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Bond... James Bond. The best and the worst delivery of the iconic line

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  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,330
    Baltimore_007 wrote:
    Did Connery ever say the line in Diamonds are Forever, because he had so many aliases in that movie I don't even remember him even being James Bond much at all that year!

    My name is Peter Franks, My Name is Mister Jones, My Name is Klaus Hergescheimer, My Name is Burt Saxby... etc ?

    Yes, at the beginning of the film before he wraps the girls bikini top around her neck.

  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    @FromCanadaWithLove I will be in about 20 minutes from now..

    No, it's not about confusion is it, just too many aliases maybe, not enough James Bond 007 perhaps. I don't get confused with it, just damn disappointed above all else

    @Murdock Yes, you could be on to something, (in) one of the most embarrassing and cringeworthy PTS of the entire franchise. 'Where's Blofeld? - Ca-Ca-Ca-Cairo!' - damn nonsense really, and especially with one of the best and tangible James Bond's (Connery) ever, I had actually forgotten about it, you can't really blame me...
  • KerimKerim Istanbul Not Constantinople
    edited July 2012 Posts: 2,629
    Murdock wrote:
    Kerim wrote:
    Initial delivery

    1. SC (DN)
    2. DC (CR)
    3. PB (GE)
    4. RM (LALD)
    5. GL (OHMSS)
    6. TD (TLD)

    Great list @Kerim, Though for Pierce, I'd also go with DAD, It was a great delivery.

    Thanks. I was just looking at the very first deliveries of "Bond, James Bond" for each actor. I will give credit to Pierce giving a pretty solid delivery of that line each time.

    SC-The iconic delivery.
    DC-The cold-hearted delivery
    PB-The suave delivery
    RM-The cookie cutter delivery
    GL-The tounge in cheek delivery
    TD-The throw away delivery.
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    Posts: 1,874
    myworldisenough wrote:
    Murdock wrote:
    Best would be Brosnan in Die Another Day. It's so good you know he wants to take down Graves.

    worst, Dalton in The Living Daylights. it was so rushed and disappointing.

    Agree, like Lazenby, Dalton just doesn't deliver the line well. Prehaps in part this was not the first impression on the viewing public that either actor would have wished for and prehaps may have contributed to a general feeling by many a casual viewer at the time that both actors were lacking that certain spark or confidence.

    Maybe both got off on the wrong foot with their poor delivery of those famous words, but for me, both OHMSS and TLD and both their performances in those two movies are amongst the highlights of the entire series.

    Here goes. Have to disagree. I like Dalton's delivery of the line, straightforward, and not trying to imitate previous Bonds - where as Roger's, I felt, was a copy of Connery's 'Bond, (pause) James Bond' slightly tongue-in-cheek delivery, no one talks like that except in the movies. And I think Lazenby and Dalton do just fine with the line. Brosnan's 'Band, James Band' delivery in TWINE is awful and too American for me!
  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    Lancaster007 wrote:
    myworldisenough wrote:
    Murdock wrote:
    Best would be Brosnan in Die Another Day. It's so good you know he wants to take down Graves.

    worst, Dalton in The Living Daylights. it was so rushed and disappointing.

    Agree, like Lazenby, Dalton just doesn't deliver the line well. Prehaps in part this was not the first impression on the viewing public that either actor would have wished for and prehaps may have contributed to a general feeling by many a casual viewer at the time that both actors were lacking that certain spark or confidence.

    Maybe both got off on the wrong foot with their poor delivery of those famous words, but for me, both OHMSS and TLD and both their performances in those two movies are amongst the highlights of the entire series.

    Here goes. Have to disagree. I like Dalton's delivery of the line, straightforward, and not trying to imitate previous Bonds - where as Roger's, I felt, was a copy of Connery's 'Bond, (pause) James Bond' slightly tongue-in-cheek delivery, no one talks like that except in the movies. And I think Lazenby and Dalton do just fine with the line. Brosnan's 'Band, James Band' delivery in TWINE is awful and too American for me!

    I certainly don't disagree with your interpretation of Dalton's and Lazenby's deliveries. As you say straightforward and not trying to imitate others. Perhaps on reflection their deliveries are the most natural. However Bond as a character for me, on occasion needs to show an element of confidence and assurance and the perfect opportunity to do so is when delivering the famous line. For me their deliveries lacked that certain assured confidence and style befitting of the character.
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    Posts: 11,189
    However Bond as a character for me, on occasion needs to show an element of confidence and assurance and the perfect opportunity to do so is when delivering the famous line. For me their deliveries lacked that certain assured confidence and style befitting of the character.

    I think you're spot on here tbh. There's a reason people remember the line deleveries of Connery, Moore, Brosnan and Craig more than Dalts and Laz. It's because they sound a bit more fun and indulgent.
  • Lancaster007Lancaster007 Shrublands Health Clinic, England
    Posts: 1,874
    myworldisenough wrote:
    Lancaster007 wrote:
    myworldisenough wrote:
    Murdock wrote:
    Best would be Brosnan in Die Another Day. It's so good you know he wants to take down Graves.

    worst, Dalton in The Living Daylights. it was so rushed and disappointing.

    Agree, like Lazenby, Dalton just doesn't deliver the line well. Prehaps in part this was not the first impression on the viewing public that either actor would have wished for and prehaps may have contributed to a general feeling by many a casual viewer at the time that both actors were lacking that certain spark or confidence.

    Maybe both got off on the wrong foot with their poor delivery of those famous words, but for me, both OHMSS and TLD and both their performances in those two movies are amongst the highlights of the entire series.

    Here goes. Have to disagree. I like Dalton's delivery of the line, straightforward, and not trying to imitate previous Bonds - where as Roger's, I felt, was a copy of Connery's 'Bond, (pause) James Bond' slightly tongue-in-cheek delivery, no one talks like that except in the movies. And I think Lazenby and Dalton do just fine with the line. Brosnan's 'Band, James Band' delivery in TWINE is awful and too American for me!

    I certainly don't disagree with your interpretation of Dalton's and Lazenby's deliveries. As you say straightforward and not trying to imitate others. Perhaps on reflection their deliveries are the most natural. However Bond as a character for me, on occasion needs to show an element of confidence and assurance and the perfect opportunity to do so is when delivering the famous line. For me their deliveries lacked that certain assured confidence and style befitting of the character.

    I understand what your saying, and I too don't disagree with what you are saying. And I believe that the audience was so conditioned to the Connery/Moore style of delivery that Dalton's line failed to live up to expectations. When reading the books I certainly don't have Connery/Moore delivery when that line comes up, in my head it is more like Dalton's. Maybe there is too much emphasis put on this one line…I don't know.
    If someone talked to you like that in real life would you think them cool, or a bit of a prat?
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited July 2012 Posts: 11,189
    When reading the books I certainly don't have Connery/Moore delivery when that line comes up, in my head it is more like Dalton's. Maybe there is too much emphasis put on this one line…I don't know.
    If someone talked to you like that in real life would you think them cool, or a bit of a prat?

    Probably a bit of a prat but it's not real life
  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    Lancaster007 wrote:

    I understand what your saying, and I too don't disagree with what you are saying. And I believe that the audience was so conditioned to the Connery/Moore style of delivery that Dalton's line failed to live up to expectations. When reading the books I certainly don't have Connery/Moore delivery when that line comes up, in my head it is more like Dalton's. Maybe there is too much emphasis put on this one line…I don't know.
    If someone talked to you like that in real life would you think them cool, or a bit of a prat?

    If it were real life I would think they were a bit of a prat. However Bond is not the real world and should reflect an element of escapism within the movies. It's the element of escapism and style that is a big draw for many people. Perhaps too much emphasis is placed on the iconic Bond... James Bond line, perhaps similar to the expectations of the delivery of the other iconic shaken not stirred line.

  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    BAIN123 wrote:
    However Bond as a character for me, on occasion needs to show an element of confidence and assurance and the perfect opportunity to do so is when delivering the famous line. For me their deliveries lacked that certain assured confidence and style befitting of the character.

    I think you're spot on here tbh. There's a reason people remember the line deleveries of Connery, Moore, Brosnan and Craig more than Dalts and Laz. It's because they sound a bit more fun and indulgent.

    I agree, there has to be an element of fun and indulgence and little signature moments like the delivery of the famous line can remind us we are watching a Bond movie as oppose to another similar themed movie. I love Daltons and Lazenbys performance as Bond and I enjoy the fact their movies are more serious and realistic in places, but they missed an opportunity to impress and bring the Bond style for me on the iconic line.
  • thelordflasheartthelordflasheart
    Posts: 1,370
    myworldisenough wrote:
    BAIN123 wrote:
    However Bond as a character for me, on occasion needs to show an element of confidence and assurance and the perfect opportunity to do so is when delivering the famous line. For me their deliveries lacked that certain assured confidence and style befitting of the character.

    I think you're spot on here tbh. There's a reason people remember the line deleveries of Connery, Moore, Brosnan and Craig more than Dalts and Laz. It's because they sound a bit more fun and indulgent.

    I agree, there has to be an element of fun and indulgence and little signature moments like the delivery of the famous line can remind us we are watching a Bond movie as oppose to another similar themed movie. I love Daltons and Lazenbys performance as Bond and I enjoy the fact their movies are more serious and realistic in places, but they missed an opportunity to impress and bring the Bond style for me on the iconic line.

    I've been reading the comments here with interest and I've always appreciated both Lazenby's and Dalton's deliveries of the lines. I think that both deliveries were well-thought out and intentional.

    With Lazenby, he has a very genial, happy tone in the beginning of OHMSS which is in keeping with a young, attractive, successful bachelor who has the world by a string and is loving his perfect life. That was a wise choice as it makes everything that happens later on in the film darker by contrast, so I think that his chipper delivery of the line was well-played.

    With Dalton, again I think it was a great choice to deliver the line as a "throw-away". It shows instantly that this is a more serious Bond who doesn't need the cheesy "tick all the boxes" moments to establish that he's Bond - and the delivery of "Bond, James Bond" was becoming cheesy and forced at the time.

    There was an interview with Brosnan where he made a very good point. He said that you can over-think the iconic moments and lines to the point where they come across as un-natural and forced - it's better to just deliver them in the natural way that the character whould in each particular moment. To me, *that's* what makes the line cool. Even worse is when a director or a composer feels the need to spice things up a bit to make the moment "bigger" or more important - with OTT music or directorial choices (such as the infamous reading of the line to Christmas in TWINE).
  • BAIN123BAIN123
    edited July 2012 Posts: 11,189
    thelordflasheart wrote:
    myworldisenough wrote:
    BAIN123 wrote:
    However Bond as a character for me, on occasion needs to show an element of confidence and assurance and the perfect opportunity to do so is when delivering the famous line. For me their deliveries lacked that certain assured confidence and style befitting of the character.

    I think you're spot on here tbh. There's a reason people remember the line deleveries of Connery, Moore, Brosnan and Craig more than Dalts and Laz. It's because they sound a bit more fun and indulgent.

    I agree, there has to be an element of fun and indulgence and little signature moments like the delivery of the famous line can remind us we are watching a Bond movie as oppose to another similar themed movie. I love Daltons and Lazenbys performance as Bond and I enjoy the fact their movies are more serious and realistic in places, but they missed an opportunity to impress and bring the Bond style for me on the iconic line.

    I've been reading the comments here with interest and I've always appreciated both Lazenby's and Dalton's deliveries of the lines. I think that both deliveries were well-thought out and intentional.

    With Lazenby, he has a very genial, happy tone in the beginning of OHMSS which is in keeping with a young, attractive, successful bachelor who has the world by a string and is loving his perfect life. That was a wise choice as it makes everything that happens later on in the film darker by contrast, so I think that his chipper delivery of the line was well-played.

    With Dalton, again I think it was a great choice to deliver the line as a "throw-away". It shows instantly that this is a more serious Bond who doesn't need the cheesy "tick all the boxes" moments to establish that he's Bond - and the delivery of "Bond, James Bond" was becoming cheesy and forced at the time.

    There was an interview with Brosnan where he made a very good point. He said that you can over-think the iconic moments and lines to the point where they come across as un-natural and forced - it's better to just deliver them in the natural way that the character whould in each particular moment. To me, *that's* what makes the line cool. Even worse is when a director or a composer feels the need to spice things up a bit to make the moment "bigger" or more important - with OTT music or directorial choices (such as the infamous reading of the line to Christmas in TWINE).

    A great post as ever TLF.

    I remember hearing an interview with Broz where he said something along the lines of "keep it simple...and say the name". I suppose with Brosnan they did sound a bit cheesey and stagey sometimes but I do like his smooth voice. Same with Craig

    The problem I have with Dalts is that he seemed to want to get it out of the way.
  • W_PPKW_PPK
    Posts: 172
    Best – that one from Casino Royale, best scene in all Bond films.
    Worst – Lazenby's. PTS.
  • Baltimore_007Baltimore_007
    Posts: 5,634
    I like the Roger Moore one when he arrives in New York before he faces Mr Big and sees Seymour with her Tarot Cards. 'My name is Bond...James Bond...', so phlegmatic and calm and almost perfectly executed in the face of impending danger. The Craig one from Royale is good, but seems a little overly hyped?. I would of liked to have heard it much earlier in the film rather than the very end. Lazenby's intro in 1969 seems a little too cheerful, just seems a bit questionable maybe. 'Hello, my name is Bond...James Bond, miss er?...', just doesn't sound as it should do is best I can describe it as
  • HenryJonesVictorHenryJonesVictor
    edited November 2017 Posts: 236
    .
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    Grinderman wrote:
    Craig's at the end of Casino Royale is perfect. The cold, hard stare of a killer. And a perfect way to end that film, since it was the story of how James Bond became James Bond.

    It wasn't though. It seemed like it was, but it wasn't. In QOS he still hadn't become James Bond, he'd become more experienced, but still not the Bond we know.
  • GrindermanGrinderman
    Posts: 165
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    Grinderman wrote:
    Craig's at the end of Casino Royale is perfect. The cold, hard stare of a killer. And a perfect way to end that film, since it was the story of how James Bond became James Bond.

    It wasn't though. It seemed like it was, but it wasn't. In QOS he still hadn't become James Bond, he'd become more experienced, but still not the Bond we know.

    I think he did. He starts the story out as suave and tough, but a somewhat short tempered "blunt instrument" who can't keep the proper perspective (see the "only one bombmaker" conversation he has with M a couple scenes in).

    By the end of the movie, he shown he's plenty charming and suave (see just about all the casino scenes, the train scene with Vesper, etc), he's tough as nails (the numerous fight scenes), and rather clever (breaking Le Chiffre's tell, figuring out how to get to Dimitrios and how to find Mr. White).

    Finally, at the end, he's learned how to keep his cool and/or perspective, illustrated by the fact that he shoots White in the foot (if he hadn't changed, that bullet would've gone between White's eyeballs) and very cooly approaches him to "introduce himself".

    So: charming, suave, tough, clever, icy cool under pressure and rather emotionally detached. Bags the babes and gets the bad guys.

    Exactly what about that isn't Bond?

  • FromCanadaWithLoveFromCanadaWithLove Canada
    Posts: 612
    Grinderman wrote:
    Finally, at the end, he's learned how to keep his cool and/or perspective, illustrated by the fact that he shoots White in the foot (if he hadn't changed, that bullet would've gone between White's eyeballs)

    I hate to be a pest, but he was shot in the knee. :-B
  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    Craig's delivery of Bond...James Bond in Skyfall perhaps one of the finest yet? Delivered with purpose and confidence. It screams I am Bond and I own this role!
  • fire_and_icefire_and_ice
    Posts: 6,432
    Best sir Sean in DN, worst any time Brosnan uttered the famous line. Brosnan saying bond... James bond was orchestrated like a action get piece.
  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    fire_and_ice wrote:
    Best sir Sean in DN, worst any time Brosnan uttered the famous line. Brosnan saying bond... James bond was orchestrated like a action get piece.

    Yes, this has been mentioned by many before. Brosnan had a nasty habit of delivering it in an annoying way.
  • CraigMooreOHMSSCraigMooreOHMSS Dublin, Ireland
    Posts: 8,034
    myworldisenough wrote:
    fire_and_ice wrote:
    Best sir Sean in DN, worst any time Brosnan uttered the famous line. Brosnan saying bond... James bond was orchestrated like a action get piece.

    Yes, this has been mentioned by many before. Brosnan had a nasty habit of delivering it in an annoying way.

    I had no problem with any of his deliveries, except maybe the second one in the bunker in TWINE.
  • Tobester95Tobester95
    Posts: 117
    Have we forgotten about the awful speeding up of Connery's line from the beginning of DAF? :/
  • thelivingroyalethelivingroyale
    Posts: 12,837
    myworldisenough wrote:
    fire_and_ice wrote:
    Best sir Sean in DN, worst any time Brosnan uttered the famous line. Brosnan saying bond... James bond was orchestrated like a action get piece.

    Yes, this has been mentioned by many before. Brosnan had a nasty habit of delivering it in an annoying way.

    Why do you think it's annoying? The only time Brosnan did it badly imo was in TWINE in the bunker.

    Best is still Connery, worst has to be Lazenby at the start of OHMSS.
  • forgotmyusernameforgotmyusername
    Posts: 2,782
    Fab film, fab everything apart from Bond, James Bond in Skyfall. Didn't feel right for me.
  • JamesBond_007JamesBond_007
    Posts: 36
    The best for me is definitely Sean Connery from Dr No. The original and the best. The worst, Brozzer from The World Is Not Enough........
  • myworldisenoughmyworldisenough
    Posts: 1,143
    thelivingroyale wrote:
    myworldisenough wrote:
    fire_and_ice wrote:
    Best sir Sean in DN, worst any time Brosnan uttered the famous line. Brosnan saying bond... James bond was orchestrated like a action get piece.

    Yes, this has been mentioned by many before. Brosnan had a nasty habit of delivering it in an annoying way.

    Why do you think it's annoying? The only time Brosnan did it badly imo was in TWINE in the bunker.

    Best is still Connery, worst has to be Lazenby at the start of OHMSS.

    Totally agree that Connery was the best and Lazenby the worst. Brosnan was annoying as he seemed to over act it with a level of excessive charm boardering on cheesiness.
  • Goldeneye95Goldeneye95
    Posts: 546
    Best-Pierce Bronsan (Goldeneye & The World is Not Enough)
    Worste-George Lazenby (OHMSS)
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