Mar 18, 2015 2:57:38 GMT -5 berkley said:

For me, the movie Bonds are their own thing. None of them are very close to the character in the books, though the particular manner in which they differ varies according to the individual actor - Sean Connery was bigger and more physically imposing, for example, than the Bond of Fleming's books.

I grew up with the Roger Moore Bond movies, on tv and in the theatres, but agree that they were comedies. Moore was a little too handsome, in a male-model kind of way. He could show a bit of steel in his glance when he wanted to, though. But the movies didn't really call for that very often.

Brosnan I agree was one of the worst - and I like him in almost everything else I've seen him in. He was saddled with some of the worst movies, too, IMO - I mean movies that wouldn't have worked well no matter who played Bond. Even the Roger Moore films were at least successful at what they were trying to do - more or less light-hearted action-comedies with a likeable, suave leading man.

Dalton is another guy I like in almost everything except his Bond movies. For example the Rocketeer. The funny thing is, if I had seen him in that film first, I would have agreed that he might make a good Bond, but for some reason it just doesn't work for me when I see him on the screen playing that role. Same thing with Brosnan, actually.

I like Craig a lot, but his Bond films don't feel like Bond films to me - they're good, entertaining, modern-day action movies.

I'm another guy who thinks On Her Majesty's Secret Service is one of the best of the series, probably THE best after the top 2 or 3 Connery Bonds. Lazenby was a good choice - not as charismatic as Connery, but his quiet, stolid performance brought out an aspect of the character that is in the books but not in any of the movies except this one.

One fault (among many) I find with the series is that it started out as a trend-setter and now it's a trend-follower - Bond playing "Texas Holdem" poker, the films themselves emulating other action series, etc, etc.

The Bond movies are an interesting phenomenon in the strong feelings they invoke in people.  It may have to do with the length of time over which the movies have been made (over 50 years), the continuous control over the franchise by the Broccoli family, or the number of different actors who have played the role.  Whatever it is, people definitely have strong opinions.

Here's mine:  In regards to Daniel Craig, I was resistant to him in the role at first.  He's grown on me, but, like you, I don't really regard his films as "feeling" like Bond films.  They're big, splashy action films and I enjoy them, but it just seems off for being a Bond film.

We part ways on George Lazenby, though.  I thought he was the worst of the Bond actors and came across as very wooden to me.  Don't know if you were aware, but according to Mr. Lazenby (in an interview I saw on a Bond TV special last year) he wasn't even an actor when he approached them about becoming the new Bond.  He was in construction if I remember correctly.  He basically BS'd his way into the job.

I also grew up with Roger Moore as the Bond of my formative years, but the comedic aspect of his movies turned me off.  Recurring characters like the redneck southern sheriff, Moore's smug smirking at the cameras, etc, were too much for me.

The fact that Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan came after Moore's laugh riots and treated the character more seriously may have contributed to their placing higher on my Bond ranking than they do for other folks, but I enjoyed both actors portrayals.  Bond wasn't a clown anymore (like Moore literally was in Octopussy).

So here's my Bond scale:

1> Sean Connery (no surprise as most people rate him as Bond #1)

2> Pierce Brosnan (captured the cool smoothness of Bond)

3> Timothy Dalton (he was the driven, no holds barred Bond)

4> Roger Moore (funniest, a little too "man-pretty", but carried off the debonair Bond well)

5> Daniel Craig (modern action hero, but not feeling all that much like Bond)

6> George Lazenby (I was taught if I can't say anything nice don't say anything at all.  Sometimes it's a struggle.)

Mar 18, 2015 16:27:04 GMT -5 @mechagodzilla said:

Hoosier X,

The Photos that you see above are the first three photos that I have of Grace Kelly in Dial M for Murder.  I got them from Warners Bros about 20 years ago.

Thanks, Mecha.

Grace Kelly can kill me with scissors any time!!!!