126 replies to this topic

[IrishCrown]

Dalton was a Shakespearean actor in the Company, so to speak. One of his first roles was in The Lion In Winter with Burton and other greats. He's been in there with people like John Rhys-Davies and Patrick Stewart, so he's in good company.

[Bondpurist]

I know that, but that's not answering the question. Do you think Dalton's a bad actor?

[IrishCrown]

Okay, I'll come out and say it. He is a fine actor, I just believe he was wrong for Bond.

[Bondpurist]

OK. Well, I can see why you might think that. (Even though I totally disagree) He is the best actor to have played Bond in my opinion, even if you don't think he was the best AS Bond.

[IrishCrown]

If you want to go at it from that angle, I would have to agree with you. He is the one with the most acting training to have a go at Bond. That much has been documented, and I won't argue with that.

[Bondpurist]

Sean Connery was close, as is Pierce. Roger is OK sometimes, but Lazenby...... act? I don't think so!

[IrishCrown]

Lazenby was a used car salesman and the guy in a commercial for chocolates. Still, Connery can probably sing the best of them. Underneath the Mango Tree wasn't bad.

[Bondpurist]

Yeah but he was the only one who sang. So we're agreed then.

Best singer: Sean Connery
Best used car salesman:George Lazenby
Best Driver: Roger Moore
Best Actor: Timothy Dalton

[IrishCrown]

Wait, one more.

Best ThomasCrown. Pierce Brosnan.

[Bondpurist]

Well, he has to be best something I suppose

[IrishCrown]

Oh, come on...it's a good movie. If you haven't seen it, see it. If you have and you hate it, watch it again.

[Bondpurist]

His version is not as good as the original

[IrishCrown]

I found the original to be terribly dated. McQueen was better in Bullit.

[Bondpurist]

He was even better in Towering Inferno

[Carver]

few, I just can't kep up here, Irishcrown, Bondpurist, Irishcrown, Bondpurist etc, aaaargh! And just as I though you two were about to draw the Walther's you made up and are friends, and I thought we were going to have a good old-fashioned fight:rolleyes:

[Blue Eyes]

I don't know that you could say that Dalton was the best actor. Sean has gone on to win Oscars. How does one decide whom the best actor is and how would you judge such a notion?

[IrishCrown]

Connery is the best actor of the bunch. I was just humoring the lad.

[Bondpurist]

Don't patronise me, please. Timothy Dalton has done most of his work on stage, and so hasn't had the chance to win many oscars. His acting in the Bond films was one of his strong points - his scenes with Kara are brimming with realism and he sinks into the mindset of Bond very well - his expressions and tones of voice, especially in the 'horse's [censored]' scene are second to none for an actor. The scene where he discovers the Leiters and reads the 'He disagreed with something that ate him' note his acting is so very convincing one hardly feels that they are watching a film at all. When annoyed or angered Dalton is especially good - who could forget the 'watch the birdie, you bastard' bit in LTK? - you'd almost think his best friend really had been half eaten by a shark. Timothy Dalton has played an excellent range of roles, and has never been typecast - Connery's range is much more limited. Dalton was a professional actor, an actor with the RSC who have a reputation for brilliant actors and acting - it takes one hell of an actor to get in there. Sure, Connery is a good actor, but he hasn't quite got the range or depth that Dalton has. The best actor is decided on who can portray a wide range of emotions and act well in various different situations. Connery may have shone in some areas but Tim was better because he was consistently better. Bond in LTK was pretty difficult to play - never before, apart from perhaps OHMSS had anything been so personal, so close to Bond and so full of powerful emotion. Timothy could play the romantic Bond, the vengeful Bond, the angry Bond, the annoyed Bond, the sad Bond, the amused Bond - the entire Bond. No one compares to him as an actor in the Bond series.

[IrishCrown]

Oh, yeah? Let's Dalton play what Connery did in The Untouchables. Let's see Dalton play The Raisuli in The Wind and The Lion. Let's see Dalton play opposite Michael Caine in The Man Who Would Be King. Let's see Dalton be halfway convincing at age 70 in Entrapment. Or better yet, let's just say Dalton actually doesn't have a screen presence which accounts for most of his work being on the stage. He doesn't have what it takes to be a movie actor, look at his work. Where has he done most of his work? Look in interviews and see where he even prefers to be. The man is a stage actor, Connery is a movie star, a great actor, and one of the great wonders of the world.

[Bondpurist]

Stage actors are often just as brilliant as film actors. It takes a hell of a lot more skill to be a stage actor than a film actor - Laurence Olivier, often considered to be the greatest actor of all time, was primarily a stage actor. Stage actored are much more skilled and get paid a lot less - only people who love acting and truly do it because they enjoy it are stage actors; the money grabbing cynics are often primarily film actors. Let's see Connery play Rhett Butler in Scarlett. Let's see Connery play Heathcliff in Wuthering Heights. Let's see Connery play Mr Rochester in Jane Eyre. Let's see Connery play Antony in Antony and Cleopatra. Let's see Connery play Prince Barin in Flash Gordon. Dalton has agreat stage prescence, and Connery hasn't. If Connery had half the acting talent and skill of Dalton he'd prove his worth doing some proper stage work. But he can't, and can't compare with Dalton in terms of acting ability and never will.

[IrishCrown]

Did you know Connery started out on the stage in the 1950s? THAT was how he got film work? You don't get film offers unless someone thinks you're pretty good. I am sure you knew all of those facts about Connery doing all of the stage work in the 1950s. I am glad I could remind you of these facts in order for you better make your point. Your welcome again.

[Bondpurist]

Sean Connery sold out and went to the money grabbing world of filmmaking for good. Dalto remained loyal to the stage and didn't sell out.

[Carver]

I don't know how you can say that Dalton is a beter actor than Connery, as BE said, Sir Sean has gone on to win Oscars and such, and women and men love him (men love him for him being such a great actor). When I mention Connery, people know who he is, when I mention Dalton they say 'who?'

[IrishCrown]

Originally posted by Bondpurist
Sean Connery sold out and went to the money grabbing world of filmmaking for good. Dalto remained loyal to the stage and didn't sell out.

Since when is going into the movies from the stage a sell-out? Kevin Kline does both, is he a sell-out? Many other good actors happen to do both, are they sell-outs? How far are you wanting to cast your net there, Bondpurist? Or are you just wanting to take a royal dump on Connery?

[Bondpurist]

Fame doesn't necessarily bring greatness. Dalton is great but not (very) famous and Connery is famous but not great. My opinion is that Dalton is the best actor. I can can quite easily say that carver. Because that's what I think.

[Bondpurist]

Dalton still does a hell of a lot stage than Connery, who sold out because instead of doing both he NOW only does film. I like Connery but I still believe he is overrated. I wish you'd stop chastising me for holding opinions different from yours.

[IrishCrown]

Then using the same line of argument, I can quite easily say that Dalton is not a movie star because he has no charisma and no ambition. Sean Connery however is a brilliant actor AND a genuine movie star, because that's what I think.

[Bondpurist]

Fair enough. He has ambitions to entertain theatre goers and not just cinema goers. And as for no charisma............. well, I think a hell of a lot more charisma's needed for the tough stage world than the heavily edited film world. Tim oozes charisma, even if it is a dark and moody charisma.

[Carver]

Originally posted by Bondpurist
Dalton still does a hell of a lot stage than Connery, who sold out because instead of doing both he NOW only does film. I like Connery but I still believe he is overrated. I wish you'd stop chastising me for holding opinions different from yours.

Hey, don't think I'm chastising you BP, this is just a friendly debate (at least its meant to be...)

[IrishCrown]

If he has the charisma you wrote about, where was it as Bond? I mean, it just wasn't there. I'm not the only one who thinks that either. Read what your fellow drama critics wrote about Dalton's performance as Bond, and you can sharpen your knives and pitch forks and go find where they live.