Bond, James Bond
Collecting the six `official' movies featuring Bond number one, Sean Connery:

Dr No: James Bond's cinematic debut is an exotic mystery with a few classic moments along the way; Sean Connery's introduction and the shot of Ursula Andress walking out of the sea have passed into cinematic legend, whilst the film itself is an involving adventure, and a close adaptation of the original novel. Joseph Wiseman's Dr No is a fine villain, and Jack Lord's Felix Leiter was never bettered either.

From Russia With Love: Simply put, the finest of the Bond series; this movie provided the benchmark by which all future Bond films would be judged. A well-plotted cold war thriller, it features career-best performances from Connery and Pedro Armendariz, and a chilling turn by Robert Shaw as the SPECTRE killer. With great action scenes involving brutal hand-to-hand combat, a lack of gadgets and puns, and a frank attitude towards sex, the movie has more in common with films like The Ipcress File and The Quiller Memorandum than with the overblown fantasies that followed in it the Bond canon. One of the best films of the 1960s.

Goldfinger: The previous movie in the series is ever so slightly the better film, but the one that set the template for all the Bond movies to come was Goldfinger, an iconic piece of sixties culture that saw Connery and the entire Bond team at the top of their creative game. Full of iconic moments, great lines, superb performances, and well-handled action, it is a Bank Holiday TV perennial; if From Russia With Love is the critics' favourite, Goldfinger is the fans' favourite.

Thunderball: Connery's first dud in the Bond series was also the first `event' Bond movie, going out to prove that bigger was better, and in this case, failing. Connery's thinning hair will raise a smile, and Luciana Paluzzi's nymphomaniac villainess will raise something else, but the film itself is a smug, uninvolving piece of formulaic movie-making; the underwater climax is overlong to the point of being dull, and the editing is all over the place. Good theme song from Tom Jones, though.

You Only Live Twice: Connery was irritated by the Bond role by this point, and wears his frustration on his face in many scenes, but You Only Live Twice is still an exciting, enjoyably daft Bond adventure, with the great Donald Pleasance excelling as a memorably evil Blofeld. The set design for the hollowed-out volcano is awesome, too.

Diamonds Are Forever: Connery was paid over a million dollars to return to the role of James Bond in this flabby comedy-thriller; it is so different in tone from On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and pays so little attention to the previous film in terms of plot, that one can only conclude that it was designed solely to purge all memories of George Lazenby's Bond from the public consciousness. However, this film, with its nonsensical storyline, torrent of gay jokes, weak climax, and disinterested performance from the leading man, is heavy going indeed. Jill St John is very sexy and Charles Gray camps up his Blofeld to entertaining effect, but overall this is easily Connery's worst (official) Bond outing.

bazzer brushem
i agree with all of the bond reviews brilliant only one regret cheap taky boxes no booklets for any of the films got rid of my editions with nice booklets also thin outer box in my opinion should have been a bit more substantial and every dvd in box edge scratches on all discs the distributors only interested in your money not quality but picture and sound cannot fault thats why 5 stars recommended but check discs take em back if scratched .

About time too!
For years I have complained about VHS and DVD box sets professing to be 'complete' James Bond. As they are continuing to make 007 films, these expensive boxed sets are only going to be 'complete' until the next one comes out. I have been praying for Sean Connery and Roger Moore 007 DVD boxed sets for some time, not being a fan of Dalton or Brosnan, so this latest release suits me down to the ground - my favourite Bonds in boxed sets that won't be obselete in twelve months' time. One thing though - even when you have all the boxed sets, you still won't have all the films, you'd still have to buy George Lazenby's On Her Majesty's Secret Service and Sean Connery's 'unofficial' Never Say Never Again separately. Here's hoping they release a Daniel Craig boxed set to match the collection when he eventually retires from the role.

The Best DVD's of the best Bond
I always maintained that Connery was Bond. He looked like he could do some damage and was almost plausibly smooth. Nice then to get a box set of the films I like from the most successful and enduring film franchise ever. You will no doubt be familiar with the films themselves so lets take that as read................

How about this version - is it really that good? In a word yes.

The previous versions of the DVD were perfectly passable, but this is probably the best restoration of print, colour and sound, setting a new benchmark in DVD production. The only analogy I can think of - it's like a painstakingly remastered CD in its revealing detail and enhanced enjoyment. Apart from the pre greenscreen backgrounds in cars in boats these films look and sound fantastic. The colours are most noticeable also gone are the niggling cue dots and scratches are gone along with unatural skin tones.

Bond is now oficially timeless. Just get beer, popcorn, relax and enjoy.



The best and original James Bond

I grew up with the Sean Connery Bond films and so he will always be Bond to me, miles better than Roger Moore who just couldnt act. The recent Bonds; Brosnan, Dalton and Craig have been very good too but Connery is in a league of his own.

This collection is superb all of Connery's 007 films. Great performances and great stories. My favourites are Goldfinger and the superby You Only Live Twice. Definitly something for every Connery fans wish list/ Christmas list!

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