Casino Royale 4k Blu Ray

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Plot: What’s it about?

Casino Royale

It’s been a few years since the last James Bond installment and the main member of the cast has once again been re-formatted with a newer, younger face and he’s a blonde to boot! Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past year, you’ll know that the veneer of Pierce Brosnan has been replaced with the grit of Daniel Craig. This is, of course, a natural progression with a franchise like James Bond. I mean would we really want to see Sean Connery in a bathing suit nowadays? Ok, maybe some women actually would but with a 40 year old franchise, fresh blood is needed every so often and Mr. Craig is now the new Mr. Bond. And if anyone had doubts of a new Bond, Casino Royale certainly proved them wrong. The movie is the most successful in the history of the franchise and has given it a new shot in the arm so to speak. Naturally, critics call Daniel Craig “the best Bond in the franchise’s history” but I beg to differ. More on that later, though. Love him or hate him, James Bond has a new face, a new swagger and a new hairstyle. Are ya ready?

Casino Royale does venture into some unknown territory as we meet James Bond before he was actually a “Double O” agent. For the uninitiated the two zero’s represent two kills, which he happily provides early on in the movie. Bond (Daniel Craig) is sent on his first mission as a spy. He encounters the main villain, Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), a notorious gambler who’s trying to restore his bankroll in a game of high-stakes poker. Yes, gone are the days of baccarat (or maybe I should say they’re “yet to come”) as James Bond is now a poker man. Naturally he meets up with a treasury official who stakes him (all in the name of “her majesty” of course) by the name of Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) who will be playing the role of “Bond Girl”. All treasury agents look like this? Can James Bond take down Le Chiffre in a game of Texas Hold Em or will he even survive the match?

Ok, now the bad part. I really didn’t find Casino Royale too entertaining. It’s a well-made movie and it certainly fits the role of “Bond movie” to a tee, but something about it just rubbed me the wrong way. First, the older James Bond movies always had entertaining villains which Austin Powers mocked with exuberance. This one didn’t have much of that. Instead, they tend to focus on how “gritty” this new Bond is and yes, that’s great and all, but I liked the gadgets, the “shaken, not stirred” and the fact that Bond never really had cuts and scars on his face. Call me old-fashioned but for all the glitz that this new movie had to offer, I wasn’t really in favor of things changing. I realize I’m in the minority here and let me set the record straight: I didn’t dislike this movie, I just felt that it wasn’t on par with other James Bond movies. All of the elements are there, or maybe I just need to warm up to a new Bond (I didn’t like Goldeneye either). Any way you cut it, audiences did like this new Bond and he’s on Blu-ray for the first time (no pun intended). Lastly, I will say that Eva Green is right up there with the most beautiful women in Bond history, if nothing else gawking at her in high definition is a treat in itself.

Quantum of Solace

James Bond (Daniel Craig) has just endured a brutal chain of events, but he has captured the man who killed the woman he loved, now taking him to be interrogated. As it turns out, the man is involved in a secret organization known as Quantum, which Bond is dispatched to look into. He soon crosses paths with the beautiful Camille (Olga Kurylenko), who wants to avenge the death of her own loved one. Her vengeance is aimed at corporate businessman Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric). Greene happens to be part of Quantum and as Bond soon learns, has a vicious plot to grab immense power. As he works alongside Camille, Bond also has to uncover the complex truth about Quantum and cope with his own emotions. Faced with such intense circumstances, can even Bond survive this ordeal?

Bond is back and this time, he’s even in a true sequel. The 007 series has numerous installments, but the films have been mostly self contained in nature. Quantum of Solace is a genuine sequel, picking up right where Casino Royale left off, so make sure you’ve seen that one beforehand. I admit, I don’t like the choice of Daniel Craig as Bond and while Casino Royale had its moments, it didn’t rank as one of my favorite Bond flicks. Quantum of Solace does little to change my mind about Craig, while also making me wonder if it might be time for 007 to retire. The film tries too hard to break out of the Bond conventions, which leaves us with a spy thriller, but not really a signature 007 adventure. The plot is complex and poorly executed, but the action looks and sounds good, thanks to ample production values. In the end however, Quantum of Solace just doesn’t feel like a Bond movie and even as a spy thriller, it fails to stand out from the pack.

Skyfall

While the forces at MI6 have handled countless threats over the years, the agency has never faced one of this magnitude. Trusted agent 007, James Bond (Daniel Craig) finds himself out of action, as M (Judi Dench) and the rest of MI6 deals with the fallout from the entire organization being exposed. Deep cover agents are revealed and top secret operations are uncovered, leaving MI6 to relocate and attempt to salvage what little remains intact. And with so much turmoil and tension, M turns to the one agent she knows she can trust, Bond. As MI6 copes with the breakdown and an internal power struggle, Bond hunts down the man who is behind it all, the mysterious Silva (Javier Bardem). Without the full support of MI6 and joined only by field agent Eve (Naomie Harris), Bond has to rely on his wits and little else to survive this mission. As he tracks down Silva and gets closer to the elusive man, can he uncover the truth and restore MI6, or is this too much even for 007?

Bond is back, but does Skyfall return the legend to greatness? While Skyfall is a solid Bond adventure, I wasn’t able to see the “best Bond ever” a lot of others found here. I’ve never been that impressed with Daniel Craig as Bond, so perhaps that colors my view on Skyfall, however. The technical aspects of Skyfall are fine, with some strong action scenes and a story that offers a more person take on Bond, but I just wasn’t that taken in. Craig lacks the charisma of the best Bonds and comes off as forced to me, whereas Connery was effortless on screen. But if you enjoy Craig’s version of Bond, then you’ll be much more likely to love Skyfall, as it is his best effort in the franchise. The bad guy in Skyfall was the highlight for me, as Javier Bardem steals the show and offers up a terrific Bond villain. I also liked a less gadget driven Bond episode and the inner tension at MI6 was an effective backdrop, so Skyfall works on many levels. I wouldn’t rank it as one of my personal favorite Bond installments, but Skyfall has a lot of positives and if you’re interested, it is well worth a look.

Spectre

Spectre was always going to have an uphill battle after the widely praised and widely successful Skyfall. Expectations were high, and much like The Dark Knight Rises, the inevitable comparisons to previous chapter were unavoidable. As if that wasn’t enough, the film fell victim to the highly publicized Sony leak in which private emails regarding this film were leaked to the public. One of the comments was that the film had a weak third act. There was also a potential spoiler of a major villain played Christoph Waltz. You’ll get no confirmation from me, but it should come as no surprise to most diehard James Bond fans. Lastly, actor Daniel Craig made some less than positive remarks about returning to play the iconic character for the next film. Sure, these comments were taken out of context, and the actor was likely exaggerating, but the comments came just before the film hit theaters. That’s not always the best thing to say before a highly anticipated film of one of the longest running franchises. So with all that said, you’re probably wondering how the film turned out? Read on.

The film begins with a wonderful opening sequence in Mexico City. James receives a message from the past from the late M (Judi Dench). He takes a ring off the man he assassinates and this leads him to meet Lucia Sciarra (Monica Bellucci). She’s the wife of the man he’s killed, and she informs James of the next meeting. James then heads to a last minute meeting called by the secretive Spectre organization. This sequence is one of the film’s highlights as there’s an eerie feeling to the whole thing. It also acts as the first official introduction to the Christoph Waltz character as the head villain. Also worth noting is the silent character of Hinx played by Dave Bautista. He’s a hitman who might bring up memories of some classic Bond henchmen. Meanwhile, back in London, C (Andrew Scott) is a sneaky agent trying to consolidate MI6 and shut down the 00 program. Ralph Fiennes returns as the new M as well as Ben Whishaw as Q and Naomi Harris as Moneypenny. There are a few other plot revelations that, despite being revealed on the back of the film’s Blu-ray case, I will choose to not reveal. I will say that the film attempts to bring things full circle with what was laid out in Craig’s debut film, Casino Royale.

After three viewings of Spectre, I can say that the film does improve on repeat viewings. One of the problems I had after my first viewing was some of the choices made during the last act. Some of the revelations got me asking more questions than they answered. While I still don’t think the film is perfect, the issues I had are starting to sit better with me. As for Waltz as the villain, I feel he does a good job although it takes a while for the film to come around to him. This is not far off from how Sam Mendes handled the villain in Skyfall with slowly leading up to him as the film progressed. Waltz certainly isn’t a physically imposing villain, but he at least feels threatening enough without ever veering into campiness. The same can be said of the film as well. The tone is in line with the previous 3 Craig films, but there are a few comedic bits sprinkled throughout for good measure. Thankfully, it doesn’t take it too far as some of the Roger Moore films did, but I felt it was just enough. I like that Mendes returned as director again since set up so much potential with the previous installment. I appreciate that this film takes Bond all over the globe as he travels to uncover answers. It really brings back the classic spy elements of the character. I feel it’s a step in the right direction for these films. There are also several homages to previous Bond films all throughout the film. It’s one of the longest films in the series, but Mendes keeps the film moving along nicely. There’s also plenty of thrilling action sequences that fans have come to expect from these films.

Much has been made about who will take over the role of James Bond after this film. While Daniel Craig is contracted to do more, there’s been a lot of recasting talk. While the film ends with a good sendoff for him, I would still like him to return for one more outing. While I still don’t think they’ve topped Casino Royale (my favorite Craig film and one of my favorite James Bond films), this is my second favorite one he’s done. Craig has always had a hard time with many people who questioned his look and grittiness as Bond, but I’ve always liked him. There’s a sort of underdog quality to him, and he’s always proven physically capable of handling the role. He also handles the emotional moments well. Here’s hoping he comes back for one more.

Video: How’s it look?

All four of these Bond films have gotten the 4K treatment and it goes without saying that they all look better. How much better is, of course, a bit subjective. Looking back at 2006’s Casino Royale, it was the only one of these films to have been shot on film. As such, it has a bit of a different look and feel to it with a bit more grain and texture in some scenes. Looking at the later offerings, notably Skyfall and Spectre, they’ve benefitted from being shot digitally and sport a more modern look with cleaner lines.

There’s a fine line with things being released in 4K. Odds are it’ll never be a night and day experience where the new transfer is so outstandingly good that you’ll take your DVD or Blu-ray and have no use for it. And if it ever does come to that point, we’re clearly (pardon the pun) not at it now. I won’t regale the readers with technical jargon or HEVC, etc. What I will say is that each of these Bond films looks as good as it has to date. There are some subtle things that stood out, like the wrinkles on the foreheads (Craig and Dench in particular), there’s a bit more texture in clothing and some finer details that maybe didn’t stand out too much in a Blu-ray viewing. Of course, the HDR gives us a bit more color and each film has its own look and feel. Black and white levels are both elevated, giving us more contrast and, in turn an overall better-looking picture. All of the moves have the same 2.39:1 aspect ratio.

In summary, do these films look better than their Blu-ray counterparts? Of course they do. Spectre and Skyfall do look better than Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, but that’s more due to the technology rather than a “better” 4K scan.

Casino Royale Blu Ray Cover

Audio: How’s it sound?

None of the films have benefitted from a next generation audio track. So while Dolby Atmos tracks are out there, we’re still laden with the previously-existing DTS HD Master Audio mixes (Spectre is the only one of the bunch that has a 7.1 track, the others are 5.1). But that’s not a bad thing. It’s not like these tracks are bad by any means, it’s just that (to me) an upgraded audio track can make more of an impact than an upgraded picture. To each their own. These four films don’t break the mold of any Bond movie, they all sound great. Of course there’ll be plenty of gunfire, car chases (tires squealing and all), boat chases and everything in between. Your speakers will get a work out, for sure. It’s a bit disappointing that these don’t have next generation tracks, but given the popularity of the Bond franchise, I’m sure this isn’t the last time we’ll see any sort of Bond collection released.

Supplements: What are the extras?

There haven’t been any new features added to this set, rather we get the same Blu-ray’s that were previously available in their own set. The exception being that the disc for Casino Royale is only one disc, so if you have the two-disc set – hold onto it. Links to our Blu-ray reviews are included, we have detailed the supplements for each disc in the respective reviews.

Casino Royale (4K) – Read our Blu-ray review of Casino Royale

• Audio Commentary
• Extended Version – This really isn’t much to get excited about, rather it’s an interesting bullet point for the front of the box. It’s about 25 seconds and unless you do an A/B comparison with the theatrical version, you won’t even notice.

Quantum of Solace (4K) – Read our Blu-ray review of Quantum of Solace
There are no supplements on this disc.

Skyfall (4K) – Read our Blu-ray review of Skyfall

• Audio Commentary – Sam Mendes
• Audio Commentary – Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli and Production Designer Dennis Gassner

Spectre (4K) – Read our Blu-ray review for Spectre
There are no supplements on this disc.

The Bottom Line

This eight disc set takes the Bond franchise back to 2006 when Daniel Craig took the reins from Pierce Brosnan. Many regard the Craig films as some of the better Bond movies. What we get is an upgraded picture with these films in 4K. The supplements are the same as their Blu-ray counterparts with the exception of Casino Royale, so if you’ve got that two-disc set, it’s best to keep that one. The question you have to ask yourself is how much importance you place on the picture quality. These are better-looking, no doubt about it, but again they aren’t that much better-looking. It’s up to you.

Casino Royale 4k Blu Ray

• 4K
• (2.39:1)
• Video Codec: HEVC (H.265)
• Audio: DTS HD Master
• 8 Disc Set
DISC FEATURES

• Theatrical Trailer
• Audio Commentary
• Deleted Scene(s)
• Featurette
• Documentary
• Digital Copy

• Film/Program Grade: See Below
• Video Grade: See Below
• Audio Grade: See Below
• Extras Grade: B-
• Overall Grade: B

Review

The wait for 007 to arrive on physical 4K has been long and somewhat frustrating, especially given the fact that many of the classic films have been available digitally in 4K for a while now on iTunes/AppleTV and Amazon (though without HDR). But it only makes sense that when MGM did finally try this franchise out on UHD discs, it would be in its newest incarnation.

007: The Daniel Craig Collection includes four films—Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and SPECTRE—in both Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD in one set. Let’s take a look at each film in turn.

Casino Royale (2006)

Daniel Craig’s first outing as 007 is not only his best, it’s one of the best films in the Bond franchise to date. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson returned to the series’ roots by adapting the very first Ian Fleming Bond novel for the big screen.

As it opens, MI6 agent James Bond (Craig) has just been granted 00 status by M (Judi Dench). His first act is to break into an African embassy to kill a wanted bomb-maker. But reckless as this is, Bond’s tracking a larger terrorist network that reveals itself when its banker Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen) loses a huge sum of money betting against an airline stock—an airline he meant to bankrupt with another bombing. When his plot is foiled by Bond, Le Chiffre needs to recoup that money fast before the dangerous people it belonged to realize what’s happened. So he arranges a high stakes poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro, a game he means to win. M stakes Bond in the game—if he can win it, Le Chiffre will have no one but MI6 to turn to, cutting a major source of terrorist revenue and revealing their whole network in one stroke. But matters are complicated when Bond falls for Vesper Lynd (Eva Green), the British Treasury agent assigned to watch Her Majesty’s money, and Le Chiffre’s gameplay begins to turn deadly.

What’s interesting about Casino Royale is the way it reinvents the Bond franchise by defetishizing its cars, gadgets, and villains without removing them from the formula completely. It also strips the Bond character to his essence; he’s a hard bastard to begin with, but this story breaks him. And it’s not Le Chiffre who does it, but Vesper, by revealing to Bond a heart he didn’t think he had left, thus leaving him open and exposed. What people tend to miss is that he’s still broken when this film concludes; the 007 character as we know it isn’t fully formed until the end of the next one. Green and co-star Giancarlo Giannini (as MI6’s contact in Montenegro, René Mathis) are outstanding and dimensional supporting characters, and each has terrific chemistry with Craig. Vesper’s introduction to 007 on the train to Casino Royale is one of the smartest and sharpest pieces of writing in the history of the Bond franchise. The film’s direction is efficient and its action is fast and brutal. And retaining Dench as M (a role she began with GoldenEye (1995) in the Brosnan era) was a masterstroke and a nice bit of stabilizing continuity for the franchise’s latest turn.

Casino Royale was shot on 35 mm photochemical film and finished as a 2K Digital Intermediate at the 2.39:1 scope ratio. For its UHD release it was upsampled to 4K and graded for high dynamic range (both HDR10 and Dolby Vision are included). Note that this version of the film is the Extended Cut, released on disc in the US for the first time, but it’s only 17 seconds longer (it includes a few more graphic moments during the B&W opening fight scene and the later stairwell fight at Casino Royale that were trimmed for ratings). Detail shows a noticeable uptick from the previous HD presentation, though the image has a slightly coarse and processed look that one presumes was baked into the DI. It doesn’t appear that the studio has rescanned the original camera negative in native 4K, which is a shame. But the image does look very good nonetheless. Grain is moderate, the restrained HDR grade makes shadows deeper and highlights a bit bolder, and the wider gamut enriches the film’s palette to a satisfying degree. Audio is the same English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix that was found on the previous Blu-ray. As before it’s excellent, with a big soundstage, atmospheric surround play, excellent clarity, and firm bass. But it’s a shame that MGM didn’t spring for a new Atmos track. Additional audio options include Spanish, Czech, Hungarian and Polish 5.1 Dolby Digital and French, Castilian, German, and Italian 5.1 DTS, with subtitles available in English, Spanish, French, Castilian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Czech, Hungarian, Korean, Polish, and Portuguese.

The only extra on the 4K disc itself is:

• Audio Commentary with the Crew hosted by Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson

Note that there are optional subtitles available for this commentary in English, French, German, Italian, and Spanish. The package does also include the film on Blu-ray (the same disc that’s in the Bond 50 box set), which includes the same commentary and adds the following (in the original SD and HD):

• Deleted Scenes (4 scenes – 7:32 in all)
• The Road to Casino Royale (26:35)
• Ian Fleming’s Incredible Creation (21:16)
• James Bond in the Bahamas (24:17)
• Ian Fleming: Secret Road to Paradise (24:29)
• Death in Venice (23:20)
• Becoming Bond (26:18)
• James Bond for Real (23:34)
• Chris Cornell’s You Know My Name Music Video (4:09)

It’s decent material, but missing are several features that were included on the previous Sony Blu-ray versions, including the BonusView PiP visual commentary with director Martin Campbell and producer Michael G. Wilson, the Know Your Double-O trivia quiz, the Bond Girls Are Forever and The Art of the Freerun featurettes, 6 Filmmaker Profiles featurettes, a storyboard presentation for the “Freerun” sequence, and the Catching a Plane scene deconstruction. Losing all of that is disappointing, so be sure to keep your previous discs if you wish to retain it. You do at least get Digital codes in the packaging (and there are two of them, which may include both HD and 4K).

Film Rating: A
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): B+/A/B-

Quantum of Solace (2008)

Quantum of Solace is a film that many Bond fans deride, which is a shame because it’s actually better that most give it credit for. The problem is that fans were expecting a traditional Bond sequel, and this isn’t that at all, nor does it stand alone. It’s a direct continuation of the story of Casino Royale—in many ways, the second half that story. If Casino was about breaking Bond, this one is about Bond putting himself back together again, forging himself into the iconic MI6 agent we know he must become. It’s about Bond trying to understand what happened with Vesper and getting a bit of payback. If you care about the character of Bond as much as the formula, this film has much to offer. True, the environmental theme was off-putting for some (though it’s entirely plausible in today’s world) and the film doesn’t really have a compelling villain. It does, however, get points for the return of Giancarlo Giannini and Jeffrey Wright (as Felix Lighter), and for a terrific sequence set at a performance of Puccini’s opera Tosca in Austria.

The film opens just minutes after Casino Royale ended. Bond has captured the mysterious Mr. White (Jesper Christensen), who was connected to Vesper’s death. But after delivering him to M (Judi Dench) at an Italian black site, White escapes with the help of a trusted MI6 agent. That means White is just the tip of the iceberg of a much more powerful and far reaching criminal organization. Clues at the agent’s apartment lead Bond to an assassin in Haiti, who’s been hired to kill a woman named Camille (Olga Kurylenko). She leads Bond to the elusive entrepreneur Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric), who’s working with the CIA and local warlords to buy up worthless land in Bolivia. But Greene’s real loyalty is to a group called Quantum, bringing Bond full circle in his quest to understand and avenge Vesper’s death.

Quantum of Solace was also shot on 35 mm photochemical film and finished as a 2K Digital Intermediate at the 2.39:1 scope ratio. For its UHD release it was upsampled to 4K and graded for high dynamic range (both HDR10 and Dolby Vision are included). Detail again shows a nice uptick vs the previous Blu-ray edition, and this time it’s cleaner and less processed looking too. The HDR grade is restrained, but grants the image truly black shadows with bold highlights. The audio is the same English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix that was found on the previous Blu-ray. As before it’s excellent, with a wide soundstage, atmospheric surrounds, excellent clarity, and firm bass. But again, it’s a shame MGM didn’t spring for an Atmos mix. Additional audio options include English 5.1 Descriptive Audio, Spanish, Czech, Hungarian and Polish 5.1 Dolby Digital, and French, Castilian, German, and Italian 5.1 DTS, with subtitles available in English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish, French, Castilian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Czech, Hungarian, Korean, Polish, and Portuguese.

There are no extras on the 4K disc, sadly, and that’s a shame because there are rumors that director Marc Foster recorded an audio commentary for the film that was never released. You do at least get the previous Blu-ray version of the film (the same one included in the Bond 50 set) that adds the following (in SD and HD):

• Director Marc Foster (2:45)
• Bond on Location (24:45)
• Start of Shooting (2:54)
• On Location (3:14)
• Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase (2:14)
• Jack White and Alicia Keys’ Another Way to Die Music Video (4:30)
• The Music (2:36)
• Crew Files (3 segments – 45:30 in all)
• Theatrical Teaser Trailer #1 (1:51)
• Theatrical Trailer #2 (2:23)

This is actually a lot less material that it appears to be and again there’s no commentary. It is, at least, everything from the previous Blu-ray release. And you do get Digital copy codes, so that’s something.

Film Rating: B+
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): A-/A/C+

Skyfall (2012)

Directed by Sam Mendes (Road to Perdition, American Beauty), Skyfall marked the Craig era’s return to a more traditional style of Bond film, with gadgets, a supervillian, and the all-important Aston Martin DB5. But following a strong start and ominous foreshadowing, the film’s villain (Javier Bardem) is meant to be strange and unsettling but is weirdly mirthful instead and kills the momentum. And after M's great Tennyson speech, the film’s conclusion offers too many plot contrivances (including Q’s lapses of infosec and someone forgetting to switch off a flashlight) to be truly satisfying. It’s also a little odd that this is only Craig’s third 007 film and yet his character is already regarded as long-in-the-tooth. Still, the Roger Deakins cinematography makes this by far the best looking of the recent Bond films, and much is gained by the addition of Naomie Harris (Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q), and Ralph Fiennes (Gareth Mallory) to the cast.

The plot features Bond attempting to retrieve a list of Western undercover intelligence agents that’s been stolen by a computer hacker, an operation that results in Bond being shot and presumed dead. He resurfaces three months later when MI6’s London HQ is bombed, an event that’s meant to send M (Judi Dench) a message. With her superiors keen to retire her, and the hacker threatening to release the names of agents from the stolen list, M needs Bond back in the field whether he passes muster or not. But his investigation leads him to Shanghai and soon to the hacker, Raoul Silva (Bardem), who’s tied to M’s past and wants revenge against her. When Silva strikes MI6 for a second time, Bond’s only option is to take M to his family’s abandoned estate in Scotland for safekeeping, a place known as Skyfall.

The good news is that Skyfall was shot digitally in ARRIRAW and Redcode RAW (at 2.8 and 5K) and finished as a native 4K Digital Intermediate at the 2.39:1 aspect ratio. That means it looks fantastic here on Ultra HD, with crisp and highly refined detail and texturing. Combined with a light-handed HDR grade (both HDR10 and Dolby Vision are available) that renders ink-black shadows and luminous highlights, as well as a wider gamut that significantly enriches the colors, the result is a winner image-wise. A highlight is the film’s nighttime skyscraper fight scene (in Chapter 12) that’s backlit by vibrant neon signage on the opposite building. At the risk of repeating myself, the audio is once again the same English 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio mix found on the previous Blu-ray. It delivers a wide soundstage, atmospheric surrounds, good clarity, and strong bass. But again, MGM should have sprung for an Atmos mix. Additional audio options include English 5.1 Descriptive Audio, Spanish, Czech, Hungarian and Polish 5.1 Dolby Digital, and French, Castilian, German, and Italian 5.1 DTS, with subtitles available in English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish, French, Castilian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Czech, Hungarian, Korean, Polish, and Portuguese.

The 4K disc itself includes two extras:

• Audio Commentary by Sam Mendes
• Audio Commentary by Barbara Broccoli, Michael G. Wilson, and Dennis Gassner

There are optional subtitles for each of these tracks in English, French, Castilian, German, and Italian—a nice touch. You also get the film on Blu-ray, which has the same commentaries and adds the following (all in HD):

• Shooting Bond documentary (14 parts – 59:24 in all)
• Skyfall Premiere (4:28)
• Theatrical Trailer (2:31)
• Soundtrack Promotional Spot (:40)

The extras are a little thin, but the commentaries are interesting and there are some nice moments in the documentary, particularly the bit on The Death of M with Dench. Digital codes are included in the package on a paper insert.

Film Rating: B-
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): A+/A/B-

SPECTRE (2015)

While SPECTRE earns points for trying to recapture the glory of classic Bond, it ultimately feels like a heartless, paint-by-numbers exercise the pieces of which don’t add up to anything. Craig is almost humorless here, playing 007 with a dour ruthlessness it’s hard to empathize with. There’s a telling moment when Bond discovers a videotape labeled “Vesper Lynd – Interrogation.” This woman was the love of his life, someone he nearly gave up everything for, yet Bond simply tosses it away. The film’s supporting cast members are good, but seldom feel integral to the story until the final act. The belle of the ball is Léa Seydoux, who doesn’t get nearly enough screen time for you to buy that Bond could care for her. And the filmmakers’ pointless effort to hide the fact that Christoph Waltz was playing the franchise’s iconic supervillian, Ernst Blofeld, isn’t helped by a ridiculously contrived plot as to the character’s origins.

SPECTRE is an almost complete misfire from start to finish. But it starts in a promising way, with an opening set amid Mexico City’s Day of the Dead celebration that aspires to give Welles’ Touch of Evil a run for its money. Bond was sent there to kill an assassin by the former M (Judi Dench), who named the man in a final message delivered after her death. She’s also asked Bond to attend the man’s funeral in Rome, which eventually leads him back to Mr. White and his estranged daughter, Madeline Swann (Seydoux), both of whom are hiding in the Austrian Alps. From there, the trail of clues takes 007 and Swann to North Africa, where Blofeld has been waiting for them in his secret desert lair. Meanwhile, back in Her Majesty’s Kingdom, the new M (Ralph Fiennes), Q, Moneypenny, and Tanner must contend with the obsolescence of MI6 at the hands of Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott, ex-Sherlock), who believes that electronic surveillance and drones can replace the 00 section. Eventually, the two plot threads converge… and logic goes right out the window.

After going all-digital with Skyfall, SPECTRE was shot mostly on 35 mm photochemical film again, though some scenes were still captured digitally in ARRIRAW (at 3.4 and 6.5K). It was finished as a native 4K Digital Intermediate at the 2.39 “scope” ratio. For its UHD release, the film has been graded for high dynamic range (both HDR10 and Dolby Vision are available). The film looks fantastic here on disc, though I would say that Skyfall has the slight edge on it, not for its digital capture but rather for Roger Deakins’ lovely cinematography. Detail is crisp and clean, texturing is refined, shadows and highlights are appropriately enhanced, while the film’s somewhat muted color palette is more nuanced for the wider gamut. As is the case with all four of these films, the Dolby Vision offers just a little more pop and dimensionality (especially on the native 4K titles). Primary audio this time is English 7.1 DTS-HD Master Audio, the same mix found on the previous Blu-ray. It delivers a pleasingly wide soundstage, with lively and atmospheric surrounds, excellent clarity, and firm bass. (But yes, we wish MGM had sprung for Atmos.) Additional audio options include English 5.1 Descriptive Audio, Spanish, Czech, Hungarian and Polish 5.1 Dolby Digital, and French, Castilian, German, and Italian 5.1 DTS, with subtitles available in English for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, Spanish, French, Castilian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, German, Italian, Norwegian, Swedish, Traditional and Simplified Chinese, Czech, Hungarian, Korean, Polish, and Portuguese.

Unfortunately, there are no extras on the UHD disc, but you do get the previous Blu-ray edition, which offers the following (all in HD):

• SPECTRE: Bond’s Biggest Opening Sequence (20:12)
• Director – Sam Mendes (1:29)
• Supercars (1:41)
• Introducing Léa Seydoux and Monica Bellucci (1:42)
• Action (1:37)
• Music (1:50)
• Guinness World Record (1:18)
• Gallery (20 images)
• Teaser Trailer (1:32)
• Theatrical Trailer 1 (2:31)
• Theatrical Trailer 2 (1:10)

Unfortunately, this content is EPK filler material at its worst, glossy from start to finish and completely lacking in depth, interest, or heart (not unlike like the film itself). There’s not even an audio commentary, which might at least have shed a bit of light on this train wreck. Again, you do at least get Digital copy codes on paper inserts in the packaging.

4k Blu Ray Player

Film Rating: C
Disc Ratings (Video/Audio/Extras): A/A/D

So those are the films.

Ultimately, (and once you get past any shock you might be experiencing upon learning that I like Quantum of Solace slightly more than Skyfall), I would imagine that most Bond fans will find MGM’s 007: The Daniel Craig Collection worth its current $40 sale price on Amazon. However, I strongly suspect that this is MGM’s litmus test for releasing the rest of the Bond films on physical 4K UHD. So while I know many of you would prefer to wait for an eventual Complete Bond 4K set, if do wish to see the Connery, Moore, Dalton, and Brosnan films on Ultra HD one day, it’s probably a good idea to send the studio that message by jumping on this initial release now.

- Bill Hunt

Casino Royale 4k Blu Ray Review

(You can follow Bill on social media at these links: Twitter and Facebook)

Casino Royale 4k Blu Ray Review