For a sobering contrast, if not yet familiar, I invite each of you to view The Spy Who Came In from the Cold (1965).

While by comparison, it could be considered to be 'dull', it might just be the substantive piece which you may be subconsciously longing for.

Haven't seen the movie, but the book is fantastic.

I loved the Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy movie with Gary Oldman too. It instantly became one of my all time favorites, and easily in my top 5 of this century so far.

Fun fact: Star Trek Deep Space Nine episode Inter Arma Enim Silent Leges was heavily inspired by The Spy Who Came In from the Cold.

Is "Her Majesty's Secret Service" as bad as the reputation makes it to be?

It's a bit stupid to tell everyone your name if you work as secret agent, and if memory serves he actually
used a code name in Dr. No....but after that at least most of the time he basically flashes his credentials.

Also movies like this create a problem, there is little threat to the life of the hero, Bond dying would
put a damper on the franchise. And the villain explaining the plot is for the audience to get the dots
connected and well to give Bond a chance to escape...otherwise franchise problem.

Now I never watched all the Bond films, nor have I watched one in quite a while since Skyfall.

But yeah, I thought the secret canon was that James Bond was just a name passed from agent to agent. That idea ended with Craig Bond.

"Craig Bond-kun, look at this manor you grew up in. You were an orphan once. Judi DeMch is back and will now die. Yes, we know Daniel Craig said he's going to retire from the character. He always says that. He'll be back."

It is good but it depends on what kind of movies you like. It's the same as the other 1960s Bond films. This one is worth it as he meets his wife in this one. George Lazenby is Bond and is his only time as Bond as Connery was going to be done being Bond but Connery came back to do Diamonds' are Forever and "Not in the Bond List but is a Bond film" Never Say Never Again as his last time as Bond.

It's a masterpiece compared to Diamonds Are Forever and Rigg is probably the best Bond girl ever, which honestly isn't that much of an accomplishment as most are just [CENSORED]... well come to think of it, Eva Green was pretty good too and Maryam d'Abo.

Also Savalas is the most charismatic Blofeld, actually all support characters are very good and even Lazenby's performance isn't that bad when you consider this was his first (and only) Bond outing and hadn't much previous acting experience if any.

I don't think so. George Lazenby takes much of the blame but I don't think he's that bad, especially considering that it was his first movie ever (though I only watched it with Italian dubbing). If anything, he is a more complex, human, even fragile Bond than the others.
Diana Rigg is equally a strong, intriguing female counterpart - not your average Bond girl. And Telly Savalas is a great villain.
The big weakness, for me, is in the plot. The superbaddie's evil plan I find silly... well, sillier than usual, maybe. So 60s... it makes for some awkward moments.
But locations are beautiful, the soundtrack is truly one of the best in the series and there are some memorable action sequences. And the ending could be the only time one might use the word "touching" when speaking of a Bond movie.

That's true, I never quite got how eager he was to tell his adversaries right at the start "My name is Bond. James Bond.", and then the baddies would always be like "Huh? Never heard of you. I guess you are nothing important.". But then they still tell their own henchmen a bit later "Make sure Mr Bond has a little... accident... on his way out.". Usually just because they lost to him in a game of barracat or whatever that quirky card game is Bond always plays. Bad losers.

BTW did Bond actually die at the end of the last Craig Bond movie, or do I remember wrong? Maybe I am thinking of the fourth John Wick movie instead... Or was it only Mr Craig who died, and Bond lives on?

BTW I still can't get over it there are two Bond movies with the same title, Casino Royale. WTF is that all about? Is the newer movie a remake of the older one, or both just tell the story of the same 007 book differently? In the older movie 007 comes out of retirement for one more mission, in the newer one he just acquired his license to kill and is on to his first mission as an agent?!?

I am always confused when either movie comes from the TV, I am expecting it to be the other Casino Royale being aired.

"Right on, I'm ready to see some parkour action by Mr Craig... oh... I guess not...".

"Oh, that funny David Niven 007 parody... oh... nothing funny here, this is serious stuff right here."

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061452/

https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0381061/