On Her Majesty's Secret Service

After the departure of Sean Connery (who returned in the following James Bond film as one of the highest-paid actors of his time), the expectations were high. It is very noticeable on Lazenby himself how he tried to fulfill them, maybe he was even forced to do so. Perhaps if he played a little more according to himself and not like Connery, he would have sounded a bit more believable. Nevertheless, I still think it wasn't a wrong move. But what interested me the most in this Bond movie was Diana Rigg. She is simply amazing. I literally fell in love with her in the series "The Avengers", where she was the best woman for the character of John Steed. Perfect chemistry. Here, too, she demonstrated how she can sell her charm and captivated me again. Despite its criticism, the film cannot be denied to be entertaining and action-packed, but it is a bit lengthy due to its runtime. But the ending... (03/03/2014)

With much hindsight, and having finally seen this Bond film in its original version, I have to admit that it's not bad at all. I'd even argue that it's a great pity Lazenby didn't (want to) get another chance. He plays 007 quite convincingly, although he lacks Connery's charm. He's tough and his fights, for example, are a joy to watch. The film also features the first of Bond's ski chases, an impeccably shot avalanche scene, a bobsled chase, and a final mega-action set piece with helicopters. Blofeld, with the face of Telly Savalas, once again has an admirable diabolical plan, and the Bond girl (Bond wife?), who always gives me goosebumps, is really hot. There's a wonderful song to go with it (when Louis Armstrong sings John Barry's tune, everything is perfect). Five stars. (24/04/2010)

Laziness is far from the biggest problem of this bizarre Bond film with the breathtaking scenery of the Swiss Alps. The most noticeable is a new director who tries to take the persona of Bond in a completely different direction than before. The result is a mission of agent 007 with a story that is much more intertwined with personal adventures rather than serving the country. Unfortunately, the technical side of the film is highly questionable as well. The fights push the envelope a bit, but the editing is incredibly chaotic and there are no impressive visual effects. Essentially, Bond without juice, plus a very long running time. (05/01/2014)

This film has faced plenty of negative criticism over the years, which I think is totally undeserved. I get that George Lazenby is the main problem. I certainly agree that he comes across as wooden and even a bit sleazy. Except for the lead, I have no major complaints, though. I enjoyed the story, it had some funny lines, if I ignore the ridiculous reference to Connery in the beginning. The pace was great, plus, Bond vs. Kojak! (03/08/2016)

The people who have a problem with Lazenby may be mostly the ones who consider Connery a good actor, so in my case there was no problem. On the contrary, I might have welcomed a new face (shown on my favorite Portuguese beach, Praia de Guincho) after that tired old man from You Only Live Twice. Although the beginning suggested that this was going to be one of those classic, scripted Bond gaslights (a mob boss asks an agent, renowned for shagging half a hotel lobby before breakfast, to marry his daughter and tighten her belt), eventually the film starts to earn points with its focus, which doesn't rush anywhere, allowing you to slowly enjoy the unique filming locations, costumes, and the slow unfolding of the devious plan of Bond's nemesis. A nice change from the last installment, with ninjas hopping all over a fake volcano to stop the launch of some rocket that will eat other rockets. Telly Savalas was an excellent choice for the role of Blofeld here, by the way, due to his verisimilitude. He exudes that slow, deep, squinty-eyed charisma. The charisma of a man who doesn't have to get out of his chair because someone else will do everything else for him. Then, when he goes off to chase Bond on skis along with the other villains, you begin to realize what else he might be capable of, and that's exactly how he inspires the respect and nervousness we should feel towards him. Speaking of action scenes, thus far this installment has cleared the bar with ease, tossing in one fantastically shot sequence after another from the middle of the film onwards. The handheld camera work during the ski chase is breathtaking, even after all these years, and the car chase that follows almost seamlessly itself mesmerizes you with its perfect stunt work. We frequently see truly unusual shooting angles, and the editing of the action sequences alone is basically a formalistic work. The fact that Bond purists are wearing this film out is a good thing, because it sort of proves that after the demented You Only Live Twice, they started to think about how Bond would survive the coming New Hollywood era, and without a change of approach the seventies might not have been able to sustain this franchise at all. (08/07/2019)