Hard to watch the older films, especially the Moore ones having read the books.
Roger Moore just isn't Bond; he just plays Simon Templar in a tux.
Dalton is the closest, psychologically, to the ethos of the character, the one Fleming was trying to present, which was probably why the wider public didn't appreciate Living Daylights/Licence to Kill as they were too used to Moore's cuddly Bond. Brosnan's were what they were, a Bond for the 'modern' age. Goldeneye was alright, I guess.
Craig simply doesn't give a shit. Odd as I find 'Skyfall'/'Casino Royale' to be the most enthralling, especially the ending and I hoped they'd try and mix the Cold War atmosphere in a modern environment with 'Spectre', but they went all "Batman: The Dark Knight" on us. OHMSS was an excellent film with a forgettable portrayal by Lazenby. Connery's a classic in every sense of the word. His films are the ones that started all the tropes about the 'film' version of the character in later versions; the womanising, the one-liners, the gadgets. No longer a lone operative, substance abusing, government assassin trained to think on his feet behind enemy lines, avoiding detection utilising stealth and subterfuge. Just push a button and instant aquacar!
For me that's where Bond should stay; in a Cold War setting, not a modern one. Keep the setting in the 1950's/60's. Modern has been done to death; it has it's fanbase, sure, and is the market it caters to, but it really is nothing like the character the book described nor the tense 'avoiding WWIII' setting which was much more appealing.
