Who is the next James Bond

[Xenocrates]

While Sean Connery did an excellent (and perhaps the longest running) Bond role, I think Pierce Brosnan has superceded him by far. To memory, there hasn't been a better Bond before him. Pierce naturally possess vicious grit, suave tenacity and delicious english debonair... to the point where his improvision in the recent films is nothing short of absolutely brilliant. Pierce is a tough act to follow...

...which is why I think:

1. Choosing any old actor (esp. an unknown) is a bad idea - It would be akin to the hiccup that was Timothy Dalton - arguably the worst Bond yet.

2. Choosing any old Scottsman won't do either. McGregor doesn't have the same kind of grit as Brosnan. It would be a step down. He can't convey antagonism as fiercely as Brosnan. He doesn't even have the same depth of tone in voice. McGregor would be an impossible sell.

3. Law neither has the ubiquitious Anglo-Saxxon facial structure nor the hair (the hair is EXTREMELY important!). He has the debonair and the suave personality, but no grit whatsoever. He would make a pansy-*****ed Bond. He's a better fit than McGregor, but still a hard sell.

4. Jackman doesn't seem to have the debonair to convey the same marriage of deadly silkiness of Bond's personality. Jackman is typecast into more guns 'n glory type of roles. The Austrailian aura is not beffitting for an intense english role either. He has the hair, but I won't swear on the face - even though Australians were English people.

...that leaves us with only one choice:

Clive Owen.

He's got the debonair demeanor, the suave personality, the right amount of vicious cynicism in his portrayals (see BMW Films), the hair, the face, the posture, the eyes... and most importantly, a NATURAL english accent to convey the texture of deadly silkiness.

When I think Bond, I think of an actor who could comfortably replace, if not outdo Brosnan. Clive Owen comes closest, I think, to all of the requirements of an updated Bond. In a selection like this, look and feel are everything.

[Electrotechnic]

Original is still the best! Who here has seen all of the Bonds? I don't think timothy dalton was the worst. i think george lazabee was. Timothy after, then Roger Moore, then PIERCE then SEAN. Sean set the trend. He was the original cool cat. Pierce was the best since him...but i guess some of your are hung-up on new age bond films and haven't really followed the trend as i did....from the good ole days of DR. No....to Tomorrow Never Dies!

[Zard]

Sean gets my ratings as the best bond
Piece gets my ratings too as a great successor that took up the torch and did not flop....basically he just lived up to the role and did as he was expected to...thats what i think

[Zard]

Clive Owen..................... .........undecided

[Xenocrates]

I will agree with you on that ET. Sean was a trendsetter. It would be blasphemous to say otherwise. But one does have to give credence to Brosnan. He rose with the stepped up ante for grittier Bond films. I cannot argue with the fact that Sean was a classic Bond. But in observation, one has to consider that the general audience's taste in movies has become less tacit and more violent. With the advent of CG technology, movies are going for bigger, more expensive, far grittier and more explosive action films.

Bond is less of a spy today than he was in the 1960's. He's more like a suave 1 man demolition team. That in part has been helped along by what Hollywood defines as a good action movie. Goldfinger (1964) is arguably the best Bond movie ever made. Tomorrow Never Dies is the only one to date that comes anywhere close to the 1964 Guy Hamilton classic.

...I guess you can now see why I think Pierce is waaay up there. If you watched it carefully, you will even notice how they paid homage to Goldfinger not only with the dialog, but also with an updated Aston Martin with the same weapon loadouts!

[Nastrodamus]

I go even further Xeno. If you watched After The Sunset with Pierce Brosnan you would thought you were watching a James bond movie and it wasn't. The man lives the James Bond persona.

[Electrotechnic]

LOL.....xeen....xeno...!!!

Thats my problem with it now...too much special effects.....I love the practicality and believability of the earlier Bonds....guess thats why I prefer Sean. Pierce is a good bond. Gonna be really hard to replace him...but Clive Owen...he could do it....After all...he did do a good job of King Authur (A role Sean Connery had in the movie Camelot) so maybe he can just pull it off.....even better than Pierce but I wont put my money on that. Isn't the next one due this year anyways? you mean I gonna have wait til next year???? What aboutt he spin-off....(JINX)???? I hope they don't do that....might end up like Elektra or CatWoman!

[Xenocrates]

LMAO, fi real ET. The very thought is horrifying!

But yer right, there can be too much of special effects. To this day, I still think that the model ships of Star Wars (1977 - 1983) some how still pack a sense of realism that the CG ships of the 21st century renditions don't.

Nas

...and that, gentlefolks, is exactly what I'm talking about. Pierce Rox0rz

[Electrotechnic]

I go even further Xeno. If you watched After The Sunset with Pierce Brosnan you would thought you were watching a James bond movie and it wasn't. The man lives the James Bond persona.

I just watched that movie...lol...he is good..very good....and it seems as if he did his own stunts....my word...he's pretty good for an old guy...lol.....but Sean is still better...lol....just can't put pierce over him. So i guess its down to Hugh and Clive right? Clive would be better...but a relative unknown to most people so he may need a blockbuster hit before assuming the throne of "Brosnan.....Pierce Brosnan!"

Look how far he's coming from...my word...from Remington Steele......

[Tamara]

Not many people remember nor know that he ws in Remmington Steel - good point.

I'm with Clive