On Her Majesty's Secret Service

Starring: George Lazenby, Diana Rigg
Directed by: Peter R. Hunt
Rating: PG
Genre: Action, Adventure
1969

Times Seen:
Tim: 1


Summary: 007 James Bond (George Lazenby) must stop Blofeld from SPECTRE once again, but this time, he leaves the Service to work alone. Along the way, he meets and marries the daughter of a crime lord to obtain information as to Blofeld's whereabouts. However, he is called to save the world, this time from Blofeld's plan to use germ warefare.

Review:

Tim: This is something of an oddity in the 007 universe. For starters, it is the first film not to feature Sean Connery as the suave spy: George Lazenby takes over the reins. Secondly, it is the longest Bond film, at 2 1/2 hours, and at times feels a bit too long. Finally, it features a storyline with Bond shifting away from his playboy image and (gasp) getting married. In many ways, this film stands out.

Lazenby does a pretty decent job, but he is no Sean Connery. Connery is actually missed quite a bit. There are number of differences between these two actors, and Connery's absence is strongly felt.

This movie does have a number of flaws. The majority of the fight scenes are simply atrocious. They are choppy, uneven, and not very interesting. The movie drags at times.

Despite its flaws, however, the film refuses to be mediocre. It is saved by an ambitious and adventurous script which offers a few truly great scenes. Bond's escape down the ski slopes is remarkable. The bobsled scene is terrific as hell. The entire film has a much wider and more epic feel to it. I conly only wonder how incredible this film could have been with Connery is the starring role. It could have been my favorite 007 movie by far. However, as it stands with Lazenby, it is only another decent entry into the franchise. The ending is very memorable and not what you'd expect at all.

On Her Majesty's Secret Service has all the elements of an outstanding Bond film, but only the absence of Connery prevents it from being the highlight of the series.



Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7.5



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice