9 Reasons Daniel Craig is the Worst James Bond Ever
October 22, 2008 – 1:40 pm by Jeff
Quantum of Solace, the newest James Bond movie staring Daniel Craig, is set to open next Friday and I can’t say I am very excited about it. After countless hours devoted James Bond Marathons on TNT instead of studying for final exams, I have grown quite fond of 007. I have loved every movie from the original Dr. No with the grandaddy of spies, Sean Connery to Die Another Day with the slick Pierce Brosnan. However, Daniel Craig as James Bond just doesn’t do it for me. Daniel Craig is a very good actor, and the movie is probably very good. I’d probably love it if it was called “Bob Smith the Angry Spy”. Daniel Craig just does not fit the 007 mold. Here are 9 reasons why Daniel Craig is the Worst James Bond Ever.
9. James Bond is awesome. Everyone knows the martini shaking, bullet dodging, womanizing ways of 007. Even when Timothy Dalton played the title character, James Bond was still awesome. Yet Daniel Craig feels the need to “redefine the character”. He tells Playboy magazine, “I wanted to play around with the flaws in his character. It was much more interesting than having him be perfect and polished.” Hey Danny boy, why mess with perfection? If we wanted to see a different spy, we’d go watch Jason Bourne.
8. To Daniel Craig’s credit, its not just his fault. Its really the writers and the directors. They decided to take James Bond in “another direction” and reinvent the character. I ask…no, I beg them…WHY?!!!! We liked James Bond the way he was. Why did you feel the need to do the same thing every Superhero movie has done in the last two years and remake a classic awesome movie with a shitty movie with lots of references to the original awesome movie (eh hem….Superman Returns [gag]).
7. James Bond should rival Chuck Norris is in his Awesomeness. Daniel Craig, on the other hand gets his heart broken by a chick. Quantum of Solace focuses on Bond’s revenge over the betrayal of the woman he loved. Does that sound like James Bond to you? Ian must be Flemming in his grave! See the difference for yourself…check out the comparison between this Quantum of Solace clip and the Die Another Day trailer (featuring one of the best 007’s ever - Pierce Brosnan).
6. Don’t listen to what they tell you kids - smoking is cool…if you’re James Bond. Daniel Craig thinks James Bond should quit. Wus.
5. Daniel Craig doesn’t look like he can handle a Martini. He looks more like a Budweiser guy. Although in the clip above, he does drink white wine.
4. Complex plans of world domination are replaced by 45 minute chase scenes. Explosions are cool and all, but where’s the story, the dialog, and the character development? The UK Guardian writes in their early review of the film “I was disappointed there was so little dialogue, flirtation and characterization in this Bond: Forster and his writers Paul Haggis, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade clearly thought this sort of sissy nonsense has to be cut out in favor of explosions.”
3. Where’s the cheesy spy music? Just because Dark Knight didn’t have the “Na na na na na Batman!” song, doesn’t mean we shouldn’t hear “doo doo, dooo doo” when James Bond stumbles upon a naked chick while sneaking around the enemy’s lair.
2. He wants to quit. Daniel Craig does not want to do the next Bond movie. Yeah…you know you’re not 007 material, don’t you Daniel? Interestingly enough, Quantum of Solace director Marc Foster, also recently announced that he is passing on the next Bond film. Hopefully Quantum of Solace and the most recent Casino Royale will end up being mere hiccups in the celebrated history of awesome bond films.
1. He doesn’t even say “Bond…James Bond” !!!! WTF? The line has been cut from the film. This is an outright travesty. For this reason alone, how can they justify this as an “Ian Fleming’s 007″ movie? Perhaps a more fitting title would be “James Bond…Returns?”
See for your self…check out Quantum of Solace on iTunes.
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38 Responses to “9 Reasons Daniel Craig is the Worst James Bond Ever”
I’d say I completely disagree. I’m a long time fan of the series and the Ian Flemming novels. Daniel Craig’s portrayal of Bond seems much closer to the character of the novel.
What I particularly enjoy is a fully developed character with the depth, sophistication, and interesting temperament that a real “man among men” would have.
If I consider the overall quality of moviemaking, writing, acting, and direction I’d say Craig’s bond is just ahead of Sean Connery. We’ll have to see if the next film keeps him there.
nonsense, Craig is the first bad-ass Bond since Sean Connery. Were you not paying attention when every critic around acclaimed the last Bond movie as the best one in ages? He makes us take the character seriously as opposed to what you are describing…schlock. If you want schlock that’s fine but don’t blame Craige for being a serious actor.
Is everything you understand about Bond pulled from something someone else have told you?
And your video comparison of Quantum of Solace and Die Another Day is farcical, seriously you take a dialogue heavy scene which will take place about 30 minutes into the movie which follows a format common for Bond films, it’s the “getting info from a local informant scene” you will find in EVERY SINGLE BOND FILM EVER! and compare it to a trailer composed of cherry picked moments and shots not even in the final movie.
The quotes you give about “a new direction” are again quotes that could have been given about Goldeneye, when Producers had to update Bond and make it relevant to the world after the Cold War, as many thought the Berlin Wall coming down would be the end of Bond.
I dare you to look again at some of the action sequences and fight scenes in Casino Royale and then call Daniel Craig a “wus” to his face.
Also, Casino Royale didn’t have the bond theme throughout the film because they wanted the Theme to have real impact at the end of the film just as Craig finally said “the names Bond…James Bond”, A moment I know had millions of real Bond fans grinning from ear to ear as they left the cinema.
Touche! Excellent comment Daniel! I admit, that last scene in Casino Royale had me grinning ear to ear as well. My only real complaint was how the excessive chase scenes and Hollywood explosions were favored over the more plot and character development. That seems to be a common complaint of Quantum of Solace as well.
You are mad. Daniel Craig breathed new life into a dying genre. I lost interest in Bond films after Dalton’s first movie. After watching him in Layer Cake, I thought I’d give Casino Royale a shot and I wasn’t disappointed. I’m looking forward to the new Bond film which is not something I would have said before Daniel Craig.
I’m sorry, but why is there never any love for Roger Moore…. for people of a certain age, he’s the real James Bond. He’s practically dripping with cheese in every movie, but he’s a believable ladies man (like me).
Plus, he’s never afraid to say “Bond, James Bond”…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0MKD0kPlVc
In my opinion, Roger Moore is the best Bond (thus far). I don’t agree with most things in your article, but your unwillingness to submit to the “Daniel Craig is uber” fanboyism is admirable.
I hope you will view my own article..
Roger Moore is the best bond
Both of our opinions will be featured links on linkdork.com on Friday.
You nailed it Wormbrain. I am sure I will enjoy the movie. But this post pays homage to all the classic cheesy Bond movies that no one seems willing to admit they love. Well I love them. And I am not willing to submit that a total rewrite, which seems to be all the trend in Hollywood these days, was absolutely necessary.
if you really need all of that old cheezy stuff you can just jerk off to the old bond movies on dvd instead.
Disagreed, would you really watch a remake of one of the Bond films? Seriously, it’s all been done before and Craig did a brilliant job being 007. Why do you think there’s been so many different James Bonds? Every actor that’s played Bond has reinvented the character, why does Craig have to be crucified for his awesome role?
“James Bond is awesome. Everyone knows the martini shaking, bullet dodging, womanizing ways of 007. Even when Timothy Dalton played the title character, James Bond was still awesome.”
Timothy Dalton Awesome? We are going to have to differ here.
I personally find Daniel Craig to be the best thing to happen to Bond since Sean Connery - perhaps as a brit I have different tastes.
Daniel Craig is really best Bond so far. I like the idea that Bond is vulnerable, and i always hated Bond movies because Bond was arogant and smug, until now.
Ian must be Flemming in his grave? Have you read any of his James Bond books? Craig’s version is closer to the book than any other before him. Bond is flawed. It’s what makes him an identifiable character to us. No one’s perfect, to have someone who is is just plain boring (case in point, Superman).
And why the need for the revamp? You say Pierce Brosnan was the best James Bond, suggesting you actually saw the movies he’s in. Does an invisible car in an ice castle sound familiar to you? Die Another Day was a piece of trash, the entire franchise had turned into a farce and it needed a revamp to save it, or else it’d slip away because realism in movies counts for a lot these days.
Ridiculous. You’re basing your idea of Bond films in nostalgia rather than focus on the details of making a good Bond film. Sure, I miss the campiness of Adam West’s Batman, but the darker take in Christopher Nolan’s series is outstandingly well-done. Each Bond movie must stand on its own two legs separate from the others. Each one has its own pros and cons.
I’m looking for a good movie first which, in turn, will influence how good the “Bond” actor is. For example, Casino Royale was just an OK film. It lacked a formidable villain. And as we all know, Bond can only be as good as its villain. But Daniel Craig did the best with what he had, which tells a lot in his ability. In the grander scheme, the film stood up on its own because it was a re-imagining. The novelty of it opened the franchise up to new fans.
I totally agree. Pierce Brosnan was the best Bond ever. Daniel Craig looks more inclined to watch Nascar than Polo. Craig loathes the Bond franchise and you can see it in his performance. True Bond fans should be offended that they are trying to re-invent the Bond franchise to make it more appealing. I think the decisions directors and producers made in the last two Bond movies are about appealing to a new demographic - women.
Most of this list just shows that the writer does not fully understand the James Band character.
Oops typo. James Bond.
I like the old Bonds because they are crap
Daniel Craig is awesome though!! I loved this post though 
This whole article is nuts.
“but where’s the story, the dialog, and the character development?”
AND
“Yet Daniel Craig feels the need to “redefine the character”. He tells Playboy magazine, “I wanted to play around with the flaws in his character. It was much more interesting than having him be perfect and polished.” Hey Danny boy, why mess with perfection? If we wanted to see a different spy, we’d go watch Jason Bourne.”
Make up your mind, do you want a complex character or not? James bond, especially the Brosnan films, have become parody of the character. There hasn’t been character development in a single bond film for many years BARRING Craig in Casino Royale.
The rest of this article is essentially aimed at shunning good film making for nostalgia.
Missing the point. This is not the next movie, but the beginnings of what made James Bond. Why he is what he is.
#4 is about as close as this list gets to making a valid point.
Thank you,
i agree with most of what you have said.
casino royal did Not feel like a bond film, it was boring and dragged on for a long time. i fell asleep the second time i watched and i wasnt even tired.
Where were the GADGETs, how can you have a bond film without gadgets and where were the guns on the car?
there was lots of advertising in it aswell, It advertised Sony Erricson, Ford, His new watch, Sony Vaio, etc
Craig is a breath of fresh life into a character that is now dark, brooding and a little more true to life.
If you read Casino Royale this is what Bond was supposed to be, not to mention Craig is bringing MEN back to Bond movies.
I can’t remember one Bond movie storyline since the Connery days until Craig arrived and Roger Moore was a great The Saint. Bond? Not so much.
Long live the Craig Bond as long as the writing does not go so far over the top that the edge of your seat action sequences become digital. I love the Transporter but the writers and digital effects hurt the second one.
I fully agree with the article. What is really sad and what’s missing is that nobody misses the class, charm and sense of humor previous Bonds had. Did nobody in here even notice that e.g. Roger Moore was making fun of himself? Where is this sense of humor?
Daniel Craig sure does not have it, nor has he class, style or anything else all the other Bonds had. And it does not matter what the original book was like. The Bond movies created a character that has been manifested over decades. Why ruin that character now? Because the original book was different?
Of course not, but it is a welcome excuse for the producers. The actual reason is, of course, a different one: money.
Because today’s generation does not know what charm, wit and class was, so hgow could it appreciate it? A generation that is not even able to concentrate on an uncut, not action-loaded sequence for longer than 5 seconds. A generation that falls asleep during dialog.
So finally, the Bond producers have given in to today’s mass production, violence and speed graving, shallow iPod-deaf, restless text messaging generation.
It will definitely get them more money than making movies the old style for the aging connoisseurs. It is part of the times.
So James Bond connoisseurs, stop arguing who the best James Bond is. We all know it is definitely not Craig, and he probably knows it himself, but don’t waste your breath trying to convince the masses.
No use arguing with a blind man about colors.
I completely disagree with just about everything you said. Yes, Connery was great and many of the others were good. Connery and Brosnan were my favorites. And I was very skeptical when I saw Craig was chosen to play bond. But about five minutes into Casino Royale, I saw that Craig was the perfect choice. He doesn’t play the metrosexual, pretty boy, girl chasing bond. He plays the manly bond just like Connery did where the girls want him because he’s manly not because he’s pretty. Before Casino Royale, the franchise had become so ridiculous that I, a huge bond fan could barely muster up enough excitement to rent the latest bond film, let alone go to theaters to see it. Goldeneye showed such promise and then they just threw it all away. Craig is marginally the best bond ever in my opinion. And I nearly forgot your argument about the lack of humor. There was humor there it was just darker, and a little more intelligent. Before Casino Royale, they just made Bond look more and more like a dumbass with his crappy jokes. Long live Craig’s Bond.
I also meant to ask, where did he ever say he doesn’t want to play bond and he doesn’t even like the franchise?
Well it definitely seems like there are two very strong opinions. Thanks for the great comments and the excellent debate everyone.
DJ - Point #2 in the main article has a link to a Digital Spy article about Craig being unsure about the next Bond film.
Maybe it’s a generation thing. If you didn’t grow up through the 50s and 60s, you can’t hope to understand just how much (and how quickly) attitudes have changed since then. James Bond was created and developed during a period when eltist style (usually conservative) was still “good”, when tomorrow’s world was a great place to be headed for, when techonolgy was romantic. I’m not saying it was better back then (though in terms of optimism, it might have been). Just different. The James Bond franchise has struggled to keep pace with changes of attitude and the rules of taste as defined by mass culture. I guess today’s world has got the Bond it deserves. Whatever that means…
Wow Michael. I really think you hit the nail on the head as perfectly as one can. For this reason, it is impossible for people to agree what Bond is best. It becomes a matter of what generation Bond is truly “Bond” in one’s own eyes.
My feelings towards the latter 2 James bond actors (PB & DC) are that they do not represent what Ian flemming pictured this character as; He is ment to be an old school British Secret service agent. So Smug and arrogent is almost a must. Personally after watching the latest film I must say I would rater watch die hard.
I just watched the Octopussy-movie again and I have to say I really miss the old bond. The older bond-movies make me smile – and even gigle – with their witty dialog and – what some might call cheesy – one liners. I also totally agree with the awesomeness-argument (7th one). During these times no one wants to see a weak bond wallowing in pain after losing a woman. I mean come on! Sure he can kill a bloke or two, but then he gets sentimental over a chick – that’s not the bond I love. To me the old Bond – to make reference to contemporary popular culture – was like Quagmire from Family guy with a gun
Sure the new bond movies are good action flicks, but they really aren’t bond-movies. I know they try to portray the bond-character more accurately, but would Bond ever have become as popular as it is with this kind of lead and attitude? I think not. Hopefully the reign of the cold bond will soon be over! Bring the warm James back I say!
Daniel Craig was the worst of the worst. When i watched him “playing James Bond” i almost lost it. Every one wants to see the bad ass james bond now days and they ended up with the fakest james bond ever. Daniel Craig is an ok actor but after james bond i cant stand him any more.
As a product of the Cold War, I was familiar with it the reality of it. Daniel Craig is the only James Bond who could actually survive as the type of agent he portrays. There were many different types of agents used during the Cold War for many different purposes and roles. There were the con artists, pretending to be a buddy and best friend…(most useful), the well-trained hand to hand fighters, the lovers/seducers (most useful when female), the intellectuals, most useful as moles, and even the homosexual and lesbian seducers in order to gather intelligence in the world of espionage and subversion, an agent had to wear many masks. Daniel Craig seems the most capable of realisically surviving the world, more like the level of training of the “Jason Bourne” type character for which he was well-equipped for, which is also more realistically the mission type for which he engaged in. The other James Bond portrayers were ill-equipped for facing the true dangers in the world of counter-intelligence and more like the type who might gather intelligence from lonely old widow, a job which was in pretty low demand. Daniel Craig seems to be the most realistic and well-rounded agent to be a most effective weapon.
Jake you know nothing of reality.
Daniel Craig and Sean Connery= BOND
Craig is the worst Bond in the entire series.
The whole point of Bond is someone we want to be, not some average Joe you’d have a beer with.
Craig lacks the charm, sophistication, integrity, and looks for the character. Who the hell wants a emo self-doubting James Bond?
Why re-invent the wheel? If it isn’t broke don’t fix it. Bond has lost it’s way with Craig as the performance of Quantum demonstrated.
REHIRE Brosnan while he can still do the role. Best Bond ever.
YOUR AN IDIOT!
seriously i left QOS and was like “Sean Connery who”
now before i go on talking bout how awesome he is id liked to first state that you really have no leg to stand on a real “James Bond fan” WOULD NEVER OF SAID Pierce Brosnan was the best james bond WAS Sean now is Daniel!
all your points dont make sence Daniel Craig is on for at least two more as Casino Quantum Bond 23 and 24 are are all one story!
QOS was based pon a short story rather than the actual ian Flemming book thats what makes it rad!
BOND HAD ALWAYS had the love of his life stolen and this was explaining how!
WITH THAT bod got married in his majestys secret service so dont try and play that card
ALSO this are prequels bond couldnt be the suave and sophisticated hero he is without being a hardarse first he KILLS PEOPLE of course he started off a little fucked up thats what these films are doing they are showing the progression how he starts to get more fun and sex obsessed and what not!
DANIEL CRAIG IS JAMES BOND
YOUR AN IDIOT!
IM OUT!