Movie Night Redux: On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Review #279 - REDUX: On Her Majesty's Secret Service.

Cast
George Lazenby (James Bond), Diana Rigg (Tracy di Vicenzo), Telly Savalas (Ernst Stavro Blofeld), Gabriele Ferzetti (Marc-Ange Draco), Ilse Steppat (Irma Bunt), Bernard Lee (M), George Baker (Sir Hilary Bray), Yuri Borienko (Grunther), Bernard Horsfall (Shaun Campbell), Desmond Llewelyn (Q), Lois Maxwell (Miss Moneypenny), and Angela Scoular (Ruby Bartlett) Directed by Peter Hunt.

Review
It has been three months since I reviewed this film, which I did on November 5, 2012. I stated a few things about it and its infamous star, George Lazenby, such as "Ah, George Lazenby. Who?", "As for Lazenby, he is..mild in his performance as Bond, not as great as Connery. But here's the thing. His name is not Connery. But this was expected." "Lazenby may not be a great Bond, but he at least makes an attempt to do something new with Bond. Not a great attempt, but still." After nearly three months, I bought the film so I could see if my judgement of 8 out of 10 stars was either accurate or maybe a bit harsh. Reviewing films can have its judgement of rightfulness and...its moments of regret. This is one I wanted to know that if I was right the second time around. So how was it the second time? First off, I won't try to say it all in this sentence, so let's do a bit of an analysis. First off, we have our history. Sean Connery had grown tired of the role of Bond after 5 films, leaving after You Only Live Twice had ended. So the search was on for a new Bond, with George Lazenby being selected. Peter Hunt, the editor of the last five Bond films, was picked to direct the film. Lazenby wasn't exactly an actor, more of a model, with not much experience. He certainly looks the part, and he does well in the fight scenes.

   With the acting, I believe that this is a rookie Bond, more of a novice, not as experienced as Connery's Bond, but Lazenby does indeed try. It's sad though when in the film he tries to impersonate another character...and he gets dubbed over by the person he's supposed to be impersonating. Now, Diana Rigg (of The Avenger fame) on the other hand, is great. She represents a rare type of Bond girl that manages to get to Bond's heart, with the exception being Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. She manages to help Bond out, rescuing him at one point. It's amazing how it's not only just a spy film, but a bit of a romantic tale as well. But what makes it even better is that the romantic parts don't weigh the film down, it actually helps the tone of the film, being a tragic sort of tale. Then there's our villain, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. He manages to be chilling yet very entertaining as a Bond villain, not being a slow megalomaniacal type of villain, more one Bond has a tough time defeating. To me, a Bond villain works better when he does manage to nearly be on the same level with Bond, representing the challenge Bond faces. His plot (which I won't spoil) chillingly makes some sort of sense. It works because it has some logic, which is a good trait for a film of its caliber. Ilse Steppat does a good job as Blofeld's henchwoman, sadly this was her last film role, as she died days after the film's release. One actor who seems to gain a bit of development is M, played by Bernard Lee, as we even get to see his house at one point, which provides a sliver of humanity.

Peter Hunt once said that he wanted the film to be different than any other Bond film would be. It was his film, not anyone else's. And...it makes sense. It is a far cry from Goldfinger (before it) or even Diamonds Are Forever (after it), and this film works in so any ways. Then there's the length, which I said in the original review "The film is a bit lengthy...". When I think about it now, it isn't that lengthy anymore. Honestly, I can take over two hours of film, as long as it provides entertainment and charm. This film does both. The action works well, but it probably works because of the location they used, which was in the Switzerlands, with Piz Gloria being the main location, and it looks great. The icy slopes work well, but the location for the last memorable scene looks even better. Speaking of which I have to admit that last scene is bitter and yet very fitting end to a film such like this. The film is its own realm, without the silly aspects or the gadgets, but it does have much more to compensate. It is a film that is better than what I originally thought in my original review. While Lazenby may not be up to par or as memorable as the other Bonds, the film is not hampered, with a great Bond girl, a great villain, and a good story to go with it.

Overall, I give it 9 out of 10 stars.