Bond, James Bond... appreciating 007 through the years

In 2022, the “official” James Bond movie franchise will celebrate its 60th anniversary with an epic search to find yet another actor to play the redoubtable British superspy, 007.

Daniel Craig’s licence to kill expired with his fifth Bond flick, director Cary Joji Fukunaga’s No Time to Die. Craig voluntarily leaves in triumph, with the current release getting (mostly) great reviews and a (mostly) rapturous fan response after two years of pandemic delay. It is a bona fide international blockbuster, overcoming the challenges of getting bums-in-seats with COVID-19 restrictions still limiting how movie theatres operate. There are also the challenges of an overlong running time and an overly complicated spy plot.

Undeniably thrilling

But the movie is undeniably thrilling and features all the high-tech, special effects-driven stunts, chases, fights and the usual roster of heroes, villains and “Bond girls” – but without the level of misogyny and sexism of the Sean Connery era.

Craig’s retirement from the franchise signals the need for a fresh ranking of all the James Bonds over those 60 years since the “official series” launched with Dr. No (1962).

First, a clarification of what “official” means. These are the 25 movies from Eon Productions, founded by flamboyant Italian-American Albert (Cubby) Broccoli and the equally colourful Jewish-Canadian Harry Saltzman in 1961. Broccoli eventually took complete control, and his heirs – daughter Barbara Broccoli and stepson Michael G. Wilson – still run the franchise.

That 25 does not include the 1954 U.S. TV debut of Casino Royale with Barry Nelson as an American James Bond (yikes!). Former real-life British spy and author Ian Fleming sold the rights for $1,000! That also led to the rogue Bond spoof version of Casino Royale with David Niven as a lightweight and frankly awful Bond. Also, the “unofficial” Thunderball remake, Never Say Never Again, with Connery returning to his iconic role to compete with Roger Moore’s Bonds.

The Top 6 Bonds

My ranking is purely personal – but has nothing to do with gauging their personalities during my interviews with five of the six official Bonds. Because, if it were just about charm, Moore would top the list, followed by Pierce Brosnan.

One: Daniel Craig, for his robust masculinity while also being vulnerable and more respectful of women in Bond’s world, earning credit for complexity in the role.

Two: Sean Connery (Mr. Grumpypants during interviews) for his virility and for dialing into the Cold War zeitgeist; he loses credibility now for playing Bond as a sexual predator.

Three: Pierce Brosnan, for reviving the franchise with GoldenEye and giving 007 a joie-de-vivre again.

Four: Roger Moore, for that natural charm – because he lacked acting chops, as he freely admitted to me.

Five: Timothy Dalton, for daring to be the darkest and most dour Bond in two “heavy-duty” movies that are underrated.

Six: George Lazenby, in last place for making one good Bond picture, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, then ruining his career by getting too greedy in his salary requests for a sequel.

Postscript: As most bird-watchers already know, bird-crazy Fleming named his protagonist after the real James Bond, an American ornithologist whose seminal work is Birds of the West Indies (1936).