I have been rewatching my entire collection of James Bond films, wonder what is everyone's favorite Bond movie? Most discussions regarding 007 are typically who was the best Bond, rather than the best Bond MOVIE. Without regard to the actors playing 007, I wonder what other people consider to be their favorite or best made Bond film. For me, I think the best made Bond film is probably the least known one, with the least known actor playing the role. In between Sean Connery's You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever, was On Her Majesty's Secret Service, after Connery originally left the series. His replacement was a male model named George Lazenby, who only played the role once. However, what this film had, that none of the others had, was a genuine love interest, in the form of Contessa Teresa Di Vicenzo, played by Diana Rigg of The Avengers. She was not a typical Bond girl. In case you don't know, Bond actually marries her, (for real, not just pretend like in YOLT) only to see her get killed shortly after. The quintessential icon for the Playboy lifestyle, the guy that wrote the book of loving them and leaving them, marries. Her death is referenced in later Bond movies as well, with Roger Moore kneeling at her grave. On Her Majesty's Secret Service shows us a Bond that is far more complex than what we had seen before, we see he is capable of love, and not just lust. We see him truly feel sorrow at losing someone. How much regret does he show when previous lovers are killed by the villain? He would make a snarky comment of some sort, and that would be the last you hear of it. Not in this one though. Bond actually shows emotion. James Bond is a human being, with real emotions, not a caricature, not a superhero. He is vulnerable in this film.

That is only one reason, another is the job Telly Savalas does as Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Unlike Donald Pleasance, who served as the inspiration for Dr Evil, Savalas' Blofeld comes across as being less a comic villain, and more a genuine one. This could be the first Bond film that you could say tried to shy away from pure camp, and tried to be serious. Savalas's Blofeld is just more serious than Pleasance's characterization.

It is the only Bond movie that ends with a negative. There is no pithy sexual innuendo laced comments, as he is shown in bed with his latest conquest, there is no happy ending. The bad guys win.

There are no "gadgets". He doesn't need a laser watch, no jetpacks, no bulletproof cars that have missile launchers, no tiny helicopters stored in briefcases, or miniature rockets inside of cigarettes, its just Bond.

Anyway, those are my reasons for considering On Her Majesty's Secret Service the best Bond film of all time. What is your favorite Bond film, if you have one, and why?