5 Reasons Sean Connery Is The Greatest Bond (& 5 It’s Daniel Craig)

When British novelist Ian Fleming created the James Bond character, he never thought his literary baby would end up becoming one of the greatest action heroes in film history. Including the upcoming No Time To Die, there have been a total of 25 films about the MI6 spy. A total of eight actors have also appeared on screen as James Bond, but who among them is the best?

Only two actors tend to feature the most when this topic is being discussed: Sean Connery and Daniel Craig. As the first-ever Bond, Connery yanked the character from Fleming’s pages, owned it and made it a cultural phenomenon. Craig, on the other hand, is credited for modernizing Bond and injecting realistic elements into the character. So, between the two actors, who is the best Bond?

10 Connery: He Is The Lord Of Dialogue

Even though the best quote in the Bond franchise came from supervillain Auric Goldfinger, all the other juicy quotes have come from Connery’s Bond. The examples are plenty but here are but a few.

In Goldfinger, 007 electrocutes a henchman in a bathtub then exclaims, “Shocking! Positively shocking!” And when placing the dead body of assassin Fiona Volpa on a chair in Thunderball, Bond says, “Do you mind if my friend sits this one out? She’s just dead.” Also in Thunderball, he shoots a henchman with a spear gun before exclaiming, “I think he got the point.” Very smart Mr. Bond. Very smart.

9 Craig: He Is More Of A Fighter Than A Talker

Step aside, Kenny Rogers. Your Coward Of The County lyrics might be good for parental advice but they don’t apply in the world of espionage. Most of the other Bonds, including Sean Connery, did more talking than fighting. Goldfinger, which is considered one of the best Bond films of all time, has only about five fight scenes in which Connery as Bond is directly involved.

The underappreciated Roger Moore even acknowledged Craig’s superb action scenes. After watching Skyfall, he said, “I thought his action was quite extraordinary. He did more action in the first 30 seconds of the film than I did in 14 years of playing Bond.”

8 Connery: He Embodies The Fantasy

Bond isn’t real. He is a fictional figure, an alpha male fantasy. He roams around the world like a travel vlogger, drives an Aston Martin, sleeps with unbelievably beautiful women, never gets rejected while trying to seduce them, stays in luxurious hotels, and wears expensive suits. What more could anyone want?

Connery is the only actor who brings out these fantasies magnificently. Whereas Craig’s Bond looks like he might have a hard time talking to Rihanna, Connery seems like he would not miss a beat. He simply has an overabundance of charm and wit.

7 Craig: He Isn’t Too Perfect

When Craig is accidentally shot by Moneypenny in Skyfall, it affects his functionality. He can no longer shoot straight. Culprits of perfection like Connery and Brosnan would have come back from the incident unscathed. No matter what beating or injury they took, they always brushed it off as if they had just been cured by the Medi-beds in Elysium. Connery even tied a handkerchief on a bullet wound once and forgot about it like it was an ant bite.

Craig’s Bond is also more emotional. In Casino Royale, he was ready to leave his job in order to be with Vesper Lynd. He also tends to be deeply affected whenever something tragic happens to one of his love interests. Connery’s Bond, on the contrary, used to replace lovers like they were punctured tires.

6 Connery: Creative At Killing Bad Guys

While killing villains, Craig’s Bond tends to settle on the ordinary action movie template of shooting or blowing them up. Where’s the fun in that? Connery’s Bond is different because he always adopts creativity in sending the bad guys to the afterlife.

When not electrocuting henchmen, Connery is busy splashing killer waiters with alcohol so that their shashliks can light them up. What about dropping someone into a pool full of piranhas or knocking Dr. No into a nuclear reactor? Connery’s Bond was simply an expert at shunning monotony.

5 Craig: He Is Better On The Wheel

As an action hero, you have to constantly escape from villains. This means driving better than Dominic Toretto and Jeremy Clarkson combined. Connery had some decent car chase scenes, but why did he keep on looking at the rearview mirror so much? Was it to admire the villains’ vehicles? Craig always seems sure of where he is going.

Quantum Of Solace opened with one of the best car chase scenes in film history. Casino Royale also has a brilliant chase scene which ends in Bond swerving at the last minute to avoid hitting his love interest. It’s also hard to forget Spectre‘s chase in the streets of Rome involving Bond and Blofeld’s henchman Mr. Hinx.

4 Connery: He Laid The Foundation

No one can do it better than the pioneer. Connery set the standards for future Bonds to come. Every other post-Connery Bond has a few of his qualities. Moore has his composure, Brosnan has his seduction skills, Lazenby has his ruthlessness, and Craig has his sense of style.

Connery’s Bond was even selected as the third-greatest hero in movie history by the AFI (American Film Institute), only being surpassed by Indiana Jones and Atticus Finch.

3 Craig: His Appearance Trumps All

Connery was once named the Sexiest Man Alive. As a spy, he just didn’t look the part. Ian Fleming even doubted Connery’s casting as Bond saying, “He’s not what I envisioned of James Bond looks. I’m looking for Commander Bond and not an overgrown stunt-man.”

Craig might not match 1960s Connery in looks but he still has a macho appearance coupled with a perfect body, as was made abundantly clear in Casino Royale. Craig also looks better in a suit. The scene where he walks on a roof while holding a gun in the opening scene of Spectre can serve as an everlasting advertisement for Givenchy suits.

Lastly, Craig also comes off as more serious and focused. Let’s quote Sir Roger Moore again: “To me, he looks like a killer. He looks as though he knows what he’s doing. I look as though I might cheat at backgammon.”

2 Connery: He Has More Impressive Numbers

Ultimately, the numbers never lie. According to Forbes, Connery’s Bond films grossed a total of 4.5 billion dollars (adjusted to inflation). Craig’s films have grossed 3.6 billion. There were also fewer theaters in the ’60s and ’70s than there are now.

The critical reception for Connery has also been better. On Rotten Tomatoes, three of his Bond films have a score of 95% and above. Craig only has one film at 95%. Therefore, the numbers do indeed prove that Sean Connery is the better Bond.

1 Craig: All Other Former Bond Actors Love Him…Except For Lazenby

Democracy wins, right? Craig has a seal of approval from every other former Bond actor except one. Moore once told Time Magazine: “I think he is the ultimate Bond.” On his part, Timothy Dalton added, “There’s a case to be made that Daniel Craig is the best Bond ever.”

Connery has also referred to Craig as “fantastic” while Brosnan used the word “magnificent.” George Lazenby, known for only appearing in one Bond film, is the only one who disagrees. He feels his films have no heart.

About The Author

Philip Etemesi
(1216 Articles Published)

Philip Etemesi is an author, journalist, screenwriter and film critic based in Nairobi. Kenya. As a child, he preferred watching movies like The Goodfellas instead of Home Alone. His girlfriend constantly has to pull him from the front of the TV but he just keeps returning. Stubborn dude! An animal lover, Philip also has a pet giraffe called Refu.

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