Actors from the film Halle Berry, Judi Dench, John Cleese, Rosamund Pike and Madonna were at the charity screening along with three former 007s, Timothy Dalton, George Lazenby and Roger Moore.

Halle Berry described her role as Jinx, a highly trained US agent, as Bond's equal which is a first for the woman in the Bond girl role.

The current Bond, Pierce Brosnan said the longstanding appeal of the film was because "from a male perspective we all want to be him... Even I would like to be him."

Die Another Day pays homage to earlier Bond films, with Halle Berry re-enacting Ursula Andress' famous moment emerging from the sea in Dr No.

What is your favourite Bond film? Which of the five Bonds do you think is the best? Who is your favourite Bond girl?

This Talking Point has now closed. Read a selection of your comments below.

Timothy Dalton is a very underrated James Bond portrayer

Ronald E. Quizon, USA

All 5 men chosen did fine, but I think Timothy Dalton is a very underrated James Bond portrayer. Many have said that he took the role too seriously, but had it not been for court unsettlements during the early 1990s, he would most likely have done at least two more Bonds after License to Kill, thus getting people to accept his portrayal of 007.
Ronald E. Quizon, USA

Roger Moore and Spy Who Loved Me. Moore had the natural look and feel of 007 - something other Bonds did not have. Maybe that's why he didn't have much success playing other characters and his movie career was pretty much restricted to 007.
Mark, Korea

Goldfinger has to be my favourite. I think the next actor to play Bond should be Christian Bale. Has the talent and physique and enough of a brooding presence to add a new dimension to the character.
Q, USA

Goldfinger is one of the best in the series

Rob Dowling, Wales

So many to choose from. Connery in my opinion was the best Bond and therefore the bench mark for all those after him. Brosnan is certainly on par with the Scottish 007 and one more film may see him leapfrog into poll position. Goldfinger is one of the best in the series, in that it is the film that all the rest get compared to...however, the latest two offerings have been splendid but my personal favourite is You Only Live Twice. It's comforting to know that Bond is here today and will be here tomorrow...a true institution.
Rob Dowling, Wales

Bond films are all just sheer fun, and for that reason, I have to hold Casino Royale up to the light. Every woman I know loves Connery and I think that will go on until he's 95, Bond or no Bond. But for my money, and because The Moon is a Balloon is one of the funniest books I've ever read, Niven, in Casino Royale, is my man of the hour.
Pete, Canada

What has happened to Bond? I was shocked at this last attempt. It has nothing to do with the greats like From Russia with Love, Goldfinger and The Spy Who loved me. The quintessential bond wit and swagger has turned into an dire sequence of adverts and poor one liners. Brosnan is good but it's the producers who are at fault. A villain with no style and a bond girl who is dull and frankly 'nothing special'.
George Toumbev, UK

The suave charm of Roger Moore

S. Steele, UK

The best film was The Spy Who Loved Me - it had the suave charm of Roger Moore, his sense of humour, Barbara Bach and Jaws - all in truly glamorous locations.
S. Steele, UK

The best Bond was Sean Connery and the best Bond film for me was Goldfinger. After Pierce Brosnan, I think Stephen Yardley (ex The Bill) would make a great Bond. He has the build, looks and a rich velvety voice.
WB, Wales, UK

Goldeneye was the best film with the stunt where Bond bungee jumped down a dam.
Vicki, UK

My favourite Bond film is either, Goldeneye or Octopussy. Best Bond either Dalton or Brosnan and Best Bond girl either Jane Seymour as Solitaire in Live and Let Die, Honor Blackman as Pussy Galore in Goldfinger or Maud Adams as Octopussy. Anyone else agree that Sean Bean should be the next James Bond?
Liz, UK

I never miss the opportunity to catch it again when it comes around on TV

Roger, England

There's no debate here. It has to be Goldfinger for the actors involved and the multitude of iconic images introduced. Just list them... a woman murdered by painting her body gold, an Aston Martin with machines guns and an ejector seat, the first mainstream view of a laser with the resulting classic line of dialogue, Oddjob and his steel rimmed hat, a troupe of stunningly attractive female pilots. It had all these and more. I never miss the opportunity to catch it again when it comes around on TV.
Roger, England

Brosnan is the best Bond. He superbly balances the role, and is engrossing in the part. Connery and Dalton are both great too.
Luke, UK

They are all brilliant compared with the tripe that is Die Another Day. It has possibly one of the worst special effects scenes I have seen in a long time. The latest instalment was more Rambo than Bond.
Richard, UK

Hasn't anyone read the books?

Burt Clothier, USA

Hasn't anyone read the books? As out dated as they are, they still started this 20-film franchise. For my money Connery is definitely the best Bond of the films but Dalton is the closest characterization to Fleming's Bond (Dalton's movies still suck, but hey, that's not strictly his fault). Thunderball & Goldfinger are a toss-up for best film. Dianna Rigg still sets the standard for class in a Bond Girl. Goldfinger, Drax and Donald Pleasnce as Bloefeld all rank and the top for best villian.
Burt Clothier, USA

Nobody has mentioned him here but one of my all time favorite bond characters is Sheriff JW Pepper, what a hoot that guy was. Christopher Walken was a real good villain as well (especially at the end when he was shooting all the miners and laughing at the same time), Jaws is good too, as well as the midget butler in Golden Gun.
Dave, USA:Maryland

What is my favourite Bond film? I tend to remember different elements (ie, the opening "chase" for example usually tells me if I'm in for a good film.) The Living Daylights for the opening on Gibraltar, Goldeneye for the Tank chase, Thunderball for the big underwater fight. Anyone who says that Timothy Dalton or George Lazenby is the best Bond needs therapy. Sean Connery is clearly the greatest 007, closely followed by Roger Moore.
Kevin Connolly, Northern Ireland

Brosnan seems to be getting more praise than he deserves. His Bond comes across as rather forced and unconvincing, with very tightly controlled movements (only seems able to breath through his nose). He should learn a lesson from Connery - Bond is Mr. Smooth, not an android
Robert Wilkinson, UK

The Living Daylights was the first Bond movie to be made in the light of the Aids epidemic, hence the absence of gratuitous sex and an articulate and vulnerable Bond girl rather than the usual string of women. This left more room for plot, characterisation and acting. Also, Timothy Dalton's classy acting reminded me just how weak and clich� the Roger Moore franchise had become. By far the best Bond, for me.
Steve, UK

Connery defined the role

Glenn, Canada

The best of the five Bonds? Connery defined the role. He was cool, but also cold (remember Dr. No and the "you've had your six" scene). Moore was The Saint and he never got beyond the Simon Templar role. Too private school and linen suits for me. Lazenby might have done alright, but the Bond supremos chickened out. They owed him a better script and a second chance. Dalton was crackling in The Living Daylights but the next one was lame. Brosnan? The Third Bond with him will tell me because I am undecided. He has the charm, and we get flashes of the ruthlessness, which if you're a Bond you must be.
Glenn, Canada

I think that Roger Moore in "Live and let die" was the best bond film with the best stunts. Even though I am Welsh my compatriot Timothy Dalton, I feel was the worst Bond due to poor storylines which were also in my view quite violent as many children watch Bond films.
Carey Hoare, Wales

Sean Connery is by far the best Bond, best film From Russia With Love. Best female character, the nasty Rosa Klebb, with the knife blades in the toe-caps of her shoes.
Liz Trigwell, England

Bond, James Bond was at his best, I think, in the most escapist of the films. Actor-wise, there is a two-sided approach: Sean Connery was best at playing the Bond of the movies, with his debonair, ladies man approach and screen charisma to burn. Timothy Dalton was the best actor to be cast as Bond, bringing a tiredly gritty realism to the character introduced to us in Ian Fleming's pulp classics. Best film honours go to Goldfinger and On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
Prasad, Sri Lanka

The first person ever to play Bond - Bob Holness, I kid you not! He did the BBC Radio play. Best line in a Bond film, as laser creeps up between Bond's spread-eagled legs: "Do you expect me to talk?" - "No Mr Bond, I expect you to die!"
Jo, UK

I'm a big fan of Tim Dalton's films. The Living Daylights had everything and Licence to Kill was the revenge movie that Diamonds are Forever should have been. Dalton is probably the finest actor to have played Bond; Connery does hold on to that top spot though.
James Guion, UK

The stuff of all good fiction

Simon Cameron, UK

Those who dismiss these movies as meaningless escapism miss the point. That's exactly how they are meant to be taken - with a pinch of salt. "Nobody does it better" than Sean Connery, precisely because, although not entirely true (like Dalton) to the character in the book, in playing Bond he best combines being at once terribly serious and completely tongue-in-cheek. In this way he made an improbable character real and almost believable, the stuff of all good fiction. Audiences could relate to it because they saw themselves in Bond.
Simon Cameron, UK

All the Bond films stand the test of time but none better than the very first, Dr No - no contest!
Colin, UK

It has to be "You Only Live Twice"! I was so hooked that I'm still learning Japanese because of it.
Tony, Australia

I think George Lazenby might have been good if he did more than one Bond movie.
Scott C, USA

Classic Bond

Michael, Belgium

It's odd that no-one has mentioned Moore's finest line "Keeping the British end up, sir" from the end of The Spy Who Loved Me. Even stranger that no-one had mentioned Lazenby's classic at the start of OHMSS when Diana Rigg, having been saved by Bond, tears away from the scene in a beach buggy. Coolly, he addresses the camera: "Well, this never happened to the other feller". Classic Bond.
Michael, Belgium

Sean Connery was the best Bond, and You Only Live Twice is the best film.
Platon, Canada

I don't have a favourite, they all look the same to me. Mad villain bent on implausible world domination, car chases, massive explosions and women who are either Madonna or whore but still just sexual objects. Sadly, many people are easily pleased.
Artie, UK

Sean Connery has always been the best and his best is "From Russia with Love". He was definitely in his prime and a very debonair gentleman(!).
Anthony Ellul, Malta G.C.

These films bring out the boy in me

David, Australia

I suppose these films really bring out the boy in me. I don't take them very seriously and even though all the actors have had different personalities, I can't help getting caught up in all the fun, technology and adventure. I would probably vote for Living Daylights.
David, Australia

Undeniably Dr No! Bond has to rely on his wits and his fists - not some ludicrous gadget or product placed vehicle/watch etc. The tarantula across the bed is one of the most excruciating to watch of all the attempts to get Bond ever.
Brian, UK

It has to be Dr No. There was a certain honesty in that film that seemed to go missing as the budgets got bigger and the scripts cornier.
Andy W, UK

Timothy Dalton's performances stand out head and shoulders above the others - he is by far the most accomplished actor ever to take on the role and it shows. He brought out Bond's darker side - a man not entirely happy with the job he is asked to do - very close to the books. The Living Daylights is hard to beat as the best, all round Bond film. The overall tone of the film is distinctly darker than the others, especially when compared to Roger Moore's more comical efforts - good in their own right, but not very authentic.
Clive, Australia

Bond films are as much a millstone around the neck of the British film industry as Carry On and Hammer Horror films were. All were carried on well past their sell-by date. If they ever were any good, it's decades ago.
Dougal McKinnon, UK

Goldfinger is the best

Tim, France

Goldfinger is the best - superb plot and great bad guys with the unforgettable Oddjob and very cool acting from Gurt Frobe. The Aston Martin and the car chases were brilliant and let's not forget the timeless signature tune sung by the great Shirley Bassey. Ah well - Honor Blackman of course - need I say more? This Bond film has it all.
Tim, France

Bond doesn't have it anymore. The charm, the tongue in cheek wit, the gags, the silly names, the bond girls, the theme tunes... it's just not how it used to be! Wail!
WGS, UK

Best Bond; then, Connery, now Brosnan, both the right men of the day. Bond Girls Diana, Ursula though I'm sure Halle will be great. Best chase, the tank chase in Golden eye. Best villain is Jaws. Best songs, Shirley by a long shot. Best line; too many classics really. Best movie franchise ever, but drop the PC, we're all smart enough to separate fantasy from reality.
Mike S, Hong Kong

I like all Bond films but best opening sequence is Moonraker with Roger Moore in skydiving combat with villain for his parachute!
Pete, UK

Well for my 0.07 pence worth I'd have to say Connery as best Bond and Goldfinger as best film. It had all the elements that would be copied but never perfected in subsequent films since. Style, humour, hauntingly beautiful music, a charismatic villain and (at the time) spectacularly unexpected gadgets. Two other films have come close to these ingredients - Live and Let Die, and the Spy Who Loved Me which I suppose on balance gives Roger Moore the second best bite at the Bond apple.

Brosnan I must say looks and acts the perfect Bond - but they won't give him a decent script! Lazenby is cited as the worst, but he had one of the best scripts! Tim Dalton I have no time for - although he could take a good shoeing like Bond often did in the novels.
Akin Samuel, UK

The best theme song for me was Nobody Does it Better, followed by Goldfinger. I grew up in the 1960s when Sean Connery was still Bond - the sense of romance and thrills of Connery as the British globe-trotting serial-seducer who always gets the girl made a huge impression on me.

Roger Moore was then on the telly as The Saint, which was in contrast just a pale, insipid imitation, which has prejudiced me against Moore ever since. Sean Connery exemplified the upper-class thug which Bond is all about. Moore was simply too smooth.
John, England

It's all a bit naff, isn't it? All Bond films are quite ridiculous and I don't think any of them is any good.
Volker, England (ex Germany)

"Do you expect me to talk?" "No Mr. Bond, I expect you to die." That is the greatest Bond line. Octopussy and From Russia With Love are the best flicks and Jane Seymour is by far the most voluptuous, femme of pulchritude in the Bond Film legend. Brosnan beats Connery in authenticity, flair, and savoir faire.
TLJ, USA

Dalton was too accurate

Iain, Scotland

My choice for best Bond is a tie between Sean Connery and Pierce Brosnan. Sean originally created the role and his portrayal of the role is good given the atmosphere of the time. But Bond as much as anything has evolved in line with the culture. These days Brosnan is very good at the cool, calm, everything's in control Bond. Totally unflappable. The worst Bond to my mind is Roger Moore. He was out of shape and always seemed somewhat smarmy. Dalton was perhaps too accurate and Lazenby doesn't even figure.
Iain, Scotland

Today's Bond films lack the something or other that Roger Moore brought to the role

Paul, Wales

Best Bond films: Live and Let Die, The Spy Who Loved Me. Best scene has to be when Bond and Jaws have their reunion in Moonraker, and exchange smiles. Today's Bond films lack the something or other that Roger Moore brought to the role, and of course lack the skills of Q.
Paul, Wales

Best Bond movie! Mmm a tough one - is it The Spy Who Loved Me where bond ski-jumps off the mountain and his Union-Jack parachute opens. Quality. Best Bond girl - Tiffany Case in her purple bikini. Wow.
Phil Hicks, UK

Forget the caricature, Dalton wins by a mile. He wasn't just playing James Bond he was James Bond, and I'm sure Fleming would agree, and that's all that counts. By comparison the others were just in it for the money.
Brendan, England

Best line is Q's at the end of Moonraker in reply to M asking " What's he doing" and Q replies "I think he's trying re-entry". Best film a tie between Casino Royale and On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Best song Louis Armstrong's We have all the time in the world. If you think Ursula Andress looked good in Dr No when emerging from the sea then you are going to love Halle Berry reprising the scene in Die Another Day, she surpasses it - va va voom!! By the way Bob Holness played Bond on the radio in the 50s.
Stephen, England

The age of many people here is showing if they think that Casino Royale was a good film, or that Dalton was a good Bond. The best line out of them all has to be the extensive car/submarine chase in For Your Eyes Only. After dodging a motorcycle sidecar rocket, a bunch of cars crammed full of gun wielding thugs only to be met by a machine gun helicopter - the comment by Moore "Do you ever get the feeling that somebody doesn't like you?" is style personified. Sad that that particular film isn't one of Brosnan's - he is the ultimate Bond. The straightening of the tie after smashing two police cars with his tank in Goldeneye is what Bond is all about.
Alex, UK

Timothy Dalton went right into the novels

A Siraj, Malaysia

Undoubtedly, Timothy Dalton was the best incarnation of Fleming's 007. He went right into the novels to experience the character and that makes his portrayal absolutely Bond. Lucky for him (and for us) that his first film was The Living Daylights. Compared to Moonraker and Octopussy which relied too much on the fantasy element, 'Daylights' was based on hard-edged reality with diamonds/arms/drug smuggling and the Soviet occupation of Afghanistan thrown into the plot. Coupled with John Barry's lively score, 'Daylights' holds rank No.1 in my book.
A. Siraj, Malaysia.

The best Bond will always be Connery and the best movie? It has to be Dr. No. I still laugh at the line when Dr. No says: "At first I thought there might be a place for you in SPECTRE but now I have realized that you are just a stupid policeman..." The simplicity of it is wonderful and remember that in 1959 nobody had seen anything like it.
James Lally, USA

The recent Bond films have been more about explosions, gadgets, and special effects than about good stories

Hugh, England

Am I the only one in the UK who prefers Roger Moore to Sean Connery? He brought an appropriate urbane dignity to the role that I somehow don't see in his chunkier, butcher predecessor. As for the present films: Pierce Brosnan is a good Bond, but the recent Bond films have been more about explosions, gadgets, and special effects than about good stories, scripts, and characters.
Hugh, Yorkshire, England

From Russia With Love is probably the best film, a true thriller before the gadgetry took over. Most underrated film is OHMSS with an outstanding score by John Barry. Best babe has to be Barbara Bach in The Spy Who Loved Me. Best line from Roger "Double Six? Fancy That. It's all in the wrist you know."
David, England

The best Bond film IS indeed Goldfinger. It has the best character development, it's got bogus scientific facts about suffocating from gold paint, and it's got Connery. What's more it's got THE best conversation. Who can forget the scene in the airplane when Honor Blackman leaned over a drowsy Bond and said, "I'm Pussy Galore", and Bond replied with "I must be dreaming"?
Kim, USA/Kuwait

The best of all are the original Ian Fleming novels! The ones I'd most recommend are Live and Let Die (where Felix Leiter is originally fed to a shark), OHMSS (the Corsican Mafia!) and Dr No (Bond kills No by burying him in bird excrement!) Much better than the movies.
Pete, UK

Die Another Day isn't Bond, it's science fiction

Lizzy, UK

I love Bond. I have all the films, many books and some toys. My favourite is Connery, but I love Brosnan as a very close second. But what have they done to Die Another Day? I saw a preview last Friday and I can only say I was highly disappointed. Bond is always fantasy I know, but it is fantasy not too far out of reach of reality. This new film is science fiction. It isn't Bond. I felt that I might as well have been watching a Bruce Willis film. There was just too much that was totally unbelievable for me and it ruined the whole film.
Lizzy, UK

Live and Let Die - The locations juxtapose Bond and the sinister voodoo element in remote Jamaica to Moore's humour and Jane Seymour's innocence. It's pure fantasy. Moonraker comes second, as it was released roughly the same time as the ground breaking Stars Wars.
Ben, England

There is only one truly great Bond film and that is You Only Live Twice, perfect on every level. Connery at his best, wonderful Japanese location shooting, a screenplay of rare intelligence by Roald Dahl, Blofeld as Bond's nemesis and most memorable of all: the music. Even the title sequence with Technicolor umbrellas is unique and impressive. YOLT towers over earlier Bond movies and was much imitated in later ones. The secret agent with the wooden leg, superior oriental culture, Little Nellie defending her honour (and Q's), the remarkable aerial pull shot of the fist fight in the docks, the incredible fake volcano set, the dramatic space rocket with teeth....It's the only Bond film that can stand up as a great film in its own right.
Justin, UK

I've got to agree with Justin, UK concerning You Only Live Twice. The aerial shot of the fight on the docks roof is incredible. An amazing shot with excellent Bond music - pure perfection!
Mark Bell, UK

Dalton? Whose bright idea was it to cast him? The best is easily Connery in From Russia With Love.
Jon, UK

To Jon, UK: Pierce Brosnan was tied into his contract with Remington Steele and could not be released to play Bond so Timothy Dalton had to fill in the gap until the contract expired.
Gill, London, UK

Dr Holly Goodhead is the only female intellectual equal of Bond

Neville Sloane, UK/Canada

The best motion picture in the James Bond series is Moonraker. The first and only female intellectual equal of Bond to date is Dr Holly Goodhead (played by Lois Chiles).
Neville Sloane, UK/Canada

Judi Dench's M is the ultimate female role model. She's intelligent, tough yet fair, wise, witty, quick, caring and brilliant in a crisis.
Claire, St Ives, Cornwall, UK

I can't remember which film but it was the one with Sean Connery and the scene where a group of henchmen go to Bond's hotel room and find him with a girl. One of the henchmen throws the girl out of the window and she lands in a pool below. Bond calmly remarks "Good shot" to which the thug replies "I didn't know there was a pool down there." Great stuff.
David, UK

David, I think the film is Diamonds are Forever and the girl who landed in the pool was Plenty O'Toole!
Gerrie, UK

Bond is so cheesy, yet slick and smooth

Claire, Scotland

I think Roger Moore was the best! All the films are great. I could watch them over and over again!! Bond is so cheesy but yet slick and smooth!
Claire, Scotland

Some parts of On Her Majesty's Secret Service were filmed in Lisbon and I can proudly say I witnessed the making of a Bond film! Connery is still the real James Bond. My Bond Girl vote goes to Ursula Andress and Maryam D'Abo.
Nelson Petronilho, Portugal

Best Bond? Connery, with Brosnan and Dalton tied for second, Lazenby third, Niven fourth and Moore last. Best babe: Rigg with Maryam D'Abo a close second. Best film: You Only Live Twice.
Kevin Sampson, USA

Best line: "But James I need you!" "So does England." With 007's "But sir, who would pay a million dollars to have me killed?" M: "Jealous husbands, outraged chefs, humiliated tailors. The list is endless!" as a close second. best Bond film, The Living Daylights - great Bond girl, fantastic locations and characters, best Aston Martin so far. Best Bond girl has to be Daniella Biachi in From Russia with Love, who is absolutely beautiful. Best villain Fiona (Luciana Paluzzi) in Thunderball, great looking, smart and interesting, with Sean Bean in Goldeneye getting an honourable mention. But the best Bond for me is Brosnan although I do miss the non-PC Connery lines.
Chris, UK

There has never been a villain quite like Jaws in any movie

Jeff, USA

The best Bond film is Moonraker because of Jaws. There has never been a villain quite like him in any movie. However, Pierce Brosnan's wit and style are a perfect match for the character and this makes him the best of all the actors to play Bond.
Jeff, USA

It has to be Goldeneye, because it was an improvement after a six year hiatus. It is more like a Hollywood action flick in the cinemas.
Ken, USA

To me, the best Bond film was one I personally related to - For Your Eyes Only. I saw it in Bern, Switzerland and then went skiing in Gstaad after having spent the previous summer on Corfu. Absolutely magical being in both locations then seeing the film in one of the countries. A far cry from watching Bond in Australia where you watch a mountainous ski scene then come out of the theatre to blazing heat, flies and kangaroos.
Kim, Western Australia

Casino Royale had everything you could ask for

Bobby Subjenski, USA

How could you not list David Niven as James Bond? He was by far the greatest Bond in the best Bond movie ever made, Casino Royale. It had everything you could ask for. Shame on you all for your oversight.
Bobby Subjenski, USA

I despair. All these great comments about something as important as James Bond films and not a single mention of the greatest "guy film" scene of them all: Ursula Andress coming out of the surf in that scuba outfit in Dr No. What's wrong with you people?
Peter C Kohler, USA

On Her Majesty's Secret Service is my favourite Bond film, but the David Niven version of Casino Royale had the best car chase.
Jeff Hall, USA

There is a scene in Goldfinger where Bond witnesses the death of a young woman - the sister, I believe, of the character played by Shirley Eaton. He had not been romantically involved with the girl - had known her, in fact, only a few hours - but the expression of sadness and anger in his face proved that there was more to 007 than the sybaritic icon he was built up as. Incidentally, I wonder how many Britons have seen the television production of Casino Royale that was made in the 50s. Barry Nelson, the first actor to play Bond, was not exactly memorable, but he gave it a good go.
Robert, USA

Robert, USA mentioned the 1950s American production of Casino Royale. It was a 30 minute episode of a show called Climax. Peter Lorre played Le Chiffre very well. It was nothing like the Bond movies - short, low budget, black and white - but it was good in its own way. It is available on VHS tape in the US, if you search the stores and catalogues.
James Castro, USA

Connery is the best! "Do you exshpect me to talk?" "No meester Bond, I expect you to die!" I think this Brosnan chap is a bit bland. At least Moore could do the eyebrows!
Russ Moore (no relation), UK

What a shame Sean Connery didn't stick around to make On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Kate, England

My favourite film is On Her Majesty's Secret Service - great, great ski sequences, a classic Louis Armstrong song for the love interest and a good theme as well, and the wonderful Diana Rigg as the ultimate Bond girl. What a shame Sean Connery didn't stick around to make the film - it would have been perfect.
Kate, England

I think that Connery was definitely the best Bond as the first is usually the best. Brosnan comes second because of the way he always seems to be so calm and cool about everything. Dalton I thought was too angry and aggressive and Moore was too old, unfit and smug in my opinion. I seem to remember something in one of the newspapers a number of years back about one of the 'girls' being a bloke. Can anyone recall which film this related to?
Nigel, Scotland

For Nigel from Scotland: The film with the girl who was a man is Octopussy. One of her troupe was played by a man who had a sex change and became a model. The best bond girl has to be Carey Lowell from Licensed To Kill. Stunning! The best film for me is From Russia with Love. The bit where Bond shoots the guy coming out of the window hidden in a poster of a girl's face and says "She should have kept her mouth shut." Brilliant.
Dave, UK

Timothy Dalton was the closest to the character in the books

Catherine McCartney, UK

My favourite Bond was Sean Connery, although I have been told by my husband that Timothy Dalton was the closest to the character in the books. The best Bond film has to be You Only Live Twice, for scenery, music and volcanoes. My fave Bond girl has to be Pussy Galore, followed by Solitaire. Looking forward to the end of November for Die Another Day. I wonder what gadgets are in store for us.
Catherine McCartney, UK

Roger Moore is the best because his haircut is the closest to Austin Powers'.
Alex, France

Best Bond line: In Never Say Never Again. (OK, so not in the 'official' series). Bond gets clattered at a bar by a female water skier who says, "Oh, I'm sorry, I made you all wet." Connery replies, "Yes, but my Martini is still dry." Quality.
Phil, UK

Sean Connery was the best Bond

Steve Jordan, UK

No doubt Sean Connery was the best Bond and the best film was From Russia with Love. I do wonder why Casino Royale has not been turned into a film as the book is one of the best written. Maybe they were put off as the spoof beat them to it?
Steve Jordan, UK

I think that Q (played by Desmond Llewellyn) was the best character in the James Bond series and I will greatly miss him.
Wahura, Kenya

We have a difference of opinion in our house. My wife likes Roger Moore but I still think the best Bond ever is Sean Connery by far. He had the suave debonair style to follow through in whatever he did but at the same time be tough where need be. The best Bond film for me was Goldfinger with Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore) as the best Bond woman not girl because it proved that blondes do have brains and are not play things. Honor Blackman is in her seventies and she still looks good today.
Stuart Halpern, England

Corporate discipline at its finest!

Adam, UK

I've enjoyed reading this column and being reminded of some splendid Bond moments, but I'm amazed no-one has mentioned the scene from Thunderball when Blofeld is chairing a SPECTRE meeting. He reveals that one of the agents has been embezzling funds and that 'the culprit is known to me', and then calmly pushes a button that fries the culprit in his chair. Corporate discipline at its finest!
Adam, UK

It has everything to do with who you grew up with... and for me? Roger M - Spy Who Loved Me ranks up there with the finest. No one delivered those quips and retorts like he did.
Steve Thurston, UK

The Living Daylights is the best all round Bond film. Dalton is THE personification of a British agent as Fleming designed. The action scenes and the film's music combine to compliment some of the best screenplay talent in the in the industry. The Cellist Kara Milovy is but the icing on the cake!
Adam Higgins, UK

There is no 'best' Bond film, each one represents the era of when it was produced, each one has a new load of cheesy jokes and clich�s. For instance, the Roger Moore films were more light hearted than the rest, while Licence To Kill was a lot gorier than the others and had a 15 certificate. There hasn't yet been a below average Bond film, and it is interesting to watch the actors through the ages, so leave it at that.
Will, England

Best Bond/Bond girl/villain is always going to be open to debate. Best Bond character? No question. Q. Desmond Llewelyn was invariably the highlight of every film. John Cleese will no doubt bring his own unique 'character' to future releases, but Llewelyn will be sorely missed. "Pay attention 007!" RIP.
Steve Hall, UK

It HAS to be Roger Moore, the quintessential Englishman. No-one else can wear a safari suit with the same degree of casualty.
Matt, England

A never bettered image of sophisticated cool!

Lee Corless. UK

Without doubt the very first view we have of Bond - in Dr No... A casino gaming table. Cut to a beautiful woman, obviously impressed by a man on a winning streak sitting opposite. She asks his name. Cut to perfect shot of Connery in full DJ, an unlit cigarette between his lips. "Bond... (lights cigarette)... James Bond". A never bettered image of sophisticated cool!
Lee Corless, UK

I think the best moment in the Bond series was in the Swiss banker's office in Bilbao at the start of The World Is Not Enough when the cigar girl said "Would you like to check my figures?" and Bond replied "Oh, I'm sure they're perfectly rounded."
Graeme Phillips, UK

Picking a Bond girl, is too tough. Bond would never choose only one...

JB, Canada

Sean Connery has to be the ultimate Bond. None of the other Bond actors or films portrays the vicious or slightly darker character of Bond - whether it be Bond killing a henchman instead of knocking him out or being a little more than crude and chauvinistic with the ladies. Thunderball is the Bond flick of the ages, with Connery at his best and the backdrop and plot the penultimate of all of the chapters in the Bond saga. Picking a Bond girl, however, is too tough. Bond would never choose only one...
JB, Ottawa, Canada

Goldfinger is the definitive Bond movie. It was the film where all the different parts of the 007 experience first gelled together to create a fantastic cinematic formula. There�s Bond�s wit, style and charm, a larger-than-life villain with memorable henchman, a great line-up of Bond girls, fantastic music, unforgettable one liners, and the (soon to become) traditional humorous Q scene where an antagonised Major Boothroyd introduces the gadget-laden Aston Martin DB5. And, of course, Sean Connery as 007... The Spy Who Loved Me is worth honourable mention though, just because it is so Seventies Roger Moore!
Richard Gunn, UK

The actual books remain the best. Some of the films have been good, with Dalton being the only one who looked like the Bond from the books at the end of the film (extremely battered). But the 'you can beat me to a pulp but I refuse to die' Bond from the books was never really captured.
Eric, Sweden

The early Bond films were the best as they were most authentic to the original stories

R Steward, Great Britain

When I saw the first Bond film, Dr No, I thought the portrayal of Bond was no way like the character of Bond that Ian Fleming had written about. Bond was an English gentleman, ex-public schoolboy with all the panache that engendered. Having got used to Sean Connery as Bond he did grow on one and I think that the early Bond films were the best as they were most authentic to the original stories. They also had the atmosphere of the 60s, closer to the time in which the books were written!
R Steward, Great Britain

Dalton was the best Bond. He was the closet to Ian Fleming's vision of bond.
O, UK

Read the books first, then watch the films

Jeff, UK

Read the books first, then watch the films. Of all the actors to play 007, Timothy Dalton has been the closest - for example in those scenes in which he had to wear a tie, he had done his homework and tied it exactly like Bond did in the books! And he did his own stunts!
Jeff, UK

Personally I think Tomorrow Never Dies was one of the best - a stunning opening sequence, the remote control car chase, intense cynicism about the media, gorgeous soundtrack and one of the filthiest gags in the entire series (all the more impressive for being delivered by Samantha Bond's wonderful Moneypenny) - it just about has it all.
Pete Hazell, UK

Some of my favourite scenes are between Judi Dench and Bond

Jonathon Scott, UK

I like all of the Bond actors; each had their own strengths and weaknesses. Some of my favourite scenes are between Judi Dench as M and Bond. At first she sees him as "a relic of the cold war" but as their relationship deepens she warms to him.
Jonathan Scott, UK

Best moment is when Connery as Bond is strapped to Goldfinger's laser table and says "You don't expect me to talk do you Goldfinger?" Gert Frobe's reply "No, Mr Bond. I expect you to die." The best: Film - Thunderball; Girl - Honor Blackman; Bond - Dalton (spoiled by being in poor films).
Jim Croton, England

The best Bond is obviously Sean Connery, but Pierce Brosnan is a very close second. As for the best film, it has to be The World is not Enough.
Joe '007' Smith, England

The best bit of any Bond film has to be in The Spy Who Loved Me. Bond skis down half a mountain killing at least four bad guys then just as you think it is all over as you see him ski off the side of a cliff his parachute opens with then union jack on it as the legendary bond music kicks in... Great stuff!
James, UK

Best Bond villain's line has to be from Drax, in Moonraker. "And now, Mr Bond, I am going to put you out of my misery."
Jonathan, UK

Sean Connery - the rest are mere substitutes

Myna, Italy

Sean Connery - none other! The rest are mere substitutes. Goldfinger was the movie that set things rolling. Which Bond girl? Can't say, never noticed them much, just had eyes for 007 I suppose!
Myna, Italy

Arguably the best Bond chase scene has to be the one with the tank in Goldeneye.
Paul, Isle of Man

Q's scene in Goldeneye - has me in stitches every time.
Gareth, UK

The very best can only be the very first, Dr No, with Sean Connery definitely the best Bond. Supercilious Moore, wooden Dalton and pretentious Brosnan never eclipsed Connery's seriously tongue-in-cheek portrayal of the cad-cum-spy. Diana Rigg was the worst Bond girl and Fiona Fullerton in the jacuzzi with Roger Moore was one of the best girl scenes, just pipped by Barbara Bach wearing a wet dress in the Spy Who Loved Me.
Neil Ashurst, UK expat in Ghana

Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Andy, UAE

It's a split decision between Goldfinger and You Only Live Twice. Both of these had great action, great gadgets, and, most important for Bond, style! The best bond girl was Diana Rigg in On Her Majesty's Secret Service. The closing scene at the end of the movie is surely the most emotion packed sequence of any Bond film.
Andy, UAE

Everyone knocks A View To a Kill but that is my favourite. I grew up in the era of Roger Moore and for me he is James Bond. He might have been a bit old in View to a Kill but it was and still is a great Bond flick with the bizarre Grace Jones, the evil Christopher Walken.
Nick Bradley, UK

I'm tempted to say Goldfinger, but the two movies with Jaws were good. Then there's Live and Let Die with Paul McCartney on vocals. I always liked Maude Adams as a Bond girl and though she wasn't a Bond girl, Grace Jones was great as May Day. I know, these characters all were in different Bond flicks, so maybe I don't have just one favourite Bond film, just different faves for different reasons.
Sonrisa, Cincinnati, USA

Brosnan needs to bulk up a bit

Tony McArdle, UK

All of the Bonds were great. However, Sean Connery was the real first and the template by which others will always be measured. Roger Moore was great, and brought his own special touch to the part, as did George Lazenby. Timothy Dalton was too weak on his first film and too tough on his second and final film. Pearce Brosnan is a good Bond, but needs to bulk up a bit, as I think that he's too weedy. However, the charm, sophistication and elegance of Bond is well maintained by him.
Tony McArdle, UK

Dalton was the best actor and closest to the nasty Bond of the books - but he's maligned because he was in a couple of poor films. Lazenby does not even count! My favourite film was The Spy who Loved Me, and favourite Bond girl Jane Seymour.
Rob, UK

Thunderball. The devastating political correctness of the Brosnan and Dalton eras rather get in the way.
Steve, UK

I agree with Steve, the political correctness spoils the whole Bond thing. Goldfinger and For Your Eyes Only are my two favourites for both Sean Connery and Roger Moore. Honor Blackman still takes some beating as a Bond girl for some of her lines!
Claire, New Zealand

I agree with Steve, UK as well. PC-ness is for politicians and wimps. However I do like the style of Brosnan. In You Only Live Twice a Japanese helicopter with a giant magnet picks an enemy car and drops in into the ocean. Connery is asked "What do you think of Japanese Technology?" He says "A drop in the ocean."
Chillara Srinivas, India

Famke Janssen's thighs of death

Josh Adams, Australia

Pierce Brosnan is the best Bond, he combines Connery's hardness and suave with Moore's humour which come together to make a bolder newer Bond for fans and alike. Goldeneye is the best bond movie, classic plot, great gadgets, cool cars and sexy girls make it a worthy new Bond story which Ian Fleming would have loved. Judi Dench plays M to perfection and John Cleese is a worthy replacement to the late but great Desmond Llewelyn. The best bond girl is Famke Janssen with her thighs of death.
Josh Adams, Australia

With the exception of the first few films starring Connery, before they became a genre, all the Bond films make me puke. The geriatric spook is long overdue for retirement.
Peter Manchester, UK

What? I can't believe that no one has cited the fantastic scene when Ursula Andress emerges from the sea in bikini, mask and snorkel, singing Underneath the Mango Tree. I took up swimming based on that film.
Tim, UK

Peter Sellers as 007 in Casino Royal was by far the best James Bond.
Doug, USA

Re: Doug. 007 was played by David Niven in Casino Royale.
Elaine Grant, UK

The best film by miles was The Living Daylights

William Wild, UK

Barring the first few classics the best film by miles was The Living Daylights. It had inventive non-stop thrills and a great Bond and Bond girl. While Connery was definitive, Dalton has to be a very close second, certainly far better than Brosnan scowling all the time to attempt the look of intensive macho intelligence.
William Wild, England

Let's not mess about, it's all about Goldfinger or Man with the Golden Gun... intelligent nemeses, outrageous henchman, the DB5... and let's not forget "Pussy Galore... I must be dreaming." Bond rocks!
Ski, UK Being from an "impatient" generation, I want things moving at a fast space with lots of hi-fi stunts. So naturally I rate Goldeneye as the all time great with Izabella Skorupko as the leading girl. She matches Bond to the hilt.
Vinay Chitnis, India

Pierce Brosnan has the right level of class, sophistication and brawn to fill the role

Sara Dawson, UK

I think that The World is Not Enough was my favourite Bond film and Pierce Brosnan would be my favourite Bond. If I was older I would probably rate Sean Connery as the best but I really believe that Pierce Brosnan has the right level of class, sophistication and brawn to fill the role. My favourite Bond girl (if it's appropriate for a woman to have a favourite Bond girl!) was Maryam D'Abo.
Sara Dawson, UK

Pussy Galore is the Bond girl all others are measured by

Dmi, Canada

You're all wrong. Goldfinger is the best one. You could know nothing of Spectre, or anything else and still get into the story. And Pussy Galore, the Bond girl all others are measured by. Watch any Bond flick and Goldfinger is still the best of all.
Dmi, Canada

The Spy Who Loved Me was the most futuristic, clever, funny and beautifully cinematographed Bond movie of all time.
Raheel, USA

I agree with Raheel, The Spy Who Loved Me is great, one of my personal favourites. Roger Moore as Bond, Barbara Bach and Jaws. What more could you ask for!
Inderjeet Gill, UK

Your picture atop the page says it all. Connery was the best Bond, hands down. Goldfinger and Thunderball were the best films, though for a fan, it's all good. The best Bond girl is a tough choice and obviously coloured by subjectivity. My favourite is Honor Blackman (Pussy Galore).
Chris, USA

From Russia with Love was the most realistic

Mirek Kondracki, USA

From Russia with Love. It was the most realistic and had great actors in it. However my favourite Bond girl is Barbara Bach. Izabella Skorupko comes second.
Mirek Kondracki, USA

I think that Brosnan is probably the best Bond, and Dalton the worst. The best Bond girl has got to be Famke Janssen, although she was a "baddie".
Neill Courtney, USA/UK