James Bond - The Ultimate Jerk.

First of all you need to know that I have put a lot of thought into this post. I have carefully considered all of the opinions which I am about to present, and I have done a fair amount of much enjoyed research.

I love James Bond movies! Perhaps the reason I like the character so much is that I think he might be the ultimate jerk. He acts according to his own purposes regardless of how it affects other individuals. It sounds harsh - but what do you expect from a spy? He is not a man without loyalty, but I suppose in some ways he is a man without conscience. He doesn't care about how he is perceived. He kills anyone he deems necessary without remorse. He lies, he uses people, he breaks the rules. He's awesome! Certainly no role model - but such a stud... and such a jerk!


I have seen all the Bond movies. I have enjoyed them each. I can appreciate the unique contributions to the character from each of the actors who portrayed the infamous MI6 agent (except maybe Timothy Dalton who was just pretty awful). So you will know that I realize the magnitude of the statement when I say that my favourite Bond is Daniel Craig!



I know, I know, it's almost unthinkable to prefer anyone to Sean Connery - but there you have it. I like the Craig Bond best for a number of well prepared reasons which you are about to hear. Before I lay it all out I do want to be clear that I love Sean Connery's Bond. I think he is the absolute in suave and no one could top his performance on that front (although Pierce Brosnan gave it a good shot). But I still like Craig better as 007. Here are my reasons (not necessarily in order of relevance).

Oh my!!

1. Daniel Craig is hot! I mean smoking hot!! Hotter than any of the other Bond actors combined (sorry women my mom's age who are now offended on behalf of Pierce Brosnan) -- and I realize that most  of them were really very attractive. He's got that fabulous physique that just doesn't let up. Hes got that rugged yet charming smirk (best when surrounded blonde stubble). He's got those cold, cold, piercing, blue eyes. When he gets really angry, or worked up on screen his face gets a little flushed and his eyes get brighter and sharper and become positively steely! It makes my blood turn cold, then hot, then cold again.

2. Daniel Craig's Bond is kick ass! Literally. Hand to hand, with a gun, with an improvised weapon, Daniel Craig's Bond could kill any of the other Bonds. That makes him easily the most believable as a cold blooded spy. Look at the body count in his movies! If you are interested in comparing all the movie Bonds you should check out the following link. It's pretty cool! Shout out thank you to Mike McLaughlin for telling me about it!



http://www.swiftfilm.com/which-bond-slept-with-the-most-women-killed-the-most-bad-guys-and-drank-the-most-martinis/

I liked being able to compare the various Bonds to each other on the most important criteria - but it should be noted that those numbers do not include Craig's tallies from Skyfall, I do believe it is safe to say that with those additions and the probable additions of Craig's future 007 films he should outdo all of the other Bonds before he is done.

3. Probably the biggest and best reason that I consider Craig the best Bond is character development. You are probably familiar with the ideas of flat and round characters. Flat characters are characters which do not undergo any substantial change or growth throughout the story. They are two-dimensional, always same, predictable, and are usually minor characters because they are less developed. Round characters are usually the main characters in a story. A round character is one which encounters struggles and challenges and not only confronts them but is changed by them. Daniel Craig's Bond is a round character, while I would consider the other movie Bonds to be a bit flat. I like my Bond on the round side.

4. Daniel Craig is the best jerk- and you love him for it! He is cool, detached, and effective.


Of course I realize that there are good arguments on the opposing side for why Craig is not the best Bond. In the interest of fairness these really should be addressed as well. There are really only two plausible reasons I can think of for not preferring Daniel Craig as 007.

1. Daniel Craig is not as suave as some of the other Bonds, particularly Sean Connery or Pierce Brosnan. I can't really argue, they are both exceptionally charming and suave. In fact, I'm not sure it's humanly possible for ANYONE to be more suave than Sean Connery as James Bond. But as woman, I find Daniel Craig sufficiently charming, and anything he may lack in charm he makes up for in other important and attractive qualities.

2. Purists may not approve of Craig's Bond because it doesn't fit with their interpretation of the character as written in Ian Fleming's books. In order to weigh in on this fairly I decided to read Casino Royale yesterday. It was was fairly short so I was able to get through it in an afternoon. Uncharacteristically, I have to say I prefer the movie to book (we can probably give Craig some of the credit for that). The descriptions of Bond in the book don't strictly fit Daniel Craig (except the description of his eyes which I feel is spot on with my thoughts on Daniel Craig's eyes seen above). Fleming's Bond has dark hair. He is slighter than Daniel Craig and (to my interpretation) less attractive. But emotionally I feel Craig is as good of a fit for Fleming's famous character as any other character who has taken the role.


So there you have it! Take my opinions for what they're worth, but remember this: the things that makes the character 007 so timeless and so awesome is the same things that makes him a jerk. That is what keeps us coming back for more. If you haven't seen Skyfall you really should! It's my favourite film of the year.

If you want to weigh in on this please leave a comment, and feel free to take the poll this week to vote for your favourite Bond!