While arguably one of the most popular film series in history, some fans
felt that the James Bond films had recently drifted too far from the series'
explosive beginings under the helm of Sean Connery. But when 'Casino
Royale' was released with fast-rising action star Daniel Craig in control,
there were immediate declarations of a return to the glory days. It was
somewhat of a shocker that, while a box office success, the newest Bond
film '
Quantum of Solace' wasn't as highly regarded as its
acclaimed predecessor.
As Review Editor Ben Williams points out, "It's the film's reliance on
audience familiarity with Casino Royale that probably caused confusion
and mediocre reviews." Indeed, if the film had been titled "Casino Royale
2", it may have received the critical acclaim that it so deserved. After
revisiting many of the Bond films on Blu-ray, Daniel Craig has become my
favorite secret agent (yes, even over Connery), mostly for the same
reason Ben pointed out in his review; "Daniel Craig is the first actor to
portray Bond as a physically imposing force".
As for the Blu-ray itself, the MGM/Fox tag-team has produced yet another
reference disc. Again, quoting Ben from his
review, "MGM's
Blu-ray presentation of the film is first rate; its reference grade video and
audio set new standards in Blu-ray quality." It doesn't get much better.
And there can't be a new Bond release without catalog support. MGM
Brings fan three favorites in
'
Goldfinger', '
Moonraker', and '
The World is
Not Enough' as well as the "unofficial" Bond film '
Never Say
Never Again'. They are all available individually, while the three
"official"
Bond films can also be purchase as part of the '
James Bond Collection: Volume
3' set.
Fan-favorite Criterion Collection is releasing the François Truffaut films '
The 400
Blows' and '
The Last Metro'. In his
review, Staff
Reviewer Dr. Svet Atanasov notes that, "Criterion's Blu-ray release of The
Last Metro is very close to being absolutely perfect" and "the French
dialog is crisp, crystal clear and very easy to follow."
Universal is today releasing '
The Fast and the Furious
Trilogy', which features the first three films from the series (the fourth
film 'Fast & Furious' will hit theaters next Friday - plenty of time to catch up
on the series). Fans will be happy to hear that Universal doesn't
disappoint with this Blu-ray release.
For a complete listing of all the Blu-ray titles released today,
click here.