ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE (1969) // James Bond Review and Whisky Pairing
"On Her Majesty's Secret Service" Plot
Blofeld (Telly Savalas) is bent on using germ warfare under the guise of humanitarianism to get the world under his thumb. Bond (George Lazenby) uses heraldry as a means of learning Blofeld's intentions.
Whiskey Lore Review
This is one of the hardest movies in the series to rate. There is so much that is good about it, but we have a rookie actor at the helm. I can't say Lazenby is bad in the role. He actually shines at different parts of the film and you start to accept him as Bond. But the number of voice overdubs become very distracting (especially the Hilly scenes where they overdubbed another actor's voice) and I don't think he set the right tone breaking the fourth wall in the opening scene. Yet he walks in with style at the casino and his chemistry with Tracy is excellent. They are a fun pair.
Would this movie have been better with Sean Connery? Maybe, maybe not. I wouldn't want an actor in the movie who really doesn't want to be there. At least we can see Lazenby's interest in making the character cool and physical. As for Blofeld, Telly Savalas is my favorite actor in the role. He's less a comic book character and more a real life villain.
Best of the movie: The locations of this movie are stunning - especially Piz Gloria. The orchestral score by John Barry is my favorite of the series - and makes a reappearance in No Time To Die. Diana Rigg made an excellent Tracy and is the kind of Bond girl I'd want to marry, independent, complicated, but stylish, smart, and lovable. The barn scene is one of my favorite moments. Also, thank you George for the first beautiful watch - the Rolex Chronograph Ref. 6238. So many good fights in this movie too - as well as the scene where he has to get on the gondola.
Memorable moment: The final scene with Tracy in the car is one of the most powerful moments in the entire series, even with Lazenby at the helm. "We have all the time in the world" also echoed down to No Time To Die.
Where it goes wrong: I am so glad the era of the bad overdubs is over.
Paired Whisky: Glenfarclas 12 Year Old Speyside Single Malt Whisky
Because of the heraldry theme, I decided to pair this movie with Glenfarclas 12. The Grant family (one of the last families still owning a scotch distillery) have passed this distillery down since 1865. And it's one that I'm happy to say I "have all the time in the world" to enjoy.
Whiskey Lore Rank: #10 (Score 6.76) > Next Movie
* * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Go Back: 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11