Was Craig too old to play a young Bond.

[carl stromberg]

Was it slightly silly for Daniel Craig to be playing a "young Bond" in Casino Royale. Ian Fleming's Bond was around 25 when he became a 00 agent.

Should they have cast a Cavill or Worthington, a stuck to the original "28, no gadgets" Bond as they originally planned?

[The Sweeney]

Was it slightly silly for Daniel Craig to be playing a "young Bond" in Casino Royale. Ian Fleming's Bond was around 25 when he became a 00 agent.

Should they have cast a Cavill or Worthington, a stuck to the original "28, no gadgets" Bond as they originally planned?

If I had hated Craig in CR, I would have said yes.

[James]

Of course he was.

[Harvey Wallbanger]

Craig looks too old to be a rooky agent. When he smiles looks even older.
If young Bond was intended then a young actor should have been hired. Still would have needed a better story and director.

I'm dreading the coming of those young bond movies.

[BondFan007]

No. 38 was the perfect age, you have to remember the Bond of the books was in the 50s, he had fought in the war, promotions came quick.

Casino Royale is set in 2006, Bond has gone to naval college, reached the rank of Commander, fought with the SBS etc. before joining MI6, for which he moved through the ranks before being recognised for the 00 section.

mid to late-30s is the best age for Bond to become a 00 agent.

[Dr. No]

No. 38 was the perfect age, you have to remember the Bond of the books was in the 50s, he had fought in the war, promotions came quick.

Casino Royale is set in 2006, Bond has gone to naval college, reached the rank of Commander, fought with the SBS etc. before joining MI6, for which he moved through the ranks before being recognised for the 00 section.

mid to late-30s is the best age for Bond to become a 00 agent.

Bonds age was discussed elsewhere here. He was 29 in Casino Royale the book. How would the 1950’s make his age any less relevant?
DC is too old to be a new agent. Realistically his age would have prevented his getting the job in the first place. 38 years old to old to begin his 00 career. If he joined the service at 18 he could be eligible for retirement.

[M]

The problem is not being 38 but looking somewhat older.

[The Sweeney]

I think the only time age becomes relevant with Bond, is when the actor playing him looks considerably older than the part allows, and begins to lose credibility.

This has happened a few times in the franchise -

Connery in DAF
Moore in FYEO, OP and AVTAK
Brosnan in DAD

[Dr. No]

I think the only time age becomes relevant with Bond, is when the actor playing him looks considerably older than the part allows, and begins to lose credibility.

This has happened a few times in the franchise -

Connery in DAF
Moore in FYEO, OP and AVTAK
Brosnan in DAD

In your opinion.
PB still looks d**n good in DAD. He was a strong Bond and could have easily have done one more with out passing the AVTAK threshold.
If he were to come back tomorrow in another bond like role he'd still look the part.
He aged the best out of the actors to play Bond and still looks like young man. Not 29 years young, but DC doesn't either.
donno about how well Lazenby aged. Has he been around lately?

All this about age I would still pay to see Connery in another NSNA.

[BondFan007]

PB still looks d**n good in DAD. He was a strong Bond and could have easily have done one more with out passing the AVTAK threshold.

Oh come on, he was greying and fattening, unfortunately one of the times it showed most was when he came out of capture - he'd been tortured and underfed, and yet he came out looking overfed? He was too old in DAD.

[BondFan007]

No. 38 was the perfect age, you have to remember the Bond of the books was in the 50s, he had fought in the war, promotions came quick.

Casino Royale is set in 2006, Bond has gone to naval college, reached the rank of Commander, fought with the SBS etc. before joining MI6, for which he moved through the ranks before being recognised for the 00 section.

mid to late-30s is the best age for Bond to become a 00 agent.

Bonds age was discussed elsewhere here. He was 29 in Casino Royale the book. How would the 1950’s make his age any less relevant?
DC is too old to be a new agent. Realistically his age would have prevented his getting the job in the first place. 38 years old to old to begin his 00 career. If he joined the service at 18 he could be eligible for retirement.

Because Bond joined the war early by lying about his age (something that wouldn't happen now), promotions came quicker. Also Bond's military history for the 90s/00s, Uni, navy, special forces etc. then MI6 - is more believable. A 29 year old Bond in the 00s would be unbelievable.

If he joined the service at 18 he could be eligible for retirement.

You do know Bond is a Commander don't you? How could he join MI6 at 18 and also be in the Royal Navy?

[Dr. No]

No. 38 was the perfect age, you have to remember the Bond of the books was in the 50s, he had fought in the war, promotions came quick.

Casino Royale is set in 2006, Bond has gone to naval college, reached the rank of Commander, fought with the SBS etc. before joining MI6, for which he moved through the ranks before being recognised for the 00 section.

mid to late-30s is the best age for Bond to become a 00 agent.

Bonds age was discussed elsewhere here. He was 29 in Casino Royale the book. How would the 1950’s make his age any less relevant?
DC is too old to be a new agent. Realistically his age would have prevented his getting the job in the first place. 38 years old to old to begin his 00 career. If he joined the service at 18 he could be eligible for retirement.

Because Bond joined the war early by lying about his age (something that wouldn't happen now), promotions came quicker. Also Bond's military history for the 90s/00s, Uni, navy, special forces etc. then MI6 - is more believable. A 29 year old Bond in the 00s would be unbelievable.

If he joined the service at 18 he could be eligible for retirement.

You do know Bond is a Commander don't you? How could he join MI6 at 18 and also be in the Royal Navy?

Commander sounds more impressive than it is.

A Commander is the equivalent of a Major.

In the 40’s 50’s all of the services were overflowing with personnel. It would have been harder to be promoted back then than now.

The point was at 38 he could be retired from the Navy not the other way around.

[BondFan007]

at 38 he has retired from the navy, he left the navy and the SBS in his early to mid-30s to join MI6.

[Dr. No]

At 38 with years of service he didn’t have the skill to accomplish 2 simple beginner kills?
If he had spent years in the SBS he would be a very seasoned professional. Not to mention the old man on the team.

[BondFan007]

Beginner kills? Killing in war is a very impersonal thing, the kills to gain the 00 prefix involves killing someone man on man, a very different thing.

[carl stromberg]

I'm not sure that a 00 agent would join the 00 section in his late 30's. Fleming's Bond was a strange Orde Wingate/David Stirling character (one of those eccentric English (or Swiss/French or whatever!) types) who did some special operations during the war then became a 00 agent in his mid to late 20's.

Of course the 00 section is fictional and it's fine to ring it up to date. But I still think that if they wanted Craig as Bond they should have had him as an experienced 00 agent.

[Skywalker]

Was it slightly silly for Daniel Craig to be playing a "young Bond" in Casino Royale. Ian Fleming's Bond was around 25 when he became a 00 agent.

Should they have cast a Cavill or Worthington, a stuck to the original "28, no gadgets" Bond as they originally planned?

A Young rookie Bond = YES
A fully skilled Bond = NO

After years in the Navy and promotion to the SBS. Bond should be highly skilled and have all the traits necessary to deal with any situation and control his emotions. (IMO)

[BondFan007]

who did some special operations during the war then became a 00 agent in his mid to late 20's.

This is the exact reason why it was believable in the 50s, but now now, someone in their early to mid-20s would not be advanced enough to go from the navy to special forces and they join MI6 within a year or two.

[carl stromberg]

This is the exact reason why it was believable in the 50s, but now now, someone in their early to mid-20s would not be advanced enough to go from the navy to special forces and they join MI6 within a year or two.

But Bond is fantasy. There is no 00 section in real life, therefore you cannot equate the career of a rudimentary MI6 "spy." or a member of the British special forces, IMO. There is no such thing as a 00 agent, just as there is no real life Jason Bourne!

[BondFan007]

True, however whilst James Bond and the James Bond universe isn't real, Craig's Bond and the universe seen in Casino Royale is more realistic. Obviously there is no real benchmark to set it by, but I don't think someone could go through University, the navy and special forces and still only be in his late 20s when he joins a specialist department of a British Intelligence.