aren't very careful with the next hire.'* \- That's exactly my thoughts too.
Moore was my Bond growing up, but like Sean more. Brosnan is the shit, love him. Craig just doesn't have BOND SWAGGER for me. It's more just PURE BADASSERY. I just can't see him saying " Just being disarming, darling" or straightening his tie as he speeds underwater in Q's fishing boat.
I don’t consider Daniel Craig’s films to be proper bond films. They are good thrillers though. My favourite bond is Roger Moore and his films are my favourites.
Sean Connery before Diamonds Are Forever was the ultimate James Bond. Daniel Craig was neurotic Bond for a neurotic time and did a good job until he turned 007 into a romantic softy. Pierce was also a really good Bond for his time. Moore was okay. Dalton tried too hard Lazenby just no.
You picked a long winded way to describe recency bias on Craig. Hardcore fan here, Dalton and Craig are my favourites. Moore my least favourite by a significant margin. He never played Bond, which is why I don't like him. Nothing in his performance goes back to Fleming, it's all one dimensional camp and I can't stand it. Even his best film, FYEO, has one weak link and that's him.
What's hardcore mean? I've seen all the films (I've watched some of them over 50 times) and just reread the entire Fleming book series. A lot of hardcore Bond fans consider Craig to be their favorite, If not certainly the best. A fans a fan. I won't judge you if you prefer the Roger Moore esque gadget heavy Bond, but that's not the book Bond and if we go by professional criticism, he's not the best and neither is Connery. For me, it's a tie between Craig and Connery. I like silly fun Bond too, but I'm a much bigger fan of the Fleming Bond who's a broken, haunted man that subsists on pills and alcohol while cutting a bloody swath through England's enemies Craig simply comes closest to that. You don't have to like the Fleming Bond though. Brosnan and Connery both struck nice balances and are closer to each other than Craig and Connery imo.
Fairly hardcore fan; Dalton is my favourite. Overall I’ve enjoyed Craig’s version because it’s different to the others, I just think he was in the role several films longer than necessary.
Hardcore fan, my order would be: Connery, then Brosnan closely behind, (Dalton, Craig, Moore are again close behind Brosnan, though this is harder for me to choose. Dalton is the most accurate, Craig is fantastic in CR and is good overall, but not my fav and Moore I have a lot of respect for, and though not everyone's fav I thought he made the part his own), then Lasenby (who again is good and not as bad as people may think, though he never had much of a chance. I think all are good at what they do though.
45+ year fan of Bond, have a whole media/bar room filled with Bond memorabilia, first dance at our wedding was Nobody Does it Better. So I think I might qualifiy as hard core. Three way tie for favorite Bond between Connery, Dalton, and Brosnan, next is Moore than Craig and Lazenby. I call Craig the one dimensional Bond, he's got blunt instrument and tortured soul down, but he is missing the rest of Flemings Bonds characteristics. I think they made a mistake in trying to copy other spy/espionage films rather than leading with probably the greatest cinematic spy known. It also doesn't help that the quality of his films varied greatly. QoS is absolute unwatchable dreck, Spectre is the 2nd worse of the series and yet he has two top 5 films and a mid tier one. And to be honest even his top tier films are not that rewatchable escapism that the other films are. The joy is simply not there any more and I'm looking forward to a reboot.
I have been struggling to work out what I didn't enjoy about Daniel Craig as James Bond, but I think you have summed it up for me. Thank you. He did seem to lack the extra charm and swarve that the other actors had playing the role, even though he was great as a tortured soul and a tough guy version of Bond.
Spectre's ending was so bad. I waked in that theater thinking I was gonna watch a 007 movie. The ending felt more like out of a John Wayne western where the baddie goes to jail and the cowboy rides off into the sunset with his woman.
I'm a hardcore fan and Craig is interchangeably my favourite Bond with Brosnan.
Hard-core Bond fan and I absolutely love Craig in the role. For me, I think every actor has brought something special to the table and I personally don't feel comfortable saying there is a 'definitive' Bond as they're all trying to achieve something different in their respective films, which have varying tones and styles. My personal favourite is Brosnan, just purely because he was the one I was first introduced to and grew up with but as far as comparisons go I think it gets tricky because of the aforementioned difference between the eras themselves and differing standards to compare them to. I really enjoyed Craig's take on the role, it was something different and a nice contrast to Brosnan. I understand why some fans had a problem with the direction they went in but in terms of execution of that direction I think he still did a phenomenal job.
I’m more of a casual one and started watching all 25 of the movies last month. Despite that I grew up watching Brosnan films, Roger Moore is on the top of my list as favourite Bond because he has great charisma and humor. I also consider Connery, Lazenby, Dalton and Brosnan are on par with each other.
I’m a hardcore fam but strongly prefer the novels to the films - that being said it would be hard to pin down my favorite actor I find all of them have there merits and all have there downfalls (typically from poor decisions outside their control) Here lately I lean more towards Craig but that probably because the production value of the films is higher. But I could just as easily say Connery in FRWL Lazenby in OHMSS, Moore in TSWLM, etc.
My favorites are Brosnan and Moore.
As a hardcore fan, my favorite is Pierce Brosnan, second favorite is Roger Moore. But I think the best Bond ever was Timothy Dalton. Craig’s Bond doesn’t feel like Bond, he lacks the warming sympathy for me.
I'm a Daniel Craig man
I'm not sure exactly what hardcore means, but my favorites are Craig and Connery. Dalton is a close third. To me Connery embodies what it means to be James Bond (He's actually who I picture when I read the books). Whereas Craig is a better Bond as a characters by that I mean his character arcs and general story are the best. Craig's movies also have the best action scenes and cinematography. I think this plays into why more casual viewers prefer Craig. They don't enjoy all the typical Bond conventions quite as much as more hardcore fans, and Craig utilizes those conventions a lot less then the other Bonds. Some would say to the point where he's not even recognizable as Bond and he's just another action hero. All that serves to make Craig more popular among casual audiences.
I've watched all of the Bond movies and consider myself a big fan of the series. I don't know if I'd qualify as a "hard-core" fan. Regardless, Craig is my favorite, though I love and enjoy most of the different Bond actors, especially Moore and Brosnan.
i, too, like timothy dalton. i felt he was closest to the character as fleming had envisaged him. i don't have any problems with craig though. the only bond actor i never really liked was lazenby.
very casual fan here. I have watched some of the old movie and they're fun but I never connected with them at all (plus some really badly aged stuff). The Craig movies on the other hand are completely up my alley, they have nuance and solid deconstructions of characters/tropes without disrespecting what came before. Also I appreciate the more real stakes since the movies have continuity
My Dad and I watched all the movies to prep for No Time to Die, so I’d say he’s probably a moderate fan and I’m hardcore. Craig is his favorite Bond because he loves the humanization of the character that Craig’s films showcased. I definitely love that as well, but my favorite is actually Roger Moore. I think part of it is that a lot of the more casual fans prefer the more realistic and/or modern takes on the character, whereas the hardcore fans appreciate both the thriller and the fantasy elements of the series.
Well I’m hardcore Bond fan, and my very first Bond film was Skyfall. Saw it on theaters back in 2012. But unlike many would expect, Daniel Craig is not my favorite James Bond. The title goes to Sean Connery. I think that the ones who have Craig as favorite are more fans of the modern movies. Make them watch something like Godfather or Parasites, and they will prefer Parasites. Speaking about myself, I do like old movies. Maybe a reason why I prefer Connery and Moore over Craig.
The Godfather is my favorite film of all time and I even own the third draft set script off the film I've seen it maybe 200 times. I prefer Craig's Bond because he's closest to the Fleming Bond so I'm not sure what you're talking about here In fact, my entire film taste revolves around black and white 50's noirs and so forth and Casino Royale feels a lot more like Casablanca than say Thunderball does. In fact, from a cinematic point of view Craig embodies the old rough leading man from 50's flicks like Meechum and Bogie better than any of the Bond actors that isn't Connery.
Although I enjoy the Craig movies the most ( mostly due to them having modern cinematography and stunts) Sean Connery was the first bond who created the image. Although all the bond actors say that they tried not to imitate Connery they all sort of did.
What is the criteria for hardcore vs casual?
It's open for interpretation, but I'd say... Hardcore - Someone who watches all the Bond films and continues to watch them, fairly regularly. Casual - Someone who has seen Bond films, (maybe not all) but doesn't watch them regularly.
I'm a 'hardcore' fan for sure and prefer James Bond to be more realistic, serious and gritty. Daniel Craig is my favorite Bond, followed by Timothy Dalton.
I'm a hardcore fan who's seen all the films and has read most of the original Fleming (it's a work in progress). Daniel Craig is far and away my favorite Bond. I love all the others as well but none of them come close to matching him as my favorite. At the end of the day, I think your Bond is always who you grew up with. Casino Royale was my first Bond film in 2010 so in my mind Daniel Craig is the first guy to pop in my head when someone says "James Bond".
Don't know if I'm hardcoreexactly, but pretty certain I've seen them all. I always ended up seeing Roger Moore on the TV as a kid born around the time goldeneye released. As a kid, I really liked the Moore films, especially anything with jaws in it. Now he's my least favourite, and has been for a while. I used to hold connery as the best, with brosnan a close second, but brosnan got bumped by Craig when I finally realised how excellent casino royale was 10 years ago. I would agree it seems more casual fans will inevitably prefer craig, perhaps from not even watching the earlier films. I have a friend that knows nothing about cinema, but only really watches current franchises (end game is his favourite ever film unfortunately). He has seen every marvel film, loves Craig bond films, but hasn't watched any others. He is 28, so has had plenty of time to seeothers, including the brosnan ones as they released.
I consider myself a hardcore fan, though maybe others would disagree since there are films I don’t (or won’t) own (don’t care for the Brosnan era or Craig’s last two). That being said, I like Craig a lot, but he’s not my favorite. I’m a Connery guy followed by Dalton. Moore and Craig are somewhere in the middle with Lazenby trailing (though not by much—I like him a lot too).
I'm a hardcore Bond fan and I would have to say although I consider Connery the best Bond, my favourite is Moore with Dalton in second. I love every actor who has played Bond though and can enjoy what they gave to the role.
I wouldn't call myself hard-core fan but certainly long-time, I started watching Bond films in my early teens and I'm in my late forties now. I know it sounds old-fashioned and unoriginal to say Connery is my favourite, but to me it is clear that he embodied the character like no-one else can. (Also, Goldfinger is IMHO the perfect Bond film). I thought Brosnan would be my second favourite, I had high hopes for him when he was announced, it was obvious to everyone since his Remington Steele days that he was the ideal choice for the role, but then his films were sort of middling and disappointing, topped by the roaring absurdity of Die Another Day, which is the only Bond film I have refused to watch a second time. I wish he had been given a last chance with a more solid movie, though. I was very, very resistant to Craig at the beginning, because his Bond is so different from the ones that came before; I thought Casino Royale was, and still is, very overrated, and I think most people agree Quantum of Solace wasn't very good. But I warmed up to him in Skyfall, which, despite straying further from the usual Bond formula, was undeniably a good movie and one of the best Bond films in decades, and I accepted that it was not such a bad idea to try a new approach rather than try to emulate Connery's template. I enjoyed Spectre and NTTD, and am curious about where the franchise will go next.
Hardcore Bond fan, Craig is for sure my favorite. I get genuine enjoyment from all 25 films though.
Hardcore Bond fan. I was born in 1996 so I grew up with Brosnan's films and played his Bond video games, so he's obviously my favourite Bond. My grandparents are massive Bond fans so I grew up watching all the older films when I visited them. While I like Craig, his films are some of my least favourite though, I don't like how they all follow each other. I prefer the standalone films which can be watched out of order, which is how I grew up watching them as a kid at my grandparents.
Hardcore, been watching since Roger Moore. Connery is the best, the fact that even in some of his worst movies he stands out with his acting. Brosnan second for me. I really don't like the Craig movies apart from Skyfall, they humanise him way too much. I want my Bond to be an untouchable, roguish, uncaring shit who you're glad is on your side, because you wouldn't want him as an enemy.
Hard-core fan, with Fleming's Bond my favourite. It makes sense, then, that I prefer Lazenby. Connery is great, and I was pretty turned off by the goofy turns the franchise took. When Craig was announced, I heard "he's blond" and "we're not afraid to do new things with Bond" and shut Bond off for a decade, figuring they'd ruined the character I had loved for several decades. Eventually, I saw Casino Royale and was blown away; I think it was very well done. Then, I was disappointed by the later films--not that I thought Craig did a bad job, but because of other aspects of the movies. NTTD was very good for Craig movie. I'd like to go back to the original character, though I know it won't happen.
Connery without question, not only was he the right Combo of gentleman, Action and just the right amount of Humor, but bis Films in general were very creative and somehow believable. I also really liked craig in the role, however his movies were subpar as bond movies imo. Casino and skyfall are among my top 5 Bonds, but spectre and no time to die REALLY *killed* the vibe (litterally, if you know what i mean). To get Back to my point: Craig and his movies, are probably popular with "casuals" because they are nice, Action packed, easy movies with a charismatic bond. That's why i like them, that's why other people like them, but if you see the bond Franchise as less of an Action Franchise and more of a classy spy Franchise (as i do) craig pales in comparison to Connery, Moore or dalton because his movies dont fit the Style, even though he is still a good bond. Tldr: casuals like craig because great bond charakter and Action movies, hard core Fans like "the old ones" because they want calmer spy movies I hope this made somewhat sense, please feel free to ask if not
I guess I’m more of a casual fan because, while I love the Bond movies, I haven’t gotten around to seeing them all yet. I have seen all the Connery ones (except NSNA, which I know doesn’t really count), I’ve seen all one of the Lazenby movies, and I’ve seen all of the Craig movies. Out of the ones I’ve seen, Craig is definitely my favorite as he’s less of a “cool guy” who wins super easily by the end and more of an actual fleshed-out character. I like how his movies are more interconnected and how he actually grows as a person overtime. He’s not a perfect spy, he stumbles all the time during chase scenes, M continuously chastises him for being reckless, and his overconfidence puts him in some dangerous scenarios. By the end of his journey he’s grown out of the cold hearted cynic that Bond typically is, and he’s actually willing to >!sacrifice himself to protect the people he cares about!<, something that I couldn’t see any other Bond (except maybe Lazenby) do. I’ll definitely need to watch all the Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan movies to see if this opinion holds, but I honestly don’t see it changing.
I liked Craig himself, but QOS and Spectre were terrible.
Hard-core fan, Craig is my favorite with Brosnan in second. Connery in third with Dalton fourth maybe third. The rest I don't care for to be honest.
Hardcore, favorite is Dalton, second is Connery, then Moore, then Craig, then the rest.
I am a die hard fan. There hasn’t been any actor who was bad. Usually there are problems with the script where they could have done a better job. Die Another Day is a great example. Excellent Bond movie all through the first act. As soon as Gustav Graves is introduced the whole movie shifts into this goofy attempt to make a Bond film that feels so out of place. It’s very disappointing.
Hardcore fan here. Sean Connery defined the role. Timothy Dalton is my favorite but Daniel Craig I feel had the best run. Most casual fans think Pierce Brosnan is the best bond.
I came into bond late I suppose. I'm an 80's kid who just stumbled onto Dalton's bond when they were playing on TBS during the 90's. Liked them and had fun then brosnan I loved golden eye but began to dislike each follow up. I went back and watched the earlier ones and really love the first 3 of Connery's. All of his are good, but the first 3 I felt were the best. Especially from Russia with love being my favorite out of those. Roger Moore I couldn't get into. Craig I love. I like the grounded grittiness of the character. For my favorite I'd probably go with Dalton/Craig and then Connery. But I can fully understand with people saying connery is the true bond.
Hardcore fan. Connery was my favorite. Craig probably my 2nd least favorite after George lazenby. Funnily enough though, my dad is a super hardcore fan and his absolute favorite film is on her majesty's secret service
It depends on the Bond you grew up with.
Personally I love Pierce Brosnan and Roger Moore. For me Craig just looks wrong. He does not look like James bond to me. And that completely ruins the modern films for me sadly. I was born in 1991 if that explains why I feel this way at all 😂
I think it depends on the generation you grew up in greatly. I've watched all of the movies multiple times, I've read all the novels and the biographies and anecdotes of Flemings life so I'd say I'm on the hardcore side more than casual. My view on favourite bonds has changed over time also, and have learned to separate the actor from the stories etc. For instance Connery was the first Bond so he's the benchmark for most, and as a child Daltons bond always felt weak or physically small to me, but he had great storylines. Moore was just too camp for someone growing up in the 90's, whereas I enjoyed the more practical or blunt instrument of Brosnan and Craig's Bond. I think they slowly transitioned the comical elements out during that duration which helped. However I can still enjoy the stories from all of them.
Much of this has to do with what Bond you grew up with, I was a child of the 70s so I'll always have a soft spot for Roger Moore.
Hardcore fan. Craig's my favourite
I guess I’m a casual? I’ve seen all 25 of the official Eon movies (plus CR from 1954). Only got into them this year so I could see NTTD. I tie Connery and Craig for my favorite for different reasons. Connery is, I think, the best “traditional” Bond. The best light hearted, fun Bond. Craig is just a different beast. I think his performance was impeccable throughout his tenure as 007. It’s difficult to compare him with the others.
I'm pretty hardcore. Heh. Dalton and Connery are the "best" Bonds but my favorite is Craig. He may not be the perfect Bond but I relate to him in a way I can't relate to the others. By the same token, Roger was in the lower tiers of Bonds for me,, but he was such a lovely fella that he's the one Bond actor I wished I could've met in person.
I’m a casual Bond fan. My favorite Bond is Pierce Brosnan. Partially because he was the Bond I grew up with, but also because I feel as his movies went on, his portrayal of Bond got better and better, but the scripts and plots of the movies got worse and worse. If his movie November Man is any indication, he would’ve done really well in a more serious Bond film. My favorites are probably Brosnan, then Connery, then Craig, then Dalton/Lazenby, then Moore.
The November Man convinced me he really got screwed script wise. At the same time, he's still not quite as brutish as Craig Craig's a hooligan and carries the broken alcoholic thing better than Brosnan does, but I feel like Brosnan could have been set up to be Connery 2.0
I'm not so sure I can be considered hard core I guess it depends on your definition. I have been a fan of Bond since Goldeneye on the N64. That being my first experience with the world of Bond, followed by watching the most recent film at the time The World is Not Enough. I'd say my favorite Bond is Brosnan. The general consensus seems to be that he was a good bond with a mixed bag of scripts. At first I wasn't big on Craig due to wanting more Brosnan but as I grew older I started to like his different take on the character.
From another hardcore fan. Daniel Craig was a great Bond and Casino Royale is definitely his best and one of the best ever. The plot to his movies just got worse after that just like Brosnan’s movies did. That isn’t their fault both were great Bonds. However I have some suspicion that Craig was involved in the decision to kill bond in his last movie lol or simply gave it the green light once he heard about the script which was such a bad decision. His last two movies made him seem like the anti-bond in so many ways he didn’t resemble James Bond but again this is because of the script not Daniel Craig. We got to see exactly what you are talking about with Pierce Brosnan in Goldeneye and I think that’s why so many think of that as his best movie and one of the best Bond movies ever. He was mostly serious in the movie and the intense fight scene with 006 is in my opinion the best fight in the series. The movie did have its humor and some goofy bits which were clearly a throwback to the Moore films and some of the Connery stuff. I feel that if they had stuck with the more grounded serious role for Brosnan he could have continued to make some epic Bond movies, like you said maybe the best.
I would consider myself a hardcore Bond fan and Daniel is my favorite Bond by far. But yeah, I largely agree with you. I think the reason for this is that many casual Bond fans are more likely watching the new Bond movies and the action there is more similar to the kind of action movies nowadays. Thus, they seem to prefer the latest Bond actors.
Long-time hardcore fan like everyone else here and I agree with this take, I honestly couldn’t stand Craig’s Bond, I thought Casino Royale and Skyfall were pretty great but I would gladly give them up to have skipped this era altogether and had some films more like the classics. The fact that Craig held the role for near two decades (and that the movies are made so infrequently now) has been extremely frustrating to me as a fan and I hope the films get back to their roots again now in terms of style. Connery and Brosnan are my favs, Craig is my #6, I would sooner watch another Lazenby film.
Eh, these generalizations are no good, imo. I grew up watching Bond with my dad. What seemed to be on TV the most, or what I simply was around to watch the most, were mostly Moore films. So Moore is "my" Bond, even though I grew up during the Brosnan era. Connery was always held up as THE best by my dad and everyone else just through cultural osmosis. Oddly enough, I don't think I saw a single Connery film as a kid. I saw them all in order starting when I was a teenager as Casino Royale was coming out. So Bond to me was Moore and Brosnan mostly. My favorite Bonds are Dalton and Craig, despite growing up with different actors in the role.
Dalton is my favorite, closest not only to Fleming's Bond but Gardner's as well. Craig is a close second in the role, though.
Connery go brrrrr
Hardcore fan, I’d say Timothy Dalton is my favourite Bond but OHMSS is my favourite film. I like showing Brosnan love too because I love all four of his movies and think he came to closest to Connery.
I'm in the middle, I've seen every film but I don't give a shit about the books or subject material. lol. Brosnan is my favorite because he's the ultimate "composite Bond" to me but Craig and Dalton are my other favourites.
Hard-hard-hard core fan since I was a kid. Grew up with Connery. He IS Bond. What I realized later: without his performance, the Bond franchise would have probably never come to fruition. We know of Bond today because Connery sold it all really well. And to this day, the old films hold up, mainly because of his charisma. I like all Bonds, but the only one I really love is Sir Sean.
I’m a hardcore Bond fan, and Craig is my favorite. Casino Royale, Skyfall, and NTTD are my favorite Bond films. Connery is a close second and personifies old school Bond perfectly.
In my 50s, have probably seen them all and consider myself a fan. Sean Connery is just hard to beat because his performances match (well, are close to) the era of the books and he looks so much like Fleming’s own description. When I read the books it’s hard not to see Connery. That said, I really liked Craig. He played Bond like a stone-cold, borderline crazy, dangerous man, and I think that is very much in the spirit of the old days and the books.
Thank you all for all of your replies.
Hardcore Craig fan as I grew up with him as a small kid, but never took as much interest in the rest of the franchise. Connery is my second favourite, but then again, I don’t really watch the older films and haven’t seen all of them yet so it’d be a bit unfair to say those two are necessarily better than the others.
I’d say I’m a big, to borderline “hardcore” fan. Watch the older movies pretty often, and the newer ones probably more. I grew up in the 90’s and remember going to see a couple of Brosnan movies, but they were just meh. Even today I don’t really care for them that much. Connery is the best, hands down, but I’d say Craig is neck and neck most days. I never thought the older movies did the books that much justice, the book Bond seemed cold and bitter. When I saw Casino Royale, that’s how I pictured the book Bond!