Post #309431 by DJ Terence Gunn on Mon, May 28, 2007 1:48 PM

Though I prefer Connery, as most Bond fans do, in the Bond role (even though he doesn't come very close to the character of Bond in the novels), I find it amazing how many people do not/did not like Roger Moore in the James Bond role; and yet Moore played Bond in seven movies -- proof that the Bond role was not dictated by a public popularity contest. Before playing the role Moore was hardly a stranger to the genre: The Saint, The Persuaders, etc. Though he may not look dangerous and is not dark of hair, he was tall, handsome, slender but muscular, could kick some serious ass, was dry of wit, and was stylish and debonaire -- traits the Bond character in the movies was/is known for. But at the same time, I suppose I'm indifferent to Roger Moore as James Bond: I neither like nor dislike him in the role; he's credible in the role and works well enough. And Moore's second Bond appearance, 'The Man With The Golden Gun', ranks as my second favourite James Bond film.

On the same token, my favourite James Bond film is 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service'. Of all the Bond films that capture the essence of the Ian Fleming novels, 'OHMSS' comes the closest -- in Lazenby's portrayal of Bond and in the story itself. What makes this film so terrific is that it contains all the attributes one has come to expect of a Bond picture, but at the same time it departs from some of the former trends, and shows Bond as a vulnerable human being with feelings and emotions, rather than as a hollow, womanising, joke-cracking, wooden super hero like Connery (and Moore). I thought Lazenby was an excellent Bond in all ways. And contrary to popular belief, Lazenby decided to call it quits as Bond just after the film was released. He was not sacked because people thought he was terrible in the role. (Once again, I reiterate that Roger Moore was not well-received, either, and he did seven consecutive Bond films.) Frankly, I would've liked to have seen Lazenby play Bond throughout the 1970s. Film goers had been weened on Connery, so no matter who replaced him, there was ultimately going to be mixed reviews. And until Dalton took over in the mid-1980s, no Bond actor (Connery or otherwise) had been in a story faithful to Ian Flemings novels, or approached the role of Bond as Ian Fleming had written. George Lazenby was (again until Dalton) the best portrayal of the Bond character, and 'OHMSS' the most faithful Bond film.

'OHMSS' also has the best music score; it features Diana Rigg and Telly Savalas and Bernard Horsfall; there's actually two stories that are interwoven into one, thus creating more complexity; Bond is actually shown to do some real espionage work for a change (disguising himself as and learning the speach, manner, and vocal tone of Sir Hilary Bray); the fight scenes and stunts are far superior to any Connery film; and the amazingly-shot ski chase scenes are the absolute apex of physical Bond action in the all of the Bond films. It's all top-notch.

As with life, when it comes to Bond, I see the forest rather than just the trees.

[ Edited by: DJ Terence Gunn 2007-05-28 16:43 ]