“Skyfall,” the latest in the James Bond franchise, will be released in theaters Nov. 9 and debut to the public as the 23rd 007 film. The series recently celebrated its 50th anniversary, beginning with the release of the first Bond flick in 1962, “Dr. No,” starring the classic Sean Connery as the smooth British agent. There have been many Bonds throughout the years, six in total under Eon Productions, and a long-standing debate surrounding the series questions which actors portrays the best character interpretation.
Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and the current portrayer, Daniel Craig, all have donned the 007 persona on the silver screen for Eon. Arguably, the most iconic of the six can be narrowed down to Connery, Moore, Brosnan and Craig – Lazenby and Dalton only appeared for a grand total of three James Bond films between the pair.
Connery began the series and set the tone for the film adaptation of Bond and is regarded by many to be the classic, best actor of the elite group. He established the iconic introduction of the movies, with Bond being viewed through a gun barrel and began the trend of having a “Bond girl” accompanying the protagonist in every segment.
Brosnan was widely noted for his smoother portrayal of the agent, with a heavier emphasis on Bond’s womanizing habits. While Brosnan’s suave style of characterization may have left some feeling that Bond wasn’t as tough as his previous depictions, his portrayal’s sophistication and graciousness earns ranking with the other top Bond actors.
To me, Moore’s adaptation of Bond encapsulated the action of the character above everything else. His segment, which still has the longest record of consecutive films in the series, brought forth more of the “action hero” dynamic of Agent 007. Recently, Moore was voted as “Best Bond” in an Academy Awards poll with 68 percent of the votes.
Craig became the newest James Bond with the release of 2004’s critically acclaimed “Casino Royale.” Fans were divided over the decision to cast Craig since he does not fit the tall, dark and mysterious archetype of the character. But with the success of his recent Bond movies, and his third already highly anticipated, Craig is definitely off to a great start in his part of the franchise and earns my vote as the best Bond yet.
“Skyfall” will end the four-year hiatus of Bond films and has already received fantastic reviews in pre-screenings. Additionally, musical artist Adele has joined with legendary composer Thomas Newman to create the film’s theme of the same name, which is currently sitting at number four on iTunes’s top one hundred singles list. It will also be the first flick in the series to be released in IMAX.
