We went and saw Quantum of Solace with the fam, who had yet to experience the new Fork & Screen at the AMC Olathe (which I happened to review here).

I’ve been looking forward to the 22nd installment of the James Bond franchise ever since Casino Royale. I said it then - I didn’t believe that Daniel Craig would be a great Bond, but I was once again reminded of my foolishness.

Daniel Craig brings a fierceness to James Bond that he has (frankly) never had. Look, Sean Connery will forever be James Bond, but Craig’s sharp version of Britain’s most famous fake spy will be remembered as the place where Bond, James Bond became a brand new version of awesome.

Still, Quantum of Solace is NOT Casino Royale. It’s plagued by a pretty flimsy plot and a very weak villain. Flimsy plots are really a signature of the Bond franchise, but I kind of thought that after Casino Royale, we’d be past that stuff. (I mean, Crash writer Paul Haggis was a co-writer on the last two.) But all we really get is some obscure evil organization called Quantum with designs on world domination. Straightforward, sure. And honestly, it just gives Daniel Craig an opportunity to be brooding and seek revenge.

This is a bizarre turn because it’s the first time there has been continuity between sequential films in the series. However, I expected a little more resolution with the elusive Mr. White from the last movie. But the plot really got in the way.

I suppose that this obscure evil organization Quantum could be continued through the rest of the movies, but I’m hoping that we steer clear of any more connection to previous movies than that. The organization itself is intriguing, but I could care less as to how it relates to Vesper Lynd or Mr. White or Mr. Greene or anyone else. Just let James Bond be awesome, keep up the great stunt and action work, and get a better plot. If I had to rate it on a scale of 1 to 10, I’d probably give it a 7.

(Just as a sidenote, our Fork & Screen experience tonight was not that great. We didn’t get our food until about a half-hour into the movie and there was a LOT of confusion with the order. Our server was terrific, but it was just really slow. And there was an issue of some cold french fries…I still think that it’s a great way to see a movie.)

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In honor of the U.S. opening of Quantum of Solace this week, expect a few more potential Bond-related posts. I must first say that I love everything about James Bond and the whole series. I’d love to take a weekend and watch all 22 of them from Dr. No to Casino Royale. How great would that be? I thought that to kick off Bond Week, I’d have a little list of my own…Shane’s James Bond Actor Rankings from Worst to Best. Starting with…

#6 George Lazenby

Starred in: On Her Majesty’s Secret Service

Most people forget about poor George Lazenby. He’s kind of a punch line among Bond aficionados like myself, having starred in only one installment of the storied series. What Lazenby lacked in emotion, he made up for in woodenness. Plus, he had the added bonus of not even being blessed with a script that had any of the cheekiness that many of the other movies sometimes overdo. It’s not really his fault, but as we’ll see, it is possible to overcome a weak script with acting chops and style.

#5 Timothy Dalton

Starred in: The Living Daylights and License to Kill

There are lots of folks that really liked the late-1980’s Bond, Timothy Dalton. I wasn’t one of them. Dalton always seemed a little too frail to play James Bond. However, Dalton came at a necessary time. Roger Moore had gotten much too old to play the part, although I think that he would have continued to play it until he keeled over and died. Dalton was intended to be a breath of fresh air, but he just wasn’t that great.

#4 Pierce Brosnan

Starred in: Goldeneye, Tommorow Never Dies, The World is Not Enough and Die Another Day

Pierce Brosnan really sullied his Bond image with the meh TWINE and the absolutely ridonkulous Die Another Day. If Brosnan would have stopped while he was ahead with the first two movies (or at least held out for better scripts and co-stars in the final movies), it’s very likely that Brosnan could be higher on my list than Roger Moore. But Brosnan gets knocked down for two reasons: the final line in The World is Not Enough (”I thought Christmas only came once a year”) and the surfing scene in Die Another Day. Pierce can’t be blamed for Halle Berry, who I maintain is one of the most overrated actresses of our time, but he should have put his foot down in those two instances.

#3 Roger Moore

Starred in: Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, The Spy Who Loved Me, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Octopussy, and A View to a Kill

There are lots of reasons not to like Roger Moore. He didn’t look very athletic, he kind of had a mullet, and…well, that’s really it. He got to star in the ONLY JAMES BOND MOVIE WITH BOTH GRACE JONES AND CHRISTOPHER WALKEN. Sure, A View to a Kill wasn’t a very good movie, but there was a fight scene on the Golden Gate Bridge and it had Christopher FREAKING Walken. He was full of cheek, but he owned it, whereas with Pierce Brosnan, you never really believed him when he had to say those lame lines. Also, he starred in two movies with Richard “Jaws” Kiel. And Richard Kiel was in Happy Gilmore.

#2 Daniel Craig

Starred in: Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace

I know it is a bit much to put Daniel Craig this high up on the list. I went into the movie theater to see Casino Royale with a lot of reservations. First, Daniel Craig is blond. James Bond is not. I was dead set on Clive Owen being the next Bond. The selection of Craig threw me for a loop, but I was blown away by his performance. He was serious, he was severe, but it worked. I can’t wait for many more Bond movies to come, as long as they keep up the decent scripts and great directors. I can’t wait. Look out Connery.

#1 Sean Connery

Starred in: Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, and Diamonds are Forever

Sean Connery is the man who built the Bond brand. He was the perfect combination of cheekiness and athleticism and charm. While he probably shouldn’t have come back for Diamonds are Forever, it was necessary to save the franchise from George Lazenby. Just take a look at his list though…the classics are all there and the reason that they are awesome is Sean Connery.

So there is my list. Discuss.

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