A temporary 'Bond'

I'm sitting here on a cool night, watching one of my favorite, and underrated, films, "On Her Majesty's Secret Service."

Got the idea to screen the picture after my pal and Gibbs High teacher Dean Harned mentioned that he'd watched it today during his planning period. He said it was engrossing enough that his intern, Dustin Mynatt, sat down and watched a good chunk of the film with him.

Nobody agrees with me, but I contend that this is one of the best installments in the venerable James Bond franchise.

Long story made short, this film was released in 1969, following Sean Connery's departure from the series. Producers hired Australian model George Lazenby to play 007 in the film adaptation of Ian Fleming's best novel.

It's Lazenby's inexperience as an actor that is the biggest knock against this fine movie. I'll get into that in a minute, but that's basically a minor sidestory in an otherwise excellent James Bond story.

Sticking close to the plot of the novel, the producers wisely reeled in the overblown fantasy of the previous film ("You Only Live Twice") in favor of a more down-to-earth tale. Bond "resigns" from Her Majesty's government to track down SPECTRE chief Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Along the way the playboy Bond falls in love with a beautiful countess (played by the classy Diana Rigg) and, shock of all shocks, actually marries her.

Lazenby is indeed a weak link. His lack of experience is painfully obvious in several of the key love scenes as well as the film's signature, shocking finale. But he does OK with the all the little things that make the role what it should be, and probably would have been an excellent James Bond in time, had the role not gotten to his head.

Rigg's Tracy Draco is the best so-called "Bond girl" of the series because her character was written as a three-dimensional woman rather than a beautiful bimbo. The montage of her and Bond's courtship, backed by the hauntingly beautiful Louis Armstrong song "We Have All the Time in the World" (his last recording) is one of the finest moments of the series.

The on-location scenes in Switzerland are breathtaking. For once, Blofeld's plan to wreak havoc on the world is (mostly) believable. It was a fine film. Had Sean Connery returned for this outing it would have been the best of the series.

As it is, though, it's still a memorable James Bond movie and, one could argue, the last of the "classic Flemingesque 007 adventures" along the lines of "Dr. No" and "From Russia with Love."

If your only exposure to Her Majesty's favorite secret agent is through the later pictures, or if you're a longtime fan, give "OHMSS" a look. George Lazenby's license to kill might have been temporary, but time has proven that this film's "Bond" is a strong pull indeed.

'Quantum of Solace': Shaken, but not stirred

Well, the sophomore slump continues -- at least as far as 007 is concerned.

Had high hopes for "Quantum of Solace," the new James Bond movie from Sony/MGM. After all, the new 007, Daniel Craig, revived the stale series in the excellent "Casino Royale" in 2005. But, like Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan before him, Craig's second outing as Britain's famous government agent leaves something to be desired. (Only the actor who founded the role, Sean Connery, was immune from the sophomore slump, turning in his best appearance in 1963's "From Russia, With Love.")

I'll not bother much with the plot -- what little of it exists. Something about stopping a nut intent on hording a water supply, blah, blah, blah. I never quite got it.

But that isn't really my beef with this movie. I'm used to the "plots" of a Bond movie present in name only. No, my biggest complaint is the producers seem to be making 007 into a modern-day action hero, more like Jason Bourne, than a sophisticated wit. Plus, Craig's Bond needs to find a sense of humor.

Oh, he is still excellent in the role. I love the hard-edged bad ass persona he's brought to Bond. But, when you spend that much time in the theater, you want to laugh. Connery and Moore were peerless at delivering the classic throwaway line. ("I've gotten you all wet." "Yes, but my martini is still dry.") Two or three moments in this film screamed for Craig to deliver such a comment. Alas, the moment passed.

Other highlights included an homage to "Goldfinger," this time with a woman covered in oil. (Signs of the time, eh?) The film picked up right where "Casino Royale" left off. And it does a great job of showing 007 seeking revenge -- and peace of mind -- following the death of Vesper. (See the first film for explanation.)

But the little dialogue present seemed to merely be a bridge between CGI explosions, or overblown chase scenes, or an excuse to blow up a building. This has always been a highlight of the series, but in its best moments, a James Bond movie took time to develop a set piece. (The card game in "Royale" was the best such sequence in years.)

No, something is missing here, something that is essentially Bond. At least Craig gives me hope for the character's future, something I never quite felt when Pierce Brosnan had the role.

In short, "Quantum of Solace" is a file it and forget it couple of hours with James Bond. Bring on the next one. I'll keep my fingers crossed.