Search - The James Bond Collection, Vol. 3 (Special Edition) on DVD

A weak gift set

Simon | Brampton, ON | 10/07/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"I thought the purpose of breaking up these Bond DVDs into seemingly random volume collections was so that the lesser Bond films wouldn't be stuck in a box together. However, that's just what they ended up doing with this set.The two greats here are Thunderball and On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Thunderball shows Bond mania at the top of its game, and while the underwater sequences are dragged out, this is still essential Bond. And say what you will about Lazenby, but OHMSS has story, heart, as well as action and beautiful girls. It's one of the most original films in the series.Not to dump on Roger Moore, but unfortunately the stinkers in this set are all from him. Live and Let Die, for its occasionally quirkiness, is stil sub-par. Octopussy starts out promising but quickly becomes too convoluted for its own good. And only a good theme song and the appearance of Christopher Walken make A View to a Kill watchable.And Die Another Day? Whether it's good or not isn't the point. Chances are most Bond fans already snagged their copy when the DVD arrived in stores earlier this year. Instead of releasing this set at the same time, MGM wants you to buy the disc again. This set is for die-hard fans only. The great extras on these discs don't compensate for sub-par Bond movies and a bad marketing maneuver. Get Thunderball and OHMSS seperately."

Not closed captioned in English

Lonnie E. Holder | 03/15/2004

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I bought this box set as a birthday present for a friend who is hard of hearing, thinking that he could use the closed caption option.I was shocked to find that all the DVD's in all of the James Bond boxed sets are NOT closed captioned in English!
They are only closed captioned in French and Spanish.How can they sell these these DVDs in the USA, label them as "closed captioned" and not state on the box that they are NOT closed captioned in English?"

Not the classics, but definitely the fun ones!!

Wes Saylors Jr. | Boone, North Carolina | 04/09/2004

(4 out of 5 stars)

"With the exception of Diamonds Are Forever, there really hasn't been a Bond that wasn't at least a lot of fun:THUNDERBALL: Probably Connery's best performance as Bond. This one is "more Bond than Bond" and it works very hard to please and mostly succeeds. The final underwater battle could be trimmed a bit.OHMSS: Okay, this is the greatest Bond movie ever. It is the only one that could really be called "epic." Sure, the other movies are huge, but this one feels epic. Lazenby is the most physical Bond and in many ways the most likeable. The scene where he loses his wife at the end is one of the best Bond moments ever.LIVE AND LET DIE: This movie suffers from Diamonds-are-forever syndrome. LALD is big and exotic but it feels static (like DIAMONDS before it). However, Roger Moore's introduction as Bond is funny and sets the tone for his interpretation thereafter. Yaphet Kotto and his henchmen all make terrific villains, too (especially Tee Hee).VIEW TO A KILL: This is more "classic Bond" than some are willing to admit. It is a lean, no-gadgets movie that is, in the best tradition of Moore, witty, exciting and stylish. It is also the only Bond to film in America (San Francisco) and actually make good use of its American locations. A fine swan song for Roger Moore's 007.OCTOPUSSY: Very cold war. This movie also dishes up the most bizarre imagery since YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE. The beginning gives us a clown being chased by twin knife throwers deep inside the Eastern Bloc. This movie owes more to Indiana Jones than other Bonds and it is a lot of fun for it. Definitely a top notch Bond.DIE ANOTHER DAY: Brosnan is great as Bond (though he doesn't actually make a likeable Bond). This movie is very huge and there is a lot to like. But owing to its hugeness (and the fact that the Brosnan Bonds no longer have the great creative stable of writers Michael Wilson and Richard Maibaum and director John Glen) it is an uneven movie. The Bonds keep getting bigger but that may not ultimately work in their favor. Still, this movie tries hard and the results are mostly enjoyable.So ... this isn't a rummage sale of okay Bonds. There's good stuff here. Lots of fun to be had and a collection that is worth the price of admission."

Why should I not wait 1.5 more years?

Wes Saylors Jr. | 12/03/2003

(2 out of 5 stars)

"When the dts-remastered versions of all the Bond films come out in 2005 with more features? They're being remastered right now.Ever wonder why Die Another Day and The World is Not Enough, good DVDs as they are, didn't include deleted/extended/alternate scenes? Probably because they're part of the rereleases."