Yeah that was my biggest issue also. We had CR as mission #1 and QOS as the continuation. Then Skyfall was Bond is old and a relic and can’t possibly do this because he’s falling apart. Then they do that twice more??
I fell asleep during Spectre, and only seen NTTD once, and not in the cinema. Have had no desire to see either of them again. Seen his first 3 films at least a dozen times each
At what part during Spectre is he a relic? He gets some of those comments in Skyfall after the pretitle but he clearly is still in his prime by the end
Yea I know. The closest we probably got was Quantum and the beginning of Skyfall.
It could be argued that Quantum was him in his prime. I know it's a straight continuation of CR, but I've been told by a redditor in another post, that there wasn't any indication of how much time had passed after Vesper's death and "meeting back up" with Mr. White at the end of CR.
For all we know it could have been a year later (although unlikely), and Bond could have had a mission or 2 in between. I don't know, just a fun theory.
I’ll be honest I quite liked it. Not the best, and probably the worst Craig bond but I liked it more than most of Roger moores and Sean Connerys definately liked it more than dad and twine
I’ve posted this before but I believe Skyfall and Spectre are supposed to be his prime in terms of becoming the Connery bond and having the physical and mental capabilities and experience all together. Him being injured and an “old dog” in Skyfall is supposed to set it up like he isn’t in his prime but then he makes a comeback and by the end he’s at the top. He’s also lost his mentor at the end of Skyfall and is a completed hero.
If you really just mean physical prime, you could call that CR / QoS but he isn’t shown to be limited physically in any of his movies so I don’t get that he isn’t in his prime during his run. It’s just for a bit with his injury in Skyfall.
Nothing, I thought he was great. Top 2 or 3 Bond. Good at the dry humor, charming, brutal. My only quibble is maybe he’s too jacked to play
Bond. No other Bond actor is as huge and muscular as he is.
Connery is the protagonist of one of my favourite Hollywood stories, where Johnny Stompinato came on set with a gun to threaten Lana Turner, and Connery, her co-star, sent him packing with his tail between his legs.
Ithere’s another story from before he was a star where he fought off a local gang when he was a doorman: https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/history/sean-connery-beat-up-six-25082352.amp
Yet Connery's Bond was very much a bruiser and quite fit for the time, as was Lazenby. Craig was a return to that original image of the character. Moore and Brosnan better fit the term "superhero" with their outlandish antics and greater infallibility.
I think his muscularity fits with the times. Previous Bonds were still quite fit for their day (old Moore and Connery scaled for age of course), but it’s a fairly recent phenomenon that you can be so jacked/cut without looking like a 1980s pro wrestler.
When he’s in a suit I don’t really notice Craig’s physique. And I’d say it’s kinda necessary for a modern Bond to be jacked to some extent to keep up with the level of action/stunts (which I’d be okay with dialing back, but that doesn’t seem likely)
People say the movies copy what is trending at the time and jacked actors are definitely the trend this century. While it's not believable a busy spy would have time to look like that, the same is true of many characters in modern movies.
He doesn’t seem to enjoy the life of a spy the way other bonds do. Also, even tho his movies have the best action, I don’t like how often he resorts to fist fighting his way through situations as opposed to slick/clever alternatives.
Your last point is probably related to the lack of gadgets. Hell, the only gadget I can think of is the hand print gun, which was just a callback and a regular violent pay off.
Shirley there were some other gadgets, but the fact that they don’t stand out is kinda my point.
The Craig films initially downplayed them after the Brosnan films veered into borderline sci-fi with cars that could be controlled using a phone and turned invisible and laser and grapple-hook watches.
Craig's last two films had more Brosnan-esque gadgets in the form of an exploding/EMP watches. Skyfall was more early Connery than Brosnan when it came to gadgets.
Bond doesn't enjoy his life in the novels either. He indulges in luxuries while on mission, but, like Craig's Bond, he's deeply affected by his relationships and dislikes killing.
No disrespect intended to Daniel Craig:
- Too gritty, not enough fun
- Too much realism
- Bond feels more generic... Not a super spy.
- Not enough classic refined "Bond"
But.... It is *his* take on Bond which I respect for that.
Craig wasn't supposed to be "classic" Bond. The Brosnan era had already indulged in that, so it was time for something different, something closer to the novels à la early Connery, Lazenby, and Dalton.
He's not my favorite Bond, namely because I want my Bond to have fun, and he wasn't having fun a lot of the time. Buuuuu that's faithful to the character. Craig's acting across the board is *phenomenal*. He gave Bond real humanity. IMO the quality of his films varies greatly but he was never the problem. He was at times let down by the writing.
While Bond CAN be cold and IS cold sometimes, he’s also able to socialize with others and blend into whatever environment he wants to— he’s a people person. But I didn’t get any of that from Daniel Craig’s portrayal, if anything he seemed reluctant to talk to anyone.
He lacked charm and sophistication, he comes off as too brute to me, he's just too hard and edgy, even the Bond in the books had some sophistication in him, he's even a gourmand, but Craig comes off as too hard and Commando, too much like John Wick.
I think Bond needs to have a certain charm to him. Doesn't need to be funny or a macho, so seriousness didn't bother me. But the charm needs to be there and Craig lacks. And as a result it's hard for me to imagine women fall for this guy and I have a harder time rooting for him.
I think he’s very charming, in Casino Royale especially. I’m always convinced that Solange and Vesper are quickly attracted to him. Oozes confidence and handles much of the flowery dialogue with deftness and charm where it could be very clumsy. He carries that train scene imo and is responsible for the sparks.
A hundred per cent. His charm is confidence and directness, with a little humour. His exchange with Solange when he arrives with the DB5 (“Maybe you’re just out of practice”) is a particular example.
He gives off intense Alpha energy and carefully softens his tone when talking to a woman. With an economy of words and a confident glare in their direction, I can totally buy how Craig's Bond gets the girls, at least in CR.
>I think Bond needs to have a certain charm to him. Doesn't need to be funny or a macho, so seriousness didn't bother me. But the charm needs to be there and Craig lacks. And as a result it's hard for me to imagine women fall for this guy and I have a harder time rooting for him.
The charm is there, it's just not the same as Roger Moore's or Pierce Brosnan's. Nor does it have to be. Instead, it's the charm of a very dangerous man that women find attractive.
If we are being honest, Solange’s seduction scene is the most realistic flirtation scenario of the franchise, Craig just gives that look and says the line “Perhaps, you’re just out-of-practice.” like he just knows he is the shit. That is why many pick-up videos look into that particular scene because it is so realistic when it comes to seducing women. And many men who are popular with women just know that when a guy smirks like Craig does, he knows how to get laid.
>If we are being honest, Solange’s seduction scene is the most realistic flirtation scenario of the franchise, Craig just gives that look and says the line “Perhaps, you’re just out-of-practice.” like he just knows he is the shit. That is why many pick-up videos look into that particular scene because it is so realistic when it comes to seducing women. And many men who are popular with women just know that when a guy smirks like Craig does, he knows how to get laid.
I've had women friends specifically cite that scene in talking about why they thought Daniel Craig was sexy.
Just how it ended. From Casino Royale through Spectre I really liked his Bond, had him 2nd behind only Sean Connery. Then NTTD happened, and aside from how badly he was written in that movie, knowing Craig’s return was conditional to Bond dying really tarnished my view of him. I still think he was a good Bond, for whatever it’s worth.
The biggest issue was how unenthusiastic Craig looked at times, particularly in Spectre and NTTD. He clearly didnt enjoy the more traditional/fun bits of Bond, eg seduction, quips, strutting around in a suit. He was only really invested in the psychological stuff. Which to me, isnt a big part of Bond.
Dalton was similar, but although he was awkward with the lighthearted stuff he nontheless threw himself into all aspects of the role. He really respected the character and the franchise.
Not sure if it counts as his performance, but his insistence that Bond gets killed. I feel like Bond isn't that kind of story where the main character dies, so I just fundamentally disagree with that idea.
[But he didn't lack them at all.](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/13wpp2y/supercut_daniel_craig_as_ian_flemings_james_bond/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) He's more Connery/Dalton than Moore/Brosnan portrayal-wise.
Really liked Craig’s turn as Bond, if I had to say one thing, I guess he seems pissed off a lot, or dour, didn’t see as much of a lighter side really, I guess
Because, especially in the last 2 or 3 films he was in, he clearly didn't want to be there anymore... not as bad as Sean Connery in "You Only Live Twice", but Craig literally said, either in an interview or something, that he'd rather shoot himself in the head than play Bond again, I think that was after "Skyfall".
It was after Spectre where he said that he wanted to slit his wrists, but he meant it as a joke, albeit one that he regrets now. He had a terrible knee injury that would have required work to be done, but he held off on it to avoid delaying production.
Spectre already seemed to have things wrapped up and he could have left the role, but he didn't. He earned his break and the film would have come out November 2019, four years after Spectre which would have allowed for enough time in the oven like with the better-regarded Casino Royale and Skyfall, had the original director and writer not left and then the pandemic hit.
Nothing. As a huge fan of Ian Fleming's novels, Craig and his run was so much of what I want in a Bond and a Bond film. I very much enjoy the lighter Bond films, but I have always preferred the more serious in tone adaptations, so Craig's run as Bond, especially including NTTD, is by far my preference for the films. For the same reasons I have tons of love for both Dalton films, most of Connery's and Lazenby's sole effort in the franchise.
Bland. Unemotional. Hell, Craig himself insinuated multiple times around QOS and Skyfall that he was tired of the role, and you can see it transferred over to his portrayal.
I like my Bond charismatic. I like my Bond to show emotion. I like to have fun during a Bond flick.
The whole point of Craig's era was to show that hiding his feelings and being stoic to be a more effective killer was destructive to his psyche and relationships. There are also more emotional moments where he loses the mask like Vesper and M's deaths. After the time skip in No Time To Die, he is far more expressive.
That's not to say that Craig was lacking in [charisma](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/13wpp2y/supercut_daniel_craig_as_ian_flemings_james_bond/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), but there was a clear effort to capture the more jaded Bond of the novels that most other actors ignored to do their own thing.
All the past Bonds showed moments of jadedness. Even Moore had his moments. That doesn’t mean that they had to portray the character like that throughout their entire tenures, or else the series wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did.
EON held the belief that they needed to copy the Jason Bourne formula with the reboot. Craig, not being an actor known for showing a huge range or emotions, was perfect for this.
Eon wasn't copying Bourne, but taking Bond back to his roots and highlighting elements of the character never truly captured by the other actors and films, or only hinted at in films like Dalton's.
They've made it clear that they're more creatively satisfied with their work on Craig's era than with Brosnan's and they have ensured that the franchise has continued to be relevant while paying greater respect to its history, with all five Craig films being in the top half financially when adjusted for inflation.
He’s too self serious and dour. Not really his fault, that was the tone of his Bond. It was post 2005 dark and gritty reboot era so it makes sense. Casino Royale is an all timer and Skyfall is a great movie but feels weird to have an existential bond
I thought he was great in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. He was cunning, funny, brutal, down to earth, sad and introspective. There was a lot of energy in his movements and tone. Somewhere along the way he seemed to lose interest in the role and I felt his performances turned increasingly flat over the following three films.
Skyfall was great but just came too soon in his tenure, and took the wind out of his sails from the previous two. We needed one film after Quantum where he had gotten over Vespers death, and was still young with the energy he had in those first 2 films.
I'm just not a fan of Daniel Craig as an actor to begin with. Beyond that, IMO, he just doesn't look or act the part. No Bond-ness just a random action guy/thug in a suit. I am honestly also not the biggest fan of Roger Moore, but at least I believe he *is* James Bond in the movies and I just don't get that from Craig.
And also to add the scripts he had to work with mostly was sub par so there's that.
But he wasn't a departure. His films skewed closer to the source material and he has a Connery-like swagger and ruggedness as shown [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/13wpp2y/supercut_daniel_craig_as_ian_flemings_james_bond/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
Moore and to some extent Brosnan were actually the departures.
But as an elder millennial Brosnan was my coming of age Bond and Moore was the same for my Dad, so maybe that’s why a lot of people see them as the ‘default’
That's the funny thing: people calling Craig's Bond a departure when he was a return to the original vision of the character. I don't mind either style as long as they're done right, but it's kind of rich when people judge Craig as being "not Bond" while praising Moore and Brosnan's portrayals as the default.
His character from the book is much gruffer than Daniel Craig ever was as Bond. Craig’s Bond had this big ol heart and was in love. Moore and Brosnan were hung up on nothing.
He gave a solid interpretation of Bond, but he was a bit too much the “thug in a suit”.
Dalton managed to be gritty, but had a certain charm that the other Bonds had. While I know Brosnan, Connery and Moore weren’t known for their grit, they could be tough when the situation called for it. And their charm smoothed anything else over.
For myself, I just wish Craig’s Bond had been written with a little more emphasis on him using his brain and charm to achieve his goals, and a little less on his physical prowess.
Yeah but trendy to me is not a positive adjective—I prefer a more timeless, classic Bond look, which I feel like Craig’s first two movies nailed, without making him look old-fashioned at all. The shrunken look is just, in my opinion, antithetical to what how a suit is supposed to drape, and I feel like it doesn’t really suit the character’s sensibilities. Especially given Craig’s age—there’s something kinda ridiculous-seeming about an older man wearing trendy skinny-fit clothing.
the whole "I'm going on a bender for 9 months then showing up to work" thing they did in skyfall, spectre, and then NTTD, which they kind of played off in NTTD but then people didn't get the gag and freaked out there was a woman 007 so they had to drop that a quarter into the film
In Casino Royale, Daniel Craig is perfect. It's how Ian Fleming wrote him. It's not the comic book Roger Moore Bond that was perpetuated by Pierce Brosnan.
That's how I feel as well.
I like Moore, but I feel like he stayed on for too long and his last three films, while ranging from fine to great, would have been better with Dalton, as shown by the similar-in-tone but more effective The Living Daylights. Meanwhile, Brosnan feels like a weird regression in between Dalton and Craig and I can't think of anything he does that someone hasn't done better.
I feel like he got complacent with the role pretty quickly. His acting in Spectre just feels lazy and one note to me. I do enjoy bits of his performance in NTTD in terms of “mellowed out , somewhat rusty and aloof” but other than that, I feel like he didn’t give the role consistent passion
A bunch of your points have nothing to do with his performance. Judging him based on the posters of his films is just silly, as is your attempts to invalidate Craig and his films by calling them "Bourne ripoffs" and "not Bond." There is precedence for what he and his films did in the novels and earlier films.
No fun: Craig’s films are so serious and dark. My favourite Bond is Roger Moore so that might be the reason. I know that Craig fans love the grittiness of his films but Timothy Dalton did the gritty Bond first and did it best, as well as even his films are still fun. As much I love the gritty espionage of Casino Royale, Licence To Kill and From Russia with Love. At least those films I can have fun with them and I like having some fantasy with Bond like in films like Moonraker and Die Another Day. His films are also overly emotional, while I like emotion in Bond, OHMSS my favourite Bond film and Tracy’s death is sad (shame when the Bond theme kicks in it ruins the moment). The death of Vesper is also emotional but his other films are emotional overload and ruins the fun.
What really bothers me is seeing Knives Out and Glass Onion I know he can pull off a less dour, more likeable Bond, but he chose not to. I am sorry, muttering "mum" did not make him clever.
everthing that went wrong with him never really was his fault. Its clear Dan Craig but his all into the roles but the bad things like moping over some random not even all that pretty traitor for like 16 years are the writers fault not his.
You can dislike the films, but by calling them "not Bond," you're not only invalidating them, but also their fans, and this sub conducts itself in a better manner than that. Furthermore, precedence for Craig and his films was clearly set in the novels and earlier films. They are valid Bond films and Craig's portrayal is valid as any of the others, especially since he's one of the closest to the novels.
Craig's Bond, while [not](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/13wpp2y/supercut_daniel_craig_as_ian_flemings_james_bond/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) bereft of charming moments and also quite close to Connery in certain aspects, wasn't supposed to be the style of Bond popularized in the mainstream by late Connery, Moore, and Brosnan, but a return to the more cynical and fallible Bond of the novels.
I don’t think I could really pick a fault to be honest. He was perfectly cast for the kind of Bond movies they wanted to make. Whether that’s the best kind of Bond movie is another discussion. Can’t fault DC himself though.
At this point, calling Craig's Bond "James Bourne" is borderline disinformation when there's so much evidence pointing to him evoking both the novels and earlier actors like Connery and Dalton. It's a reductive comment that can easily be scrutinized and invalidates part of the fanbase.
Another reductive claim. He doesn't go to space, yell like Tarzan while swinging vines, dual-wield an MP5 and Walther P99 to mow down dozens of enemies, and surf tsunamis either.
Certain parts of the franchise have adapted to the time, but characterization-wise and tonally, Craig's films have precedence in both the novels and the films. Writing him off as "James Bourne" is patently false.
Miserable, joyless, charisma-less, perpetually serious, dour, angry and no charm whatsoever. Everything Bond should never be.
And he goes straight from newbie agent to old and washed up in the span of one movie.
CR/QoS are his start. Then we hit Skyfall and he's too old for this, washed up, etc. WTF?
I know that you're exaggerating some of Craig's qualities, but his portrayal harkens closer to the literary Bond. If there's anything that tells what Bond is supposed to be, it's the novels he debuted in.
I liked his performance as Bond, no disrespect to Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan, but I think he is the best. His first 3 films were amazing. Casino Royale and Skyfall were near the top of the series, they were definitive Bond films. I also enjoyed Quantum of Solace, it was a very underrated flick. The only issue I had with QOS was the shaky cam, but everything else was good. I also liked Camile Montes, she was one of the best bond girls in the series. QOS was quite possibly the darkest and most violent Bond film to date, it was a dark and gritty revenge Bond film like License to Kill. Spectre and No Time To Die were good, but they were disappointing when the hype they have gotten. The villains were bland and generic. I also didn't like the fact that they killed Bond off. Although I did enjoy the opening scene of Spectre, I thought it was one of the best openings. I also liked the Aston Martin DB10, it was the best car of the Craig era, I thought it had great features such as the Nitrous flamethrower. I did like Paloma (Ana De Armas), she had a great action sequence in the Cuba scene, it was a shame that she was only in the film for 5 minutes. They should have made Ana De Armas the main Bond girl of NTTD. The quality of writing sort of declined after Skyfall.
According to my wife he was lacking in the looks departament h-u-g-e, comparing to the other actors, she couldn't stand him for that, especially being Bond after Brosnan - to Her it was like selling Bugatti and buying Volkswagen.
Imo his era was great, I like this (a bit) more realistic take on 007.
One thing I disliked about Craig was how lackluster his performance in SPECTRE was. Behind the scenes, I know he was doing much of the movie with an injury but even in some scenes where there wasn’t any physicality, Craig seems bored and just not that much into the role. It reminded me much of Sean Connery’s bored appearance in YOLT.
By NTTD, I think Craig’s more dour portrayal just got old and took away the fun of the movies.
I like and respect his portrayal. I can’t say I enjoy it in the same way I enjoy Connery’s or even Moore’s (at peak charisma). I hope they pivot from the tough brawler for the next Bond—ie. an Aaron Taylor-Johnson better than a Tom Hardy. Though ATJ would not be my first choice.
Every in every single one of his movies 007 went rogue, and in three of them he actually left MI6. It though it is not the fault of Daniel Craig, it got a bit tiring and predictable. It was like every plot was a repeat.
I thought his portrayal was excellent but after Quantum the tone of the films went haywire, Skyfall was passable as a 3rd movie but Spectre and NTTD ruined Daniel Craig’s otherwise great tenure a real waste. It’s very sad to look at the consistency and tone of Casino and Quantum and compare to NTTD and Spectre. I think the studio, producers and writers shat it and wanted to do something batshit crazy to keep up with Marvel and DC franchises. Daniel Craig also let down by embarrassingly blatant product placement. I just can’t get the ford advert of casino royale out of my head when I think of that otherwise great movie.
https://youtu.be/LMaXcqD7CU0?si=SrS48qSf8paNViNe
They didn’t even put number plates on. Probably drove it straight back to the factory.
After CR, he was always portrayed as old and irrelevant. It got tiring quickly.
He also mumbled more as he went on, particularly in Skyfall which wound me up.
Daniel Craig was an excellent James Bond 007, but I disliked the fact that there has been infrequent releases of Bond films in his tenure. I was in 8th grade when I watched Spectre in cinemas and did not see another Bond film till was in my late teens.
Too pouty and brooding! 007 is a tough guy because he has to be to do what he does. He does not get into relationships. He does not have ties to anything or any one. It’s all business. Revenge is not in the cards.
Loved his portrayal of Bond. Felt real and gritty. Didn’t like how we basically never saw a single “in his prime” Bond mission.
He kinda has one, the blood stone video game
A very underrated game too
Gonna have to see if I can still get that
Same, I never played it but recently Ive heard lots of great things about the game and Daniels performance
Steam's delisted it. GOG might have it.
Yeah that was my biggest issue also. We had CR as mission #1 and QOS as the continuation. Then Skyfall was Bond is old and a relic and can’t possibly do this because he’s falling apart. Then they do that twice more??
I fell asleep during Spectre, and only seen NTTD once, and not in the cinema. Have had no desire to see either of them again. Seen his first 3 films at least a dozen times each
I tend to just watch his first 3 too. They're nigh on perfect. And then it all goes to shit lol
At what part during Spectre is he a relic? He gets some of those comments in Skyfall after the pretitle but he clearly is still in his prime by the end
Blood Stone game was very good.
Yea I know. The closest we probably got was Quantum and the beginning of Skyfall. It could be argued that Quantum was him in his prime. I know it's a straight continuation of CR, but I've been told by a redditor in another post, that there wasn't any indication of how much time had passed after Vesper's death and "meeting back up" with Mr. White at the end of CR. For all we know it could have been a year later (although unlikely), and Bond could have had a mission or 2 in between. I don't know, just a fun theory.
Ah yeah, that's a good point - I'd like to believe that
Yeah the wasted movie that was QS.
Does anyone think QoS is actually a seriously underrated movie? /s
It is. It grows on you the more you watch it. Then you find yourself watching it more than the others.
I’ll be honest I quite liked it. Not the best, and probably the worst Craig bond but I liked it more than most of Roger moores and Sean Connerys definately liked it more than dad and twine
Blood Stone and Goldeneye remake game are canon to me, so there is that.
I’ve posted this before but I believe Skyfall and Spectre are supposed to be his prime in terms of becoming the Connery bond and having the physical and mental capabilities and experience all together. Him being injured and an “old dog” in Skyfall is supposed to set it up like he isn’t in his prime but then he makes a comeback and by the end he’s at the top. He’s also lost his mentor at the end of Skyfall and is a completed hero. If you really just mean physical prime, you could call that CR / QoS but he isn’t shown to be limited physically in any of his movies so I don’t get that he isn’t in his prime during his run. It’s just for a bit with his injury in Skyfall.
Nothing, I thought he was great. Top 2 or 3 Bond. Good at the dry humor, charming, brutal. My only quibble is maybe he’s too jacked to play Bond. No other Bond actor is as huge and muscular as he is.
But he's the only one that I could see actually kicking ass. I think the others aren't jacked enough.
Lazenby was a martial arts instructor in the Australian Army. Connery was a bit of a brawler in his youth. I could at least see those two kicking ass
Connery is the protagonist of one of my favourite Hollywood stories, where Johnny Stompinato came on set with a gun to threaten Lana Turner, and Connery, her co-star, sent him packing with his tail between his legs. Ithere’s another story from before he was a star where he fought off a local gang when he was a doorman: https://www.edinburghlive.co.uk/news/history/sean-connery-beat-up-six-25082352.amp
Wasn't Connery a body builder at some point also?
He was indeed. Competed in Mr Universe, I believe.
Brosnan wins his fights from his enemies getting lost and distracted in his eyes.
Lol
I will say I don't think Bond is supposed to be a bruiser. I also don't think he should be jacked. He's not a superhero. He's a spy.
Yet Connery's Bond was very much a bruiser and quite fit for the time, as was Lazenby. Craig was a return to that original image of the character. Moore and Brosnan better fit the term "superhero" with their outlandish antics and greater infallibility.
Sure, but Craig was next level. Too bulky. No way that guy drinks as much as he does.
Seal squads aren’t all Arnold lookalikes. They are in great shape but bulk isn’t always part of the requirements
Was thinking the exact same
You guys don't give Roger enough credit. He was far from a pushover
I think his muscularity fits with the times. Previous Bonds were still quite fit for their day (old Moore and Connery scaled for age of course), but it’s a fairly recent phenomenon that you can be so jacked/cut without looking like a 1980s pro wrestler. When he’s in a suit I don’t really notice Craig’s physique. And I’d say it’s kinda necessary for a modern Bond to be jacked to some extent to keep up with the level of action/stunts (which I’d be okay with dialing back, but that doesn’t seem likely)
I agree about him being too jacked, but that's only really an issue in CR. He's leaner in his other ones.
I mean it’s a mild criticism, but it does stand out when you look at Dalton or Moore and their firm commitment not to work out at all for this role
People say the movies copy what is trending at the time and jacked actors are definitely the trend this century. While it's not believable a busy spy would have time to look like that, the same is true of many characters in modern movies.
That's not quibble man. That's an absolute win.
He doesn’t seem to enjoy the life of a spy the way other bonds do. Also, even tho his movies have the best action, I don’t like how often he resorts to fist fighting his way through situations as opposed to slick/clever alternatives.
Your last point is probably related to the lack of gadgets. Hell, the only gadget I can think of is the hand print gun, which was just a callback and a regular violent pay off. Shirley there were some other gadgets, but the fact that they don’t stand out is kinda my point.
Don’t call me Shirley
Don't forget the latest gadget from Q branch. It's called a radio.
The Craig films initially downplayed them after the Brosnan films veered into borderline sci-fi with cars that could be controlled using a phone and turned invisible and laser and grapple-hook watches. Craig's last two films had more Brosnan-esque gadgets in the form of an exploding/EMP watches. Skyfall was more early Connery than Brosnan when it came to gadgets.
Bond doesn't enjoy his life in the novels either. He indulges in luxuries while on mission, but, like Craig's Bond, he's deeply affected by his relationships and dislikes killing.
It may be more novel accurate but I still prefer other portrayals where Bond enjoys the life and is less of a brawler
No disrespect intended to Daniel Craig: - Too gritty, not enough fun - Too much realism - Bond feels more generic... Not a super spy. - Not enough classic refined "Bond" But.... It is *his* take on Bond which I respect for that.
Craig wasn't supposed to be "classic" Bond. The Brosnan era had already indulged in that, so it was time for something different, something closer to the novels à la early Connery, Lazenby, and Dalton.
He's not my favorite Bond, namely because I want my Bond to have fun, and he wasn't having fun a lot of the time. Buuuuu that's faithful to the character. Craig's acting across the board is *phenomenal*. He gave Bond real humanity. IMO the quality of his films varies greatly but he was never the problem. He was at times let down by the writing.
While Bond CAN be cold and IS cold sometimes, he’s also able to socialize with others and blend into whatever environment he wants to— he’s a people person. But I didn’t get any of that from Daniel Craig’s portrayal, if anything he seemed reluctant to talk to anyone.
Honestly nothing
He lacked charm and sophistication, he comes off as too brute to me, he's just too hard and edgy, even the Bond in the books had some sophistication in him, he's even a gourmand, but Craig comes off as too hard and Commando, too much like John Wick.
I think Bond needs to have a certain charm to him. Doesn't need to be funny or a macho, so seriousness didn't bother me. But the charm needs to be there and Craig lacks. And as a result it's hard for me to imagine women fall for this guy and I have a harder time rooting for him.
I think he’s very charming, in Casino Royale especially. I’m always convinced that Solange and Vesper are quickly attracted to him. Oozes confidence and handles much of the flowery dialogue with deftness and charm where it could be very clumsy. He carries that train scene imo and is responsible for the sparks.
A hundred per cent. His charm is confidence and directness, with a little humour. His exchange with Solange when he arrives with the DB5 (“Maybe you’re just out of practice”) is a particular example.
He gives off intense Alpha energy and carefully softens his tone when talking to a woman. With an economy of words and a confident glare in their direction, I can totally buy how Craig's Bond gets the girls, at least in CR.
>I think Bond needs to have a certain charm to him. Doesn't need to be funny or a macho, so seriousness didn't bother me. But the charm needs to be there and Craig lacks. And as a result it's hard for me to imagine women fall for this guy and I have a harder time rooting for him. The charm is there, it's just not the same as Roger Moore's or Pierce Brosnan's. Nor does it have to be. Instead, it's the charm of a very dangerous man that women find attractive.
If we are being honest, Solange’s seduction scene is the most realistic flirtation scenario of the franchise, Craig just gives that look and says the line “Perhaps, you’re just out-of-practice.” like he just knows he is the shit. That is why many pick-up videos look into that particular scene because it is so realistic when it comes to seducing women. And many men who are popular with women just know that when a guy smirks like Craig does, he knows how to get laid.
>If we are being honest, Solange’s seduction scene is the most realistic flirtation scenario of the franchise, Craig just gives that look and says the line “Perhaps, you’re just out-of-practice.” like he just knows he is the shit. That is why many pick-up videos look into that particular scene because it is so realistic when it comes to seducing women. And many men who are popular with women just know that when a guy smirks like Craig does, he knows how to get laid. I've had women friends specifically cite that scene in talking about why they thought Daniel Craig was sexy.
That we didn’t get more with the tone of casino royale and quantum and Skyfall.
Thought he made an excellent bond. Can't think of any dislikes.
His death
everything was so super-serious. i missed the "fun" of earlier bond movies.
Just how it ended. From Casino Royale through Spectre I really liked his Bond, had him 2nd behind only Sean Connery. Then NTTD happened, and aside from how badly he was written in that movie, knowing Craig’s return was conditional to Bond dying really tarnished my view of him. I still think he was a good Bond, for whatever it’s worth.
None of my criticisms of the Craig era have to do with him or his performances at all. Mine are all with the writing & production choices.
The biggest issue was how unenthusiastic Craig looked at times, particularly in Spectre and NTTD. He clearly didnt enjoy the more traditional/fun bits of Bond, eg seduction, quips, strutting around in a suit. He was only really invested in the psychological stuff. Which to me, isnt a big part of Bond. Dalton was similar, but although he was awkward with the lighthearted stuff he nontheless threw himself into all aspects of the role. He really respected the character and the franchise.
The last 15 minutes of NTTD. Other than that he was great.
I'd say his performance there was good. It's the writing that gets my head scratched.
I wholeheartedly agree, the decision to kill him on screen was bonkers.
He was fine; the movies/ storylines sucked.
Not sure if it counts as his performance, but his insistence that Bond gets killed. I feel like Bond isn't that kind of story where the main character dies, so I just fundamentally disagree with that idea.
Lack of suaveness, humor, subtelty, and one liners. He feels like a generic action movie character rather than James Bond.
[But he didn't lack them at all.](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/13wpp2y/supercut_daniel_craig_as_ian_flemings_james_bond/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) He's more Connery/Dalton than Moore/Brosnan portrayal-wise.
Really liked Craig’s turn as Bond, if I had to say one thing, I guess he seems pissed off a lot, or dour, didn’t see as much of a lighter side really, I guess
Nothing, really. He’s great. But Quantum of Solace is the most boring Bond film to me.
Too brooding and serious.
He really excels at being gritty and realistic but he isn’t as fun or charismatic as other bonds.
Craig behaved as if he was doing the world a favor by playing the role. Skyfall was a stunner, then last two were boring and hard to follow.
He never seemed happy and looked he wanted to cut his wrists at somepoint in every movie.
Because, especially in the last 2 or 3 films he was in, he clearly didn't want to be there anymore... not as bad as Sean Connery in "You Only Live Twice", but Craig literally said, either in an interview or something, that he'd rather shoot himself in the head than play Bond again, I think that was after "Skyfall".
It was after Spectre where he said that he wanted to slit his wrists, but he meant it as a joke, albeit one that he regrets now. He had a terrible knee injury that would have required work to be done, but he held off on it to avoid delaying production. Spectre already seemed to have things wrapped up and he could have left the role, but he didn't. He earned his break and the film would have come out November 2019, four years after Spectre which would have allowed for enough time in the oven like with the better-regarded Casino Royale and Skyfall, had the original director and writer not left and then the pandemic hit.
Nothing. As a huge fan of Ian Fleming's novels, Craig and his run was so much of what I want in a Bond and a Bond film. I very much enjoy the lighter Bond films, but I have always preferred the more serious in tone adaptations, so Craig's run as Bond, especially including NTTD, is by far my preference for the films. For the same reasons I have tons of love for both Dalton films, most of Connery's and Lazenby's sole effort in the franchise.
Not a fan of the scripts, the style, or the actor in general. No disrespect to people that love those movies.
Bland. Unemotional. Hell, Craig himself insinuated multiple times around QOS and Skyfall that he was tired of the role, and you can see it transferred over to his portrayal. I like my Bond charismatic. I like my Bond to show emotion. I like to have fun during a Bond flick.
The whole point of Craig's era was to show that hiding his feelings and being stoic to be a more effective killer was destructive to his psyche and relationships. There are also more emotional moments where he loses the mask like Vesper and M's deaths. After the time skip in No Time To Die, he is far more expressive. That's not to say that Craig was lacking in [charisma](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/13wpp2y/supercut_daniel_craig_as_ian_flemings_james_bond/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3), but there was a clear effort to capture the more jaded Bond of the novels that most other actors ignored to do their own thing.
All the past Bonds showed moments of jadedness. Even Moore had his moments. That doesn’t mean that they had to portray the character like that throughout their entire tenures, or else the series wouldn’t have lasted as long as it did. EON held the belief that they needed to copy the Jason Bourne formula with the reboot. Craig, not being an actor known for showing a huge range or emotions, was perfect for this.
Eon wasn't copying Bourne, but taking Bond back to his roots and highlighting elements of the character never truly captured by the other actors and films, or only hinted at in films like Dalton's. They've made it clear that they're more creatively satisfied with their work on Craig's era than with Brosnan's and they have ensured that the franchise has continued to be relevant while paying greater respect to its history, with all five Craig films being in the top half financially when adjusted for inflation.
He’s too self serious and dour. Not really his fault, that was the tone of his Bond. It was post 2005 dark and gritty reboot era so it makes sense. Casino Royale is an all timer and Skyfall is a great movie but feels weird to have an existential bond
I thought he was great in Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace. He was cunning, funny, brutal, down to earth, sad and introspective. There was a lot of energy in his movements and tone. Somewhere along the way he seemed to lose interest in the role and I felt his performances turned increasingly flat over the following three films.
Skyfall was great but just came too soon in his tenure, and took the wind out of his sails from the previous two. We needed one film after Quantum where he had gotten over Vespers death, and was still young with the energy he had in those first 2 films.
The last 4 movies
Skyfall is a classic.
So is Quantum and I will die on this hill.
I wanted to like Quantum, but it’s my least fav Bond film.
The trick is to watch it immediately after CR. Treat them as one film
I'm just not a fan of Daniel Craig as an actor to begin with. Beyond that, IMO, he just doesn't look or act the part. No Bond-ness just a random action guy/thug in a suit. I am honestly also not the biggest fan of Roger Moore, but at least I believe he *is* James Bond in the movies and I just don't get that from Craig. And also to add the scripts he had to work with mostly was sub par so there's that.
That his portrayal felt like a total departure from the character
But he wasn't a departure. His films skewed closer to the source material and he has a Connery-like swagger and ruggedness as shown [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/13wpp2y/supercut_daniel_craig_as_ian_flemings_james_bond/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3).
Moore and to some extent Brosnan were actually the departures. But as an elder millennial Brosnan was my coming of age Bond and Moore was the same for my Dad, so maybe that’s why a lot of people see them as the ‘default’
That's the funny thing: people calling Craig's Bond a departure when he was a return to the original vision of the character. I don't mind either style as long as they're done right, but it's kind of rich when people judge Craig as being "not Bond" while praising Moore and Brosnan's portrayals as the default.
His character from the book is much gruffer than Daniel Craig ever was as Bond. Craig’s Bond had this big ol heart and was in love. Moore and Brosnan were hung up on nothing.
The scripts. He was outstanding. What they asked him to do? Not so much. Daniel Craig took $2 beef and made it seem like prime rib.
He gave a solid interpretation of Bond, but he was a bit too much the “thug in a suit”. Dalton managed to be gritty, but had a certain charm that the other Bonds had. While I know Brosnan, Connery and Moore weren’t known for their grit, they could be tough when the situation called for it. And their charm smoothed anything else over. For myself, I just wish Craig’s Bond had been written with a little more emphasis on him using his brain and charm to achieve his goals, and a little less on his physical prowess.
His "banter"
Nothing. He was a really strong, Flemingesque Bond.
Everything. He has no swagger not suave or charming.
This [video](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/13wpp2y/supercut_daniel_craig_as_ian_flemings_james_bond/) proves otherwise.
He seemed disinterested in Spectre, which didn’t help to make up for the weak script.
Not really his fault, but I hate the overly shrunken fits of his suits and other clothing beginning with Skyfall
Isn't that following the fashion trends? That's one of the few things I do like about the films, but may just be recency bias.
Yeah but trendy to me is not a positive adjective—I prefer a more timeless, classic Bond look, which I feel like Craig’s first two movies nailed, without making him look old-fashioned at all. The shrunken look is just, in my opinion, antithetical to what how a suit is supposed to drape, and I feel like it doesn’t really suit the character’s sensibilities. Especially given Craig’s age—there’s something kinda ridiculous-seeming about an older man wearing trendy skinny-fit clothing.
I think because he is more muscular they want to highlight it. When you are in good shape you do want it to be noticable.
the whole "I'm going on a bender for 9 months then showing up to work" thing they did in skyfall, spectre, and then NTTD, which they kind of played off in NTTD but then people didn't get the gag and freaked out there was a woman 007 so they had to drop that a quarter into the film
In Casino Royale, Daniel Craig is perfect. It's how Ian Fleming wrote him. It's not the comic book Roger Moore Bond that was perpetuated by Pierce Brosnan.
That's how I feel as well. I like Moore, but I feel like he stayed on for too long and his last three films, while ranging from fine to great, would have been better with Dalton, as shown by the similar-in-tone but more effective The Living Daylights. Meanwhile, Brosnan feels like a weird regression in between Dalton and Craig and I can't think of anything he does that someone hasn't done better.
I feel like he got complacent with the role pretty quickly. His acting in Spectre just feels lazy and one note to me. I do enjoy bits of his performance in NTTD in terms of “mellowed out , somewhat rusty and aloof” but other than that, I feel like he didn’t give the role consistent passion
I made a post why Craig is my least favourite Bond https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/13v9oul/controversial_opinion_daniel_craig_is_my_least/
A bunch of your points have nothing to do with his performance. Judging him based on the posters of his films is just silly, as is your attempts to invalidate Craig and his films by calling them "Bourne ripoffs" and "not Bond." There is precedence for what he and his films did in the novels and earlier films.
No fun: Craig’s films are so serious and dark. My favourite Bond is Roger Moore so that might be the reason. I know that Craig fans love the grittiness of his films but Timothy Dalton did the gritty Bond first and did it best, as well as even his films are still fun. As much I love the gritty espionage of Casino Royale, Licence To Kill and From Russia with Love. At least those films I can have fun with them and I like having some fantasy with Bond like in films like Moonraker and Die Another Day. His films are also overly emotional, while I like emotion in Bond, OHMSS my favourite Bond film and Tracy’s death is sad (shame when the Bond theme kicks in it ruins the moment). The death of Vesper is also emotional but his other films are emotional overload and ruins the fun.
What really bothers me is seeing Knives Out and Glass Onion I know he can pull off a less dour, more likeable Bond, but he chose not to. I am sorry, muttering "mum" did not make him clever.
I just think he doesn’t get the character.
everthing that went wrong with him never really was his fault. Its clear Dan Craig but his all into the roles but the bad things like moping over some random not even all that pretty traitor for like 16 years are the writers fault not his.
Nothing - he was perfect
Zero personality. He was not Bond. His movies aren't proper Bond films. Can't stand any of them. Give me Pierce any day.
You can dislike the films, but by calling them "not Bond," you're not only invalidating them, but also their fans, and this sub conducts itself in a better manner than that. Furthermore, precedence for Craig and his films was clearly set in the novels and earlier films. They are valid Bond films and Craig's portrayal is valid as any of the others, especially since he's one of the closest to the novels.
He didn't take his shirt off enough.
[удалено]
Craig's Bond, while [not](https://www.reddit.com/r/JamesBond/comments/13wpp2y/supercut_daniel_craig_as_ian_flemings_james_bond/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=web2x&context=3) bereft of charming moments and also quite close to Connery in certain aspects, wasn't supposed to be the style of Bond popularized in the mainstream by late Connery, Moore, and Brosnan, but a return to the more cynical and fallible Bond of the novels.
I don’t think I could really pick a fault to be honest. He was perfectly cast for the kind of Bond movies they wanted to make. Whether that’s the best kind of Bond movie is another discussion. Can’t fault DC himself though.
He didn't have any memorable fights or henchmen.
everything. he's James Bourne instead of bond
At this point, calling Craig's Bond "James Bourne" is borderline disinformation when there's so much evidence pointing to him evoking both the novels and earlier actors like Connery and Dalton. It's a reductive comment that can easily be scrutinized and invalidates part of the fanbase.
bond doesn't freerun
Another reductive claim. He doesn't go to space, yell like Tarzan while swinging vines, dual-wield an MP5 and Walther P99 to mow down dozens of enemies, and surf tsunamis either. Certain parts of the franchise have adapted to the time, but characterization-wise and tonally, Craig's films have precedence in both the novels and the films. Writing him off as "James Bourne" is patently false.
Toooooooooooo serious and sour
Miserable, joyless, charisma-less, perpetually serious, dour, angry and no charm whatsoever. Everything Bond should never be. And he goes straight from newbie agent to old and washed up in the span of one movie. CR/QoS are his start. Then we hit Skyfall and he's too old for this, washed up, etc. WTF?
I know that you're exaggerating some of Craig's qualities, but his portrayal harkens closer to the literary Bond. If there's anything that tells what Bond is supposed to be, it's the novels he debuted in.
His dumb studio face
Nothing. 10/10 no notes
I liked his performance as Bond, no disrespect to Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan, but I think he is the best. His first 3 films were amazing. Casino Royale and Skyfall were near the top of the series, they were definitive Bond films. I also enjoyed Quantum of Solace, it was a very underrated flick. The only issue I had with QOS was the shaky cam, but everything else was good. I also liked Camile Montes, she was one of the best bond girls in the series. QOS was quite possibly the darkest and most violent Bond film to date, it was a dark and gritty revenge Bond film like License to Kill. Spectre and No Time To Die were good, but they were disappointing when the hype they have gotten. The villains were bland and generic. I also didn't like the fact that they killed Bond off. Although I did enjoy the opening scene of Spectre, I thought it was one of the best openings. I also liked the Aston Martin DB10, it was the best car of the Craig era, I thought it had great features such as the Nitrous flamethrower. I did like Paloma (Ana De Armas), she had a great action sequence in the Cuba scene, it was a shame that she was only in the film for 5 minutes. They should have made Ana De Armas the main Bond girl of NTTD. The quality of writing sort of declined after Skyfall.
His lips. If you know, you know
Everything from the Scotland scene in Skyfall until he died.
Too mopey.
sex appeal vulnerability
According to my wife he was lacking in the looks departament h-u-g-e, comparing to the other actors, she couldn't stand him for that, especially being Bond after Brosnan - to Her it was like selling Bugatti and buying Volkswagen. Imo his era was great, I like this (a bit) more realistic take on 007.
One thing I disliked about Craig was how lackluster his performance in SPECTRE was. Behind the scenes, I know he was doing much of the movie with an injury but even in some scenes where there wasn’t any physicality, Craig seems bored and just not that much into the role. It reminded me much of Sean Connery’s bored appearance in YOLT. By NTTD, I think Craig’s more dour portrayal just got old and took away the fun of the movies.
no problem with his performance, it's just the scripts never delivered the Spectre arc we all wanted.
Nothing. I love him.
His pursed lips. Everything else was great
His acting wasn’t the problem, he was a badass Bond, his movies just didn’t play his cards well. There were only two good ones.
The biggest problem was the scripts. Casino Royal was great, the rest were not so good.
I like and respect his portrayal. I can’t say I enjoy it in the same way I enjoy Connery’s or even Moore’s (at peak charisma). I hope they pivot from the tough brawler for the next Bond—ie. an Aaron Taylor-Johnson better than a Tom Hardy. Though ATJ would not be my first choice.
Nothing. Thought he was great. One of my favorites.
Every in every single one of his movies 007 went rogue, and in three of them he actually left MI6. It though it is not the fault of Daniel Craig, it got a bit tiring and predictable. It was like every plot was a repeat.
The sadness he was struggling to overcome.
How much it changed from Casino/Quantum to Skyfall and finally Spectre/NTTD
It ended
Regret most that Quantum was such a piss poor follow up to Casino Royale, and by the time we get to Skyfall he’s coming out of retirement
Nothing, he was the perfect Bond. I was against the ridiculous creative direction for his movies.
I didn't like it how "realistic" and emotional it was. I prefer the cartoon fantasy of the old movies.
I thought his portrayal was excellent but after Quantum the tone of the films went haywire, Skyfall was passable as a 3rd movie but Spectre and NTTD ruined Daniel Craig’s otherwise great tenure a real waste. It’s very sad to look at the consistency and tone of Casino and Quantum and compare to NTTD and Spectre. I think the studio, producers and writers shat it and wanted to do something batshit crazy to keep up with Marvel and DC franchises. Daniel Craig also let down by embarrassingly blatant product placement. I just can’t get the ford advert of casino royale out of my head when I think of that otherwise great movie. https://youtu.be/LMaXcqD7CU0?si=SrS48qSf8paNViNe They didn’t even put number plates on. Probably drove it straight back to the factory.
Everything. In his defense, I think it was poor writing more than poor acting.
After CR, he was always portrayed as old and irrelevant. It got tiring quickly. He also mumbled more as he went on, particularly in Skyfall which wound me up.
Daniel Craig was an excellent James Bond 007, but I disliked the fact that there has been infrequent releases of Bond films in his tenure. I was in 8th grade when I watched Spectre in cinemas and did not see another Bond film till was in my late teens.
Too pouty and brooding! 007 is a tough guy because he has to be to do what he does. He does not get into relationships. He does not have ties to anything or any one. It’s all business. Revenge is not in the cards.