Just finished viewing the Blu-Ray release of the 1967 version of Casino Royale.
The video transfer is competent - with decent color performance and reasonable clarity. Image quality varies from sequence to sequence, which I assume is a reflection of the source material and the nature of the film production with its five directors. Some scenes are a little soft but others exhibit decent resolution considering the age of the film. There is some edge enhancement present with haloing of dark hats and hair against lighter backgrounds. This is more prevalent earlier in the film - where the majority of the exterior shots exist and appears less frequently in the second half of the film. On the other hand the closeups of the actors tend to look nice with good detail. Ursula Andress in particular, if I may say so. All things considered the video transfer is decent and is probably limited, somewhat, by the source material.
The disc offers up a DTS-HD Master track. Audio is really not my forte; given my living arrangements I generally do not listen at reference levels so take what I say with a grain of salt. There is very little surround activity in this track, with the sound being anchored on the L/C/R speakers. The music is well rendered and is generally pleasing and the dialog is clearly reproduced. I'd rate the audio as fine for a film of this age.
Overall, I'd give the disc a moderate recommendation. This is one of those titles that is not going to blow you away with its image quality but it does offer a reasonable and noticeable step up (with room for improvement) over the DVD release. Worth a rent for the curious and worth a purchase for fans of the film or those wishing to have all of the Bond films in their collections.
- Walter.
