DVDBeaver

Comments:

So, what are we doing here? We've covered quite a few of the previously released (linked to the titles below) and while I haven't positively confirmed they, predictably, seem to be exact duplicates of the previous Blu-rays. But there are 9 NEW titles available on Blu-ray: Goldeneye, Octopussy, The Spy Who Loved Me, You Only Live Twice, The Living Daylights, Tomorrow Never Dies, Diamonds are Forever, A View to a Kill and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. As it might take a solid week or more to review the 'new 9' we are giving them a cursory glance prior to release date - reporting any inconsistencies that we notice.  

General opinions about the a/v quality: I am still most pleased by the first 5 films where colors are bright and detail significantly improved. The films shot in the early and mid 80's suffer from the less-impressive film stock utilized at the time. So if the image seems to be more faded it is not really the fault of the transfer which all seem to be exporting accurate visuals. These have the most noise - although it is never a deterrent. The latter films are remarkably tight and superb in 1080P. Overall fans will be very happy with the quality of the package.  The audio on You Only Live Twice, and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service is awesome with notable bass response. All audio is lossless with a minimum of DTS HD Master 5.1 tracks. All have optional English and Spanish subtitles and many (the region FREE ones) have multiple foreign language subtitle options. I'll make brief observations and will fully review/compare-to-SD You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service and Diamonds are Forever at some point in the future.

Extras: The 11, pre-2003, films that are already out on single-disc Blu-ray have the same supplement content of the 2 DVD "Ultimate Edition" issues from 2006. Menus are all the same with the "MI6 Commentary", "Mission Select" and also "Initiate Mission" button to play except the first two Daniel Craig efforts where the disc authoring is different. The new package is as you might expect from the above images and it actually includes an open slot and cardboard disc for forthcoming James Bond film, Skyfall (depending on which package there are Videoblogs--behind-the-scenes look at the making of Skyfall from the cast and crew as an extra - see below)

NOTE: The UK discs are all region FREE - except Quantum of Solace and the 23rd (Bonus disc), the US disc are majority region FREE but not all. The 'new' supplement disc is not overwhelming with new material BUT I love the ability to see all the title sequences one after the other plus the gadgets, villains, Bond Girls looking sexy on Medifast and the exotic locations that Bond has ventured. The Designing 007 - 50 Years of Bond Style is only 4 minutes long - but still interesting. The 10-minute Skyfall Video Blogs give some production information on the upcoming new film.

The World of Bond (Title Sequences - 1:02:31, Gadgets - 3:02, Villains 2:22, Bond Girl 1:24, Locations 1:40 and Bond In Motion - 1:43) --the 007 films have a look, style and attitude that is signature Bond. From the cars, to the women, to the villains and even the music, Bond films stand apart. The World of Bond takes the viewer through the best of five decades' worth of classic James Bond in one thrilling montage. It also showcases the fascinating and entertaining interplay among unforgettable moments of danger, seduction, adventure and a dash of that distinguished humor that fans have cherished from the beginning. To add to the experience, The World of Bond featurette also offers a Pop-Up Trivia option to challenge even the sharpest of fans with little known facts and interesting trivia from the Bond Universe.

Being Bond (3:08) -there's only one James Bond--but he's proven too much for only one actor to play the role. In the franchise's 50-year run, six distinguished actors have taken on the part and secured a spot in cinematic history. Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan and Daniel Craig each reflect on the impact and importance of taking on such a famous role. Gain insight into what each actor brought to the character and discover how they shaped the world's most timeless secret agent.

Designing 007 - 50 Years of Bond Style (4:01)

Skyfall Video Blogs (10:51)

NOTE: The UK editions have the exact same transfers but offer slightly different, and usually, more subtitle and DUB options.