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On Her Majesty's Secret Service is an obvious anomaly in the Bond franchise in that it is the only one to feature George Lazenby in the famous role. For years it seemed to be the 'forgotten Bond' due to that very reason, but in recent times it has acquired a cult following amongst Bond devotees. It is easy to see why it has its fans, as it is one of the more accurate adaptations of the books in the series, jettisoning the outlandish gadgets and ridiculous situations, much like the recent Casino Royale. However, unlike the latest 007 film, OHMSS was not a huge success, so the franchise reverted back to normal (and proceeded to throw realism even further out of the window) for the following film, Diamonds Are Forever. Certainly, despite being an Australian model with no prior acting experience, George Lazenby is surprisingly good, although he of course does not match Connery's earlier efforts. The film is an effective thriller with an endearing romance, in which Diana Rigg portrays one of the most believable Bond girls in the series. The flaws of the film mainly involve the pacing; most of the action occurs in a flurry in the last 30 minutes of the film. The opening of the film is interesting too, but the middle section is rather slow. Much of this section of the film involves Bond disguising himself as Sir Hilary Bray, a heraldry expert, to infiltrate Blofeld's lair, but for this whole section Lazenby is dubbed by an English actor who sounds nothing like him, eliminating all the credibility of the sequence. It is also in this part that Blofeld's nefarious scheme is uncovered, and it frankly now feels like it belongs more in an Austin Powers film, therefore contrasting with the film's more realistic elements. Still, it is not a huge flaw, and when the action does arrive, it is top-notch. The shootout in Blofeld's mountaintop base is one for the ages and the ending of the film is one of the most daring and surprising in the series, adding a level of emotion arguably not present in any other Bond film, helped by John Barry's beautiful song, "We Have All the Time in the World", poignantly sung by Louis Armstrong. The film's instrumental title song is also one of Barry's best ever compositions.
The extras
The main featurette is the 40-minute retrospective "Inside On Her Majesty's Secret Service". As would be expected, a lot of focus is given to the casting of the new James Bond, and the controversies about Lazenby are not ignored. The other featurettes are mostly archived from the time of the film's release, and are interesting but short, and their style is rather dated. One of the main incentives for buying the DVD, as with the other Bond Ultimate Editions, is the digitally restored film, and it doesn't disappoint.
The summary
On Her Majesty's Secret Service is an excellent film, and ranks among the best Bonds. The slow middle act may stretch the patience of some, but perseverance is well rewarded.
