007: The Sean Connery James Bond 6-Film Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		0.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		4.0
Overall		4.0

007: The Sean Connery James Bond 6-Film Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie Review

Strangways, here we come.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III June 8, 2025

WB's new Sean Connery 007 James Bond Collection serves up 6 of the first 7 films in the eternal franchise, skipping only 1969's On Her Majesty's Secret Service when George Lazenby briefly took over for the late, great Scottish actor. From that perspective it's essentially 'Volume 1" of hopefully more actor-themed installments... and since the bulk of the Bond films aren't entirely serialized, this is an easy way for fans to compare and contrast what each leading man brought to the table. Beginning with 1962's groundbreaking Dr. No through 1971's Diamonds are Forever, this Sean Connery Collection contains at least three of the franchise's best films and no real deadweight along the way.

The James Bond franchise has been very well-represented on home video during the last few decades, from VHS and laserdisc onwards. Multiple Blu-ray editions and collections have been made available from MGM in more recent years; there are so many so that we might have more than one write-up for each of them tucked away somewhere. Either way, I'm going with "first available", so on that note please follow the links below for appreciations of all six.

Dr. No (2008 review by Ben Williams)

From Russia with Love (2008 review by Ben Williams)

Goldfinger (2009 review by Ben Williams)

Thunderball (2008 review by Ben Williams)

You Only Live Twice (2012 review by Casey Broadwater)

Diamonds Are Forever (2012 review by Casey Broadwater)

All six films have been granted new 4K scans of the original camera negatives with two primary audio options: a new Atmos mix built from scratch as well as the original theatrical mono in lossless DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio format. Add in plenty of legacy bonus features and compact keepcase packaging (a bulkier Steelbook boxed set is available too) and you've got one of the densest and most well-rounded collections in recent memory. Buy with confidence!

007: The Sean Connery James Bond 6-Film Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

NOTE: These screenshots are sourced directly from the 4K discs but have been auto-leveled at 1080p/SDR and thus should not be considered an accurate representation of quality in terms of brightness level, color, and detail.

Earlier Blu-ray presentations of the six films included in this collection were all built from restorations by Lowry Digital; initiated in 2004 and detailed here, these were largely impressive for their time -- especially on our smaller screens and even tube TVs -- so those original reviews of the MGM Blu-rays (linked above) scored very high to match. In hindsight, however, the legacy of these and similar restorations have declined quite a bit in recent years and especially since the advent of 4K. Simply put, the majority of DVD and early Blu-ray era masters were typically processed, sharpened, and otherwise "enhanced" to wow viewers in the moment, but the growing trend of aiming for more authentic, film-like home video presentations put forth by major studios and boutique labels has yielded superior results.

That holds true for these 2160p/HDR10/Dolby Vision transfers, which are sourced from new 4K scans of the original camera negatives and look like the majority of WB/MGM UHD catalog releases: very good, and maybe even perfect in some respects... but not all respects. Their aspect ratios run the gamut from 1.75:1 (Dr. No, From Russia with Love, and Goldfinger) to 2.35:1 (Thunderball) and 2.39:1 (You Only Live Twice and Diamonds are Forever) -- the first one being an approximation of American and European theatrical framing, most likely -- and as such, there's a renewed sense of reverence for theatrical authenticity here. Colors look substantially more refined and lead the visual charge; they're bolstered by very careful use of HDR enhancement that absolutely doesn't attempt to modernize any of these films' era-specific palettes. On a decently calibrated display, this uptick in overall color accuracy will undoubtedly offer the most obvious "night-and-day" improvement over the Blu-rays... even when viewed at a distance.

Textures run a close second, largely due to the simple fact that these raw 4K scans haven't been subjected to any egregious amounts of grain management; while their varying stocks and locations mean that some films and scenes sport more visible grain that others, it certainly hasn't been wiped away. That's great news indeed as these textures play well with the colors to bring a slightly more renewed sense of depth to many scenes; in short, there's often a noticeable but natural degree of "push and pull" achieved, which again is bolstered by the benefits of high dynamic range. MGM's Blu-rays may have fooled us with varying levels of contrast and brightness boosting to heighten visual impact, but more organic textures and careful treatment of brightness and shadow detail win every time.

As for perceived fine detail, there aren't major improvements across the board compared to the Blu-rays but, taking into account the variety of film stocks used, that shouldn't be a huge surprise. The best -- or at least most immediately apparent -- improvements can be seen during From Russia with Love and also Goldfinger, both of which now look more consistently crisp and only dip into sporadic softness during optical and certain establishing shots, but all six films are uniformly impressive to varying degrees in this regard. Much like the renewed colors and textures, this simply feels like a restoration effort built on theatrical accuracy. They don't look totally razor-sharp and smooth because they shouldn't; instead, this variety of organic elements collectively -- and in some cases, dramatically -- comes into focus to create a convincing, film-like experience that's decidedly less processed than previous home video presentations.

Disc encoding is little more of a mixed bag, which is at least somewhat surprising given that all six films get their own triple-layered (100GB) discs and run at a high variable bit rate from start to finish. On more than a few occasions I was able to spot small patches of frozen grain and other stray anomalies that simply didn't play as nice with the picture as expected... but before anyone gets scared away, these occasional hiccups aren't really all that perceivable in motion nor do they come close to outweighing the other parts of these transfers that look basically flawless.

Overall, this is excellent work that would probably score closer to a 4.25/5 if quarter-stars were allowed, and there's absolutely no question that these 4K discs outperform their Blu-ray counterparts by a wide margin.

007: The Sean Connery James Bond 6-Film Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Die-hard fans can also look forward to two different primary lossless options for all six films: the first is a brand-new Dolby Atmos remix built from scratch (not the older DVD and Blu-ray era 5.1 mixes), and the second is the original theatrical mono audio that's presented in a split-channel DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio container.

The good news is that, just as with the visual presentations, comparative across-the-board upgrades can be heard... albeit with slight variances that are likely relative to the source material. Additionally, both options should appeal to fans in one way or another. The Atmos remixes don't play fast and loose with the original atmosphere, rarely venturing into the side and rear channels while obviously not providing much weight in the area of "modern" low-end heft. (This isn't a complaint.) All of their original scores -- including the iconic theme song written by Monty Norman and arranged by John Barry -- enjoy a uniformly nice boost, particularly standing out for their increased dynamic range and overall presence while not overwhelming other crucial elements of the soundtrack. There's undeniably a more modern feel to the Atmos remixes with their refined attention to sonic detail (as well as a few sweetened or even added effects here and there), but I've got a feeling that all but the most staunch purists should like what they hear.

If you're not sold on Atmos (or equipped for it), those original theatrical mono tracks will be your preferred option. From the unavoidably boxy dialogue of Dr. No onwards, those who haven't experienced the "genuine article" in decades (or ever) will at least appreciate the more scaled-back reality of what audiences heard in the theater. Much like certain elements of the Atmos mix, though, it's a "warts and all" scenario: most if not all of these films feature heavy amounts of dubbing and ADR, particularly the female characters and those with more pronounced accents, and these original quirks sound as obvious as ever on both tracks with occasional sync issues to match. Really, my only actual complaint here is that noise reduction has been applied to various degrees, which unfortunately smooths over some of the highest and lowest frequencies. This may bother some listeners more than others, but in most cases is certainly not a deal-breaker; it's still a solid effort, all things considered, and the choice of two different mixes is appreciated.

Optional subtitles (including English SDH), as well as a number of foreign dubs, are offered during all six films as well as applicable bonus features listed below. I was able to easily pick out a few mistakes here and there (most likely due to the use of AI voice recognition), including one in the opening minutes of Dr. No, which is disappointing.

007: The Sean Connery James Bond 6-Film Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This six-disc set ships in compact keepcase packaging with multiple hinges to ensure each disc gets its own hub. A handsome matte-finish slipcover with light spot gloss highlights is also included, as is a Digital Copy redemption code. The menu interfaces (screenshots #31-36) are easy to use but beyond lazy from a visual standpoint, using the same Dr. No-era picture of Sean Connery rather than changing his notably different appearance with each one.

As for the supplements, they're spread across all six discs and recycled from the previous Blu-ray discs linked above; everything's listed below for convenience, but more information can be found in those earlier reviews.

DISC 1: DR. NO

• Audio Commentary - An archival track with director Terence Young and members of the cast and crew.

• Declassified: MI6 Vault (2 clips, 18:15 total) - A pair of fairly brief vintage pieces, "The Guns of James Bond" and "Premiere Bond: Opening Nights".

• Exotic Locations (2:36) - A short retrospective about the locations used in the film.

• Mission Dossier (3 clips, 68:45 total) - Three mid-length vintage featurettes: "Inside Dr. No", "Terence Young: Bond Vivant", and the aptly-named "Dr. No 1963 Featurette".

• Ministry of Propaganda - A generous collection of trailers, TV spots, and radio ads.

DISC 2: FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE

• Audio Commentary - An archival track with director Terence Young and members of the cast and crew.

• Declassified: MI6 Vault (4 clips, 19:35 total) - A few fairly brief vintage pieces including "Ian Fleming: The CBC Interview", "Ian Fleming & Raymond Chandler", "Ian Fleming on Desert Island Discs", and an animated storyboard sequence.

• Exotic Locations (3:14) - Another short retrospective about the locations used in the film.

• Mission Dossier (2 clips, 60:28 total) - A pair of mid-length vintage featurettes, "Inside From Russia With Love" and "Harry Saltzman: Showman".

• Ministry of Propaganda - Another pile of trailers, TV spots, and radio ads.

DISC 3: GOLDFINGER

• Audio Commentary #1 - An archival track with director Guy Hamilton.

• Audio Commentary #2 - A second archival track with members of the cast and crew.

• Declassified: MI6 Vault (5 clips, 28:44 total) - A few vintage pieces including "Sean Connery from the Set of Goldfinger", "Theodore Bikel Scren Test", "Tito Vandis Screen Test", "On Tour with the Aston Martin DB5", and "Honor Blackman Open-Ended Interview".

• Exotic Locations (3:15) - Another short retrospective about the locations used in the film.

• Mission Dossier (2 clips, 55:19 total) - Two mid-length vintage featurettes, "The Making of Goldfinger" and "The Goldfinger Phenomenon".

• Ministry of Propaganda - Hey, who wants some more trailers, TV spots, and radio ads?

DISC 4: THUNDERBALL

• Audio Commentary #1 - An archival track with director Terence Young.

• Audio Commentary #2 - A second DVD-era track with editor Peter Hunt, screenwriter John Hopkins, and more.

• Declassified: MI6 Vault (5 clips, 88:02 total) - A nice collection of vintage pieces including "The Incredible World of James Bond - Original 1965 NBC Television Special", "A Child's Guide to Blowing Up a Motor Car - 1965 Ford Promotional Film", "On Location with Ken Adam", "Bill Suitor: The Rocket Man Movies" and "Thunderball Boat Show Reel".

• Selling Bonds (3 clips, 2:09 total) - Old black-and-white TV commercials hawking James Bond-themed raincoats, slacks, and of course toys.

• Exotic Locations (3:18) - Another "fun in the sun" location featurette.

• Mission Dossier (3 clips, 62:27 total) - Three more mid-length vintage featurettes including "The Making of Thunderball", "The Thunderball Phenomenon" and "The Secret History of Thunderball".

• Ministry of Propaganda - A gag reel! Just kidding... it's more trailers, TV spots, and radio ads.

DISC 5: YOU ONLY LIVE TWICE

• Audio Commentary - An archival track with director Lewis Gilbert and members of the cast and crew.

• Declassified: MI6 Vault (3 clips, 61:41 total) - A trio of mid-length vintage pieces including "Welcome to Japan Mr. Bond", "Whicker's World - Highlights from 1967 BBC Documentary", and "On Location with Ken Adam".

• Mission Dossier (4 clips, 60:28 total) - Another round of vintage featurettes including "Inside You Only Live Twice", "Silhouettes: The James Bond Titles", "Plane Crash: Animated Storyboard Sequence", and "Exotic Locations".

• Ministry of Propaganda - You guessed it: more trailers, TV spots, and radio ads.

DISC 6: DIAMONDS ARE FOREVER

• Audio Commentary - An archival track with director Terence Young and members of the cast and crew.

• Declassified: MI6 Vault (4 clips, 19:35 total) - A few fairly brief vintage pieces including "Ian Fleming: The CBC Interview", "Ian Fleming & Raymond Chandler", "Ian Fleming on Desert Island Discs", and an animated storyboard sequence.

• Alternate and Expanded Angles (5 clips, 33:24 total) - Different versions of five scenes from the film.

• Deleted Scenes (6 clips, 7:40 total) - Shout out to Sammy Davis, Jr.

• Mission Dossier (3 clips, 66:28 total) - Three mid-length vintage featurettes: "Inside Diamonds are Forever", "Cubby Broccoli: The Man Behind Bond", and "Exotic Locations".

• Ministry of Propaganda - One Christmas trailer, as well as a few TV spots and radio ads.

It's a nice mix to be sure, but all of this stuff has been recycled since the DVD days. Newcomers will have plenty to dig through, of course, but sadly there's no attempt to attract more seasoned fans with a few new retrospective goodies or buried treasures. Only a few minor items didn't make the cut here -- an outdated restoration piece, a couple of brief featurettes, an audio interview or two -- so at least most won't feel obliged to hang onto the old Blu-rays.

007: The Sean Connery James Bond 6-Film Collection 4K Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Despite its lengthy cover title -- Sean Connery 6-Film Collection as Ian Fleming's James Bond 007 -- this new 4K collection distributed by Warner Bros. is a compact and efficient way to get all six of the late, great Scottish actor's Bond portrayals in one handy package. (It would essentially be 007 Volume 1, if not for the combo breaker of On Her Majesty's Secret Service.) These aren't available separately, but I'd imagine that die-hard fans who consider Connery to be at or near the top of the "Best Bond" list will have no problem going all in on this one. It's hardly a gamble given the uniformly great new 4K restorations, choice of lossless audio options, and legacy bonus features, so pick this set up immediately to ensure the rest of the Bonds get their time in the spotlight. Highly Recommended.