An article I wrote for Hans India - a reputed daily in Telangana.
There’s a certain charm to his personality that holds the power to arrest the heart. At the same time, has the power to breathe life into a heart, dying for some adventure - spicing up the whole viewing pleasure to a decent degree. Ironically, James Bond dons all his traits like a true gentle man. How could we miss out on his standard attire – the black and white suit? And every time he cheats death, we know someone’s going to pay for it. As a viewer, you know it’s a big ‘bang’ for money.
Ever since James Bond took to the silver screen, we have had a string of gentleman, of significantly capricious personalities, impersonating him. Tersely speaking, Bond all these years might have had close shaves with death but in reality he never waxed old or deceased cold. He simply changed names… Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig.
So the onus of discovering who the best remains as unresolved as the Bermuda Triangle mystery. Although a decent line of actors have efficaciously donned the James Bond role, a close look at the contemporaries, will provide for a clearer perspective as to who’s the best. Of course, the oldies are goldies, but we are turning a blind eye to a few. Sorry folks!
A jog down the memory lane, and you have Sean Connery with his suave charm and mercurial wit. As James Bond, he displays a cunning personality with which he charms the enemy or charmingly outwits him. Of course, he doesn’t leave that decision to his foe. The call is entirely his. The former boxing champion-turned-actor hogs the limelight for his impeccable impersonation of Bond. An actor, who remains at top as the best Bond ever.
Roger Moore, fondly reminisced as the old Rog, had to fill the shoes of Sean Connery, who masterfully fleshed out the Bond character for a good many years. The onus was not merely cumbersome but almost unattainable. Yet, he brilliantly side-stepped the aggressive bond attitude and lent his eye-brow raising one-liners, making Bond look shrewd with his sarcastic humour. His first four movies, if simply put, were awesome! As a Bond, he may not be a winner, but definitely is a strong contender.
Timothy Dalton, an accomplished actor, though he put on a spectacular performance in two movies, his career as James Bond got cut short. Certain other factors of 80s had adversely affected his movie career. His third movie which was on the cards then, just didn’t materialize. So, Dalton had all the charm but no firepower to prove his mettle! Great talent, sheer loss, since two movies can’t vouchsafe for the world of talent hidden inside a promising actor.
Pierce Brosnan, in a way, resurrected James Bond who was actually pretty much dead on his feet. His debut ‘Bond’ role in the flick ‘Goldeneye’ hit jackpot. Girls might have pulled their hair and swooned at this new OO7 as he had everything - charm, ingenuity and dynamism. In fact, he was the best Bond to grace the silver screen after Sean Connery. But somehow his other movies didn’t make the cash registers ring as much as his debut movie. Unfortunately, his charm eroded proportionately to his age. The directors were soon left hunting for the new cast.
When Daniel Craig was chosen to play Bond, the internet was ablaze with lot of hue and cry about the choice. Some cried he is too short, a few screamed he is too blonde, and a few others murmured he is too bland. There was unknown chaos. But guess who laughed his way to the bank?! Craig, of course. His portrayal as the bond had leveraged the bond quotient to new heights. Made him look mean yet real. Fortunately, both at the same time. This new role of ‘Bond’ was connected with the audience across the continents.
After donning the role for three successful movies, Craig is perhaps on the way to carving a niche for himself. With his new movie ‘Spectre’ on the cards, nobody knows whether he will soar the skies like an eagle or sink like a stone. But one thing, we all aptly know: he is still a strong contender for ‘The Best Bond’ ever.
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