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MI6 reviews the two-disc 'Collectors Edition' Casino
Royale DVD and Blu-Ray, now available in the USA
and Canada...
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Casino Royale DVD Review
14th March 2007
You know the name. You know the number. You
also know about the film, it's story and the how it came to be,
so the MI6 review
of the Collectors Edition Casino
Royale
DVD will focus on the technical merits of the disc and the special
features - not a review of
the film
or a recap of its production
history.
Video
The quality of the transfer is fantastic with crisp sharp edges, perfect colour
balance and no noticeable encoding artifacts - helped in part by utilizing
the entire first disc for the film giving it plenty of space to breathe.
Explosions, fast cuts and the water sequences all look as good as they
did in the theatre. Blacks are deep and true, and there is no evidence
of softness on the image unless it was a creative effect. Casino Royale
is probably the best transfer of a James Bond film to date, and the Blu-Ray
edition displayed on a HD screen will not disappoint. Casino
Royale is
presented in a 2.40:1 anamorphic widescreen format.
Audio
The Dolby Digital 5.1 soundtrack is licenced to thrill - and annoy your neighbours
if you enjoy it to its fullest. The mix is extremely lively with the spot
effects delivered clearly during action sequences with the bass levels rocking,
but not excessively so. Levels are built up nicely through sequences and
not topped out at every opportunity like most action films. Dialogue sequences
are nicely delivered with no noise or perceptible volume changes. Language
track availability will vary by region, but the USA & Canada release
comes with a Spanish 5.1 track and French surround mix. Subtitles are provided
for English, Spanish and French in Region 1. |
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Above: The Region 1 (USA & Canada)
cover artwork for the Casino Royale DVD. Interestingly, it
uses
poster
artwork used for the international campaign in place of the
US one-sheet poster. |
Special Features
There are two schools of thought when it comes to the special
features on this edition of "Casino Royale". There
are those who are happy that the film is available to buy so
quickly after theatrical release and are more interested in
watching the film again, and there are those who were looking
forward to the additional material and documentaries. The latter
group will be sadly disappointed by this release, especially
if you live in the UK.
Above: Daniel Craig is James Bond |
Chris Cornell Music Video
A nice treat to see this video in its full glory, after most
fans only caught internet versions at the time of the films
release. The picture and sound quality is what you would expect
of a movie transfer.
Becoming Bond
A 30-minute documentary charting the origins of Casino Royale,
its various incarnations, the litany of legal wranglings over
the years, and Eon Production's final victory in securing the
rights to make the film part of the official franchise. Producers
Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli tell the story, with
Daniel Craig's
casting briefly covered by Martin Campbell.
Craig talks about his approach to the role and his training,
and the public reaction to his casting. Bond girl Eva
Green and MI6 regular Dame Judi Dench also provide sound bytes. This
documentary was originally broadcast on UK television in November
2006.
James Bond For Real
Just under 30 minutes, this documentary takes a close look at the stunt work
on the movie and the 'back to basics' approach the filmmakers took to give
Bond's action scenes a realistic and gritty look. The spotlight is thrown
on three key sequences in the film: the opening chase to the construction
site, the runway near-miss with the jet, and the sinking of the house in
Venice. This documentary was originally broadcast on UK television in November
2006.
Bond Girls Are Forever
Maryam d'Abo, who played
Kara Milovy in "The
Living Daylights", travels around the world
to interview past Bond Girls about their experience on
the films and what it means to be one of 007's leading
ladies. Interviewees include Maud
Adams, Ursula Andress, Halle
Berry, Honor Blackman, Lois
Chiles, Carey Lowell, Luciana
Paluzzi, Jane Seymour, Jill
St. John, and Michelle
Yeoh. This documentary was originally broadcast on
television around the world in 2002, and has been previously
distributed on DVD and various promotional tie-ins. Only
a few minutes of this 'updated' documentary is fresh,
with footage featuring new Bond girls Eva
Green and Caterina
Murino. |
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Commentary
Unforgivably, there is not a commentary track present on the
DVD. There is not even an 'MI6 data stream' feature that was
used for "Die Another Day" to
integrate cast and crew sound bytes with the ongoing narrative.
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Conclusion
For the vast majority of Bond fans, purchasing Casino Royale
on DVD, Blu-Ray or UMD is a given, and the picture
and sound quality are fantastic and will
not disappoint.
Sadly though, this edition is very light on special features,
especially considering it is a two-disc volume with plenty of capacity. The
two leading documentaries will already be familiar to UK viewers, and the
Bond Girls Are Forever feature has been over exposed. The
additional material adds
up to approximately 100 minutes and will leave most fans wanting.
There are
no audio commentary tracks, 'making of' documentary (as seen on the Special
and Ultimate Editions of previous films), photo galleries, cut scenes,
press conferences, trailers, TV spots, screen tests, or
publicity materials....
The
message is clear: prepare to be 'double dipped' by a fuller edition down
the road with more special features, most likely to
coincide with the release of
Bond 22 in theatres next year - leaving this "Collectors Edition" to
collect dust in a year's time. |
MI6 Rating
Video |
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Audio |
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Special Features |
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