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On Her Majesty's Secret Service

On Her Majesty's Secret Service

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Rating: 4 stars
Summary: It Has Flaws But Overall, Surprisingly Good!
Review: I watched this movie for the first time with a great amount of trepidation due to Connery's absence, but I was satisfied with the end-result despite what I considered to be a few flaws with it.

For one, Australian actor Lazenby, while someone who more closely resembles the profile of Bond in the Fleming novels, has dialect which sounds more like what is spoken in his native country than that of what an Englishman is supposed to sound like. Another enigma is in the casting of Greek actor Telly Salavas as Blofeldt, a character who is supposed to be either Polish or German. In fact, unlike the portrayals of the character in the other Bond films, Savalas speaks with an American accent, an important detail which should not have been overlooked by the casting department, but unfortunately was.

If you are able to overlook these two flaws, then you are in for some pretty good entertainment. This was one of the best Bonds ever to be filmed. None of the standard formulaic "Bond" plot here. It's a pity that Connery sat this one out! The action sequences at the end rank very high among the other 20 or so films.

The DVD version of this film is set coincide with the DVD release of "The World Is Not Enough", and I await both with unbridled enthusiasm. If the documentaries about the making of this particular film on this disc are as interesting as what was on the Bond films which were released on the DVD format last November, I should get more than my money's worth!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The Best Bond
Review: This film has never been equaled in the series. Lazenby is the only Bond who convincingly could play both "tough" and "tender". Rigg was by far the most interesting and complex Bond girl - the only one who converted Bond's lust to love. The music and action work together to create real excitement. Savalas wasn't a great villian, but his assistant was genuinely scary! A great film. It's a shame that Lazenby didn't do more Bond films. He was a better fit for the role than anyone who has succeeded him.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A Christmas Bond
Review: This 1969 James Bond film remains the most accomplished effort is the series and stands as a testament to the crackerjack efficiency of the British filmaking technicians of the era. Although the new actor playing Bond, George Lazenby, was perhaps doomed from the start as the first replacement for the enormously popular Sean Connery, Lazenby's work is fine here. John Barry's musical score is his finest for a James Bond film, including the late Louis Armstrong's rendition of "We Have All the Time in the World". Diana Rigg of "The Avengers" television series remains one of the best Bond girls.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: On Her Majesty's Secret Service
Review: After Sean Connery left after You Only Live Twice,UA needed a new actor to play James Bond.Comparing their search for James Bond to a search for Scarlett O' Harra, Albert Broccoli finally chose an unknown Australian actor named George Lazenby.Lazenby wasn't very good Diana Rigg was.Telly Savalas is my least favorite Ernst Blofeld because Ernst Blofeld is NOT supposed to be a strongman who can beat up OO7 and walk all around and wear a blue jacket.Charles Gray is my favorite Blofeld in Diamonds are Forever but Donald Pleasance was good too in You Only Live Twice.Another flaw is that OO7 does not recognize Blofeld.However,in Diamonds are Forever,Bond does not say anything to Blofeld about killing his wife.The plot is kind of lost in the movie.But incredible action sequences such as a super exciting ski chase, a great fight where OO7 battles Blofeld on a speeding bobsled and where Draco's men and Bond attack Blofeld's allergy clinic.The instrumental by John Barry was excellent as was the score.The setting high in the Swiss Alps was gorgeous.The cinematography wasn't very good though.Sean Connery ended up returning in Diamonds are Forever.An interesting thing is that the name for The World is Not Enough came from Bond's family motto which is mentioned in this film.This is also the only Bond movie in which OO7 gets married.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Awesome
Review: This was probably the best Bond movie.The snow scenes and Lazenby were great.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Lazenby rules
Review: Most people regard Connery as the best Bond but they're wrong.Lazenby is, and this mvie is the best in the series.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: The only thing missing is Bond
Review: Far from the worse Bond film - "Moonraker" wins that dubious distinction, hands down - this one remains my favorite non-Connery episode. Top flight action sequences, good performances (I don't know I kind of dug Telly as Blofeld - "Head him at the precipice indeed), good tunes, killer locales, hot (if somewhat under-utilized babes), and did I mention the action sequences? Really, the only thing missing is the man himself. This is particularly apparent at the end, when the required gravitas is decidely missing in action. Lazenby, good in the action sequences, was far too stiff in the clinches - both dramatic and romantic - so the director wisely focused on the ski chases, car chases, etc... But.... you know, had he not killed his own career, Ol' George just might have worked out. After all, he couldn't have been any worse than what's followed!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: One of the better Bond films
Review: The anomoly among Bond films, On Her Majesty's Secret Service was the first time Bond wasn't played by Sean Connery. George Lazenby's attempt at filling his place was good and very brave of him. Although quoted as being a disappointing sucessor to Connery, Lazenby's film is probably one of the fans' favourites. In short, this is an excellent film that sticks really close to Fleming's novel and the supporting cast of Diana Rigg, Telly Savalas and Gabriele Ferzetti are outstanding!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: The best Bond film ever made by far.
Review: If you look at the best Bond films, you'll notice that all ofthem (excluding a pastiche like The Spy Who Loved Me) remain faithfulto Ian Fleming's well done novels. This film manages to be the most faithful and yet most filmic of the Bond films. Credit goes to the director, Peter Hunt, who as editor of the previous Bond films gave them their unique visual luxuriousness. He had wanted to direct this film for years, and the producers gave him a chance. The result is the most experimental and unique of the Bond films. First is the editing, which is often non-realistic in the fight scenes. Frames are left out, and the camera is sometimes undercranked--the entire effect is one of sudden, uncontrollable violence, as shown in the excellent pre-credits sequence. The action scenes, including the ski chases and bobsled chase are filmed with an adventurousness no other Bond film has yet grasped. The film even has moments of lyricism thanks to Hunt's direction--you can feel the intensity of the sunlight and coolness of the snow. Hunt also decided to tell an honest story and take his time, instead of just crashing through action sequences like most of the other Bonds. Bond and Tracy's courtship is carefully set up, and the film often pauses for dialogue scenes such as when Draco tells the story of Tracy's earlier life. The result is that you get a true sense of time working in a genuine love story. Some people have called the film boring because of this. The cast is unusually good. Diana Rigg's Tracy is the best Bond girl of all time because she is the only one who is truly 3 dimensional--rebellious,s ensitive, and strong-willed. Telly Savalas and the actress who play Irma Bunt make for good, no-nonsense bad guys as well. George Lazenby lacks Connery's charisma, but he's no worse than Moore or Brosnan and fights better--especially since the Bond of OHMSS is not a super-hero but basically an ordinary man with a talent for adventure, and this makes the adventures he fall into more realistic, although the film's plot does provide some campy comic relief. This film is one of the best action films ever made. It's quality is evident. No other Bond film was made with a similar degree of care and committment. The other Bond films are mostly commercial products. This one may be too, but it has something approximating an individual vision that captures the essence of Ian Fleming and James Bond as well.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Excellent
Review: Everything was great.The acting,the villain,the plot, and the acting.I highly recommend this.


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