Why Pierce Brosnan Is the Best of the Bonds
At the risk of starting a riot, I'll say it: Pierce Brosnan is the best James Bond.
Forget George Lazenby and Timothy Dalton. They were just keeping the agent alive until a better Bond came along. You knew Lazenby wouldn't last when, after being slapped by a woman in On Her Majesty's Secret Service, he turned to the camera and said, "This never happened to the other fellow." Why not just have Jerry Lewis play the part?
Dalton's Bond, on the other hand, was far too serious. It wasn't entirely his fault: AIDS was on the forefront of everyone's mind so there was no Pussy Galore for him to play with. "The major difference between Dalton and the earlier Bonds is that he seems to prefer action to sex," wrote Roger Ebert. That made him an effective killer... but a boring Bond.
The proof of each man's popularity (or lack of it) is reflected in the box office numbers. Dalton's License to Kill was a failure for the franchise, second only to Lazenby's On Her Majesty's Secret Service. That leaves Sean Connery, Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan. (Daniel Craig may become the best Bond but he hasn't earned
the title yet; we'll know more when Quantum of Solace arrives in November.)
Now fans of Connery say he was all muscle, while those that support Moore preferred his wit. The perfect blend of each man's best qualities? That would yield Pierce Brosnan. He has it all -- keeping his enemies at bay with a punch or a witty retort. He's tough and cocky like Connery; super suave and debonair like Moore.
Plus, he uses his own hair to play the part. Take that Connery!
When the world is the target and the threat is real, you can still depend on one man. Brosnan. Pierce Brosnan. For a complete schedule of GoldenEye showing on AMC, click here. For The World is Not Enough, click here.
I grew up in the Moore era and have to admit that I am partial to the wit he brought to the role, although Connery is the classic Bond that I believe everyone will always be measured against.
I always believed that Brosnan would make the perfect Bond, and was disappointed when Dalton was signed after Brosnan's scheduling conflicts [at least that's what they said]. Funny thing is, I was even more disappointed when GoldenEye came out. Somehow I didn't feel like Brosnan had lived up to my expectations. I could barely get through Tomorrow Never Dies and didn't even bother with the other two.
Then on a whim I watched GoldenEye again last week on AMC and what do you know, I found it fresh and exciting. I am recording The World Is Not Enough to watch later tonight. So, in the end I have to agree, while Craig has potential that remains to be proven, I would have to vote Brosnan best Bond to date. Looks like I'll be heading to the video store to pick up Tomorrow Never Dies and Die Another Day.
Thanks for the comment rixamc. I checked the schedule and it turns out Tomorrow Never Dies is also showing on AMC this month...Click here for detailed schedule: http://movies.amctv.com/movie?showID=MV000543570000&pageNav=synopsis&title=Tomorrow%20Never%20Dies
If you still don't like it - ask yourself if it was Brosnan or the movie that didn't hold up. Even Moore and Connery made some stinkers.