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The James Bond Collection, Vol. 3 (Special Edition) | 
 enlarge | Actors: Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Pierce Brosnan
Studio: MGM Home Entertainment
Category: DVD
List Price: $124.96
Buy New: $69.99
You Save: $54.97 (44%)
New (7) Used (5) from $42.00
Rating:  38 reviews
Sales Rank: 28822
Format: Anamorphic, Box Set, Color, Dvd-video, Special Edition, Dolby, Closed-captioned, Ntsc
Languages: English (Original Language), English (Subtitled), Spanish (Subtitled)
Rating: PG (Parental Guidance Suggested)
Number Of Items: 6
Running Time: 787
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.7
Dimensions (in): 7.7 x 5.5 x 3.7
ISBN: 079285893X
UPC: 027616898050
EAN: 9780792858935
ASIN: B0000BYRO9
Theatrical Release Date: December 29, 1965
Release Date: November 18, 2003
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
Condition: new and factory sealed- buy from a 99% seller
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Amazon.com
Thunderball, Sean Connery's fourth excursion as 007, upped the Bond ante with the most ambitious adventure--and budget--to date, and turned out to be his most successful venture in the series. George Lazenby, a handsome Australian model with a self-effacing confidence, made his first and only appearance as James Bond in the underrated On Her Majesty's Secret Service, a witty and action-packed adventure that makes 007 history when Bond marries the girl (the lovely and talented Diana Rigg, fresh from her duties as the butt-kicking spy on the TV series The Avengers). Roger Moore brought an altogether lighter tone to 007 with Live and Let Die, softening Connery's rough edges with a more romantic persona as the films became even more exotic. Octopussy, a colorful cold war thriller and one of Moore's better outings, stars Louis Jourdan as a corrupt Afghan prince and Maud Adams (making her second Bond appearance) as the ringmaster of an all-babe traveling circus team that unknowingly carries a nuclear bomb. Christopher Walken hams it up under a platinum-blond hairdo while his Amazon bodyguard, Grace Jones, growls through A View to a Kill, a silly but often visually impressive adventure that made it obvious Moore was too old and stiff to carry on the Bond legacy. No such problem with Pierce Brosnan, whose fourth outing, Die Another Day paired him with sexy American agent Jinx (Halle Berry) to take on a genetically altered North Korean villain (Rick Yune) armed with a satellite capable of destroying just about anything.
Description
Includes the following films: Die Another Day, A View to a Kill, Live and Let Die, Thunderball, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, and Octopussy.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 33 more reviews...
 An Endearing Hero of Distinction March 5, 2004
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
In THUNDERBALL 007's Astin Martin DB5 returns and so do the evil forces of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. In his fourth film Sean Connery is self-assured, inimitably virile and an infallible James Bond. Adolfo Celi as Emilio Largo devises and implements a plan that ultimately draws 007 to the Bahamas in search of a missing Vulcan jet lost on a NATO training sortie. This is a lavish Bond film where most of the action takes place underwater. What makes the film very memorable is John Barry's rich and esoteric score combined with Lamar Boren's beautiful and picturesque underwater photography. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is the one film closest to any of Ian Fleming's Bond novels. George Lazenby, possessing the physique and physical attributes that fit the role, gives a visually striking and straightforward performance in his only appearance as James Bond. The combined efforts of all the filmmakers and Lazenby's performance of a James Bond with conviction, assuredness and determination make this a definitive James Bond film. The film has a sense of undeniable drive behind it accentuated by Lazenby's no-nonsense approach and the urgency of John Barry's instrumental theme used repeatedly to never let up the pace. There are intensely choreographed fights of great ferocity, exciting and incredible ski chases, car chases, an alpine battle atop an ice-capped peak and an extraordinary thrilling bobsled chase. There is more action, suspense and emotion packed into this film than any other in the series. LIVE AND LET DIE is the one film in the James Bond series that stands out from the rest. This is Roger Moore's first film as James Bond. If you examine this film you will see that Bond is no perfunctory agent. He dispenses lethal doses of vengeful comeuppance with his urbane charm. The film's lighter approach under Guy Hamilton's direction actually makes many of the scenes of violent and contorted death more palatable. On closer examination this film is a highly stylized piece of action filled nonsense that delivers outrageous thrills, characters, dialogue and humor in a well-choreographed non-stop bit of filmmaking. OCTOPUSSY is a rare gem of the series. It falls somewhere between the style of FOR YOUR EYES ONLY and MOONRAKER and in some scenes even hearkens back to the subtly of GOLDFINGER. The scenes with M, Q and Moneypenny and even the confrontations with Louis Jourdan as Kamal are reminiscent of earlier days. Elements of the script go back to Fleming's short stories: "The Property of a Lady" and "Octopussy." The suspenseful and awe-inspiring pre-credit sequence is one of the best, highlighted with John Barry's pure Bondian score. Barry also did a fine job scoring the scenes involving the Soviets, which embodied an eastern block flavor reminiscent of the cold war. Roger Moore goes through his paces for queen and country and will not be deterred until the villain is vanquished, but he does it in such gentlemanly fashion that it continues to hit a chord with many viewers earning him continued acceptance. OCTOPUSSY is one of the most underrated films in the series as it brought true substance to the character of James Bond. In A VIEW TO A KILL your heart kind of went out for Roger. John Barry's score is somewhat sentimentally romantic with a tinge of melancholy conceivably out of respect for Roger. The one image that remains with me from this film is when Bond carries Stacey on his back climbing down the fire truck ladder rescuing her from the burning City Hall. As corny as that scene may have looked it hearkened back to a time in films when heroes really were heroes. Christopher Walken gives a brilliant performance as the aloof and psychotic Max Zorin, a steroid child of Nazi experimentation. You really want to see him get his comeuppance. A VIEW TO A KILL is a mixture of the 80's craziness and a feeling of melancholy for what once was. It's nostalgic Bond and imaginative filmmaking. DIE ANOTHER DAY is very good and we see James Bond get involved in and out of some situations we thought we would never see on the screen. Not since ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE and THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH have we seen this amount of engaging insight into the psyche of James Bond. True to the best films in the series, Bond is not infallible but he is resourceful and loyal and will not be deterred from seeing duty and justice served. The second hour reverts to the superhero version of Bond this time aided by gadgets and computer generated effects that defy all credibility. Toby Stephens gave an excellent performance as the villain Gustav Graves. Halle Berry as Jinx was adequate as a Bond girl. John Cleese as the new Quartermaster looked more at home than many of the other regulars. I suppose Cleese has some of the best lines in this film. Even though his scene is brief it does make a lasting impression. Madonna's cameo as Verity the fencing coach was a pleasant surprise. Also, her main title song went appropriately well with the film's opening. As for David Arnold's score, it continues to emulate John Barry's style but contains a good deal more of the composer's own creating a hybrid sound. You have to give Arnold credit for that. Arnold does seem to demonstrate moments of brilliance especially in his love scene compositions but he should follow the rule of "less is more" when it comes to scoring the action scenes.
Bond is back...and how! November 18, 2003
The Bond movies are not so much a series of films as they are a cultural phenomenon. Every 007 fan should own these sets. Having said that, the quality of the films varies widely, but that is to be expected from a series 40 plus years in the making. Mr. Wilkinson (see other reviews), misses the point of On Her Majesty's Secret Service entirely. Love it or hate it, it is the most satisfying emotionally of any of the Bonds, and I only wish Sean Connery had been the star. I also think referring to any 007 epic as "retarded" is a vapid generalization. What does that mean, anyway? "Retarded", as in not a fully realized work of art, cinematically retarded? Anyway, to me Pierce is the best Bond since Sean, and I feel all the movies are worth watching, even Never Say Never Again, a pallid remake of Thunderball. At least it brought Connery back, something which Broccoli and Saltzman weren't able to accomplish. If pressed, I would say highlights are Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Goldfinger, Goldeneye and The Living Daylights. Enjoy!
James Bond Collection #3 December 31, 2008
The James Bond Collection came very quickly and no problems. It was as advertised.
A must own set for any DVD collection December 24, 2004
5 out of 8 found this review helpful
I finally broke down to purchase all three volumes for a complete James Bond set on DVD. Finding all of the sets online brand new was very difficult. The price was one of the best here for total shipped price.One word, "WOW". The packaging was very nice. The special editions of each 007 movies are loaded with impressive extras. After viewing the actual movies, I found the video excellent and the sound quality a huge upgrade from my Bond VHS versions. It was like watching them for the first time on DVD. In my opinion, these sets are classics for any DVD collection. I did not regret my purchase.
I Must Have James Bond October 16, 2005
6 out of 10 found this review helpful
This collection includes various Bond movies from four of the actors that have played James Bond in the "official" Bond movies, which excludes "Never Say Never Again." My only complaint about the three collections is that the movies are not in order. I have all three sets because I like Bond rather than wanting all the Bond movies by one of the three actors. However, you have to take them as you can get them sometimes.
Each of the movies in this collection is a "special edition," which is a fancy name for DVDs that include extras that range in value from high to low. I have been very fascinated with some of the commentaries and making of features, but some of the features seemed like filler. However, what I found interesting other may not, and vice versa. Rather than listing all the extras, a list of which is available, I will discuss each of the six movies briefly.
In "Thunderball," S.P.E.C.T.R.E.s #2 man (Largo) leads a rather complex scheme to steal two nuclear bombs carried by a British Vulcan bomber. All the double-Os are mobilized to find who stole the bombs and to get them back to prevent having to pay the $100 million ransom, a rather princely sum in 1965. Bond gets to escape from a villa with a rocket pack and then zooms off in his Aston-Martin DB-5, which is a fun car in any era with machine guns, ejection seat, and numerous other goodies no spy should be without) and lots of spy movie action. Once Largo takes the bombs, the tech gets higher as does the action.
George Lazenby was Bond only in "On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Bond is on a witch hunt for Ernst Blofeld after what happened in "You Only Live Twice." Initially Bond plans on resigning, but Moneypenny cleverly gets the resignation changed to a two week vacation. Bond sets out to track down Blofeld. After a side-track to Portugal, James finds Blofeld in the Alps. A variety of action scenes ensue, leading to Bond getting married to Diana Rigg. Yes, it really happened. Watch and see.
Roger Moore's first appearance as James Bond was in "Live and Let Die." While Yaphet Kotto was an excellent bad guy, too much of this movie seemed like exploitation, and most of the drug dealers were black. I was also disappointed that Bond was reduced to chasing after drug dealers rather than someone threatening western civilization.
When agent 009 turns up stabbed with a valuable jeweled egg, James Bond is on the case in "Octopussy." His investigation leads him to India, where he learns that Kamal Khan is involved in a number of activities, some of them apparently involving Octopussy, a female smuggler who makes her home on an island where there are only women. As the movie unfolds we learn that General Orlov has been plotting with Kamal Khan to use the military superiority of the Soviet Union to show the world that the Soviet Union remains a potent world power. Kamal Khan's interest is money, however, and he cares little for Orlov's activities other than how he can benefit from them.
"A View to a Kill" was Roger Moore's last Bond film. This film was also Lois Maxwell's (Moneypenny) last Bond film. The principal villain this time is Max Zorin, excellently played as a psychotic by Christopher Walken. Max is out for money and power, aided by a host of very smart people. Grace Jones, who also supported Conan in "Conan the Destroyer," plays Max's sidekick May Day. Dr. Karl Mortner (Willoughby Gray) is Max's father, as well as a kind of mad scientist. All the crazies hang out together. Max has an interesting scheme to cause Silicon Valley to flood and leave Max and his cohorts in possession of the bulk of the world supply of electronic chips. Of course James Bond is unaware of this scheme and spends much of the movie trying to understand what Max's game may be.
In 2002 Pierce Brosnan returned for the fourth and final time as James Bond, in the twentieth official Bond film, "Die Another Day." This Bond movie begins with Bond penetrating North Korea. However, something goes wrong and North Koreans capture Bond. Bond is traded for a North Korean agent, but is not pleased that he was traded; he is even less pleased that he is being considered a traitor. Bond is not one for waiting for things to happen, so he escapes from custody to discover that he is in Hong Kong. Eventually Bond discovers complicated plots involving the Icarus solar satellite, and manages with Halle Berry's help to unravel everyone involved.
Because of all the extras these DVDs require hours to watch. While the value of the extras varies, watching them gives a fan much more information about the difficulties of making each movie, and how many of the stunts were performed. I consider these movies to be among the gems of my DVD collection. I recommend this set very highly as long as you plan on collecting all the Bond films.
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