James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 2 (A View to a Kill / Thunderball / Die Another Day / The Spy Who Loved Me / Licence to Kill)
by John Glen, Lee Tamahori, Lewis Gilbert, Terence Young
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Halle Berry, Pierce Brosnan, Robert Davi, Rosamund Pike, Timothy DaltonDirector: John Glen, Lee Tamahori, Lewis Gilbert, Terence Young
Brand: TCFHE/MGM
Writer: Christopher Wood
Writer: Ian Fleming
Writer: Jack Whittingham
Writer: John Hopkins
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Unknown), DTS 5.1; English (Subtitled); Spanish (Subtitled); French (Subtitled); Spanish (Original Language)
Format: Color, DVD, NTSC, Subtitled
Picture Format: 2.35:1
Running Time: 642 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2006-11-07
Audience Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Studio: MGM (Video & DVD)
Movie Reviews of James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 2 (A View to a Kill / Thunderball / Die Another Day / The Spy Who Loved Me / Licence to Kill)
Movie Review: The James Bonds Hit Peaks and Valleys In Volume 2
Summary: 5 Stars
ULTIMATE EDITION INTRO (applies to all 4 Volumes)
I think fans need to accept that James Bond 007 won't be divided into chronological DVD sets, anymore. Because these movies are drastically different from each other in terms of style, plot, background, and audiences' & critics' reception... the most sensible move is to divide them up. Thankfully, all of the special features from older DVDs, plus some new bonus content, are on these Ultimate Edition sets.
VOLUME 2
Like the other volumes, you basically get a mix of good movies and lesser movies. On the postive side, you get the absolute best of the Roger Moore 007 movies, and the better of the two Timothy Dalton feature films. On the regrettable side, some of my least favorite Bond movies are included, one from Sean Connery, Roger Moore, & Pierce Brosnan each movies are included. They're not as bad as the 1950s "Casino Royale" TV broadcast, so we might finish this volume unscathed.
THUNDERBALL (1965 - Movie #4)
---All critical reviews and audience forums aside, this is still one of the most financially successful 007 pictures of all time. I'm not quite sure what it was, but there's a lot to like about it, with some glaring problems holding it back. I often have mixed feelings about "Thunderball". On the one hand, we get to see 007 in the exotic Nassau Islands trying to locate two hijacked nuclear warheads before NATO must reply to a ransom demand. The women are beautiful, the gadgets are pretty nifty (underwater breathing tube), the villain is convincingly sinister (albeit one-note), and the underwater action sequences are impressive. On the other hand, there's some lazy writing going on here. Isn't it a huge coincidence that James Bond happens to be at the same health clinic where the evil SPECTRE organization happens to be executing one part of their plan? And isn't it a huge coincidence that a double-crossed Air Force captain's sister just happens to be the mistress of the main villain, and that James Bond is the only one who notices the connection to the recent hijacking during the intelligence briefing? And what's with the numerous opportunities that the villains have to kill James Bond, but instead continue to pretend as if he's no major threath while he snoops around? I know I'm bashing this movie a lot, but even though 007 pictures tend to exist 'in the moment', there are some serious logical gaps going on here. When all is said and done, "Thunderball" is a solid thriller, but those thrills come at a price. (7.0 / 10)
THE SPY WHO LOVED ME (1977 - Movie #10)
---Okay, enough complaining from me (for now). This is one of my favorite movies in the entire 007 franchise, and I think most fans and critics will agree. The whole movie just feels like a new beginning with all sorts of sequences just clicking, one after another. We get a strong female protagonist in Anya Amasova (a terrific Barbara Bach), the Russian Agent XXX who races against James Bond to recover a submarine tracking system. We have a more subtlely menacing villain in Stromberg, a man whose love for the sea comes with a dangerous sense of global justice. We have a kicking music score from Marvin Hamlisch, complete with the wonderful title song "Nobody Does It Better". One of the more iconic henchmen in Jaws is introduced in this movie; he was so popular that (SPOILER) they brought him back in "Moonraker". The set design from Ken Adam hits a new high when Stromberg's fortress(es) are magnificently revealed. The fight scenes are more rugged than in the past few Bond pictures. The action on the whole is stellar, complete with a car chase that goes underwater (SWEET!) and a massive gunfight between two armies. And finally there's a nice love story between Anya & Bond with a painful connection that neither is aware of. I will admit that Roger Moore's one-liners are a bit excessive. For example, when Jaws is demolishing their escape van, apparently Bond has time for about 6 smartmouth comments before worrying about escaping. But on the whole, this whole movie is terrific entertainment, regardless if you're a 007 fan or not. (9.0 / 10)
A VIEW TO A KILL (1985 - Movie #14)
---Unfortunately, this final outing from Roger Moore as 007 gives Moore-haters plenty of ammunition. I personally like this movie, although I'll admit there's a lot wrong with it. Regarding Roger Moore, I liked him in the role --- I love all the James Bonds, actually --- but by his own admission, he was way too old for this movie. I didn't mind his age in his previous movies, because it gave me a wiser 007 who still had a sense of humor. But this time, he looks really goofy in certain scenes. The movie gets off on the wrong foot in a number of ways. The older James Bond is skiing and snowboarding in the pre-title sequence's high-speed ("California Girls?!". Duran Duran's title song is undermined by ridiculous imagery (what do neon, ice sculptures, and blazing fire have to do with the plot at all?). The villains Max Zorin (the always-entertaining Christopher Walken) and May Day (a creepy Grace Jones) aren't very well-introduced. And worst of all, James Bond makes some really silly mistakes when going undercover at Zorin's chateau stables, mostly in part to a kinda-dumb sidekick played by Patrick Macnee. But once Agent 007 gets to California to get close to Zorin's operation, and once Zorin reveals his evil plot, then the movie really gets good with some solid action scenes and an unusual plot. Everyone has their own opinions on which Bond movies are good, and why certain ones don't work. With this one, I understand the negative reviews, but I get bothered when people say, "This isn't a James Bond movie." To me, it is. Just because this 007 story takes place in America with more believable locations doesn't make it any less Bond-ish. The Bond ingredients are here: action scenes, beautiful women, evil villain with a deadly plan, a mystery to find out what it's all about...I think if people got over the American setting, "A View To A Kill" wouldn't be as harshly criticized...Well, the second half anyway. (6.5 / 10)
LICENCE TO KILL (1989 - Movie #16)
---Before I sing endless praises on one of my favorites, let me be the first to admit that is hardly a James Bond movie at all. The charm, sophistication, tongue-in-cheek humor, and sense of fun are pretty much tossed out the window. This is a hard-edged revenge movie with Bond going after a ruthless drug lord, who exacts his power in the most violent ways. The brief moments of humor are more of a sigh of relief rather than a joyous occasion. In fact, a couple of one-liners are chilling, particularly when Franz Sanchez speaks them. Robert Davi plays Sanchez, a man whose cool composure simply mesmerizes me, considering how vicious he can be. The movie begins when CIA buddy Felix Leiter's wedding takes a slight detour when they finally have a chance to capture Sanchez. But when he escapes, his retribution sends Bond on a personal vendetta. The way Bond manipulates the key players in Sanchez's army is quite brilliant, in my opinion. And when things go wrong, the action totally delivers. The final truck chase sequence is just about pitch-perfect. The two female leads take a bit of getting used to, because one's an abused mistress while the other is a tough informant who's not afraid to get her hands dirty. The sexuality of the two women is unusual: one uses it as a coping method, the other as an inconvenient tactic. "Licence To Kill" isn't perfect, mostly because there are about 3 times when Bond insists on working alone, only to desperately need the aid of others time and again. It takes too long for Bond to realize "there's more than [his] personal vendetta." But aside from those missteps, "Licence To Kill" is one of my favorite action movies. It may not belong in the James Bond series 100%, but with the intense Timothy Dalton as the hero, I couldn't care less. One final note - this is the uncut version, with a few added seconds of gore & violence added to the more memorable violent scenes. To be sure, this version would've received an 'R' rating, although those are the only changes. (8.5 / 10)
DIE ANOTHER DAY (2002 - Movie #20)
---If there's a mixed bag in the 007 franchise, this final outing from Pierce Brosnan is definitely it. I don't think there's another movie in this franchise that I both love and hate as much as I do with this one. For every moment that blows my imaginations wild, there's another to make me cry, "What were they thinking?" For every funny one-liner, there are 5 too many. For all the sexiness in Halle Berry's Jinx, there's some blaxploitation vibe that rubs me the wrong way. I can't tell if the villains are supposed to be taken seriously or not, because one of them engages in a father/son mourning while donning space armor & goggles. This is a movie where every single idea is thrown to the wall, and everyone has a different opinion about how much of it sticks. I love the invisible car that is used to engage in a high-octane duel amidst a crumbling ice palace; others think that whole sentence is preposterous. I think the opening parts of this movie take some neat chances with their action setups and evolution of the Bond character; others can't even get past Madonna's unusual title song. I love how a fencing duel goes horribly awry; many think it's one of many problems with the movie. To explain the plot is pointless, because it goes in so many crazy directions that I might ruin the fun and/or torture for you. I think the best and worst thing to say about "Die Another Day" is that it was so outlandish that EON Productions was forced to go back to the drawing board with 2006's "Casino Royale". I personally enjoy the carefree spirit of this 40th anniversary feature film, but I don't blame people who think this movie totally disgraced the 007 film franchise. (7.0 / 10)
VOLUME 2 RECAP
---If you think Volume 1 is all over the map, Volume 2 goes beyond the map. From the underwater mystery of "Thunderball" to the uncut version of the revenge thriller in "Licence To Kill", from the sharply-constructed "Spy Who Loved Me" to the less-remarkable "A View To A Kill", from the sheer audacity in "Die Another Day" to the sheer lunacy in "Die Another Day". To call Volume 2 a mixed bag is an understatement. If you're looking for the low-key espionage tales of the Cold War, move along. James Bond explores all sorts of horizons here. And while his reach sometimes exceeds his grasp, I think there's enough here to warrant a purchase.
7.0 > Thunderball (1965)
9.0 > The Spy Who Loved Me (1977)
6.5 > A View To A Kill (1985)
8.5 > Licence To Kill (1989)
7.0 > Die Another Day (2002)
More James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 2 (A View to a Kill / Thunderball / Die Another Day / The Spy Who Loved Me / Licence to Kill) reviews:
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Summary of James Bond Ultimate Edition - Vol. 2 (A View to a Kill / Thunderball / Die Another Day / The Spy Who Loved Me / Licence to Kill)
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