Review(s): DVD James Bond Ultimate Collection Vol. 2 (A View to a Kill / Thunderball / Die Another Day / The Spy Who Loved Me / License to Kill)
A deluxe compilation
Phase II of the 007 film recapitulation gives the viewer access to five James Bond movies (Thunderball, The Spy Who Loved Me, View to a Kill, Die Another Day, and License to Kill). The restored quality of these films is fantastic, and the added bonus features takes the compilation to a higher level. When you watch these films, keep in mind the times they were created in before you pass them off as sophomoric. The technology we have to today, and fictionally used in more recent 007 movies, was not imaginable during the early sixties and seventies.
The criticism that comes from other reviewers over not having the option of purchasing these films separately is justified. For someone like me, who had only two previous Bond movies in his collection, the redundancy is not so numerous. But for those who were purchasing these films as they were released (first on VHS then on DVD), but are missing a few films, now have to purchase the complete volume to fill in the gaps. To those I say DON'T WORRY: like the Lord of the Rings, Star Wars, and Indiana Jones, after they've milked the consumer with the compilations, they'll try again with individual DVD's. Just make sure you get them fast for they go out of circulation quickly.
Great restoration, lousy packaging
The restoration work on the movies is extraordinary. What is not is extraordinary is the packaging of the movies. Why are all the movies randomly put together?
These DVD come in a wafer thin cases popular now, the individual dvd booklets do not fit in the DVD case. Instead they fit loosely in the collection's box.
On the whole the collection feels cheap, its not but it feels that way. The DVDs are a great improvement over the last release, but the Bond bootleg DVDs that flooded the marked last year had better overall quality and packaging. Even the art work on these DVDs appear amateurish.
What is most disappointing is there is no way to display the collection. After seeing the UK release of the collection the American DVD collection is major let down.
It's Bond--And Beyond!
I, for one, have no objection to this new packaging of the beautifully remastered films and their lavish extras. This series is like the old joke about pizza (and sex)--even when it's not-so-good, it's still pretty good. These films are such a big, big part of our culture--all of them. All the actors playing Bond. The whole shebang. I appreciate that there are those out there who only want certain titles--and they should be available that way--but I say, "Bring 'em all on!" I'm loving this collection!
THUNDERBALL has terrific underwater battles. THE SPY WHO LOVED ME has Jaws and Carly Simon's song. A VIEW TO A KILL is pretty bad. LICENCE TO KILL isn't much better, but Robert Davi is a great villain. DIE ANOTHER DAY has that dumb invisible car and the smart, very visible Halle Berry.
Related DVD's James Bond Ultimate Collection Vol. 2 (A View to a Kill / Thunderball / Die Another Day / The Spy Who Loved Me / License to Kill)
GOLDFINGER never looked or sounded better. They did an outstanding job. The KungFu out-takes on THE MAN WITH THE GOLDEN GUN were outstanding. Those two girls were the real thing. The remastered sound on DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER raised this Connery Bond film to a new level. This is a great volume. More Info about this DVD Director(s): Guy Hamilton - Michael Apted DVD Release Date: Released the 07 November 2006 Usually ships in 6 to 12 days
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Dr. No: Released in 1962, this first James Bond movie remains one of the best, and serves as an entertaining reminder that the Bond series began (in keeping with Ian Fleming's novels) with a surprising lack of gadgetry and big-budget fireworks. Sean Connery was just 32 years old when he won the role of Agent 007. In his first adventure James Bond is called to Jamaica where a colleague and secretary have been mysteriously killed. With an American CIA agent (Jack Lord, pre-Hawaii Five-O), they discover that the nefarious Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman) is scheming to blackmail the U.S. government with a device capable of deflecting and destroying U.S. rockets launched... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 12 December 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Goldeneye: The 18th James Bond adventure was a runaway box-office success when released in 1995, thanks to the arrival of Pierce Brosnan as the fifth actor (following the departure of Timothy Dalton) to play the suave, danger-loving Agent 007. This James Bond is a bit more vulnerable and psychologically complex--and just a shade more politically correct--but he's still a formally attired playboy at heart, with a lovely Russian beauty (Izabella Scorupco) as his sexy ally against a cadre of renegade Russians bent on--what else?--global domination. There's also a seductive villainous with the suggestive name of Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), and the great actress Judi... More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 12 December 2006 Usually ships in 24 hours
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To my disbelief, what I got are two copies of the 2nd disc of Superman Returns. The disc "You Will Believe: The Cinematic Saga of Superman" is not included. How do Warner will go about it? More Info about this DVD DVD Release Date: Released the 28 November 2006 This item is currently not available.
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After years of enduring Roger Moore in the role of James Bond, it was good to have Sean Connery back in this 1983 film for a one-time-only trip down 007's memory lane. Connery's Bond, a bit of a dinosaur in the British secret service at (then) 52, is still in demand during times of crisis. Sadly, the film is not very good. In this rehash of Thunderball, Bond is pitted against a worthy underwater villain (Klaus Maria Brandauer); and while the requisite Bond Girls include beauties Kim Basinger and Barbara Carrera, they can't save the movie. The script has several truly dumb passages, among them a (gasp) video-game duel between 007 and his nemesis that now looks utterly anachronistic. For Connery fans, however, this widescreen print of the Irvin Kershner (The Empire Strikes... More Info about this DVD Director(s): Irvin Kershner DVD Release Date: Released the 17 October 2000 Usually ships in 24 hours
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Dr. No: Released in 1962, this first James Bond movie remains one of the best, and serves as an entertaining reminder that the Bond series began (in keeping with Ian Fleming's novels) with a surprising lack of gadgetry and big-budget fireworks. Sean Connery was just 32 years old when he won the role of Agent 007. In his first adventure James Bond is called to Jamaica where a colleague and secretary have been mysteriously killed. With an American CIA agent (Jack Lord, pre-Hawaii Five-O), they discover that the nefarious Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman) is scheming to blackmail the U.S. government with a device capable of deflecting and destroying U.S. rockets launched... 
Goldeneye: The 18th James Bond adventure was a runaway box-office success when released in 1995, thanks to the arrival of Pierce Brosnan as the fifth actor (following the departure of Timothy Dalton) to play the suave, danger-loving Agent 007. This James Bond is a bit more vulnerable and psychologically complex--and just a shade more politically correct--but he's still a formally attired playboy at heart, with a lovely Russian beauty (Izabella Scorupco) as his sexy ally against a cadre of renegade Russians bent on--what else?--global domination. There's also a seductive villainous with the suggestive name of Xenia Onatopp (Famke Janssen), and the great actress Judi...