James Bond - Dr No (Ultimate Edition 2 Disc Set) [DVD] [1962]

I have the MGM 'Special Edition' release of Dr No, and now the Sony 'Ultimate Edition' too. So what's the difference?

A nice new box, an extra disc packed with special features and stylish menus.

As for the movie itself, the new version loses many of the visible scratches and film grain giving it a much fresher look. The light and dark scenes are fine and there are vibrant colours especially when out of doors.

The biggest improvement over the old 'Special Edition' for me is the sound. While I do not own a flashy surround system, I can report that the sound on the 'Ultimate Edition' is crisp and clear, unlike the 'Special Edition' which appears to have a serious fault, where background noises and even speech struggle to get through some kind of noise compression system. In fact my worn out old VHS recording of Dr No from ITV back in the 1980's has sharper sound than the MGM DVD!

Purists will say that an original mono soundtrack should be included with any new release that boasts an updated 5.1 mix. I quite agree, and because this new 'Ultimate Edition' fails to do so, I am knocking one star off my review.

To any prospective purchaser who does not as yet have Dr No on DVD and might be sitting on the fence, 'The Ultimate Edition' will ultimately not disappoint.

I had deliberately held off buying most of the early Bond films waiting for a cleaned up version of the films and improved sound. Of all the films I thought this one would struggle the most having the updated treatment being 44 years old and with a dated soundtrack by Monty Norman. However I had forgotten how much of an impact John Barry's take on the James Bond theme had on the film and being a timeless classic that wouldn't be out of place in a film today, it really carries the film along. The picture is blemish free and I zoomed in a few times which just brought out more and more detail. It looks like it was filmed yesterday and just set in 1962. The sound (DTS) was very rich and crisp and I didn't think they had overdone the surround effects which were handled very well with the right echo effects where necessary. I thoroughly enjoyed it and am looking forward to watching the other films in due course.

The James Bond series of films has been such a huge part of the last 50 years that it is hard to imagine the time before they existed. Dr No is the first of the films which introduced Sean Connery to the world as the suave yet ruthless secret agent. Look at other films from the same era, and you will see what a change this was, signalling a very new type of British thriller.

Connery here presents us with a Bond much closer to the Ian Fleming's creation than any of his later incarnations. A cold, ruthless machine most of the time, with an eye for danger, a talent for self preservation. He uses cutting one liners and a taste for beautiful ladies as a mask to hide his true self, but every now and then someone breaks through, and he can be a man of compassion. Connery imbues the character with a huge amount of charm and grace, qualities which have made Bond endure for such a long time.

In this first film Bond is sent to the Carribean to investigate some mysterious disappearances, and soon finds himself enmeshed in a plot from a new criminal organisation called SPECTRE to hold the world to ransom. It's thrilling stuff, as we watch him slowly tease at the threads of the mystery, leading up to the thrilling denouement as Bond, aided by the stunning Ursula Andress, confronts the mysterious Dr No in his secret lair.

This ultimate edition really is the best version of the film I have owned. The picture has been lovingly restored and cleaned up, and looks amazing. Really, I am not just saying that. It looks superb. The sound has been similarly treated and there is an option to listen to it in 5.1 DTS surround, which is truly exceptional.

As well as the superb presentation of the film, there is also a host of extras, original trailers, informative audio commentaries and the such. These are exhaustive and some of them quite interesting, especially the film detailing the restoration of the film. But these really a garnish for the main course, which is the film itself.

This is an excellent release, and does this classic film justice. This series of `Ultimate editions' really sets the standard for film releases. It really does not get any better.