6 replies to this topic

[Messervy]

Reading something here the other day about how Dalton was Craig's Bond having gotten older, I had this idea to draw some sort of a "family tree", listing the Bonds from fresh to weather-beaten.
The idea is to get rid of the films' chronology and just try to establish a link from one to the other based on their respective personality and way of life.

Here it goes, to me:

1. Craig: the beginnings of Bond. He doesn't know everything, he makes mistakes, and learns to master the big picture.

2. Lazenby: having gotten a bit more used to his job, he's still "sentimental" and somehow naïve. He falls in love for real.

3. Moore: Bond is hardened by occupational hazards and now just enjoys doing what he does. He doesn't take himself too seriously. The light-hearted times.

4. Brosnan: the cavalier attitude becomes a bit darker.

5. Connery: Bond is now clearly detached and cynical.

6. Dalton: Bond is utterly weather-beaten, "been there / done that" behaviour.

What do you all think?

[thecasinoroyale]

I like that arc, all makes sense to me and I can see each one following the other if Bond was a 'life-spanning' character in those portryals...especially Brosnan's Bond making the link between Moore and Connery.

Very interesting...nice one.

[Dustin]

Well, I'd split Brosnan's GE and pin it to Craig's run. Perhaps also LALD. And I suppose SF will sit somewhere amid Connery's.

[elizabeth]

I can kinda see it,

[Trevelyan 006]

Seems to make decent sense I'd say. I'd say where Dalton is placed is spot on too, he is very much the hardened Secret Agent, sort of "no-nonsense".

[mttvolcano]

I agree makes sense also, but only one seems that you can't pin him down and that would be Moore.

[AMC Hornet]

The way I see it,

The original 007 temporarily regains his enthusiasm for the job when Lazenby stands in for Connery, then with Blofeld out of the way he gets back in shape and grows a broader sense of humour (as portrayed by Moore). He grows older but passes up the opportunity to retire gracefully and slip away with Octopussy. After huffing and puffing through his last mission he finally hangs it up.

007 MK2 - a bit of a retro pop-culture throwback - had some nasty assignments under his belt already when he's sent to Bratislava (such as sabotaging the Arkangel CW facility), but he never went into space or saved California from an earthquake (he could have done the latter, but 007 MK1 drew that as his last assignment). After saving South Korea from invasion he goes into another line of work - art thief or contract assassin or something.

007 MK3 has grown up in an age almost devoid of class and cultural sophistication, but he's finding that one of the perks of his job is exposure to people who can coach him in how to be more than just a blunt instrument - "another slick trigger-finger for Her Majesty." Eventually he may emerge as a classy gent whom no one alive will remember from his rough&ready days.

And no, I'm not supporting the 'code-name' theory, just the idea that TLD was a subtle reboot for those who wanted it regard it as such (I wish CR had been more like that).