I remember why I usually avoid You Only Live Twice, and I am not talking about the pretty racist and stereotypical depiction of everyone and everything in Japan. It’s Connery. He’s clearly bored. He clearly doesn’t want to be Bond anymore. I read an article about it last night that says his performance is so disinterested that it borders on unprofessional.

It’s still a pretty great Bond movie though. It just goes to show you that Connery is so freakin’ good that even when he mails it in and does a terrible job, he’s still great (see: Highlander).

So, five movies down. I started On Her Majesty’s Secret Service this morning during my faux walking. George Lazenby. Okay. In House of the Dragon there is a character who is often referred to as The Queen Who Never Was. That’s what I think of this movie. It’s the bad ass, monster classic Bond movie that could have been. If Connery or Daniel Craig played Bond in this movie we’d be talking about it as the best of them all. Hell, if Moore, Dalton, or Brosnan had played him we’d probably be saying the same. I am not trying to say that Lazenby is a bad actor. He’s fine. He’s just not really an actor and he doesn’t have the chops that Connery or Craig or any of the others have. He’s perfectly acceptable, he’s just not a commanding presence like the other guys.

Everything about that movie is great. Telly Savalas as Blofeld is perfect casting. Diana Rigg does what she always does and steals literally every scene she’s in. Imagine the sparks if she had been playing off of Sean Connery. Just imagine! There is no way on Earth he would have seemed bored when they were on screen together. Hell, if you want to see just how amazing Diana Rigg can be, watch Game of Thrones. I mean her last scene is so fucking incredible that it will burn itself on your soul forever. “Tell Cersei.” Enough said.

Here is the list as it stands now:

• Sean Connery
  • Dr. No (1962) – Finished
  • From Russia with Love (1963) – Finished
  • Goldfinger (1964) – Finished
  • Thunderball (1965) – Finished
  • You Only Live Twice (1967) – Finished
• George Lazenby
  • On Her Majesty’s Secret Service (1969) – In Progress
• Sean Connery (Again)
  • Diamonds Are Forever (1971)
• Roger Moore
  • Live and Let Die (1973)
  • The Man with the Golden Gun (1974)
  • The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
  • Moonraker (1979)
  • For Your Eyes Only (1981)
  • Octopussy (1983)
  • A View To A Kill (1985)
• Timothy Dalton
  • The Living Daylights (1987)
  • License to Kill (1989)
• Pierce Brosnan
  • GoldenEye (1995)
  • Tomorrow Never Dies (1997)
  • The World Is Not Enough (1999)
  • Die Another Day (2002)
• Daniel Craig
  • Casino Royale (2006)
  • Quantum of Solace (2008)
  • Skyfall (2012)
  • Spectre (2015)
  • No Time to Die (2021)