Timothy Dalton or nothing, that's what I say!

Master Haywood Allen...Little Jimmy Bond!

I'm listening to that song right now. That's all.

I would imagine the number of people who prefer Moore to Connery as Bond to be about one in 10, regardless of age.

Is there anybody in the world who doesn't think Sean Connery was vastly superior?

My second favorite is Daniel Craig, believe it or not. Although there's something to be said for George Lazenby.

[4] Damn, Jon, you're too quick.

Connery, no contest!

Hey, it took me a solid minute to get that out :)

I know. Saying Moore was better would be one of the ultimate sins of poor taste in my family.

LOL

When my mom got re-married my step father and my step bro and sis liked Moore better.

Fun times.

LOL

Moore is vastly underrated, he kept that franchise going in a respectable workmanlike fashion...he's basically the Sammy Hagar of MI-6

VIVA MOORE!

Moore. Because, as the saying goes -- HE'S BLOODY ENGLISH!

Plus he has better hair. Spies need good hair.

I used to reflexively say Connery - I still think he was the best, but I've recently gained a greater appreciation for the Roger Moore era films, especially the sweet spot from say, 'The Spy Who Loved Me' through 'Octopussy' (but skipping 'Moonraker' which always struck me as too silly, and his tenure sadly book-ended with what I consider two of the worst of the movies, 'Live and let Die' and 'A View To a Kill').

Moore brought a certain campy self-awareness that stands out more now (I'd imagine) than in the 70's when everything seemed campy, and one of the few things I wish the latest Daniel Craig movies (that I really liked, btw) kept was a bit of that humor - 'Casino Royale' and 'Quantum of Solace' seem relentlessly serious and dour, even while I enjoy them as pure adventure flicks.

Timothy Dalton was perfectly serviceable, but he got stuck in two movies of the franchise that just really seem to drag. Every time 'The Living Daylights' comes on I fall asleep about 20 minutes in. The Brosnan films aren't bad, but he just seems too bland to be Bond.

Got to be Connery. Smoothest lady-killer of all time. I remember being at a family gathering an Goldfinger came on tv in the background. 4 generations of women, form age 13 to 85 all went gaga over him..that's pretty impressive!

[13] Great point about Moore's performances suiting the times. I also agree that the Craig films really miss a sense of fun and humor. While Moore may have been *too* tongue-in-cheek, even the Connery films had a broad sense of play. Bond is not a serious spy, he's a grown-up comic book character, really.
Also agree that Dalton was fine, but the movies were crummy. He deserved better.

The Michael Caine Harry Palmer movies are really very good, although I've never seen that 3rd one (Billion Dollar Brain) or the 2 TV movies Caine did much later as Palmer. The Palmer stuff seems to work as a bridge between the cartoonish-ness of 007 and the dour reality of John LeCarre.

Connery is a Scotsman and, as I recall, the character is 1/2 Scottish in the book. Regardless, I think Moore gets a bum rap- of the seven Bond films in which Connery is Bond, there are only three that are pretty good- Dr. No, Goldfinger and Diamonds are Forever. In my opinion, Moore has two bad Bond films- Moonraker and The Spy Who Loved Me. There's a soft spot in my heart for View to a Kill- perhaps because Walken is the bad guy and I like blimps. For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, The Man With the Golden Gun and Live and Let Die are pretty solid flicks. Moore plays a pretty dark Bond, by his standards, in For Your Eyes Only. Always liked the scene when he kicks the car with the guy who looks like an East German John Denver off the cliff.

I hear Sam Mendes is directing the upcoming Bond flick. I was always curious to see what Bond would look like through the eyes of Scorsese. I also wish Lee Marvin could have been the villain in a Bond film.

[11] and [12]

LOL. And yeah, the hair.

Connery's best are the first four (Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, and Thunderball).

But my favorite, hands down, is Daniel Craig's Casino Royale. I'm fine with Darkside Bond. I read a couple of the books a long time ago when I was a kid, and he's not really a nice guy.

[17] The Fleming Bond is definitely a ruthless killer, but he's also ridiculous, generally in regards to his snobbery about things like wine.