James Bond: The Daniel Craig Collection [4K Ultra-HD] [2019] [Blu-ray]

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Spectre BD - SPECTRE: Bond’s Biggest Opening Sequence, Video Blogs: - Director Sam Mendes - Supercars - Introducing Léa Seydoux and Monica Bellucci - Action - Music - Guinness World Record, Stills Gallery

This is actually a lot less material that it appears to be and again there’s no commentary. It is, at least, everything from the previous Blu-ray release. And you do get Digital copy codes, so that’s something. Directed by Sam Mendes ( Road to Perdition, American Beauty), Skyfall marked the Craig era’s return to a more traditional style of Bond film, with gadgets, a supervillian, and the all-important Aston Martin DB5. But following a strong start and ominous foreshadowing, the film’s villain (Javier Bardem) is meant to be strange and unsettling but is weirdly mirthful instead and kills the momentum. And after M's great Tennyson speech, the film’s conclusion offers too many plot contrivances (including Q’s lapses of infosec and someone forgetting to switch off a flashlight) to be truly satisfying. It’s also a little odd that this is only Craig’s third 007 film and yet his character is already regarded as long-in-the-tooth. Still, the Roger Deakins cinematography makes this by far the best looking of the recent Bond films, and much is gained by the addition of Naomie Harris (Moneypenny), Ben Whishaw (Q), and Ralph Fiennes (Gareth Mallory) to the cast. Daniel Craig’s first outing as 007 is not only his best, it’s one of the best films in the Bond franchise to date. Producers Barbara Broccoli and Michael G. Wilson returned to the series’ roots by adapting the very first Ian Fleming Bond novel for the big screen. With Quantum of Solace, I'm torn by the appreciation for crafting the first direct sequel to a Bond film but at the same time, I can't forgive the film's numerous shortcomings. Similarly for Spectre, a smart setup to reintroduce a familiar favorite villain is tainted by the need to have some sort of arching through-line that connects all of these films together. No Time To Die will be the last stamp Craig gets to put on the character and I truly hope he goes out on a strong note. We Don't need another Die Another Day or very awkward View to a Killfor the actor's final bow in the role.Next month, MGM+ will add Daniel Craig James Bond films Skyfall (2012), Casino Royale (2006), Quantum of Solace (2008), as well as early Sean Connery classic Goldfinger (1964). There are no extras on the 4K disc, sadly, and that’s a shame because there are rumors that director Marc Foster recorded an audio commentary for the film that was never released. You do at least get the previous Blu-ray version of the film (the same one included in the Bond 50 set) that adds the following (in SD and HD): Selected items are only available for delivery via the Royal Mail 48® service and other items are available for delivery using this service for a charge. While SPECTRE earns points for trying to recapture the glory of classic Bond, it ultimately feels like a heartless, paint-by-numbers exercise the pieces of which don’t add up to anything. Craig is almost humorless here, playing 007 with a dour ruthlessness it’s hard to empathize with. There’s a telling moment when Bond discovers a videotape labeled “Vesper Lynd – Interrogation.” This woman was the love of his life, someone he nearly gave up everything for, yet Bond simply tosses it away. The film’s supporting cast members are good, but seldom feel integral to the story until the final act. The belle of the ball is Léa Seydoux, who doesn’t get nearly enough screen time for you to buy that Bond could care for her. And the filmmakers’ pointless effort to hide the fact that Christoph Waltz was playing the franchise’s iconic supervillian, Ernst Blofeld, isn’t helped by a ridiculously contrived plot as to the character’s origins. Quantum Of Solace BD - “Another Way To Die” Music Video, Trailers, Bond On Location Feature, Crew Files, 5 Featurettes: - Start of Shooting - On Location, - Olga Kurylenko and the Boat Chase, - Director Marc Forster - The Music

MGM+ (formerly Epix) is a newly-launched streaming service that offers quite a few classic James Bond films in 4k Ultra HD such as Live and Let Die (1973), The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), and License To Kill (1989), to name a few. (See a list of movies and series on MGM+.)The Daniel Craig Collection includes four films— Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and SPECTRE—in both Blu-ray and 4K Ultra HD in one set. Let’s take a look at each film in turn. Casino Royale (2006)