DR.NO (DVD Review) - 22/7/06

It really was about time they got around to doing this and we now get the new release of the "James Bond Ultimate Edition". Each film (particularly the early ones; and in the case of Dr. No which is now over 40 years old, a brand new clean up) has been frame-by-frame digitally restored and revamped with either option of DTS or Dolby 5.1. Sound. Not only were the films from Dr. No to Live & Let Die all in very bad mono sound they were all in pretty bad condition - Not any more! Dr. No is absolutely crystal clear and pristine - It looks fantastically fresh and crisp and the colour quality is top notch. With the re-done soundtrack in 5.1. we get a totally sharp and precise selection of sounds that match the picture quality and I only wish they had done this a few year's back. Of course you also get a new 8-page booklet with this set and a new re-design of the covers - Early editions have an outer cardboard sleeve which is a match to the cover. The excellent sound and picture now matches the quality of the extras which were produced for the original single-disc DVD release a while ago and the best bit of these are the Patrick Macnee "Making Ofs.." which I was really hoping for and these are now part of the Ultimate Editions 2-Disc DVD Sets. SPECIAL FEATURES: 007: License To Restore - Featurette Detailing the Bond U.E. Film Restoration Process. Original featurettes - The Guns Of James Bond/Premiere Bond. 007 Mission Control - Filler - AVOID. Audio Commentary. Inside Dr. No. Terence Young: Bond Vivant. Dr. No 1963 Featurette. Original Trailers, TV/Radio Spots and Photo Gallery. Rating: PG Region 2 (UK) DVD. 2-Disc Ultimate Edition. Sound: DTS/Dolby 5.1. Subtitles: English (Feature Only) and European. Aspect Ratio: 1.66:1 Widescreen 16x9. Colour PAL. Runtime: 1 Hour 45 Mins. Approx. SONY PICTURES Home Entertainment. United Artists. MGM. D1-54038-UK-S/MDR 54038 UE/ISBN # 5035822403895>