Review of Dr. No: Special Edition (James Bond)

Introduction

"The name`s Bond, James Bond"

In 1962 a film was released with little expectation, and a meagre budget (United Artists allowed the project $1 million to be exact). But, to the credit of the producers, every penny was reproduced on the screen. The film was called Dr. No, and the rest, as they say, is history.

Its central character, James Bond is Agent 007: an MI6 agent with a licence to kill. He goes around in a suit, yet he lets his Walther PPK do the talking; he wines and dines on fine foods, yet he shags more women than Austin Powers.

Bond was the brainchild of author Ian Fleming, a man whose own expertise in the espionage field was reflected in the character he created. Fleming`s novels placed Bond in numerous extravagant situations, extravagant women, and extravagant enemies.

The biggest choice faced by producers Albert R. Broccoli and Harry Saltzman was who to cast as Bond. Eventually, they decided to go with a relative nobody, a Scotsman by the name of Sean Connery. And luckily, the gamble paid off. To date, most Bondians regard Connery as the Bond, due to a number of factors, but mainly due to his suaveness and savvy.

And now, here is the chance to re-live the first 007 adventure. His assignment is to find the mysterious Dr. No (Joseph Wiseman) - a man whom is bent on destroying the US Space Program. As the countdown to disaster begins, Bond must travel to Jamaica where he encounters the beautiful Honey Ryder (Ursula Andress) and then confronts the megalomaniacal villain in his massive headquarters.

Video

1.78:1 Anamorphic Widescreen. The first thing I noticed that the print has evidently been remastered...don`t let the age of the film put you off - MGM have done well with the transfer, and although there is the odd blemish and sign of dust, I think this can be forgiven, as for the majority, the print is relatively crisp and clear.

Terence Young was asked to direct the first Bond film (and he went on to direct From Russia With Love and Thunderball), and his style is excellent. Coupling action with subtlety, he develops the film with skill and shows off many good directing techniques. One drawback to the visuals - the rear-projection work is fairly awful.

Audio

Dolby Digital Mono (English). Given the age of the film, I suppose a full blown surround track is asking a bit too much. Yes, the dialogue is clear, but during action sequences and musical numbers, more involvement is needed. The ambience levels probably suffer the most, as I felt I had to adjust the volume constantly, since there was no constant level.

The script is adapted fairly closely to Fleming`s work, so fans of the book will not be disappointed. Of course, the film`s strongest advantage over its written alter-ego, and that is the locations. The script is detailed in naming how the action should take place, and therefore the execution is well done.

Features

A nice selection of extras, which kick off with a very diverse audio commentary - numerous cast and crew members contribute their vocals, namely director Terence Young. However, the one annoying quirk about the commentary is how a monosyllabic American introduces each person, therefore meaning this isn`t a completely `free-flowing` commentary.

There are also two documentaries provided. The first, "Inside Dr. No", is a 30 minute comprehensive look at the film, how it originated, how they casted the leads, and how the project evolved. It is very insightful, and is interesting throughout. The second, "Terence Young: Bond Vivant", is a look at the legendary director, featuring interviews from the man himself and the people who have worked with him over the years. They all have something in common in the fact they were deeply saddened upon his death in 1994; and the documentary profiles him well.

A short featurette is also included, entitled "Dr. No". It was made in 1963, and is shot in (incredibly poor quality) B&W, so fans get can a whiff of nostalgia! The American host proceeds to introduce Connery, and the (8 minute) extra includes footage from the film (in downright ugly quality of course!).

There is a comprehensive stills gallery, ranging from on-set photos to concept designs. Very good if you like that sort of thing.

Think today`s trailers and TV spots are tacky? Well take a look at these...not only is the standard advertising for Dr. No, but also a selection of advertisments - complete with tacky voiceover - for Bond double-bills (Dr. No/From Russia With Love and Dr. No/Goldfinger) which could be viewed at certain cinemas.

As well as these visual PR materials, there are also six radio spots which are actually quite well done, and something that is rarely used nowadays.

Finally, there is an 8-page booklet that contains detailed production notes: a nice touch to cap off the extras well.

The menus are animated well with music in the background and various animations. They are designed well and easy to navigate.

Conclusion

This is where it all began - 007 stranded in Jamaica, searching for a crazed villain, accompanied by fellow enforcers and of course, women. Sean Connery, considering his cinematic experience was sparse, completely owns the role within the first 5 minutes of his screentime.

The supporting actors are also made for their roles, whether you are looking at the incredibly sexy Ursula Andress (who can now finally speak English properly...her lines in Dr. No were dubbed) or the decidedly creepy Joseph Wiseman (he was a renowned actor on Broadway before he landed the role) as the titular character.

Some viewers may think the first instalment in the Bond legacy has aged too much, is now showing that is was only made for a million dollars, but this is more to do with the fact that hallmarks of the series - the infamous credit sequence, the appearance of Q et al - do not appear. But, forget these abscences, and what you are left with is a very good film that started the career of a certain Mr. Bond in style.

Under the watchful eye of helmer Terence Young; suspense and excitement are rife, and they slot perfectly into the now famous Bond formula. Yes, there is humour, action, explosions, and suggestive moments are all thrown into the mix, and the mix is very watchable.

The disc is strong extras-wise, good visually, and average sonically. But, remember the age of the film, and in reality, this DVD is better than some modern releases.

Every journey has a first step, and the Bond journey began with this - and thankfully they have got off to a very good start. Long may it continue.