This James Bond ranking will surprise you

[@charlesmarsh316]

A very enjoyable, thought-provoking analysis that helps me sort out my own feelings about the actors who've portrayed Bond. As with the movies themselves, I have my favorite Bond actor, my most-watched, and the one I consider to be the best. You and I are on the same page with respect to the one that best captures the character described by Fleming in the novels - that's Dalton, hands down.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Thanks, Charles! I'm glad we agree on Dalton.

[@frankb821]

By God, you're right! ...mostly :) I'm totally with you on your top 3, but would put Brosnan at #4, Lazenby at #5, and Craig at #6....as the most dour, resentful representation of the character. And it didn't help that the actor despised the character too, no doubt informing his portrayal. I'm with you in that I love Bond best when he's "investigating," but the least he could do is enjoy and revel in it, at least some of the time. Craig has always just struck me as not wanting to be there in any form or manner. As for Connery, he's long been my favorite actor of all time, but I just enjoy watching Dalton and Moore as Bond, specifically, a bit more, for the reasons you mention. You made very well articulated arguments, as usual!

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Thanks, buddy. If we're aligned on the top three, we're in good shape. I do think Craig did care about the character as established in Casino Royale and, Spectre aside, has always worked to give the movies his all. He took the job seriously. But I nevertheless feel that he felt the gulf between who he, Daniel Craig, is and the character and thus felt uncomfortable with the way it became his great legacy as a public figure and actor. Nevertheless, as noted, I do wish his era had seen Bond grow into aspects of the character I cherish (such as his appetite for pleasure). Casino Royale is a largely fun movie to watch and I wish its followups had maintained its more energetic tone.

[@frankb821]

@@AnalyzeThisMisterBond I understand your defense of Craig, as we also saw Connery's performance slipping for what I deem to be similar reasons...but at least Connery never eschewed "modern constructs of masculinity" as an inciting factor, the way Craig has done. It's like, dude, you're playing James freaking Bond...if you have a problem with traditional masculinity, there are other roles you can pursue...and by God, he certainly did, as of late! :/ I guess what I'm saying is that being a good "James Bond Ambassador" is an essential component to selling the Bond legacy, and that should convey on screen. Craig did that no valuable service, imo.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

I don't necessarily need the Bond actor to be an ambassador or comfortable with the role. I think many of the most electric performances in cinema history resulted from an actor existing in a state of friction with the role he's playing. The "masculinity" of Bond deserves a video into its own because the Bond character, from Fleming on through Craig, has a lot of variance in that regard. For instance, it's interesting that Craig's Bond actually ends up being more aggressively and performatively "hypermasculine" than either Dalton's Bond or Brosnan's Bond (both of whom were routinely criticized, in different ways, for being too soft - Dalton being pinned as the AIDS-era Bond, and Brosnan being pinned as the "soap opera" Bond). At this point, I'm happy to see Craig branching out and doing some personal passion projects. I'm looking forward to catching his latest soon - it looks pretty fascinating.

[@frankb821]

@@AnalyzeThisMisterBond Interesting points...I certainly look forward to contemplating a video on "various presentations of the masculinity of Bond on screen," should you choose to do one! I've tried very hard to like Craig in the role, but it's so hard for me to root for Craig's Bond when he doesn't even seem to root for himself. That's just not Bond to me, but he does embody other aspects of the Fleming character, nonetheless. Thx for the back and forth bro

[@supernerd4677]

@@AnalyzeThisMisterBond By using the term "soap opera", your making Brosnan sound like the Melrose Place Bond. Haha

[@historybuff66]

Great commentary, solid insights. For me: 1. George Lazenby 2. Timothy Dalton 3. Sean Connery 4. Daniel Craig 5. Roger Moore 6. Pierce Brosnan My selections are biased by Fleming’s novels and stories which I largely read prior to seeing the Bond films.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

The novels are first in my heart!

[@johnrigs6540]

Very interesting ranking! Every single Bond fan will have their own personal opinions and lists. A lot of that,of course,has to do with who we grew up with and who made the most impact on us. Here’s mine. 1. Sean Connery( OF COURSE - Always the definitive James Bond to me.) 2. Pierce Brosnan(perfect combination of Connery and Moore) 3. Roger Moore ( the most FUN Bond ) 4. Daniel Craig ( Modern Bond and by far the most realistic of them all. But also probably the LEAST fun Bond) 5. Timothy Dalton ( as you said - the most accurate film version that comes closest to Flemings character in the books) 6. George Lazenby ( bet he would have been GREAT had he done more films)

[@Wolfman1491]

Dalton has the most sincerity in his performance, he seems to really be giving it his all, no winking at the camera, he wants to bring Fleming's Bond to screen and I love that. That little Collar Fold in Living Daylights or the vengeful glare he carries throughout License is all done in earnest. Brosnan and Moore always seemed to be having so much fun and I think they had the most appreciation for their time in the role. Connery and Craig both develop a "too cool for this", vibe throughout their tenure and that's a real shame.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Connery and Craig both stayed on too long, methinks.

[@Wolfman1491]

@AnalyzeThisMisterBond I have heard you say in another Video, that Connery gets by on his natural Charisma and I think that's spot on. He seems like a different person by the time we find him sipping a Mint Tea Julep in Goldfinger, but I'm equally excited for that Bond as I am in Dr. No, when he is waiting for Dent, playing Cards. Craig seemed completely checked out by Spectre.

[@astrosquirrel5038]

My appreciation for Dalton has only gone up over the last 20 years. He used to be my least favorite and now I put him third, just behind Connery and Moore. He was the right Bond at the wrong time and I'm glad he's finally getting the recognition he deserves.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

I really wish he'd been able to continue as Bond into the 90s. He'd have been great in GOLDENEYE.

[@fmor4133]

Instead of one more at his end I would have loved to see Dalton one earlier in AVTAK. Moore was too old what penalize a lot the movie. I'm convinced with Dalton it would have been an even better movie.

[@johnrigs6540]

Yes very much ahead of his time. But the switch from Moores lightness to his intensity was too jarring for the public to completely accept at the time. Now everyone knows how great he really was.

[@belloq81]

A compelling ranking! You make an interesting case for why Connery is where he is in your ranking, though I find his screen presence so overwhelming that I have to put him at the top. My list, with the big caveat that I genuinely enjoy them all: Connery Dalton Craig Moore Brosnan Lazenby Lazenby’s last by default simply because the sample size is so small, but I like him in OHMSS a lot. He completely nails every scene with Rigg, and that's what's most important for the movie to succeed.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Rigg brings out the best in Lazenby, for sure. I wonder if he'd have been able to bring that out in her absence...

[@belloq81]

We'd need to see that second entry with him to know for sure!

[@mysteryroach42]

I‘m not mad at this ranking. On some days I’d probably have the same one, and you made a strong enough case for today to be one of those days.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Well, that's a mighty strong compliment!

[@bengrenan8192]

Interesting ranking. Good points! 1. Roger Moore - Totally agree with him using wit, serious when needs to be, to instantly suit what's going on as beneficial and key to Bond achieving his goals. Similar reasons for a spy me liking Sarah Shahi in Person of Interest, and Arnie in True Lies (ok a bit more comedic role). Plus they're entertaining. Octopussy, TSWLM and Moonraker are all in my top 10 Bond movies. 2. Pierce Brosnan - Goldeneye being my favourite Bond film, a shame the last one was so bad, the worst, not his fault. He flew out the blocks in style and always held attention on screen as Bond. 3. Sean Connery - The default Bond which every actor newly into the role has to look at and study first to learn from. His last two official EON performances less than desirable and that's what knocks him down, it's too noticeable and the fault lays on him for that, sadly. Respect to him overall though. 4. Timothy Dalton - A better serious take on it than Craig. His emotions are a bit more natural compared to him too. Love for instance the semi grin he sometimes gives and spontaneous reactions emotional or otherwise he shows as a secret agent. Well studied of the novels by him. He's the one that has the most potential to move up my rankings after a couple more rewatches. I love LTK. 5. Daniel Craig - Fell off in performance and story after entrance number three. So much so he seemed to be just playing himself playing Bond at times in NTTD. Grumpy look and emo, and not much display of charisma. Acted well opposite females mainly. Good touch of humour from time to time too. But expected more overall. 6. George Lazenby - Shame he was given bad advice by his agent would've loved to see him in more entries. I like his portrayal especially the emotional moments, and some of his humour is good. Just a fair few times of wooden moments and one or two not good voice over moments, but as he was not an actor before could just about give him a pass. Don't dislike any of these guys, they all put a lot of work in.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Cheers, Ben. Thanks for your thoughtful response.

[@SharkWhosFondOfBond]

Here's my list, this should be interesting 😂 Note: I like all of them! 6. Daniel Craig (He's good, but except for Skyfall, he's much too serious. Even literary Bond at his worst wasn't on Craig Bond's level of serious!) 5. George Lazenby (Really good, especially for a very first time actor, and he's surprisingly close to the original character, especially in the end!) 4. Pierce Brosnan (Gave the perfect movie Bond and the most physically active!) 3. Sean Connery (Definitely the most iconic and classic Bond, I'm also admittedly a Connery Bond film sucker!) 2. Roger Moore (The most entertaining Bond of all time and has a surprising amount of similarities to the book version of Bond) 1. Timothy Dalton (Dalton gave us the most perfect, book accurate portrayal of Bond! The literary version of Bond got a little less serious as the books went on and Dalton knew that as he read every single Fleming Bond book ever written, proving that he is the definitive Bond as Suchet is the definitive Poirot!)

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

We're more aligned than not! Cheers!

[@jstos3675]

I agree with your list except I would switch Dalton and Brosnan.

[@mohammedashian8094]

I was introduced to it by sir Sean so by default he’d be the first name to come out of my mouth and was for the longest time until I watched his non bond and thought that he was a much better actor that people don’t give him credit for (he did win an Oscar after all😊). Then I read the novels (which I would choose over the films until the day I die) and I found a bond I didn’t know I needed. And I read in a comment that Tim read them for his films so that got me intrigued and I’m now hearing his voice whenever I’m reading a bond book 😂. Like you, The thing I like about the novel version is that he’s a realistic and human character in an otherwise fictional and fantastical world (which is also why characters like Indiana jones and John McLane are so loved till today because they’re relatable and down to earth) and it mirrors what Fleming said about how he wrote bond. That he wanted him to be a dull and boring and ordinary person who gets tossed into the most EXTRAordinary situations and react to it the same way a Normal person would. It’s understandable why people would remember and think of bond from the movies but I always get a kick of them reading the books and see that bond (though a product of the times and not exactly PC) is actually a complex and multidimensional character. I do find that it bothers me when people try to dismiss him and Fleming as not worthy of mentioning and unrealistic. Like you don’t think he knows it isn’t meant to be realistic or taken seriously already? (I’m looking at you John le Carré). So I guess that’s about all I have to say. I’m kinda lukewarm on Connery because so much of what he did just wasn’t the man I was reading in the books (especially the slapping) but I would still watch. My personal favourite and I think best bond (my opinion) is FRWL. He and Dalton are both number one to me (for completely different reasons that is).

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Connery comes closest to Fleming in FRWL (which is still a terrific movie).

[@patrickbarry6273]

Moore (whose movies I thought I'd hate going in), Brosnan, Connery, Dalton, Craig, Lazenby And, another good vid. Thx. Merry Christmas, Bond fans.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Thanks, Patrick!

[@Arthurianism]

1) Dalton 2) Connery 3) Moore 4) Craig 5) Lazenby 6) Brosnan It’s hard to rate Brosnan because he always seemed to be cribbing from other Bonds and I don’t care for his line delivery. Craig started strong but he does not appear to really love the character. Moore made the part his own. Dalton made the part his own. Connery defined the part. Lazenby had a natural athleticism, confidence, charm, and vulnerability. He was not a trained actor, but he is a natural with screen presence. He is a natural rogue, not unlike Connery.

[@Paul_Whaley]

Darn, YT hid the notice that you had uploaded! When it comes to ranking the actors, it's certainly hard. They've all done films that I love, and as such, it's hard for me to (and a lot of us) to list who our favorites are. They're all our favorites, and it's really a Sophie's Choice dilemma. George is at the bottom for me, but that's really only due to the one film. OHMSS is fantastic, and like you, I think that George does better than what the common consensus has been. When it comes to the next 5 spots, I really just can't do it. I've got love for all of them, but trying to codify a list just isn't something that I think I can do at this time. All of the actors have high and low points in their entries, which makes it harder too. I'd probably have a 3-way-tie between Craig, Brosnan, and Dalton for first, and a 2-way between Connery and Moore for second. If LTK was just a little better of a film (the ninja attack is just something that I cannot stand), Dalton would be my #1. I think that Pierce was pretty solid throughout his films, but like you said, he never got that big emotional moment to work with. Craig is fantastic, but Skyfall and Spectre are kind of just meh acting films for me. Connery and Moore had lower lows, in my opinion. However, I still love their performances. Yeah, it's hard. I respect your ranking. Thanks for the thoughtful, great video Ryan!

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Thanks, Paul. LTK really is pretty rocky, so I understand your position re: Dalton.

[@jamesabernethy7896]

I'm a child of the 80's. Even though the Connery and Moore movies got a lot of air time on TV when I was growing up Moore felt of my era. Although my order is a little different you've outlined the reasons why I like them. 1. Moore. He survived by his wits and charm rather than physicality. It's what a spy should be. 2. Dalton Even though it was only 2 movies I loved the passion and reaching into those darker emotions. 3. Brosnan We hate to admit it but he old had one good movie, going by that one. I love the charm and playfulness and somewhat unpredictability. 4. Connery Even though Number 4, he's still a great Bond. More instinctual awareness than cerebral intelligence. 5 Craig When he acts he's good, but to look cool and collected in times of intensity he just looks disinterested. 6 Lazenby A different Bond but one that could have been given another chance. There is part of me that feels guilty about judging Brosnan well for one performance over Connery's consistent character performances. A small side project that might be a little fun would be to explore 'what if' situations in terms of casting possibilities for each Bond. Those can be so fun to speculate, some were actually considered at the time while others may be your own picks. They could also include those Bond actors who could have played Bond at an earlier age but were rejected at the time. What could these people have brought to the role.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

I really wonder what Oliver Reed's Bond might have been like!

[@jamesabernethy7896]

@@AnalyzeThisMisterBond He''d probably have had a bigger bar tab than Sterling Archer.

[@Steve_Zilla]

❤ this video like all of your content My ranking is slightly varied: 1. Moore (my favorite by far) 2. Connery These two bring in what I love about Bond, escapism to the extreme 3. Dalton (I wish he would have gotten a 3rd) 4. Brosnan (those last 2 films kill him; he is still the textbook Bond) 5. Craig (I like CR, but he never feels like Bond to me: I don't blame him, just the filmmakers) I can't rank Lazenby because he didn't give us enough Keep up the excellent work! I would like to collaborate with you at some point and discuss the best character in fiction

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Cheers, Steve!

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

You can message me on Instagram and we can always chat there!

[@jv007ltk]

Dalton has also always been my favourite! The man could just express so much with just one look. Superb actor. I do put Lazenby higher though, I think he's the second closest to Fleming's Bond after Dalton. My least favourite is Craig. I like him, but with his Bond I miss the appreciation for the finer things in life.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

It would've been easy to incorporate some more snobbery into Craig's adventures. It's a shame that they didn't.

[@jbjones07]

"Ah! We must be related!" 😁 Love all six actors, but Timothy Dalton is my absolute favorite as well, so I couldn't agree more. Sean used to be first, followed by Roger and then Tim. But as I got older, I recognized the nuances he showed in his performances (one example: Dalton's mesmerizing performance with D'Abo's Kara after Saunder's murder). He's a fascinating version because his films take first-time fans on an unpredictable journey. His Bond has a great ability to stalk his enemy's movements; instead of mostly being pursued. Always one step ahead, and has keen powers of observation that don't need much explanation (Ex: the look he gives Koskov when leaving the safehouse meeting). Dalton's two films are, imo, very smart storylines. As a kid, I wanted EON to continue down that path. When Dalton left and Brosnan signed on, I was a little disappointed, but excited to see what Pierce could bring. His performances were great, but unfortunately, the films had a seesaw affect. GoldenEye was excellent and showed promise for the future, but TND was a huge letdown because it had so, so much potential that was gutted for simplicity. Really appreciated TWINE because I thought it was smart, but DAD regressed the momentum. I completely sympathize with Brosnan being frustrated with his post GE films. Craig came along with the big alternate experiment, and gave me exactly what I was looking for since Dalton. Some were hits, some were misses, but doggone it, there was distinction, instead of just "greatest hits packages." Post LTK, Dalton's influence is easily recognized in the past 30 years of films, and you can tell newer generations of fans recognize it too.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Craig shook things up the way things needed to be shaken up. People forget just how stale and vacuous the Bond series was feeling in 2002. 9/11 had just happened and the vulgar fantasy of DAD instantly seemed out of date. Craig made Bond relevant again (and the renewed box office success went hand in hand with that).

[@bobbycalifornia7077]

Completely agree on the blind luck and happenstance point.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

There's a lot of lazy plotting in this series!

[@neilmatthews5590]

For me (1) Dalton (2) Sir Rodger (3) Sir Sean (4) Brosnan (5) DC (6) George

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

We're very close in our rankings!

[@yestoadventure007]

Wow, I appreciate your breakdown and reasoning for each of these actors. Dalton is also my favorite Bond and has been for quite some time for all the reasons you mentioned and It only got reinforced when I read the books. All the actors gave their version of Bond but Dalton gave us Fleming's version of James Bond. It was Dalton who transformed the character from the more "detective" agent of the Connery to Moore Bonds to the "soldier" of modern Bond. Connery is the next because as the first he set the tone, he's the most cool and a believable killer. 3rd is Daniel Craig who brought a sense of realism and created the 3 dimensional character that we get in the Fleming novels and still is that dark, brutal over the top hero we need in a movie. 4th Pierce Brosnan was literally born to play the role. If you were to make a Bond like a Frankenstein's monster, Brosnan would be the result. He encapsulates all the actors into one and is just fun to watch. 4th is George Lazenby but he was my least favorite until I read the novel OHMSS and realized he was doing the book Bond and did it quite well. He would have grown into the role as his acting chops got better. Yes, I have Roger at the end. First, I LOVE Roger Moore but I saw him as The Saint first (which may have tainted my perspective) and for me he was still doing Simon Templar while in the Bond films. Also, I had a lot of fun in Roger's films but he's playing Roger Moore more rather than James Bond and he's so smooth and affable, I could never believe him being a ruthless killer. He's just got too silly for me at times. There are 2 types of Bond fans. The ones who have the Roger, Brosnan fun ones at the top and Dalton, Connery, Craig dark one towards the bottom and the reverse who have the Dalton, Connery, Craig killers at the top and the Brosnan, Moore fun ones toward the bottom. It truly is a Rorschach test.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

I personally think Moore does enough differently between The Saint and his Bond character, but as much as I love Sir Rog... he doesn't have a lot of range.

[@yestoadventure007]

@@AnalyzeThisMisterBond Because I was such a huge fan of The Saint before I even knew who James Bond was and because I saw Connery before Moore, my view may be askew.

[@danielsiljeholm]

Roger Moore don't play Roger Moore.

[@graysimmo5399]

I have loved your whole series. You have an ease, a huge expertise, a passion and even if I don't necessarily agree with every opinion, I can see its well thought out and genuine personally my ranking is very hard to do. Do I rank the character, the quality of film, the portrayal, or even what I think of the actor on a personal level. Or do I ignore breaking it down that much and just imagine which films I am most likely to re-watch. Connery-Its hard not to separate my personal feeling towards the actor from Bond himself. He comes across very misogynistic, self centred, smarmy and like he is in a bubble. If he was chocolate he would eat himself. I think Connery has more acting potential than on show here, I much prefer his non Bond work. Maybe the films suffer a little bit as they are restricted by the technical limitations of the time, but they are ones I don't go back to often Lazenby-He is my least watched Bond. That is probably just me being prejudiced and swaying to popular belief that he is the worst of the Bonds. I don't have an enormous recollection of him, but what bits do stick in my mind are of a less dangerous version of Connery. Bond needs to be a threat, and I just don't feel he is intimidating enough as a foe Moore-I love the man, so maybe I will find myself making excuses for him. He makes it look effortless, almost as if he isn't acting at all. That makes him easy to watch. He has a good feel for comedy, though I think they played in to that too much, particularly in Octopussy, which almost felt like a veiled attempt to draw attention away from the fact Moore was just too old by this point. And while he isn't any more physically threatening than Lazenby, there is a cleverness in how he gets the better of adversaries he clearly knows are out of his league in a straight up fight. They definitely jumped the shark once or twice but its good old fashioned fun. Its hard not to like him Dalton-While I totally get the point that he is a complete professional, no frills, no BS Bond, he is just hard to connect with, probably because I haven't read the books, so I don't instantly see a connection. It's a grounded Bond which I know should appeal to my own "lets keep it real" character. But it's just not that great of a watch. He is probably the Bond I would want covering my back, but this not real life. I want a degree of realism, but also to be entertained Brosnan-He has a bit of everything. Maybe the most complete of all Bonds. But I cant ignore Die another day, when a lot of the good work was undone by being over the top in just about every aspect. He became a bit of a caricature of what we were offered in the previous 3 films, like everything was dialled up to 11. And in fairness the material was very up and down during his time. Goldeneye doesn't wear as well over time, I thought it was the best ever at the time. Tomorrow never dies was very dull and Die another day was possibly last of all Bond films. The world is not enough, I think, saw the best of Brosnan. It was just a too brief glimpse of what we could have had Craig-What I love about this Bond are the moments of vulnerability and self doubt. This is a man who is the best at what he does, yet he is internally tortured and insecure. I don't think it was ever touched on before. I also love how he is almost schizophrenic. Always ready to quit and walk away, but underneath still has that overwhelming urge to do the right thing. To him the job is not everything, and yet he cant truly ignore when a wrong needs putting right. He can be charming and funny at times, yet has no problem showing that he can be a miserable, grumpy old git as well. He doesn't like losing and has no problem putting pressure on friends when its for his benefit. He is ruthless, but not without a conscience. He has a nice balance, not quite as ruthless as Connery, not as funny as Moore, not as professional as Dalton. He is Brosnan, but with a bit more backstory and depth of character

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Thank you for your kind words and thoughtful explanation of your ranking! I really do hope you check out the Fleming novels. The recent audiobooks are a great way to do that! They're very well narrated.

[@graysimmo5399]

@AnalyzeThisMisterBond thank you for the recommendation. Keep up the good work. Im just about to give Lazenby another chance. OHMSS is streaming now

[@Verdenfell]

The constrained range of expression you mention concerning Connery's Bond may be what makes it difficult for me to picture him in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" playing opposite Diana Rigg, even though many lament his absence. Also, by that point in time, his frustration may have had him "phoning it in" as he did more or less for "Diamonds Are Forever". Which of the other four actors, do you think, would have filled that role best, if not for Lazenby, Timothy Dalton?

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

I actually think Moore might have been great in OHMSS. Working under Hunt, he'd have had plenty of room to flex his more serious side, and I think he'd be a great romantic partner for Rigg.

[@qwertymanor]

I agree with you. Earlier I would have had Roger Moore 5th but he's just fun to watch so i would have him a little higher now.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

He's a true delight.

[@Crwydryn-x3r]

Sean Connery portrayed a character with rough manners who was running away from his traumas. The luxuries, the gambling and the women were like boyish pranks for a man who knew that the only friend he will ever have is death. George Lazenby in his only film portrayed that character before he experienced the trauma, which was the death of a woman he actually loved. Daniel Craig took Bond back to that theme but was not able to take him past it. The Bonds in between suffered from bad screenwriting and too many disposable villains. What killed Timothy Dalton's career as Bond was the writers playing around with the theme of drug smuggling as a security threat, without being able to fuse it into the stories convincingly. Licence To Kill was a travesty, there could have been a hundred ways to make Bond chase a drug lord without turning him into a cheap copy of a 1980s TV hero. It was a bad ending for a promising Bond. Dalton portrayed Bond as a salaryman with a gun. His Bond tried to make sense of the surreal madness of the spying game and was forced to face his own limitations. Bond sees with his own eyes that the British government is helping the Afghan Taliban sell drugs, and there is nothing that he can do about it but save himself and Bond girl. In the Bond movies with Spectre and Blofeld Bond's battles were personal, but the battles of Dalton's Bond were the very opposite of that. The writers were not able to come up with villains that could match Dalton's Bond character.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

This is a thoughtful reply, so thank you. Personally, I can't see Connery's Bond as someone who is running away from his traumas. I think you can try to read that back into his movies, but taken in isolation, I don't think there's any scene in his run that really has that subtext. I don't love LICENCE TO KILL (I was pretty hard on it in my review), but I think there's plenty to commend in it. I think Sanchez is one of the series' greatest villains.

[@MultiCastorFiber]

Your top 2 is a bold choice. And since I agree with you, the correct one!

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

We're two of a kind

[@paulkenny105]

Daniel Craig was the worst Bond Casino Royale- Didn’t kill or chiffre, couldn’t save the girl and the bad guys got the money Quantum of Solace - barely beat a dweeb of a villain Skyfall - the bad guy’s plan worked, couldn’t save M Specter- blofeld is his brother?!?? No Time to Die - Bond dies. Like actually died I love Daniel Craig and enjoyed his films CR is one of my all time favorite movies let alone bond films. And I respect his choices. But as a Bond fan? He stunk

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

His Bond sure didn't have a lot of career successes!

[@CaminoAir]

While I am a big fan of Dalton as Bond, I think Brosnan was the better overall Bond. The reason is that the film Bond had always combined cold blooded seriousness and tongue in cheek humor. Connery had established that as the template. Audiences responded to that. Dalton wasn't willing to play both aspects. Brosnan was. So Dalton is great dramatically, but awkward in terms of what audiences actually wanted.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Thanks for your thoughtful reply! My opinion is just my own idiosyncratic perspective, nothing more, but I think there's quite a big difference between excellence and popularity. Dalton left audiences cold, but audiences are pretty fickle.

[@varangianventure]

While like you I did get my proper introduction to Bond via Goldeneye. I consider Craig as my "first" Bond since I only got into the series due to Casino Royale. Having now read the books I'd put Craig, Connery and Dalton on my top three. I also love taking fashion aspirations from Bond so that puts both Craig and Connery above Dalton. I however don't like the lighter aspects of Bond so I would put Moore and Brosnan to the bottom. :b Still was fun listening to you mention the Fleming books. Would love to see you review a book or two. Thanks again for recommending the Horowitz trilogy.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

I'll be reviewing the books next year!

[@varangianventure]

@@AnalyzeThisMisterBond Based.

[@highdesertforester]

I'm old and I was already reading the books when Dr No came out. I think one's first Bond influences one's preferences so Connery is my number one. He resonated with my picture of the literary Bond. I will say he did two too many movies. I didn't like him in Diamonds or Never Say Never. The quality of the script is a huge determinate in how I view the other actors. Craig is my second favorite because they got back to the serious cruel Bond. Moore is my least favorite because they just got silly with the Southern Sheriff and Jaws et al. The rest were fine and I enjoyed their movies.

[@angusmcmillan111]

I find the idea of ranking Bond actors like being asked to say who is your favourite child! Well argued choices. I think for me Brosnan is ahead of Craig on entertainment value, but agree completely he was let down with the scripts he was given after Goldeneye - although to be fair to Craig I think that is also a factor in some of his weaker Bond moments.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Craig certainly had some rough scripts...

[@APCartoonist]

My list is simething like this: Connery, Brosnan, Lazenby, Dalton, Moore, Craig. That said, I enjoy them all for different reasons

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Thanks for watching. Doesn't seem like you and I are entirely in sync, but variety is the spice of life (and Bond fans).

[@usernameinfo4therevenge]

In my opinion only two actors - Connery & Moore - have ever fully owned the character. Connery - the only actor to be 10/10 in every essential area of Bond. Handled action and humour effortlessly and was realistically irresistible to women. Unlikely 007 would have become a phenomenon without him, and not a coincidence he became a superstar outside of Bond. Moore - with the help of the right directors and writers tailored the character to his strengths, and and his interpretation of the character - a quipster who saves the world while going to bed with every woman he meets - is the archetype of Bond the general public usually think of. Dalton - I always felt his theatrical style of acting was more suited to a scenery chewing Bond villain rather than the deadpan character of Bond himself. Was better in LTK than TLD and if he had done a third might have been better again. Brosnan - Needed the character to be tailored to his lightweight acting the way it was with Moore, but often found himself lost in the middle of a lot of noise and explosions. The attempts at serious drama in TWINE were well outside of his acting range. Craig - After a strong start with CR seemed to lose enthusiasm and some of the creative decisions of his films - which he seemed to have a hand in developing - make me wonder if he actually knew what character he was playing. Lazenby - Peter Hunt did an excellent job of steering George's Connery impression through one of the best films of the series.

[@mohammedashian8094]

@usernameinfo4therevenge I don’t have much to say about the others (you described it right even though I don’t really care much for Moore and brosnan). But when it comes to Dalton, no offence but I get the feeling that you judge him exactly how people judged him (which is that he wasn’t Connery or Moore so he must be bad) which does kinda piss me off a bit 🤣. The man time and time again made it clear that his version of the character is how it was created (not by EON) and not how it was perceived as by the public (and apparently they got pissy about it).

[@stevieg8356]

Connery, Moore, Dalton, and Craig had their own take on Bond, and were convincing in their portrayal’s. It’s hard to judge Lazenby because he only had one Film and didn’t have acting experience. Brosnan tried to copy Moore and Connery to mixed results. I thought he was good when he leaned into Moore territory, but not as convincing when he leaned into Connery. Moore was my personal favourite followed by Connery and Dalton.

[@patera124]

Personal rankings: 1 CONNERY: In a way, Connery wins by default, simply by virtue of being Connery. He's probably not the most accomplished actor to play Bond, and his interpretation of the character may not be the most complex or nuanced - but genuine movie stardom is an ineffable, lightning in a bottle phenomenon. Connery is the most physically magnetic, charismatic, and charming actor to play the part, and this makes him the best Bond for me. The most remarkable aspect of his portrayal was how effortless it appeared: if you watch his initial run, from Dr No to YLT, you'll never catch him acting once. Also, I think by temperament, Connery was the most like Fleming's character in real life, and for this reason I can't help imagining Connery when I read the books. 2: DALTON: It galls me slightly when people offer Dalton the faint praise of being nothing more than a Craig precursor. In actually, I think that Dalton achieved a far better realistically grounded Bond in The Living Daylights that any of the Craig movies ever would. The sniper sequence at the beginning of Daylights is the Platonic ideal of what a serious, grounded Bond should be like. Dalton brought a distant, introspective, mysterious quality to the character - this is a person who will never fully open up their thoughts and interiority to anybody - and this guarded quality was apt to a character who is both a professional spy and a skilled gambler. 3: MOORE: Moore's particular gift lay in playing the part straight enough that a child could take it completely in earnest, whereas an adult sees the ironic sense of fun pervading the entire performance. I think he was actually at his funniest in the early movies where his interpretation wasn't fully ironed out, and he plays Bond with a kind of incongruous smug jerk energy. 4: LAZENBY: Lazenby definitely gets a boost from the strange rags to riches back to rags story of his whirlwind Bond tenure, and the fact that his one outing happens to be possibly the most distinctively stylized of all the Bond films. Moore's arrival was probably the best thing for the continued popularity of the franchise ultimately, but one more Hunt-directed Lazenby Bond would have been a gift. 5: CRAIG: Craig is a fantastic actor and I have no issues with how he played Bond - but the more time passes the less I care for the entire creative trajectory of his run. 6: BROSNAN: Obviously a subjective and not very popular take, but Brosnan to me is one of those actors who is far more interesting playing against type, and a bit dull when working in their wheelhouse. He seems to me to be the first Bond actor who is consciously imitating his predecessors (Connery/Moore) rather than re-shaping the outline of the character to his own personality. In stark contrast to the effortlessness of Connery, you feel like Brosnan's nonchalance was studied and rehearsed to death. I do think that we could have had a Brosnan Bond performance for the ages - had the Brocoli's allowed Tarantino to go ahead with his planned 60s set Casino Royale adaptation.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

@patera124 My affection for Brosnan is very much shaped by what he did outside of Bond - and the way we occasionally glimpse that in moments in his movies. I love his penchant for musicality in line delivery ("I'd be lost at sea... adrift" from TND is the kind of delightful line reading only Brosnan would do). He's so effortlessly charming in Remington Steele and Thomas Crown, but that effortlessness doesn't come through as much in his Bond movies. Brosnan lobbied for McTiernan to do one of his Bond movies, and I wish that had come to fruition. McTiernan really knew how to use him.

[@fmor4133]

Amazing how much I can agree with your content and at the same time disagree with the ranking. You explain your reasoning very well but I guess we put our weight on different spots. 1. Brosnan 2. Connery 3.Moore 4. Dalton 5. Lazenby 6. Craig At the end my only struggle is depressiv Bond, everything else are additions I rather have than not have them.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

I'll take that as a compliment! I do think it's a shame Craig never got to have a purely "fun" Bond movie. He clearly doesn't mind having a bit of a laugh (ala KNIVES OUT).

[@fmor4133]

@AnalyzeThisMisterBond it was certainly meant as a compliment and to the diversity of the Bond community, keep going

[@dj71162]

My preference would be: 1. Roger, 2. Pierce, 3. Sean, 4. Daniel, 5. Timothy, 6. George. Roger is always the first person I think of when it comes to who I see Bond as, even though he is a world award from an accurate Bond. Pierce is just so perfect and he was the first Bond I saw. I know its wrong to put Sean so low, but I never really warmed to him.

[@keithwald5349]

For many people, myself included, Sean Connery is hands down the best. It's hard to say (and also different for each person), how much of that is due to Connery being the first. Just like one's preference for pizza or burger joints, often the first one you try - as long as it is at least good - imprints on you as the basis for future comparison. Some of it is due to one's existing tastes. Those who like the tongue in cheek stuff tend to gravitate toward Roger Moore. I prefer toughness and (mostly) realism combined with coolness and suaveness, with some kind of charisma - whether overt or understated. And - I have to come out and say it - audiences tend to like the guy who can get the girl. So for me, Connery is #1, Craig is #2, and maybe Brosnan is #3. I can't really rank the others. I still don't think that any other actor has topped Connery's first "Bond, James Bond." in Dr. No. Added: Another factor is that some people consider alignment with Flemming's novels an important criterion, and others - like me - rightly or wrongly completely disregard that and consider the cinematic Bond as a standalone character.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

For me, "toughness" is less important than "cleverness" (a consistent preference of mine in all characters, not just Bond - I'm firmly for brains over brawn).

[@keithwald5349]

@@AnalyzeThisMisterBond When it comes to Bond specifically, I'm a "blunt instrument" guy 😉. Perhaps that goes back to first impressions with Connery, and with my seeing the films prior to reading the books. But for many other characters I'm with you. My all time favorite Sherlock Holmes is still Jeremy Brett. To me that was as close to perfection as it gets. And in real life, my favorite physicists were Richard Feynman and Hans Bethe.

[@Artist28Muse]

I always thought both Connery and Moore were the more psychopatic Bonds. That stoicism that was trendy in the 60's, 70's and 80's, mixed with light hearted humour to appeal to younger audiences. It feels a bit weird in today's context.

[@MrGretzky9966]

My list is like this 1.Daniel Craig 2. Timothy Dalton 3. Pierce Bronson 4. Shawn Connery 5. George Lazinby 6. Roger Moore I wish George would have done Diamonds are Forever and it might have been better than it was with I mailed it in Connery. My favorite bond movies list is one that many people won’t get either. Timothy is unrated and screwed by United Artists going bankrupt at the time.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

George doing Diamonds is one of the big "What ifs?" of the series.

[@apexhunter109]

One thing I believe is all of the actor's version of the character is also a product of that time period. This is a character that's been around since the 60s and wether for the better or not, culture has changed a lot since then. To keep the character relevant, you have to come up with a balance to keep the old fans while attracting new ones.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

I completely agree! The character needs to evolve to survive.

[@DafyddBrooks]

Young kids and teenagers right now like Daniel Craig as their number 1 which I think is understandable. compared to adults who have grown up more with the older movies more and havent really taken in Daniel like others have. Ive said it before, I'll say it again, if it meant Pierce was never going to be Bond, I would have loved it if Tim did his 3rd movie 1991/2 and be the Bond for the rest of the 90's :)

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Dalton could've done it, no sweat.

[@JannAsheSGBC]

For me it’s easily a tie: Dalton, Brosnan, Connery. Goldeneye still my top Bond film. Top Five - GE, OHMSS, Goldfinger, Living Daylights, Skyfall. But love Brosnan Bond. Him on the Manticore dispatching the thug. He and Trevelyan fight is epic. I love Skyfall, but more because the gravitas Bardem brings to Silva. Casino great, but I just can’t sit down and sit through it. Just not a fan of Craig. Fleming had Hoagie Charmichael in mind as Bonds look. That is Brosnan, Dalton look. But tie for me: Dalton, Brosnan, Connery. Then Moore, Lazenby, Craig. I love Octopussy, as it plays to Moores age. Octopussy more contemporary to him. The Buzzsaw fight he uses thugs movement against them, making an awesome fight scene. He goes up against Kahn in Backgammon, and Sothebys auction. But Dalton in Pushkin hotel room is 100% Fleming Bond. An Assasins who distracts Pushkin guard, and one swell swing to back of head, takes him out. Silent doesn’t draw any attention. Lazenbys Bond holding the ski to man’s neck, to keep him from giving Bonds position away, very Fleming. Brosnan in the bank scene in TWINE, pure Fleming Bond. And that pre title sequence.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

I think Craig looks more like Carmichael than Brosnan does!

[@CosmicApe2]

I get this ranking. I can’t rank the actors, aside from Dalton as my on-screen favorite, and the literary Bond as my over-all favorite. I have favorite specific performances because of the variety within each actors tenures. Connery in DN for example would be up there. Connery in YOLT would not. I do wonder about how much of a generational divide may split opinions on Connery. Also how one relates to masculinity.

[@CosmicApe2]

And I relate to what you say on Brosnan. I was born in ‘83 and came up on his Bond in the cinema. I’ve never glommed on to him as Bond, but I like him outside of Bond. THOMAS CROWN is my favorite Brosnan Bond movie essentially. Imagine Rene Russo teamed up with his Bond in a romantic and playful Bond movie. Hey, I don’t have to I can just watch THOMAS CROWN.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Thomas Crown is everything I would want from a Brosnan Bond. He's so charming in that.

[@paulrobinson3649]

Your description of Daniel Craig's Bond rings true for modern society - "Forget the quality. Look at the label".

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

To be fair, Fleming did a lot of "label"-dropping in his novels!

[@alanj.anderson2486]

1. Connery 2. Dalton 3-6 the rest

[@Geronimo_Jehoshaphat]

01. Connery 02. Brosnan 03. Dalton 04. Craig 05. Moore 06. Lazenby

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

We're on different pages when it comes to Bond, it seems!

[@m.d.kenyon]

I always think I’ll be disagreeing with you - but you’re so damn persuasive! Dalton is my Bond, but I do recognise that while he is charismatic he doesn’t have the star power of some of the others…so he doesn’t dominate his films in the same way - which can be viewed as a good and a bad thing. Connery’s odd “know it all”comment - I never believed. Moore’s - I do! I do love Brosnan, but I never really believed in his physicality…what about Moore I hear you ask…somehow his presence meant I didn’t worry about his physical prowess. In an interview a co-star said Pierce was actually quite clumsy…I feel I see that a bit. Craig is obviously very believable in the physicality - probably a bit too much for me…and as you say a title more joy would have gone a long way. Agree that Lazenby is patchy and that the last scene is probably the best acting from a Bond…

[@mohammedashian8094]

That’s exactly what I liked about Dalton (that he was an ACTOR first and foremost and not a movie star). And while it’s understandable that you need a star that can draw money, I believe imho that when it comes to acting Dalton can run circles around all of them (not that they were bad oh no. Connery won an Oscar for Pete’s sake). But they definitely were mainly known as bond even if they had done things before and after bond while Dalton already had a credible resume that speaks of his skills as an actor by the time he was casted as bond. If it sounds that I’m doing a Dalton appreciation comment, then rest assured I AM 😎

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

Brosnan makes for an unconvincing commando (the 90s-era "action guy" tropes don't do him any favors). He'd have been better in less action-heavy films.

[@Dale_The_Space_Wizard]

My personal James Bond ranking from best to worse is: Sean Connery Timothy Dalton Pierce Brosnan Roger Moore George Lazenby Daniel Craig

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

We're not that far off from each other, but we clearly feel quite differently about Craig!

[@duff0120]

i love all of em, but i do think sean connery IS james bond. Brosnan is my bond, the one i grew up with. I also love to watch roger moore, love his films, the humour, the light atmohphare compared to connery

[@teenoso4069]

Dalton is a Shakespearan trained actor so arguably the best actor of the Bonds. Also his father was in SOE intelligence during WW2 at the same time as Peter Fleming. IMHO he was let down by the scripts and a general tireness of & for Bond during the 80s

[@mohammedashian8094]

I personally think that if he STARTED once the 80s rolled in (instead of keeping an obviously aging Roger Moore) he would’ve been TERRIFIC.

[@astrosquirrel5038]

@@mohammedashian8094 AVTAK should have been his first. I feel like he would have brought an edge to that film and seeing him go up against a psychopath like Zorin could have been really interesting.

[@AnalyzeThisMisterBond]

I think THE LIVING DAYLIGHTS has a pretty great script, all things considered, so I don't quite agree. LICENCE TO KILL is a bit of a mess, though (with some very good moments).

[@garybryant5946]

The Attempted Assassination of M in The Man With The Golden Gun novel Dalton is the only Bond actor i can see pulling that off successfully if on screen Sean Connery is the getting the job done Bond George Lazenby is the vulnerable Bond Roger Moore is the Clever Bond Timothy Dalton is the Human and Emotional Bond Peirce Brosnan is the Playboy Bond Daniel Craig is the Terminator Bond