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MI6 reviews the two-disc 'Special Edition' Quantum
of Solace DVD, available in most countries around
the world this week...
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Quantum of Solace DVD Review
23rd March 2009
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 Special
Edition Quantum of Solace 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
With the benefit of a second disc to take what special features there are,
the movie has a lot of room to breathe on disc one. Compression artifacts
are almost impossible to find and the 2.40:1 transfer is stunning. There
are no signs of anti-aliasing or blockiness during even the most frenetic
action sequences. The blacks are deep and flesh tones are appropriate for
the locations and look realistic. The only criticism that can be leveled
against the video is the poor artistic choice of a small yellow font for
the subtitles during foreign dialogue. Menus
The discs menus blend the MI6 computer interface seen in
the film with photos of the cast and clips from the movie.
It is a nice touch to re-use some of the production design
from the film, and is very effective as a navigation
system.
Audio
Of the four audio tracks available (English 5.1 DTS and English, French and
Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital) the DTS is expectedly superior. The audio quality
is almost flawless and the mix is nicely balanced across the channels, giving
both the dialog and score a chance to co-exist. Some complained of difficulty
in hearing the dialog properly in the theatre, but that seems to have been
addressed here. The sub-woofer gets a good workout, but is used intelligently
and does not stand out unnecessarily as with the first DVD release of "Die
Another Day". Closed captions are available in English and Spanish.
Special Features
Bond on Location - The main feature on the disc,
this documentary contains interviews and set visits covering
all the important action sequences and locations. However,
most the content is recycled in the rest of featurettes
on the disc as they were cut for the EPK reels and official
website. (24:47) |
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Start of Shooting - A look at the first
few days of shooting, including the press visit to Pinewood and
Daniel Craig's stunt training for filming.
(2:56 min)
On Location - An overview of the locations visited by
the film crew with a focus on Baja, Mexico, for the filming of
the aerial battle. You will
be left in no doubt that ‘locations are like characters’ as
the point is repeated again from the longer Locations featurette.
(3:12)
Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase - Olga talks about
her training for the Bond movie, in particular her first major
action sequence the boat chase.
(2:11)
Director Marc Forster - talks about the film making process
on Quantum. Cast members and producer Michael G. Wilson reflect
about working with the director and his style. (2:44)
The Music - Film composer David Arnold briefly explains
the feeling behind the film’s score and includes a talking
heads feature with theme song collaborators Alicia Keys and Jack
White. This is by far the best of the shorter features as all
involved speak candidly without the fluff seen in the other pieces.
(2:35 min).
Crew Files - 34 video blogs released over the course
of production on the official Quantum of Solace website are included
on the DVD (46:15 total, including repeated titles). This will
be of interest to those who like to see the ins and outs of a
production, but may prove too tiresome for most.
There are also two trailers and the music
video for "Another Way To Die". Like almost all of the features on the discs, these
are also available online for free.
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Conclusion
As with Daniel Craig's first outing
as James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), the debut release
of Quantum of Solace on DVD will give fans exactly what
the title means - a small amount of comfort. While
the production, video and audio quality are all top notch
as you would expect from a 007 release, the style almost
manages to hide the lack of substance beyond the actual
movie on the two-disc
edition.
If you can wait for the second spin of
"Quantum of Solace" you will avoid double-dipping, as this
2-disc
'special edition'
is barely a notch above a standard release of the
film on DVD. Fans will no doubt
be disappointed for the lack of any commentary
track,
or the alternative ending that director Marc Forster
had promised. There will inevitably be a fully loaded
version of the movie released in the not too distant future
with additional content and original special features.
As almost all of the material in the
special features was released online or shown on television
during
the build-up
to the film’s theatrical release, the single-disc
edition is better value for those just wanting to watch
the movie again.
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MI6 Rating
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| Audio |
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| Special Features (Casual Viewers) |
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| Special Features (Fans) |
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