All the Bond films ranked - Majesty's Secret Service fares pretty well!
Majesty's Secret Service is ranked high but not as high as I thought!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qiabtsvtj48&t=174s
This could have been one of the best Bond films in the franchise if:
- Connery had come back
AND
- They had edited down that 30 minute segment where Bond is pretending to be Bray and his voice is being dubbed. I swear for that entire 30 minute segment the film just stalls and barely anything is happening, it is a chore to sit through.
The second half though has some of the greatest Bond moments ever though (especially the attack on Piz Gloria, loved it).
I disagree. Sean was awful in YOLT and he would have yawned his way through this one. We wouldn't have the fear, heartbreak etc that George brought to the character. I liked the scene in the retreat because the architecture and women are pleasing (and Telly is just so scary as Blofeld). But I do I find the voice dub annoying.
shareI also disagree.
If Connery had played Bond in OHMSS, I don't think it would have been as good as it is the way Lazenby made it.
Lazenby was nervous and inexperienced, and it shows. That's a good thing considering that Bond, in that particular movie, is human, weak and in love.
Also they cast Diana Rigg to balance the inexperience of Lazenby. With Connery available for the film, it would habe been somebody else. And that defenitly would have altered the quality.
Connery would not agree to show a weak and scared Bond (can you imagine Connery shouting for fear at the sight of a fake polar bear ???) and also, Blofeld is supposed to recognize Bond 'cause he already met him in YOLT. He doesn't, but it's Ok because we're having 2 different actors there (Savalas and Lazenby Vs Connery and Pleasance).
If Connery would have returned, the sequence would have been very weird.
I can't picture Sean Connery in this movie. Connery had mailed it in YOLT and it would have continued in this film. I can't picture Sean Connery's Bond getting married or being weak / nervous.
Then again I don't want to see a weak, emotional James Bond. He's the suave super spy, not an emotional bruting mess that Craig has turned the character into.
You Only Live Twice and On Her Majesty's Secret Service were filmed out of order. Following the books, it makes sense for the events of OHMSS to take place first (Bond has yet to meet Blofeld, wife gets killed) followed by the events of YOLT, Bond fakes death so he can hunt down Blofeld