On her Majesty's Secret Service (1969)

It's said that you should never start a lecture by making excuses as it shines a spotlight to your shortcomings, and perhaps even unnecessarily. So having the first non-Connery Bond look straight into the camera and say "This never happened to the other fellow" is perhaps not a stroke of genius. Other than that the intro is decent, showing off some good bare-knuckled fighting from Lazenby. This is the first (and still only) flick not to have the film's song after the intro. Barry is utterly at his best here, so it's fine.

Diana Rigg was the first established actor to play a Bond-girl as the producers felt they needed to balance out the inexperienced Lazenby. And it fits perfectly as Lazenby can't pull off Connery's raw sexuality, hence it fits him better with a cold, arrogant woman he has to chase for most of the film. Rigg has the upper hand most of the time, despite Bond bailing her out regularly. Lazenby is a bit on the stiff side (his alter ego Edmund Hillary works well in that respect), so false courtesy and genuine patience is a most fitting way for him to get his best chemistry. Though Connery is missed at times, it seems harsh not to give his replacement more than one attempt. Lazenby is nowhere near as macho and naturally threatening as Connery, playing it more with mirth and cool. Closer to to what Roger Moore would provide later.

The script is in part a love-story as Teresa doesn't need the exciting, flamboyant Bond. She needs the calmly dominant and stoic Bond and as he wears her down, she finds the anchor in her life she's been seeking. Surely not written that way by the misogynistic Fleming. For further evidence, witness the early montage with love-soaked lyrics from Armstrong and the foolish grins on the lovers. She does disappear for the better part of an hour, though, disturbing the flow.

So the plot is fittingly ridiculous, the action is very good (bobsleigh anyone?) and there are some cool set-ups (though one stolen from "The Ipcress Files". The cutting is a bit jagged and frantic at times, but that was common in the day. Worse is the editing. Apart from the ending, it has a lighter tone in both humour and flirtations.

OHMSS is the only Bond-film to end on a sad note, making it the perfect entrance for Satchmo's brilliant ballad. An end to remember, with a shattered Bond in disbelief.

At 142 minutes, it was by a distance the longest Bond-film, and the pace suffers a bit as a consequence. It doesn't help it that the action is a bit unevenly distributed. Still, it's a different instalment in the franchise and an underrated one at that.

7/10

Best car used: 1968 Aston Martin DBS (The Mercury Cougar is a thing of beauty, though)
Most memorable drink served: Dom Perignon '57 and a dry Martini, shaken not stirred
Henchmen: Irma Bunt. Short, ugly women are never good for Bond. Not really a problem for Bond until the final scene.
Villain: Telly Savalas as Blofeld. Seems much more pompous than Pleasance, and much, much less threatening.
Best one-liner: "Just a slight stiffness coming on"
Song: "We have all the time in the world" by Louis Armstrong. A dwelling, sad ballad. Fantastic.
Bond-Girl: Diana Rigg. The first to really have her own character. And she does make a meal of it. Wonderfully playful, fragile and headstrong.