Roger Moore was long my favorite because of the many ways he got around, from skis, horseback and motorized rickshaws to a Lotus that turned into a submarine. He even flew a space shuttle in 1979′s Moonraker.
But Daniel Craig’s no-nonsense tough-as-nails 007 gets my vote for the best Bond yet in part because he works so convincingly with cars and other rolling stock.
“Skyfall” begins with Bond and another agent driving a Land Rover in pursuit of an Audi A5 before the chase switches to motorcycles and moves from the road to rooftops. The spy manages to ride a train and operate earth-moving machinery before the opening chase ends. It’s classic James Bond fare.
But when a high-tech antagonist has Bond on the ropes, the hero seeks to gain an advantage by resorting to old-school, low-tech tactics. This includes pulling his old Aston Martin DB5 out of mothballs. It’s the same type of car Sean Connery’s Bond used in ”Thunderball” and “Goldfinger.”
The car still packs machine guns and an ejection seat, and it helps Bond out of a tough spot. But car collectors are sure to cringe at its condition by the film’s conclusion.
Skyfall opens Nov. 9.