Bond Quotes: A Look Back On The Best And The Worst Of 007 As “No Time To Die” Marks Daniel Craig’s Exit

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“No Time to Die” marks Daniel Craig’s fifth and last film since he inherited the license to kill 15 years ago, a period slightly extended as the film’s release was delayed by 18 months due to Covid , because MGM held out until theatrical exhibition was a viable option.

That actually makes Craig the oldest Bond chronologically (again, with an asterisk), but not the best, though his runner-up status seems pretty secure.

The late Sean Connery, who died last year, defined the role and pretty much every twitch associated with the character, from his devious sides after sending an enemy (“Shocking”, after electrocuting someone) to his physique. and his sexual conquests, the product of another era.

Connery played Bond five times from 1962 (“Dr. No”) to 1967 (“You Only Live Twice”) – with the two best, “From Russia With Love” and “Goldfinger”, in between – before s’ avoid a contractual dispute with producers.

Naively, Eon Productions picked Australian model George Lazenby, whose only outing in “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service” wasn’t that great (there was Diana Rigg, at the very least, plus a great ski chase streak. and Telly Savalas as villainous Blofeld), but it was weak enough that Connery was lured back – with a greatly increased salary – for “Diamonds Are Forever,” making Lazenby the only single Bond during this time. .

“Diamonds Are Forever” has already seen the camp factor rise, a quality that producers raced with when Roger Moore took over, starring in seven films over a dozen years, until he was clearly a bit long in the tooth for all this action.

Connery returned to Bond in the unauthorized 1983 “Never Say Never Again”, a sort of “Thunderball” remake made possible by a legal battle between film producer / co-writer Kevin McClory and Eon Productions. and Bond creator Ian Fleming. It was nice to see Connery again, but the film was not worthy of his talents.

Moore gets the nod for a (very distant) third place on the Bond scale, mainly because these films, with a few exceptions, were generally entertaining, if not at the level of Connery’s vehicles or Craig’s resurgence.

Part of this was due to what looked like an identity crisis, which explains how Bond ended up in space in “Moonraker” in 1979, or why someone thought it was a good idea. to title a film “Octopussy”.

Roger Moore is shooting his first James Bond film, "Live and Let Die" in 1973. (Photo by Keystone / Getty Images)

Pierce Brosnan, who reached television stardom in “Remington Steele,” had been chosen to replace Moore, but his television contract delayed his rise. The Walther PPK therefore went to Timothy Dalton, who had the boldness and courage of the role required but unfortunately ended up playing in two particularly weak efforts with mediocre villains, “The Living Daylights” and “License to Kill”.

Brosnan finally had his chance, starring in four Bond films, which might have kept the banner commercially in place, but didn’t significantly lift the franchise out of its creative malaise.

Then came Craig, whose magnetic presence invigorated Bond and brought back the sense of physical threat embodied by Connery. He started in 2006 with what remains the best of his adventures, “Casino Royale”, which had actually been adapted twice before: first for television in 1954, and in comedy with David Niven in 1967.

For those keeping the score, Bond’s unofficial ratings follow in descending order, along with the number of movies they’ve starred in:

Connery (6, plus “Never say never again”).

Craig (5).

Moore (7).

Brosnan (4).

Dalton (2).

Lazenby (1).

Who’s next? Everyone seems to have an opinion, but Eon producer Barbara Broccoli has said she won’t make any casting decisions until 2022.

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