All is only to be claimed. On her Majesty's Secret Service has been acclaimed as one of the best Bond's in the franchise. It marked a turning point in the series, noticeable because of the temporary leave of Sean Connery, and his replacement by the Australian model, George Lazenby, who was accused of being hard to work with on set.
Directed by Peter R. Hunt, on her Majesty's Secret Service contains some memorable sequences, including the brilliant ski chase action scenes in Switzerland. I found Lazenby to be acceptable though not perfect in any way in the Bond role. He had the persona, and he delivered his lines moderately well.
At it's heart, on her Majesty's Secret Service becomes a love story. However, that love story is marred by the fact that Lazenby and Diana Rigg share uncomfortable chemistry together. In that sense, the 2006 Casino Royale, which remains today as one of the best Bond flicks yet made, had arguably a better and more sufficient love story involved.
Even for a Bond movie, on her Majesty's Secret Service has some rough editing, which really did start to annoy me. I also still find the plot quite unbelievable, even for a Bond movie. The romantic love story is perfectly believable, it's just the plot when the movie boils down to between Bond and the bad guys. The action sequences in the Swiss Alps are what saves the plot from total ruin.
On my list of best Bond movies, on her Majesty's Secret Service would not appear at the top. It's similar to Casino Royale in becoming an action-love story, amidst in a Bond flick. Overall though, Casino Royale was the far more superior and successful picture (in my honest opinion), even if on her Majesty's Secret Service is the more classic picture.
For those who want action, they will find it in on her Majesty's Secret Service. For those who want romance, they will also find it in on her Majesty's Secret Service. And despite the rough editing, moderate acting, a standard issue Bond screenplay, and the completely unbelievable plot, on her Majesty's Secret Service is still a handsome Bond film to look at.
***/5
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