Stirred, not shaken...

The famous 007 intro

After rewatching the latest Bond installment, 'Quantum of Solace', I was still left with a bitter taste in my mouth. I'm not criticising the film, it's one of the best Bond's ever made. However, as a direct sequel to 'Casino Royale' - as it was touted to be, it falls far short.

What Michael G Wilson and Barbara Broccoli did with 'Casino Royale' after the mediocre 'Die Another Day' completely rejuvenated the tired franchise.

Hiring Brit actor Daniel Craig to play the famous 007 was an inspired choice. He played him as a sensitive, human, cold-blooded and hard nosed secret agent, if such a thing is possible.

The critics rejoiced. James Bond was back and he was bolder, better and more brutal than ever. Casino Royale won awards in droves and was the most financially successful Bond movie ever. After such a success, surely the next Bond would be even better?

Yes, on a financial footing it was. Quantum of Solace is currently the most successful 007 movie ever, however critically, it failed to live up to Casino Royale, leaving critics certainly stirred, but definitely not shaken.

It also left loyal 007 fans in a predicament. After watching Daniel Craig in Casino Royale, who really is their favourite James Bond to date?

Agent James Bond, 007, first hit cinema screens across the globe in the early 60's and was then played by Scottish actor, Sean Connery. Connery's five films were based entirely on Ian Flemnings novels and featured Connery playing Bond as a cold, calculating agent, who had no qualms about hitting a women.

Connery starred in Dr No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball and You Only Live Twice (although he was later enticed back to play bond in Diamonds are Forever).

He is widely regarded by 007 fans as the best James Bond to date.

Will Daniel Craig, the latest 007, be able to knock Connery off the top-spot and win over his legions of loyal fans?

Next up to take the reigns of 007 was Australian model George Lazenby. Lazenby played Bond one time only in 'On her Majesty's Secret Service'.

Knocked by the critics and fans alike, Lazenby is generally considered to be the worst bond to date.

However, this seems a little unfair, as the direction he took Bond was similar to the one Daniel Craig is currently taking. In fact 'OHMSS' and Casino Royale are somewhat similar in plot.

For me, Lazenby played the role well, but had a hard act to follow in Connery and for the time, the audience were not looking for a super-serious spy, just an entertaining one. It was rumored that Lazenby was sacked, but he in fact walked away, having not enjoyed his time on the 007 project.

That left Cubby Broccoli in a predicament. Who was next to play the elusive spy? An actor of sophistication, cunning and the trates that would identify him as the quintessentially British hero, was needed. Struggling to come up with fresh blood, Broccoli turned back to Connery and managed to lure him back to the role for one last film.

Diamonds are Forever was a massive financial success and once again, 007 was a hit with his legions of fans. The search was now on for another new 007.

Now early 70's, another Brit was cast in the role of James Bond. Roger Moore, famous for cult TV show 'The Saint', took the role of 007 - a role he would get to make his own over a 12 year period.

Taking Bond in a lighter direction, Moore is remembered for 'camping' Bond up and for playing the spy in a more relaxed manner.

Moore starred in Live & Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy who loved me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and A View to a Kill.

By the time Moore retired from the role he was 58, far too old to continue playing Bond.

He is favoured amongst the fans for making 007 entertaining again, however one wonders if this was simply because he played the role for such an extended period?

Although Moore did very well and all of his 007 films were a commercial success, it was felt by those behind Bond, that whoever took over the role next would need to be a lot darker and more driven, to make the role of 007 a serious one again.

Timothy Dalton was the next actor to wear 007's dinner suit. Luckily for him there were no bald baddies with white cats this time. Dalton was actually fighting spies from the USSR in his first Bond movie, The Living Daylights and was out for revenge (again similar to Daniel Craig's bond) in License to Kill.

Dalton was the epitome of Flemning's Bond. He was ruthless, cold, calculating, efficient and quick-witted. Above all, he was deadly and unflinching.

Bond was back to his brutal ways again. The public loved it and again, commercially, Dalton's two films were very successful.

Dalton wanted to do a 3rd film after the success of License to Kill in 1989, however, no script was available and producers felt they had exhausted the original source material. It looked like it was the end for James Bond....

Pierce Brosnan was hired in 1996 to bring 007 back to life. He starred in Goldeneye, which was a huge box-office success.

He went on to star in Tomorrow Never Dies, The World Is Not Enough and Die Another Day, all of which were completely original films.

Brosnan played 007 as a cold blooded killer, who was suave, sophisticated and certainly debonair.

In this respect he was immensely popular with fans all over the world and is considered to be one of the best Bond's to date.

But who is the favourite?

After Brosnan left the role of 007, Producers decided to take Bond back to his roots and for the first time ever, they filmed Casino Royale starring Daniel Craig.

Craig demonstrated that Bond could be both cold and ruthless, yet human at the same time, and as a result, won over a legion of Bond fans and is quickly getting underway to uproot Sean Connery and take his spot as the favourite 007 ever.

Craig is contracted to make two more 007 films and if they're anywhere near as successful as his first two, then he will definitely be a hard act to follow for whoever replaces him.

***********************

So who is the best bond?
For me, it's Daniel Craig, closely followed by Sean Connery, Pierce Brosnan, George Lazenby, Timothy Dalton and Roger Moore - in that order. Just my opinion and I'm sure everyone has that list in a different order.

One thing is sure however, Bond will continue to enthrall for decades to come. Women will still want to be with him and men will still want to be him.

With such a steady success rate in the past, a great actor in Daniel Craig and great plans for the future of the franchise, there is no doubt that James Bond will continue to leave audiences shaken, not stirred for years to come....