James Bond: Each Actors Series Ranked

                       

Good old James Bond, for so many years I’ve wanted to do posts regarding him, and with the new Bond film coming out this year marking his 26^th motion picture, I’ve decided to dedicate this month entirely to 007. There have been seven different actors who played James Bond and each of their films feel like their own mini-franchises, each with their own distinct feel, style, tone and charm. Rather than rank all seven Bond actors based on their performances, I’m ranking them on their individual film collections, and they’ll be ordered from least favorite to my personal favorite James Bond Series.

(7) David Niven – 1 Bond Film - Casino Royal (1967)

Pore David Niven, it’s bad enough that he only stared in one single Bond film, but that specific Bond film has the distinct reputation for being the absolute worst of the whole series, and for good reason. While all the names and characters were the same, his 1967 movie titled “Casino Royal” played out like an overly frantic and overly silly comedy with a noticeable lack of any real laughs.  

(6) George Lazenby - 1 Bond Film - On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

Of all the actors to play James Bond, George Lazenby was always my least favorite, he just didn’t look the part, and lacked the charm of his predecessor. It’s no wonder he only had one Bond outing, but to be fair his 1969 film titled “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” was a respectable entry in the Bond cannon. Not much to say here, it was a one film series, and didn’t leave that much of an impact on me as a 007 fan.  

(5) Sean Connery – 7 Bond Films - Dr. No (1962), From Russia with Love (1963), Goldfinger (1964), Thunderball (1965), You Only Live Twice (1967), Diamonds Are Forever (1971) & Never Say Never Again (1983)

What’s this, Sean Connery’s classic Bond series ranks at number 5 on my countdown, how’s that possible, especially when he’s widely regarded as the best actor of the series, and has had the most respected entries in the whole franchise? Well, to be perfectly honest, there are only 3 Sean Connery Bond films that I really like, while the others just feel tired and dated. Sure, Sean Connery is awesome in the role of 007 but his films have only come off as okay good when compared to the other Bond films, at least for me.


(4) Roger Moore - 7 Bond Films - Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), The Spy Who Loved Me (1977), Moonraker (1979), For Your Eyes Only (1981), Octopussy (1983) & A View to a Kill (1985) 

To be perfectly honest, I was first introduced to James Bond through Roger Moore’s film series, so they have come off stronger with more nostalgia value and re-watch-ability. Most of my favorite Bond movies come from the Roger Moore films, including “The Spy Who Loved Me”, which is my favorite of the whole series. 


(3) Timothy Dalton - 2 Bond Films - The Living Daylights (1987) & Licence to Kill (1988)

He may have stared in only two Bond movies, but in my opinion Timothy Daltons film series marks some of the sharpest and slickest films 007 has to offer. His films are a little darker but with just enough of the same charm and wit that made the originals so fun. Timothy Dalton himself is also a very underappreciated Bond actor in my opinion, personally I think he’s one of the best actors of the whole series. 


(2) Daniel Craig - 4 Bond Films - Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), Skyfall (2012) & Spectre (2015)

Timothy Dalton started the notion of darker Bond films, but it was Daniel Craig who perfected the craft, making Bond come off more like a complex anti-hero, with more realistic storytelling, less over the top gadgets, and some thrilling action scenes. His film series came very close to being my favorite, but the only thing missing is the overall fun factor of the previous films. 

(1) Pierce Brosnan - 4 Bond Films - GoldenEye (1995), Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), The World is Not Enough (1999) & Die Another Day (2002)

I know the Pierce Brosnan films weren’t the most critically successful, but personally I think his films are the most consistently ... maybe not the best made, but certainly the most entertaining of James Bond. Their fun, their over the top, their action packed, their stuffed with gadgets, catchy theme songs, and lots of eye candy. While Pierce Brosnan isn’t my favorite actor to play Bond, I think he looks and feels the part more than anyone else, and his series is always what comes to mind first when I think of James Bond.

The End