MI6 Reviews the new James Bond Ultimate Edition DVD of the 1962 outing "Dr. No"...

DVD Review - Dr. No
16th February 2007

The James Bond movies have been brought into the 21st century with special 5.1 surround sound remastering, new film transfers and extra special features in the "Ultimate Editions" series. MI6 reviews the films and each of these features along with all the special new content.

Official Blurb
His name is Bond, James Bond. And here, in his explosive film debut, Ian Fleming’s immortal action hero blazes through one of his most spectacular adventures. Sean Connery embodies the suave yet lethal cool of Agent 007 as he battles the mysterious Dr. No, a scientific genius bent on destroying the U.S. space program.

Data Stream
Region: 2
Release Date: 17th July 2006
Running Time: 105 minutes
Screen Format: 1.66:1 Anamorphic Widescreen Transfer
Soundtracks: English Dolby Digital 5.1, DTS 5.1
Subtitles: English, English Captions, Greek, Danish, Dutch, Finish, Hindi, Norwegian, Swedish.

Audio Specs
English Dolby Digital 5.1 (448Kb/s)
English DTS 5.1 (768Kb/s)
English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0

 

Video
A respectable effort has been made in the restoration of "Dr. No". Some of the outlines in the composite shots remain obvious (fans will distinctly remember the quality of Bond’s mountaintop car chase). However, most of these scenes have been significantly sharpened and are looking quite good considering the age of this reel! On the whole, colour and skin tone are much improved, but the title sequence seems to lack the brightness and flare it once appeared with.

Audio
There are very few noticeable differences between the previously available Dolby Soundtrack and the newly released DTS edition. In both cases the dialogue is clear easy to follow and the music and foley lend nicely to the Jamaican atmosphere. The surround sound is used sparingly in both editions, yet this never detracts from the enjoyment of "Dr. No".

On The DVD

  • TOP LEVEL ACCESS
  • 007: License to Restore - Featurette Detailing the BOND Ultimate Edition Film Restoration Process
  • DECLASSIFIED: MI6 VAULT
  • The Guns of James Bond
  • Premiere Bond
  • 007 MISSION CONTROL
  • Interactive Guide Into the World of Dr. No
  • THE COMPLETE SPECIAL FEATURES LIBRARY - MISSION DOSSIER
  • Audio Commentary Featuring Director Terence Young and Members of the Cast and Crew
  • Inside Dr. No
  • Terence Young: Bond Vivant
  • Dr. No 1963 Featurette
  • MINISTRY OF PROPAGANDA, Original Trailers, TV Spots & Radio Communications
 

New Bonus Features
007: License to Restore - A detailed account on the restoration and colour re-toning of the James Bond DVDs for "Ultimate Edition" release.

The Guns of James Bond - The story of the real Geoffrey Boothroyd, who, with his interest and knowledge of guns, contacted and advised Ian Fleming of his errors in choice of gun for 007. The footage is black and white and very flickery, but is an interesting feature.

Premiere Bond - Modern day Bond producer, Michael G. Wilson narrates a documentary featuring the history of Bond film premieres, featuring a slideshow of still, black & white photographs of these events.

One Last Thing...
Of the many cut scenes over the years, Ursula Andress being tortured by crabs is one of the most famous. The scene was cut when the lethargic crabs failed to exhibit much menace, and Honey was to be slowly drowned instead. Only a couple of stills remain, so no "cut scenes" feature appears here. Documentaries and features are slim on the ground on this “Ultimate Edition” DVD. Could the powers that be not have included a wider range of Bond factoids or retrospective documentaries?

MI6 Rating

Video
Audio
Special Features
Overall

Related Articles
"Dr. No" Ultimate Edition DVD
"Dr. No" MI6 Movie Coverage

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