Daniel Craig names his favourite James Bond movie
Leaning against a wall, sporting a dashing fitted tuxedo, Rolex watch and Martini (shaken, not stirred), James Bond stands at the very pinnacle of action filmmaking, looking down on his genre rivals, John McClane, Rambo and Indiana Jones. Played by some of the most iconic actors in cinema history, including Sean Connery, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Daniel Craig, the character has undoubtedly entered the ranks of movie royalty.
But, just like many iconic characters, Bond has changed over the years, with each new actor giving a slightly different variation on the cool, calm and collected spy. First off, in the official canon of films at least, was Connery, who is responsible for some of the most influential Bond movies to date, including 1962’s Dr. No and 1964’s Goldfinger, bringing an effortless charm to the role whilst also having the ability to channel some serious anger.
Next came the Australian actor George Lazenby, who produced just one Bond flick before being taken over by Roger Moore, a man responsible for some of the character’s cheesiest romps, including the infamous cosmic adventure Moonraker in 1979. Beloved by many, Moore’s films look very outdated in comparison to the films that followed, with Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan’s reign attempting to distance themselves from the schlock that came before them.
Then, in 200, the series changed dramatically, with Daniel Craig’s version of the character bringing a hard-faced realism to the series that had forever dealt with corny gadgets, bombastic set pieces and cartoonish villains. Suddenly, Bond was a serious, fallible action hero capable of emotional turbulence that dramatically affected his ability to carry out his demanding job.
Most people were pretty quick to jump on board with the new look of Bond, but others yearned for the more light-hearted films of the past, making Craig one of the most divisive actors to take on the character yet. Still, it’s clear that Craig was a massive fan of the character, recalling his favourite film in the franchise he helped to popularise in an interview with GQ.
“Goldfinger, I think, is my favourite James Bond movie,” he stated in the interview, adding: “I love Dr. No, but it was sort of where Sean Connery became the James Bond that we know and love”.
Aside from the modern movies that have captured a new generation of fans, Goldfinger has long been a popular choice for people’s favourite James Bond movies, with the flick including some of the series’ most iconic moments. Such includes when Bond walks in on Shirley Eaton’s Jill Masterson covered in gold and the scene in which the spy is tortured by the maniacal Auric Goldfinger, who famously tells him, “I expect you to die”.
In our rundown of the greatest James Bond movies of all time, we placed Goldfinger at number two, stating: “Without a doubt, the most iconic James Bond movie of all time, Guy Hamilton’s Goldfinger, is a smart and sophisticated action drama that tells you everything you need to know about James Bond, Britain’s best, strangest and most maverick spy”.
Meanwhile, Craig’s first outing as Bond in Casino Royale made the top spot.
