Quote:
Originally Posted by Chris
You're wrong. 
Lazenby is at the wrong end of that list. He didn't do a second film only because his agent advised him not to (he thought the franchise wouldn't survive into the 1970s). Connery came back and did another one* after Lazenby because he suddenly saw that he was totally replaceable, and the franchise did have a future without him. Lazenby's excellent performance in OHMSS is the reason we can enjoy Connery's final official turn as Bond in DAF.
Moore was badly let down by the descent into self parody that plagued all his films after TMWTGG but overall your rating is probably fair. By the time he got to AVTAK he was phoning in his performance.
Craig has the advantage of a reboot, being able to develop the character from the very beginning of his recruitment into the 00 programme (even Connery didn't get that) but he has taken that and run with it. His films stand apart from the others, and for my money Craigs Casino Royale is by far the cleverest Bond film ever made.
Craig's tenure has been very blowy-uppy and violent but the franchise is now competing with its many imitators so they dont really have much choice but to go for broke with the FX.
*Connery did of course do two more Bond films after saying YOLT would be his last ... he re-made Thunderball as Never Say Never Again, the "unofficial" Bond film of 1983. |
I accept most of that but "The Spy Who Loved Me" which came after TMWTGG is IMO one of the top 5 Bond films of all time.
It's also the only time you see Bond in Military uniform, in rank, in any Bond film.
Lazenby has the best scene in any Bond film, sliding on his front whilst taking out baddies with his sten gun.