Story highlights Lewis Beale: Was Roger Moore the best Bond ever? Probably not, but that was OK. He brought a suave, 'wink wink' vibe to the role

He says Moore was no Sean Connery, but he was one of those golden humans, whose personality and savoir faire were impossible to resist

Lewis Beale writes about culture and film for the Los Angeles Times, Newsday and other publications. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author.

(CNN) Was Roger Moore, who died Tuesday at the age of 89, the best James Bond ever?

Probably not, but he sure was fun to watch.

Moore, who appeared in such Bond classics as "The Spy Who Loved Me," "Live and Let Die" and "The Man With the Golden Gun," wasn't the gritty, working-class Bond envisioned by author Ian Fleming and captured onscreen by Bond #1, Sean Connery (for the record: the best Bond).

But that was OK. He was his own Bond.

A very handsome man who never seemed to be aware of how good-looking he was (or was at least unwilling to be defined by his looks), Moore had a twinkle in his eye -- a "wink wink" vibe -- even when he was karate chopping bad guys, playing the suave, tough, lady-killer or engaging in daredevil stunts.