'80s Bond approves of latest 007 actor

HONG KONG -- From one Bond to another: job well done.

Roger Moore told reporters Thursday that Daniel Craig was "marvelous" as James Bond because he brought a fresh dimension to the character.

The 81-year-old actor, who starred in seven Bond films in the 1970s and the 1980s, said Craig's performances in Steven Spielberg's 2005 political thriller "Munich" and "Sylvia" in 2003, in which he plays poet Ted Hughes, helped shape a new Bond.

"All of those parts were very, very different to one's conception of Bond . . . I thought he was absolutely marvelous," Moore said of Craig's acting in "Casino Royale."

Fans have criticized the casting of Craig, questioning whether a stage-trained actor with little action experience could pull off the role of Bond.

Moore, speaking at an event in Hong Kong to promote his autobiography, "My Word Is My Bond," said he had yet to see Craig's latest turn as the British spy in "Quantum of Solace."

Moore said he met Craig for the first time at a recent celebration for Bond creator Ian Fleming in London and found him a "charming guy."