The swiftness of people to brutally diss this movie makes me all the more determined to look at it with an OPEN MIND. Frankly, I dispute the claim that all Bond movies have to be like Goldfinger or that all Bonds have to be like Connery and ignorance of many reviewers of whatever objective merits that this movie may have. Intelligent commentary is infinitely preferable to gut reactions that a movie "sucks" for contentious reasons.
As to whether George Lazenby's acting talents are adequate for the role of James Bond, the scene at the movie's end, where Tracy has been gunned down, shows almost genuine anguish on Bond's face. We don't see him weeping as he buries his face in Tracy's, but the pathos of the situation is quite efficiently communicated to the audience. Looks of fear on Bond's face during the chase at the Christmas celebration are also convincing. If Lazenby lacks Connery's je-ne-sais-quoi and Moore's charisma, he is not a total failure as an actor for these reasons at least. The supporting cast is superb in any event, and more than compensates for whatever Lazenby lacks. How anyone can invalidate Diana Rigg and future New Avengers and Space: 1999 stars Joanna Lumley and Catherine Schell staggers the imagination. To say that the film is utterly devoid of appealing women is slanted nonsense. Surely Dame Diana has proven herself as an actress and as a lady!
Blofeld was given the middle name of Stavro by Donald Pleasance's incarnation of the villain in You Only Live Twice. Telly Savalas had nothing to do with that, unless you believe that the writers of YOLT were prescient. Of all the actors to play Blofeld, Savalas gives him ruthless energy in action. And the ploy by Blofeld to use germ warfare for extortion purposes is a very realistic motive for villainy. How can anyone deny the charisma of Telly Savalas, as a hero or a "heavy"?!
By far, the movie's prime attraction is its romantic storyline. Bond is genuinely in love for the first time, and in opposition to allegations of its unbelievability, I maintain that Tracy is bestowed with the perfect balance of vulnerability and strength to appeal even to proud bachelor 007. No other actress could pull this off but Di Rigg. Furthermore, there are artistic underpinnings to the whole story, with the contrast between the Bond/Tracy love song, "We Have All the Time in the World", sung by none other than Louis Armstrong, and the motto on Bond's Coat of Arms, "The World is Not Enough". By regarding the contradictions in these two maxims, one can see some clever foreshadowing of a tragic ending. There are also interesting displays of a counterclockwise-turning timepiece in the credit sequence, highlighting the question of time in the movie, as not being enough and of Bond desiring to "turn back the clock". OHMSS is an intriguing and highly entertaining spy romp, with almost non-stop action in its final hour and deserves a lot more respect than it is getting here in IMDb reviews.
As to whether George Lazenby's acting talents are adequate for the role of James Bond, the scene at the movie's end, where Tracy has been gunned down, shows almost genuine anguish on Bond's face. We don't see him weeping as he buries his face in Tracy's, but the pathos of the situation is quite efficiently communicated to the audience. Looks of fear on Bond's face during the chase at the Christmas celebration are also convincing. If Lazenby lacks Connery's je-ne-sais-quoi and Moore's charisma, he is not a total failure as an actor for these reasons at least. The supporting cast is superb in any event, and more than compensates for whatever Lazenby lacks. How anyone can invalidate Diana Rigg and future New Avengers and Space: 1999 stars Joanna Lumley and Catherine Schell staggers the imagination. To say that the film is utterly devoid of appealing women is slanted nonsense. Surely Dame Diana has proven herself as an actress and as a lady!
Blofeld was given the middle name of Stavro by Donald Pleasance's incarnation of the villain in You Only Live Twice. Telly Savalas had nothing to do with that, unless you believe that the writers of YOLT were prescient. Of all the actors to play Blofeld, Savalas gives him ruthless energy in action. And the ploy by Blofeld to use germ warfare for extortion purposes is a very realistic motive for villainy. How can anyone deny the charisma of Telly Savalas, as a hero or a "heavy"?!
By far, the movie's prime attraction is its romantic storyline. Bond is genuinely in love for the first time, and in opposition to allegations of its unbelievability, I maintain that Tracy is bestowed with the perfect balance of vulnerability and strength to appeal even to proud bachelor 007. No other actress could pull this off but Di Rigg. Furthermore, there are artistic underpinnings to the whole story, with the contrast between the Bond/Tracy love song, "We Have All the Time in the World", sung by none other than Louis Armstrong, and the motto on Bond's Coat of Arms, "The World is Not Enough". By regarding the contradictions in these two maxims, one can see some clever foreshadowing of a tragic ending. There are also interesting displays of a counterclockwise-turning timepiece in the credit sequence, highlighting the question of time in the movie, as not being enough and of Bond desiring to "turn back the clock". OHMSS is an intriguing and highly entertaining spy romp, with almost non-stop action in its final hour and deserves a lot more respect than it is getting here in IMDb reviews.
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