On of the most underrated Bond films, 1969's ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE was the first to not star Sean Connery in the title role. One-time 007 George Lazenby is a tough, physical James Bond with a half the acting range of Connery, but plenty of attitude. Director Peter Hunt throws some of the most memorable action sequences of the whole series at the screen one after another as Bond pursues Blofeld (played here by TV's Kojak, Telly Savalas in a twisted little turn) to his mountaintop lair in Switzerland. One of the all time top 5 Bond women, Diana Rigg, stars as Tracy, the only woman to ever become Bond's wife. She's tough, beautiful and brings her Emma Peal energy to the entire film from first scene to last. Lazenby famously got very cocky between the filming and the premiere and pretty much alienated the producers from ever doing another Lazenby Bond and it's kind of a shame, because he isn't bad at all in the role. Classic scenes abound: the opening fight on the beach as Bond rescues Tracy for the first time, Bond's 15 minute ski chase against Blofeld and his baddies, Tracy and Bond's car chase right into an ongoing motorcar race, the climactic mountaintop battle and Bond's pursuit of Blofeld by bobsled and the one-of-a-kind in the 007 series sad ending. The new blu-ray 7.1 mix in the Bond 50 series is fantastic and really highlights the best music score of all the Bond films by John Barry. Sean Connery would return in "Diamonds Are Forever" after this one turn by Lazenby. Check out or revisit this vastly underrated entry in the Bond series.
For me, it's one of the top 3 OO7 films that continues to get better with age. Two hours of pure cut Fleming Bond, it lands a spot in my all-time Top 100 films.
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