James Bond 007 - Bond 50 [1962-2012] Reviews

NB: As is their wont, Amazon have bundled the reviews for the Blu-ray and DVD boxed sets together. This review refers to the Blu-ray edition. Please bear in mind that the DVD version only includes the one-disc versions of the films, losing nearly all the extras apart from the audio commentaries.

With the release of Skyfall imminent, EON and MGM/UA have finally got around to releasing the remaining Bond films that weren't on Blu-ray (with the exception of non-EON entries Never Say Never Again and the 1967 Casino Royale), releasing them in a lavish boxed set that's surprisingly sturdily constructed but offers virtually nothing new for those who have already faithfully collected the Ultimate Edition DVDs. The plentiful extras have been carried over pretty much wholesale from those two-disc releases, with one exception - Casino Royale is a strange hybrid of the two-disc special edition and first single-disc release, containing most of the special edition's extras but losing Martin Campbell's picture-in-picture commentary, two featurettes (The Art of the Freerun, Catching a Plane - From Storyboard to Screen), the revised documentary Bond Girls Are Forever, storyboard sequence and filmmaker profile featurettes (Martin Campbell, Chris Corbauld, Phil Méheux, Gary Powell, Alexander Witt and David Arnold). The version of Die Another Day only features the extras from the Ultimate Edition, with the much better extras from the original DVD release, including the 76-minute making of documentary, still AWOL.

The picture quality is for the most part very good, though it's not always as convincing as you feel it should be, with the suspicion that some scenes have been scrubbed up a little too brightly compared to the way they looked on the big screen. GoldenEye thankfully corrects the overcropping of the Ultimate Edition DVD release that was particularly noticeable when cutting off letters and numbers on video displays and is now in the proper framing but it has some noticeable DNR work done on it, though it's not as dramatic as some reports claim. More worrying is that the UK set doesn't offer the original mono soundtracks on the early Bond films that were previously released on Blu-ray, such as Dr No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger and Thunderball, instead offering remixed stereo tracks that often favour the sound effects a little too much. The new to BD titles do contain the original mixes, but if you want them on the earlier films you'll have to buy the US set - which will cause a problem for those without multi-region Blu-ray capability since the set is a mixture of Region A-locked titles (Dr No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, Live and Let Die, The Man with the Golden Gun, Moonraker, For Your Eyes Only, Licence to Kill, The World is Not Enough, Die Another Day, Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace) and Region-free ones (You Only Live Twice, OHMSS - thankfully the uncut version - Diamonds Are Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, GoldenEye and Tomorrow Never Dies).

As for the exclusive extras disc - well, it's a huge disappointment. Rather than include any new extras from Quantum of Solace such as the deleted "The name's Bond. James Bond" ending or any of the slew of other promos or documentaries about the series it's just a brief selection of soundbites, very brief featurettes, a few video diaries for Skyfall and a collection of title sequences from the films. There's no booklet either, but at least the book-style packaging for the films is especially strong, has a space reserved for Skyfall and is designed for repeated use - which plenty of these films will be getting.

Collectible box set featuring all 22 James Bond films on Blu-ray disc in one complete offering for the first time.

Collection includes all 22 James Bond feature films from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace and more than 130 hours of bonus features including never-before-seen content from the Bond archives, and more.

One disc of brand new bonus content approximately one hour in length.

9 titles available on Blu-ray for the first time ever: Goldeneye, Octopussy, The Spy Who Loved Me, You Only Live Twice, The Living Daylights, Tomorrow Never Dies, Diamonds are Forever, A View to a Kill and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service.

Disc 23--Bonus Material

The World of Bond (NEW)--the 007 films have a look, style and attitude that is signature Bond. From the cars, to the women, to the villains and even the music, Bond films stand apart. The World of Bond takes the viewer through the best of five decades' worth of classic James Bond in one thrilling montage. It also showcases the fascinating and entertaining interplay among unforgettable moments of danger, seduction, adventure and a dash of that distinguished humour that fans have cherished from the beginning. To add to the experience, The World of Bond featurette also offera a Pop-Up Trivia option to challenge even the sharpest of fans with little known facts and interesting trivia from the Bond Universe.
Being Bond (NEW)--there's only one James Bond--but he's proven too much for only one actor to play the role. In the franchise's 50-year run, six distinguished actors have taken on the part and secured a spot in cinematic history. Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig each reflect on the impact and importance of taking on such a famous role. Gain insight into what each actor brought to the character and discover how they shaped the world's most timeless secret agent.
Skyfall Videoblogs--behind-the-scenes look at the making of Skyfall from the cast and crew.
Region B only.

Disc 1--Dr. No (Over three hours of content)

Commentary with director Terence Young and cast and crew.
Six featurettes.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Photo galleries.
Offers German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Czech language dubbing and Dutch, French, German, Spanish, Czech, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish, Portuguese and Cantonese subtitles.
109 minutes run time.
1:66 aspect ratio.
Letterboxed format.
Region free.

Disc 2--From Russia With Love (Over three hours of content)

Commentary with director Terence Young and cast and crew.
Two featurettes.
Animated storyboard sequence.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Photo galleries.
Offers German, French, Spanish, Portuguese and Czech language dubbing and German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Czech, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian, Swedish and Cantonese subtitles.
110 minutes run time.
1:66 aspect ratio.
Letterboxed format.
Region free.

Disc 3--Goldfinger (Over five hours of content)

Commentary with director Guy Hamilton.
Commentary with the cast and crew.
Three featurettes.
Original screen tests with Theodore Bikel and Tito Vandis.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Original publicity featurette.
Original radio interviews with Sean Connery.
Photo galleries.
Offers French and Spanish language dubbing and German, French, Czech, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles.
109 minutes run time.
1:66 aspect ratio.
Letterboxed format.
Region free.

Disc 4--Thunderball (Over six hours of content)

Commentary with director Terence Young.
Commentary with editor Peter Hunt and screenwriter John Hopkins.
Four featurettes.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Photo galleries.
Offers German, French, Spanish and Portuguese language dubbing and German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles.
130 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Letterboxed format.
Region free.

Disc 5--You Only Live Twice (Over four hours of content)

Commentary with director Lewis Gilbert and cast and crew.
Four featurettes.
Animated storyboard sequence.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Photo galleries.
Offers Spanish, French, German and Portuguese language dubbing and Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.
116 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 6--On Her Majesty's Secret Service (Over four hours of content)

Commentary with director Peter Hunt and cast and crew.
Four featurettes.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Photo galleries.
Offers Spanish, French, German, Portuguese language dubbing and Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.
142 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 7--Diamonds Are Forever (Over four hours of content)

Commentary with director Guy Hamilton and cast and crew.
Three featurettes.
Deleted scenes.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Offers Spanish, French, German and Portuguese language dubbing and Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.
114 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 8--Live and Let Die (Over seven hours of content)

Commentaries with director Guy Hamilton, Roger Moore and Tom Mankiewicz.
Three featurettes.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Photo galleries.
Offers German, French and Spanish language dubbing and German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles.
116 minutes run time.
1:85 aspect ratio.
Letterboxed format.
Region free.

Disc 9--The Man with the Golden Gun (Over five hours of content)

Commentary with director Guy Hamilton and the cast and crew.
Commentary with Roger Moore.
Two featurettes.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Photo galleries.
Offers no dubbed languages and no subtitles other than English.
125 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 10--The Spy Who Loved Me (Over five hours of content)

Commentary with director Lewis Gilbert and cast and crew.
Commentary with Roger Moore.
Three featurettes.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Offers Spanish, French, German and Portuguese language dubbing and Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.
120 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 11--Moonraker (Over five hours of content)

Commentary with director Lewis Gilbert and cast and crew.
Commentary with Roger Moore.
Four featurettes.
Original theatrical trailer.
Photo gallery.
Offers German and French language dubbing and German, French, Czech, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles.
121 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Letterboxed format.
Region free.

Disc 12--For Your Eyes Only (Over seven hours of content)

Commentary with director John Glen and the cast and crew.
Commentary with Roger Moore.
Commentary with producer Michael G. Wilson and crew.
Four featurettes.
Animated storyboard sequences for snowmobile chase and underwater.
"For Your Eyes Only" music video performed by Sheena Easton.
Deleted scenes and expanded angles.
Original theatrical trailer, TV and radio spots.
Photo galleries.
Offers German, French, Spanish and Portuguese language dubbing and German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles.
122 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Letterboxed format.
Region free.

Disc 13--Octopussy (Over six hours of content)

Commentary with director John Glen.
Commentary with Roger Moore.
Four featurettes.
Original screen tests with James Brolin.
"All Time High" music video performed by Rita Coolidge.
Original theatrical trailers.
Offers Spanish, French, German and Portuguese language dubbing and Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.
125 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 14--A View to a Kill (Over six hours of content)

Commentary with director John Glen and the cast and crew.
Commentary with Roger Moore.
Four featurettes.
"A View to a Kill" music video performed by Duran Duran.
Original theatrical trailers and TV spots.
Offers Spanish, French, German and Portuguese language dubbing and Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.
131 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 15--The Living Daylights (Over five hours of content)

Commentary with director John Glen and cast and crew.
Three featurettes.
Deleted scenes with introductions from director John Glen.
"The Living Daylights" music video performed by A-Ha.
Original theatrical trailers.
Offers Spanish, French, German and Portuguese language dubbing and Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.
125 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 16--Licence to Kill (Over six hours of content)

Commentary with director John Glen and cast.
Commentary with producer Michael G. Wilson and crew.
Three featurettes.
"Licence to Kill" music video performed by Gladys Knight.
"If You Asked Me To" music video performed by Patti LaBelle.
Opening titles sequence.
Original theatrical trailers.
Photo galleries.
Offers no dubbed languages and no subtitles other than English.
133 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 17--GoldenEye (Over five hours of content)

Commentary with director Martin Campbell and producer Michael G. Wilson.
Eight featurettes.
Deleted scenes.
"GoldenEye" music video performed by Tina Turner.
Offers Spanish, French, German and Portuguese language dubbing and Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.
124 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 18--Tomorrow Never Dies (Over nine hours of content)

Commentary with director Roger Spottiswoode and Dan Petrie, Jr.
Commentary with Vic Armstrong and producer Michael G. Wilson.
Two featurettes.
Interview with composer David Arnold.
Deleted and extended scenes with introduction from director Roger Spottiswoode.
"Tomorrow Never Dies" music video performed by Sheryl Crow.
"The James Bond Theme" (Moby's Re-version).
Offers Spanish, French, German and Portuguese language dubbing and Spanish, French, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.
119 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 19--The World is Not Enough (Over six hours of content)

Commentary with director Michael Apted.
Commentary with Peter Lamont, David Arnold and Vic Armstrong.
Four featurettes.
Opening titles sequence.
"The World is Not Enough" music video performed by Garbage.
Deleted, extended and alternate scenes.
Original theatrical trailer.
Photo galleries.
Offers German, French and Czech language dubbing and German, French, Czech, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles.
128 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Letterboxed format.
Region free.

Disc 20--Die Another Day (Over eight hours of content)

Commentary with director Lee Tamahori and producer Michael G. Wilson.
Commentary with Pierce Brosnan and Rosamund Pike.
Five featurettes.
MI6 datastream trivia track with branching video.
Opening titles sequence.
Photo galleries.
Offers German, French, Spanish and Portuguese language dubbing and German, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Dutch, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles.
126 minutes run time.
2:35 aspect ratio.
Letterboxed format.
Region free.

Disc 21--Casino Royale (Over one hour of content)

Becoming Bond.
James Bond: For Real.
"You Know My Name" music video performed by Chris Cornell.
Offers Spanish, French, Italian and Portuguese language dubbing and Spanish, French, Castilian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Italian, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish subtitles.
138 minutes run time.
2:40 aspect ratio.
Widescreen format.
Region free.

Disc 22--Quantum of Solace (Over one hour of content)

Two featurettes.
"Another Way to Die" music video performed by Alicia Keys and Jack White.
Original theatrical trailers.
Offers English audio description, German, Spanish and Italian language dubbing and German, Castilian, Italian, Danish, Finnish, Norwegian and Swedish subtitles.
101 minutes run time.
2:40 aspect ratio.
Letterboxed format.
Region B only.