Rating: 
Summary: Ian Fleming's Best Novel Is Just As Good On Film!
Review: Many people might have probably forgotten this 1969 film because of its lack of a star in the Bond role. Australian model George Lazenby had the unfortunate task of being the first actor to replace the inimitable Sean Connery as agent 007. However, he was fortunate enough to star in what is undoubtedly one of the best and most underrated films in the entire series. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" was perhaps Ian Fleming's best Bond novel, and the film benefits so much because it sticks so closely to it, more so than any other. Even though he is the worst Bond, due largely to his acting inexperience, Lazenby does a credible job in the role, and by the second half of the film, you completely forget he's even in it, because you are so immersed in the story. There is a real sense of danger throughout the entire plot, which unfortunately has seldom been as present throughout the series as it is here. The film is expertly directed by Peter Hunt, the editor of the first few films, and features some of the best characters including Blofeld (played this time by Telly Savallas), a charming mobster named Draco (Gabrielle Ferzeti), and his daughter Tracy, the only woman to ever capture Bond's heart, portrayed wonderfully by Diana Rigg. The Piz Gloria location in the Swiss Alps is one of the most breathtaking, and the action scenes are simply phenomenal. This was the first Bond movie to feature ski chases, and although the theme has been repeated several times throughout the series, the sequences in this film are still the best ones. The film also includes John Barry's best score ever, and one of the best song's of the series, Louis Armstrong's "We Have All The Time In The World," which incidentally, was the last thing he ever recorded. However, the most impressive thing about this movie is that after 30 years, it hasn't aged a day. The DVD features excellent bonuses, particularly the making-of docummentaries, and radio interviews with the cast.
Rating: 
Summary: One of the More Underrated Bonds (4.5 Stars)
Review: When Sean Connery's fervor of playing Bond had dissipated, Eon Studios hired Australian George Lazenby to undertake the role of Bond. Lazenby obviously wasn't Connery in the sense he wasn't as charismatic as the role required of it, but he was decent at keeping the seat warm for Connery when he came back to film Diamonds Are Forever and for Moore who appeared as Bond for the next seven Bond movies. However, Diana Rigg turned in a marvelous outing and she seemed to have every element to make her a worthy Mrs. Bond: sexy, stubborn, adventurous, independent, but yet tragic and to a point, fragile.The story begins with Bond rescuing Teresa (Diana Rigg), otherwise known as Tracy, from drowning herself. Her father, Draco (Gabrielle Ferzetti) attempts to nudge Bond into marrying Tracy but Bond won't budge, as he displays his lack for commitment. But when Bond's intuition fails him, Bond threatens to leave her majesty's secret service and he enlists Draco to go undercover Blofeld's Swiss mountain fortress to stop that bald-headed maniac's latest scheme from being realized. As he is being aided by Draco, Bond and Tracy's relationship delves deeper and further, compelling Bond to ask for her hand in marriage. Business comes first for Bond as he exploits Blofeld's plot to use his "angels of death", his bevy of voluptuous vixens who are patients at his allergy clinic also in his mountain fortress, to spread biochemical agents throughout the world. On Her Majesty's Secret Service is definitely the most emotional films in the Bond series as it is built on the relationship of Bond and Tracy. We even get to see the vulnerable side of Bond of which he tries to conceal. Only problem about the film is how the action sequences are filmed in that they are shot at a much quicker pace than usual. Other than that, OHMSS packs a decent punch of action and a cut to the heart with an ending that many veteran Bond fans believe to be the most infamous ending of all the Bond films. A definite must-see.
Rating:
Summary: Absolutely one of the best Bond films
Review: I had bought On Her Majestys Secret Service on DVD never having seen the movie before. I was pleasantly surprised by this movie and it soon became my favorite of the series. This film was definitely the closest to the Ian Fleming novels than any other Bond film. I liked George Lazenby as 007, he brought a likeable and charismatic quality to the character, though he had no previous acting experience. Diana Rigg was excellent as his soon to be fiance Tracy. The supporting cast was magnificent and weighed in much credibility to the plot. This was Director Peter Hunt's only Bond film as the director, I admire his approach to keeping this movie exciting but yet very credible. There are no gadgets or extravagant props to this film, Bond relies on wits and abilities. The scenery is some of the most spectacular every to be caught on film, with Blofelds hideout high above the Swiss Alps. John Barry turns in perhaps the best musical score of the series, "We Have All the Time in the World" by Louis Armstrong brought a nice touch to the soundtrack. That would be Armstrong's final recording. The DVD does offer a nice tribute to Desmond Llewelyn who played "Q" in all but two of the 20 Bond films
Rating:
Summary: One of the Better Bonds
Review: The first James Bond movie without Sean Connery in the role, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" cast unknown Australian model George Lazenby in his first and only appearance as Agent OO7. Lazenby looks the part and is very capable in the action sequences, but he is short on charisma and acting ability. While no match for Connery, or even Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan, Lazenby's more human Bond is preferable to the smug Roger Moore. Thankfully, Lazenby is aided by great writing and direction, as Bond infiltrates archenemy Blofeld's (Telly Salvalas) Swiss allergy clinic to uncover a SPECTRE plot to contaminate the world's food supply with an infertility virus. "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" is also one of the few Bond films that's actually a love story, as OO7 romances the troubled daughter (Diana Rigg) of a wealthy crime lord (Gabriele Ferzetti) with links to Blofeld. Rigg is the most classy and meaningful "Bond Girl" and Salvalas is a menacing Blofeld. The action scenes are terrific and the plot is full of suspense, with none of the silly gadgets or campy excess that would later plague the series. All in all, in league with "From Russia With Love" and "Goldfinger" as one of the best Bond films.
Rating:
Summary: Lazenby Delivers
Review: The biggest misconception surrounding this film is that it is underappreciated. As legions of Bond fanatics will attest, OHMSS is very highly regarded, and has achieved near legendary status since its release over thirty years ago. Although there was a bit of trepidation among moviegoers at the time regarding Sean Connery's departure from the series, the self-assuredness and virile swagger of George Lazenby put most of us at ease. He's simply terrific in the role; charming, dangerous and athletic, he commands the screen with an undaunted presence. Far better as Bond than either Roger Moore or Timothy Dalton, his abrupt exit from the series was disconcerting (until, of course, it was announced that Connery would return to the role). In fact, the film's lack of success was probably largely due to the fact that Lazenby himself refused to promote it. Add to that the fact that he arrived on the heels of the man that, to the world at that time, WAS James Bond, and that the movie's ending was uncharacteristicly downbeat. OHMSS remains the Bond film that most closely follows the novel on which it was based. One of the more positive aspects of the movie is that it was the last Bond entry to be released in the ultra-cool sixties. Even Connery's return to the franchise in Diamonds Are Forever didn't keep that film from paling in comparison to OHMSS, despite the fact that it starred the best and most beloved portrayer of OO7 to appear thus far in the series. That film's dowdy brownish hues, cheap looking sets and unfortunate emphasis on overt campiness dulled even Connery's luster. The Bond films of the style-impaired seventies just didn't have "it". A great story, a terrific setting, taught direction and a worthy successor to Connery's throne all helped to make this the last great James Bond film until Pierce Brosnan brought the magic back in the nineties. Only the weirdly out-of-place crooning of Louis Armstrong on "We Have All The Time In The World" sullies a marvelous score. All in all, a classic.
Rating: 
Summary: You Should at Least See the Ending
Review: Pretty much bored until the end. It surprised me. The whole sequence of the marriage and then the after effect was very well done. It pulled at my heart-strings.
Rating:
Summary: The Best Bond
Review: That's about as simple as I can put it. The other movies are fun (well, some of 'em are, but please keep Octopussy away from me, thank you very much), but have no real impact beyond goofy, vaguely- at times sharply- misogynistic escapist action fantasy. Quite a mouthful, really, but not a satisfying meal; OHMSS, though, is satisfying in all sorts of ways, most of them not what you'd expect. You have a strong screenplay the has actual (gasp) character development, a charismatic and intelligent villain, an absolutely devasting finish, and most importantly, you have George Lazenby and Diana Rigg. Lazenby is not as charismatic a screen presence as Connery or Brosnan or even Moore. But he is likable, and handles himself well; he grows on you as the film progresses. Besides, with Connery in the role, you never would have had the dynamic you get between Bond and Tracy (Rigg), easily the most heartfelt and honest romantic relationship in the entire series. Diana Rigg is a marvel, and the only Bond woman worth anyone's time; she's intelligent, strong, resourceful, and entirely her own person. This past decade has seen a supposed "re-imagining" of the Bond series in a more PC light- but none of the modern Bond girls, from the blankfaced Denise Richards to the starts-off-strong-but-melts-when-James-winks Michelle Yeoh (who, dangit, deserved better), hold a candle to the one, the only, Emma Peel. Anyway, this is a great film.
Rating:
Summary: One of the Best of the Bonds
Review: A lot of 007 fans argue over this one to this day, but I still think this is one of the best James Bond films ever made. The directing is first-rate, the action scenes electric, the snazzy soundtrack felt organic and still feels very 60's, and you had Emma Peel from THE AVENGERS as one of the best of all Bond girls. It sounds like Diana Rigg is a bit dismissive about her action babe roles in the 60's (she complains that THE AVENGERS was not "the sum of my career") and I've seen her in some serious roles (she was great and chilling in a Brit mini-series called
MOTHER LOVE) but--come on, Ms. Rigg--you were just too smart and way too sexy for us to ever forget as Mrs. Peel and Traci! George Lazenby had impossible shoes to fill, but I'm glad they went with a new actor (John Gavin and Adam West had been named as possible Connery successors). Lazenby's face has moments of Bond's cold killer side that hasn't been seen since (Brosnan came close a couple times in GOLDENEYE and when he kills Sophie Marceau in THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH) and you believe him in the action scenes. No, he wasn't Sean Connery, but he was James Bond--especially in the final haunting scene. Telly Savalas makes a physically-threatening Blofeld and his thuggish bid at a "legitimate heritage" reveals how nutty his supervillian really is (in the other films, they're insane only through their crimes or Bond just proclaiming, "You're insane"). I'm not sure if Director Peter Hunt was jettisoned when this film failed to perform as well as previous Bonds at the box office, but the producers should have really given him another film to do. He'd been an editor on previous Bonds and he really brought an exciting energy to the fights and chases. OHMSS is right up there with FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE, GOLDFINGER, and THE SPY WHO LOVED ME as far as my favorites go (I include SPY because it was so darn fun).
Rating:
Summary: The most intimate of the Bond's
Review: My title refers to the character of James Bond, not the film itself. In all the arguments over the REAL James Bond one usually advances Sean Connery (my pick), Roger Moore (the worst) or Pierce Brosnan (close second). Perhaps it's because I read all the books which features Sean Connery and he comes closer to matching the descriptions (physical and emotional) in the book. Yet this performance of the greatest of the Bond books by Lazenby is priceless. All reviewers know the story but at last BOnd has found love...only to lose it again. The evil Russian Rosa Kleb is just magnificent as the ideal representative of the Evil Empire and Diana Riggs - who would have thought it?
Rating:
Summary: WE HAVE ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD....
Review: Is the clasic line in the best bond movie of all time. George Lazenby is outstanding as James Bond. Unfourtunatly, he was right after Sean Connery so he wasn't considered the best bond at that time. The movie itself is about Bond still trying to find his arch rival Blofeld. Along the way he finds the woman of his dreams and his wife in that movie, Tracy played by Diana Rigg. You might know her as Emma Peel on the Avengers. This movie is the only one in the series that explores the actual feelings of Bond. Undoubtably the the most touching Bond film, and the most unexpected ending that leads you to thinking I can't believe the movie is over. Over all the best Bond film of them all.
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