Blu-ray Movie Reviews

When his top-secret mission is sabotaged, James Bond finds himself captured by the enemy, abandoned by MI6 and stripped of his 00-license. Determined to get revenge, Bond goes head-to-head with a sultry spy, a frosty agent and a shadowy billionaire whose business is diamonds...but whose secret is a diabolical weapon that could bring the world to its knees!

This was the last Bond film before the reboot Casino Royale and ultimately it is one of the worst films in the series in my opinion. The series had regressed to REALLY bad one liners and gadgets galore and this last installment seemed to get the worst of it in all areas. It still managed some great action sequences and Brosnan did the best he could with the material, but I still call this one a black eye for the series and one I would rather forget.

The HD presentation is good but not quite to reference caliber. The image has a hard look to it with some minor ringing appearing from time to time. Depth of image is quite satisfying and overall detail is quite good, though slightly processed looking. Contrast levels are satisfying and the film manages a nice sense of dimension throughout.

The 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix is quite aggressive and makes full use of the surround soundstage. Dynamic range is quite impressive at times with outstanding extension in the lower range. Imaging across the main channels is seamless and the rear soundstage comes into play quite a bit. Dialogue is balanced nicely within the main soundstage and tonal balance is dead on. This is probably the highlight of the film.

Extras include a pair of audio commentaries and a collection of production features that look at the film’s story and techno wizardry. There is also a trivia track and an interactive look at the film and its locations.

While the A/V presentation holds up well, this film is still one of the weaker Bond features. With so many great films in this series I just can’t imagine recommending this one.