Here's something that nobody seems to want to say out loud, because to do so would be to insult a bunch of other actors who have assured their legacy playing the same character. Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan - all actors defined by their having been Bond; stripping them of any potential "Best Bond" accolades is thought to be "not cool." But to hell with that - it's time to just come out and say it: Daniel Craig is the best James Bond ever. For starters, it wouldn't be false to say that he's probably the best all-round actor of the Bond actors, full-stop (sorry, Sean). Secondly, he embodies the character in a way that you can imagine Ian Fleming being proud of all these years later. He's brutal. It's generally deemed to be blasphemous to say that anyone other than Sean Connery, the original cinematic Bond, is the best. And whilst Connery was a great James Bond, Craig's raw, pained and - let's face it - badass incarnation of 007 just wins out completely. People seem to have an aversion to admitting that Craig's Bond is the best because he's the newest Bond; as though the more recent version can't be deemed the greatest out of principle. Who cares? Daniel Craig embodies and epitomises everything that it means to be James Bond, regardless of the decade. Don't be afraid to come to terms with your feelings on this one, folks; don't be afraid to go with your gut, declaring ol' Danny Boy as number one. Like this article? Agree or disagree with these sentiments? Are there any other points that we missed? Let us know all your thoughts in the comments section below.
Sam Hill is an ardent cinephile and has been writing about film professionally since 2008. He harbours a particular fondness for western and sci-fi movies.
