NOTE: These Blu-ray captures were taken directly from the Blu-ray disc.

Firstly, the five OS 117 films are on three separate Blu-ray discs, so they are essentially single-layered transfers. They are all 1080P with mid-20s bitrates and look consistent. Bond fans will recognize the similarities of plots, settings and sequences. It also appears that Matt Helm and Derek Flint have cross-overs - foreign countries, gadgets, sexy women (occasional as 'femme fatale' villains), hand-hand combat, and, at time, world-threatening, super-rich, baddies or internationally powerful organizations.

Video: These are all competent transfers - visible textures and maintaining the integrity of the original aspect ratios. Mission to Tokyo having some teal-leaning and Double Agent (Pas de Roses pour OSS 117) looking occasionally thin, but generally the presentations are pleasing without digital manipulation. The image is clean - brighter colors with some depth and impressive detail in close-ups. I found no fatal complaints whatsoever with the transferred image quality which is extremely consistent and, notably, superior to SD. I suspect these are the same or very similar to the Gaumont Blu-rays out of France - and these Kino BDs start with that logo.

Kino use DTS-HD Master 2.0 channel tracks (16-bit) - four in French and the last film in English. There are audio effects from cars, and helicopters to man-on-man fighting - with weapons - plus some gunshots. There is depth but it isn't a notable part of the presentations as the aggressive requirements are minimal. The first four films have scores by Michel Magne (Vice and Virtue aka "Le vice et la vertu", Monsieur Gangster, Angélique, Angelique and the Sultan) with the final film composed by Italian composer and jazz musician Piero Piccioni (The Fox with a Velvet Tail, Three Brothers, The 10th Victim, Adua and Her Friends, Hands Over the City, L'assassino, The Moment of Truth) There are optional English subtitles on all films (see samples below.) The Blu-ray discs are all Region 'A'-locked.  

There are only three trailers - OSS 117 Is Unleashed, Panic in Bangkok and Mission for a Killer -, on the last disc, as supplements. I think the Gaumont Blu-rays have extras but I've been told they are not English-friendly.

So what do you get? 5 cracking good spy-adventure flics - imperfect but with a versatile hero. Great leads - we have two features with Kerwin Mathews (The 3 Worlds of Gulliver) as OSS 177, two with Frederick Stafford (Werewolf Woman) and the last with John Gavin (Douglas Sirk's A Time to Love and a Time to Die.) What about the gals? Mylène Demongeot, Nadia Sanders, Irina Demick (The Sicilian Clan), Pier Angeli, Dominique Wilms, Marina Vlady, Jitsuko Yoshimura (recall her from Kaneto Shindô's Onibaba?), Margaret Lee (Slaughter Hotel), one of my favorites; Luciana Paluzzi (Thunderball, The Green Slime, A Black Veil For Lisa) and, of course, Rosalba Neri (Two Males For Alexa). Support from Curd Jürgens (The Enemy Below), George Eastman (Delerium), Robert Hossein (Cemetery Without Crosses) and many others.

I really enjoyed these although it took one full viewing to appreciate the stylish character. I think there is some good value here for fans. Recommended!

Gary W. Tooze