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Which Couple Do You Think Had the Best Chemistry?

IncompetentHenchmanIncompetentHenchman
in Bond Movies Posts: 1,817
This topic is simple. In which couple do you think Bond and the girl shared the most genuine chemistry?

My controversial opinion? Dalton is usually pointed at as being completely UN-charming, to which I have to disagree fully. He is very much a charmer, but in a more mature way. Therefore I find the most likeable couple in the Bond canon to be Bond and Kara from TLD. I feel like, more than other films, their relationship goes through real 'steps'.

Their relationship has an interesting start. Bond has orders to kill her, but disobeys, only injuring her. He then meets her for real, posing as a friend of her love, Koskov... This leads to Bond's relationship with Kara being based on deception, hence making it inherently unique. People just love to criticise Dalton for lacking humour as well, but it's clear that this is just untrue, I mean do you even remember the exchanges between him and Kara? "Why didn't you learn the violin?" cracks me up! Not to mention Dalton's ingenuine "Sorry!" when he gets the cello struck by a bullet.

And those scenes in Vienna are just classic... All build-up to that ferris wheel scene where Kara, against her will to remain with Koskov, falls completely for Bond. "Don't think. Just let it happen..."

The relationship climaxes in that scene where Bond admits to Kara that he was lying - that he's not a friend of Koskov, that he's a British agent - Kara is angry "you pretended to love me!" Then Bond realises Kara drugged him and he desperately attempts to tell her before he passes out - that it was he shot her, yet spared her life.

Their relationship honestly is just beautiful. TLD was my first film, and unfortunately it got my hopes up that in other films there would be a similar level of chemistry and reality in their couples. Their relationship went through real motions, real evolutions through the film, something that I think the other films don't really do. It's not a requirement, but it's something we haven't seen in a while, and I guess I wanted to bring it up given how incomplete the romance arc in SP feels.

Which Bond couple is your favourite, and why?
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Comments

  • w2bondw2bond is indeed a very rare breed
    Posts: 2,252
    I'm going for OHMSS and CR by default. There's little competition in this category as most Bond Girls are not at all convincing. My other contenders would be Bond/Pussy and Bond/Volpe, they have good screen chemistry.

    I can see your arguments for TLD, and you're not alone in that opinion, but I feel Dalton was too cold in his scenes with Kara, and acted like she was an annoying twat for the most part. With a few tweaks I probably would've bought it....and that is a common issue people have with TLD is that it tries to be a convincing serious spy thriller but it has many hangovers from Moore.
  • IncompetentHenchmanIncompetentHenchman
    Posts: 1,817
    Thanks for the reply @w2bond. Yes a lot of the actresses chosen to play Bond girls are women who never got to get that role they wanted in their primary school musical.

    Bond of course has good chemistry with Tracy and Vesper, but they are the obvious go-to choices, that's why I strayed from them. Bond and Volpe had great chemistry as well, one of the best things about TB, so much so that the film loses something when she dies.

    And thanks for your comments on TLD. Of course I don't agree at all that Dalton was cold, I mean in those scenes in Vienna I don't understand at all how he could be considered 'cold'. I respect your opinion though since many share it. And I agree that Kara was occasionally a bit of an airhead, like when she flies the plane, but her acting is fulfilling during the crucial moments, I think.

    Yes, the cello chase was one big Moore hangover. At least they cut the infamous 'magic carpet'. Even in LTK we felt Moore hangovers (the bizarre truck stunts).
  • ForYourEyesOnlyForYourEyesOnly In the untained cradle of the heavens
    Posts: 1,984
    It depends, because each actor has a different type of chemistry that's desirable between them and their girls, and even then, it can be up to the viewer. Dalton's best Bond girl is often said to be Kara, since Dalton acts in a more loving and protective way of her than Bouvier. However, some people seem to be more interested in Bouvier's standoffish, no-taking-crap stance from Dalton - I'm not one of those people, though.

    For me, it goes like this:

    1. Connery - He has great chemistry with just about all of them (except Domino and Tiffany Case, IMO). Honey Ryder and Pussy Galore are above the rest, though.

    2. Lazenby - Well, this one's obvious. However, his relationship with Tracy is usually considered to have the strongest chemistry out of all of Bond's relationships (except perhaps the one with Vesper).

    3. Moore - Definitely Amasova, followed shortly by Octopussy. None of the others seem to be deeply connected to Moore at all. Goodnight and Sutton especially.

    4. Dalton - Kara, for reasons listed above.

    5. Brosnan - Honestly, Elektra. Wai Lin and Natalya Simonova are good characters, it's just their chemistry with Brosnan's Bond was just lacking because of dialogue, I suppose. Jinx isn't worth considering.

    6. Craig - Vesper, obviously. This one isn't a contest at all in my opinion.
  • Scaramanga12Scaramanga12
    Posts: 562
    Moore and Sutton
  • tanaka123tanaka123
    Posts: 4,325
    Daniel Craig and Eva Green- that scene on the train is brilliant.
  • Perilagu_KhanPerilagu_Khan
    Posts: 2,483
    Dalton/D'abo
  • bondjamesbondjames You were expecting someone else?
    edited February 2016 Posts: 23,883
    Sadly, one of the better male/female dynamics, at least in terms of chemistry (as opposed to physical connection), has been Bond and M (Dench). Both Brosnan (in the later two), and Craig.

    In my view Craig/Green takes it. That was, along with both their performances, by far and away the winning attribute of CR imho. The film would have collapsed if not for it.
  • MajorDSmytheMajorDSmythe "I tolerate this century, but I don't enjoy it."Moderator
    Posts: 13,894
    You've just summed up my choice right there, @IncompetentHenchman. And while Dalton's Bond could be aloof, in the scenes with Kara I think he was the opposite.
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    No one has mentioned Roger Moore and Grace Jones?
  • Scaramanga12Scaramanga12
    Posts: 562
    In all seriousness, 007 and 006. For England, James?
  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,588
    Denise Richards and Robbie Coltrane.
  • DaltonCraig007DaltonCraig007 They say, "Evil prevails when good men fail to act." What they ought to say is, "Evil prevails."
    edited February 2016 Posts: 15,690
    @Thunderfinger and Pierce Brosnan.

    Or @TheWizardOfIce and Rory Kinnear.
  • MayDayDiVicenzoMayDayDiVicenzo Here and there
    Posts: 5,080
    Pierce Brosnan and dead females.
  • ThighsOfXeniaThighsOfXenia
    edited February 2016 Posts: 1,595
    Chemistry? Pretty easy... Connery's sexual magnetism and chemistry with his female co-stars is one of the reasons those early movies are so great. Even the minor characters. It's something no other Bond actor has been able to achieve.

    Connery + Sylvia
    Connery + Honey
    Connery + Tatiana
    Connery + Jill
    Connery + Pussy
    Connery + Pat
    Connery + Fiona(!) - she's Bond's sexual equal. Their scenes are pure sex and fire.
    Connery + Domino

    Lazenby + Tracy - despite my low opinion of Laz, they fit well.

    Moore + Solitaire
    Moore + Octopussy

    Dalton + Kara - perhaps the sweetest romance of them all.

    Brosnan + Natalya - another one I could see Bond settling down with.

    Craig + Vesper
    Craig + Severine
  • Scaramanga12Scaramanga12
    Posts: 562
    Connery and the nurse at shrublands.

    Or Connery and that rack machine.
  • MrcogginsMrcoggins Following in the footsteps of Quentin Quigley.
    Posts: 3,144
    Dalton & Darbo in TLD never been a another like it.
  • GBFGBF
    Posts: 3,195
    My vote probably goes to Bond and Octopussy. They are two of a kind. Especially since Octopussy and Bond have already reached a certain age. It's not the big love story but actually I think the two or three love stories we had in the franchise always seemed a little bit forced.
  • SzonanaSzonana Mexico
    Posts: 1,130
    Pierce Brosnan Bond:

    Izabella Scorupco
    Sophie Marceau
    Famke Janssen
    Teri Hatcher
    Rosamund Pike
    Halley Berry

    Sean Connery Bond

    Sylvia Trench
    Ursulla Andres
    Claudine Auger
    Luciana Paluzzi
    Honor Blackman
    Jill Masterson

    Daniel Craig Bond:

    Eva Green
    Monica Bellucci
    Berenice Marlhoe


    Roger Moore and Anya Amasova
    Roger Moore and Octopussy

    George Lazeny and Diana Rigg

    Timothy Dalton and Kara



  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    DaltonCraig007 wrote: »
    @Thunderfinger and Pierce Brosnan.

    Or @TheWizardOfIce and Rory Kinnear.

    If we want a funny answer-The Chemical Brothers.
  • TheWizardOfIceTheWizardOfIce 'One of the Internet's more toxic individuals'
    Posts: 9,117
    DaltonCraig007 wrote: »

    Or @TheWizardOfIce and Rory Kinnear.

    Very good!

    Although for the record I always make Rory be the bitch on all fours!
  • IncompetentHenchmanIncompetentHenchman
    Posts: 1,817
    This is very, very, very strange, not one mention of Bond and Melina in FYEO! Surely that was among the strongest or THE strongest in the Moore days?
  • ThighsOfXeniaThighsOfXenia
    Posts: 1,595
    Nah. Melina's gorgeous and can handle herself, but they really didn't have much spark between them I didn't think. Not a lot of chemistry.
  • IncompetentHenchmanIncompetentHenchman
    Posts: 1,817
    Well I'd beg to differ, they had a lot of really good moments, like Bond warning Melina of the consequences of revenge and then again on the bobsleigh. May have been a script thing more than anything else, but I still think they are better than a lot of other Moore couples...
  • ThunderfingerThunderfinger Das Boot Hill
    Posts: 45,489
    Bond and Melina are among the best for sure.

    But why did he say no to Bibi?
  • IncompetentHenchmanIncompetentHenchman
    Posts: 1,817
    @Thunderfinger
    Because she's practically a teenager?
  • ThighsOfXeniaThighsOfXenia
    Posts: 1,595
    They had good moments, but I personally feel that's mostly the script. I didn't feel a lot on screen. I do like the part where they're tied up and Bond say, "we're not dead yet." It's a nice moment between the two. But by and large I didn't feel it.

    Hell, I thought Bond and the Countess had more chemistry. (I do love the film, for the record).
  • fire_and_icefire_and_ice
    Posts: 6,432
    Moore and Adams in Octopussy, felt there was a genuine connection between them.
  • Cuckoo007Cuckoo007
    Posts: 26
    I liked Bond and Madeliene, they were electric. Bond and Lucia were pretty good. I also liked the Mexican woman. It was clear Bond had no interest in the black woman though.
  • ThighsOfXeniaThighsOfXenia
    edited February 2016 Posts: 1,595
    fire_and_ice wrote: »
    Moore and Adams in Octopussy, felt there was a genuine connection between them.

    For sure! More age appropriate as well, and Adams really exuded this mysteriousness. One of my favorite Bond girls - well written, well acted.
  • IncompetentHenchmanIncompetentHenchman
    Posts: 1,817
    Moore and Adams WERE age appropriate. Casting Moore with a Bond girl of similar-ish age was very wise.

    They were NOT too wise in AVTAK though... Just watch him bed four women well under his age!
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