On Her Majesty's Secret Service

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)

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)

A great Bond film with one mammoth and inherent BUT. Almost everything works the way it is supposed to for agent 007 – a very decent script, excellent action scenes (unless they happen to be spoiled by the editor with his epileptic and illogical alternation of views), a truly exceptionally charismatic Bond girl, the traditionally excellent John Barry in the orchestra pit, and Blofeld in the luxurious version of Telly Savalas. Peter R. Hunt directed the film with an overview, and the only BUT also relates to his work. The BUT is George Lazenby, playing the lead role of Agent 007, the man on which it all hinges. I have nothing against Lazenby trying to do Bond his own way, give him some warmth of the family fireplace and a desire to settle down. The real stumbling block is the lack of acting skills of the main protagonist, who takes Bond into the role of a wooden doll whose catchphrases sound so starchy and forced that after a while they get on one's nerves. Although Lazenby had excellent physical qualifications, he did not sell them in the film, because he could not smuggle real passion or aggression into Bond. He's just riding along with the rest of the movie, and his chosen Diana Rigg, even his opponent Telly Savalas, are better actors. It's a shame that Albert Broccoli met Lazenby three years before making this film at the barber's. It’s too bad he caught his eye, and it's a shame that no one noticed that this guy might have the skills to play a mannequin and an advertising actor, but he's desperately not suitable for a big film. On Her Majesty's Secret Service could have been one of the best Bond films – it has strength, momentum, tension, a touching and rough finish, but it doesn't have the main thing. A hero. Truly a pity... ___ Bond Song: John Barry: “On Her Majesty's Secret Service" (25/11/2004)

I do not really understand the general restraint towards this particular installment in the franchise, which, despite its numerous references to the previous movies, actually works as a standalone movie and is one of the few in the Bond series to attempt a different approach and tone. You are not going to find a more emotional scene than the ending in this movie from the early Bond movies, or quite possibly from all of them. George Lazenby may have come and gone as Bond; however, his performance in this movie is excellent, and in some alternate dimension, I would have liked to have seen more movies starring Lazenby as Bond. I would have liked to have seen more Bond movies with Timothy Dalton as well. The only blemish on the beauty of this work for me personally, even after all these years, is the objectively insane editing of the action scenes; the filmmakers simply did not have a clue at the time. In addition, they should have kept the end credits quiet. (16/11/2021)

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)