Spectre, the newest James Bond film, is now officially open in theatres nationwide, and has enjoyed the second-biggest opening of any Bond film ever—ever. And that means it’s time to ask the perennial question… who’s the best Bond? And the truth is, it’s an easy question to answer. Because every Bond—except Roger Moore—is great. Even Moore does some really interesting things, but all of the others add a lot to the series. Every one is the best at something. Daniel Craig is the best Bond, yea… but so is everyone else.
Why Every Bond Is The Best James Bond
Sean Connery
Sean Connery is the best Bond. Hell, he’s the original. There are ultimately two different types of Bond: Suave Bond and Brute Bond. Sean Connery is a brute—a thug in a suit. Sure, he has sophisticated taste, but he’s an agent of the government, and his job isn’t to drink Martinis… it’s to be violent, and beat the hell out of people. And he’s the best at it. He’s the classic, and he’s hard to top.
George Lazenby
George Lazenby is the best Bond. Sure, he’s only in one movie… but it’s the best Bond movie (although not everyone agrees). And yea, things happen to him that never happened to the other guy, but that includes such delightful events as getting married! Lazenby has wit and charm, and even though he’s only in one film, he’s the first appearance of Suave Bond… a form that would become dominant for most of the ensuing years until Daniel Craig took over.
Roger Moore
Roger Moore is the best Bond. Okay, not really—actually, he’s the worst. But if you’re an older millennial, he’s the Bond you grew up with. He’s super doofy, but he’s the epitome of the Suave Bond… the one who does what needs to be done, but not before doing something cool. He aged out of the role before he stopped playing it, sadly, but he introduced a whole generation to the character, kept Bond alive through the ‘80s, and added some not-particularly-needed levity to the character. That’s about the most I can muster about him, not that it’s his fault.
Timothy Dalton
Timothy Dalton is the best Bond. He brings back the Brute Bond, absent since the Connery days, and he brings a great level of violence to the character. His Bond came back from outer space and voodoo cults to gritty realism… the reluctant Bond. It was a refreshing take on the character, one long absent.
Pierce Brosnan
Pierce Brosnan is the best Bond. He’s the one I grew up with, after all. He is the suavest of the Suave Bonds, taking away the hamminess of Roger Moore’s portrayal and making the character simply debonair. He’s the handsomest Bond, probably. His first two movies are really good, and he played the character successfully during his most difficult transition—out of the Cold War. Plus he’s in the iconic GoldenEye 007, the best post-Cold War Bond movie!
Daniel Craig
Daniel Craig is the best Bond. He brings back the classic Brute Bond, and is probably the best at doing it since Connery himself. He’s a violent man in an era where violent men don’t seem to be necessary anymore; of course, they end up being necessary after all, but that’s only to be expected. He brings something to the role that was seen briefly in the Dalton years, but before that not since Connery. It’s a return to form, even if the stories have been lacking.
What do you think? Do you like all the James Bonds too?
