Despite receiving disappointing reviews, OHMSS takes the franchise into new territory and is essential viewing for any true Bond fan.
On Her Majesty’s Secret Service doesn’t tend to get the same love as many of the older Bond films, and that’s a shame because it boasts some significant firsts for the Bond franchise, some striking set pieces, and bold choices. Some of the friction faced by OHMSS is due to this being the first time James Bond was officially played by someone other than Sean Connery. George Lazenby played the part well but did little to make the character his own other than maybe being a little cheesier. But that wasn’t the only first in this film. James Bond fell in love and got married for the first time, broke the fourth wall for the first time, and faced a villain who escaped him from a previous film for the first time. OHMSS broke a lot of ground and had one of the best climactic finale battles of the early Bond films. And to top it all off, it’s technically a Christmas movie!