OHMSS

[Ted Pikul]

Leaving aside the George Lazenby debate (if possible) what's the general consensus on On Her Majesty's Secret Service?

I think it's the greatest of all the Bond films & here's why :

The direction. Quite simply brilliant. Peter Hunt used his experience as series editor to film some incredibly punchy action sequences. From the opening fight on the beach to the (as yet) unsurpassed helicopter assault on Blofeld's lair Hunt set the benchmark for the more stunt oriented Bonds of the 70's.

The score. John Barry's career best. "We Have All The Time In The World" & the OHMSS theme are signature tunes almost as famous as the original Bond theme itself.

The Blofeld. Telly Savalas rules as Blofeld. His cocksure arrogance is far more appealing than Pleasence's craven coward or Charles Gray's camp buffoon.

The Girl(s). Diana Rigg is ethereal as Tracy & the only woman worthy enough to be Mrs James Bond. Note how 007 has never re-married. Blofeld's harem also contains a bevy of the most attractive women ever to grace a Bond film.

The ending. Anyone who doesn't shed a tear has a heart harder than Blofeld's.

To sum up this film's bad rep lies almost entirely on Lazenby's admittedly patchy acting.

To the naysayers I say when Pierce Brosnan makes a film this good (& TWINE was a very obvious attempt to emulate OHMSS in every respect) then you can crow.

[Moosem216]

While I agree that Diana Rigg was a fantastic Bond girl, I still think it felt akward to have Bond marry, especially when she was so pointlessly killed off in the end. Bond works so well as a character because he never changes; he is the same strong, cocky, womanizing man today that he was forty years ago. When I watched it, I felt OHMSS was a large break from that tradition. Much of the plot was fantastic Bond, I'll never be comfortable with him randomly falling in love with this one woman when dozens others have had no effect on him at all.

My other complaint with this film, and I guess it couldn't really be helped, but it feels so ridiculously pop 1970's. OHMSS's Bond feels more like Mike Myer's Austin Powers than Connery or Brosnan's James Bond.

And as you said, it is hard to ignore the Lazenby debate.

But all that aside, I think it is still an extremely fun movie. The scene when Bond is jumping from bedroom to bedroom of all the gorgeous girls was fantastic, and the main idea of the plot was glorious, pure Bond. A few specific things, however, like marrying Tracy, the style of the film, and George Lazenby, keep me from ever considering it one of my favorite Bond flicks.

[bob]

I think it's a little too grown up for James Bond. It's failure is probably due to the fact that the whole setup is just a little too gentlemanly, right down to the wedding.

Diana Rigg was absolutely ace as the bond girl, though. She's easily the best bond girl.

[Horror_Buddy]

Definetly one of the best bond movies ever:

I loved Lazenby and The guy who played blofeld

Great story

Great bond girl

It was long

it was different

10/10