DVD Review HTF REVIEW: "Die Another Day" Special Edition (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) (with screenshots) (1 Viewer)

[JohnS]

xXx grossed $141 million US
Die Another Day grossed $160 million US.

So much for the new generation preferring Vin Diesel to Bond!

Personally, I think Halle Berry and Monster's Ball had ALOT to do with the box office draw.

I HATED DAD. The worst bond ever!
Really wish I liked it a little to get it for the DTS and extras

 

[Douglas R]

I grew up with Sean Connery as Bond but I thought Die Another Day was superb and one of the best Bond films ever. I really don't understand why so many people criticise it. As for the DVD - what fantastic picture and sound quality!

 

[Ronald Epstein]

I don't want this thread turning into a debate
about EE. I went to that link, and honestly,
I couldn't tell the difference between those two
pictures of the rounded towers. I'd rather sit and
enjoy watching a film rather than have to sit and
study the image for defects.

As for the leg pictures you showed above --
are those magnified impurities? I have never
seen a picture look that bad, that is, unless
it's an Artisan release.

 

[greg_t]

I agree with Ron on edge enchancment. I don't see it and I don't want to see it. Once you start noticing every flaw in the transfer, how can you not notice it and enjoy the film?

 

[RobertR]

I have never seen a picture look that bad, that is, unless it's an Artisan release.

Well, it IS an Artisan release.

It's my philosophy that one shouldn't rely on a single review of a DVD when deciding to buy it. There are those of us who consider EE to be a significant problem. It makes sense, therefore, to read comments from a reviewer who shares that view, in addition to others.

 

[Yumbo]

I'll check for EE soon. It depends on what equipment (player AND display) you're using, and what sharpness setting is being used (on player AND display).

I didn't like the movie either.

 

[Kip Lackey]

Well, for me the bottom line is:
1. It's James Bond
2. It's the 20th James Bond film
3. I own the other 19 Bond films
4. It has gadgets and cool cars.
5. It has Q.
6. It has hot women as Bond should.
7. It has the traditional off the cuff Bond remarks.
8. It is on DVD in June
9. It is now early May.
10. It's James Bond

For the love of God, I could give a damn about the transfer where Bond is concerned. It's funny, refreshing, sly, entertaining and suave all in the same breath. The other Bond films don't have the greatest transfers but the Bond idea is there and that is what makes DAD along with the others desirable.

I WILL BUY.

 

[Ronald Epstein]

It's my philosophy that one shouldn't rely on a single review of a DVD when deciding to buy it. There are those of us who consider EE to be a significant problem. It makes sense, therefore, to read comments from a reviewer who shares that view, in addition to others.

Very well stated.

Many reviewers themselves may not agree with this,
but I actually enjoy the fact that there are many
DVD reviewers within this internet community. It
gives everyone the opportunity to read different
ideas and opinions.

 

[Louis-Philippe]

I don't know if this was asked before?

Will this Bond be part of one of the two upcoming box sets?

Thanks.
lpr

 

[Joshua_Y]

Great...I thought this was one of the best Bond's! I love them all actually...cept for Never Say Never Again...that one doesnt even count! And I have been eagerly awaiting this disc...looks like a big winner! Finally a 2-disc set! I've been watching Bond films my whole life and enjoy all the actors different spins...but I gotta say I've got a big ol soft spot for Roger Moore...

On the movie: I thought the movie was just excellent...it really had the feel of the Connery Bond's thats the big thing I noticed...I thought the villians were good...diamond face was cool...and the action...the action is still the best around...

xXx is shite compared to the real deal...Bond...I have a friend who only saw one Bond movie...TWINE...and really enjoyed it...last summer he saw xXx and really enjyoed it...thought it was a great action flick...well come November and DaD comes out...he's all..."SCREW XXX!"

 

[Steve Christou]

Nice review Ron. I've already watched my region 2 copy twice, great picture and sound. I didn't notice any 'edge enhancement' hell I wasn't even looking for it, just enjoying the show.

I enjoyed DAD a lot, a good fun action-packed Bond flick, and the most popular Brosnan entry to date, loved the whole absurdity of the invisible car, the huge space laser destroying everything in its path, the burning plane, totally mad and over the top, a good contrast to the lucklustre World is Not Enough, but my favorite Brosnan Bond remains Tomorrow Never Dies.

And its great to see more and more subtitled commentaries popping up on new dvd releases, watched DAD with the directors commentary subtitled and the original soundtrack at full blast, very nice, more subtitled commentaries please!!

ps. The Region 2 DAD has an extra documentary exclusive to this region 'From Script to Screen' 52mins, which I have yet to watch.

 

[Christopher D]

OK, well, I have nothing to say on that but just finished a quick survey of the R2 set. I noticed that the R2 documentary and at least part of the other supplements were anamorphic!

Almost makes up for the lousy player-generated subtitles.

Are any of the supplements widescreen, Ron? I'm picking this up for my other players.

 

[James L White]

I loved D.A.D so it's must have, the art on the right is 1000000000 times better IMO still kinda let down that it's not of the same style as the other Bond DVDs, but throwing a fit over art is silly. IMO

 

[Mike Heenan]

I'm a huge bond fan, and I thought most of the CGI was horrible, including the part where the thing fell over the ice cliff, the surfing scenes, and a few more places. Some of the cgi was very bad compared to other movies. I think that the CGI in the previous flicks were used more subtle, and not that often. Hopefully this won't be a new trend in the future bond flicks.

 

[Yee-Ming]

Chris D, I take it you mean you bought a copy of the R2 version? is the extra documentary not available on R1 worth it? for comparison's sake, for instance IMHO the extra documentary on R2's TWINE about shooting the sequence on the Thames was well worth any reservations one may have about PAL etc (although coming from a PAL-TV country it doesn't bother me). if anything the one thing that bugs me is that my TWINE spine doesn't match the rest of of my Bond collection

and by "lousy player-generated subtitles" I take it you mean that the location subtitles burned in on the R1 (per Ron's confirmation) are player-generated in the R2?

 

[Kwang Suh]

If Ron doesn't notice EE, that's great. I don't ever read Ron's reviews for his analysis of PQ anyways - the overly anal people at DVDFile more than meet my expectations of hyper-nitpickyness.

 

[Christopher D]

I haven't had a chance to actually watch it yet, but it's not a cheap, throwaway-type documentary. From fast-forwarding, it appears to mostly be about the script development process.

Yes, all the subtitles are player-generated, and they look like crap. The R2 from Britain is for UK/Netherlands, so I guess it has to be that way for the Dutch.

Amazon UK sent me an e-coupon for this at a pretty good price, and I couldn't wait the extra month. The cover insert actually is double-sided. The reverse matches all of the UK special editions and is reasonably close to the US special editions.

 

[Justin Bauer]

I have to say that Roger Moore is my favorite Bond for several reasons. One, my mother is from England, so she basically watched nothing but Moore Bonds. I like Sean also, but I just have to go with Moore since he was the first exposure to Bond that I had over 16 years ago. DAD was just to over the top for me. I know that I am complaining that a Bond movie is over the top, but this one needed to be more grounded for my liking and it failed big time. Goldeneye was by far Brosnan's best work as Bond and I am hoping that Bond 21 can recreate that greatness that Goldeneye had.

 

[Douglas R]

I thought most of the CGI was horrible, including the part where the thing fell over the ice cliff, the surfing scenes

Mike - You're not talking about the opening surfing scenes are you because the commentary track and documentary makes clear that these scenes were totally real and took place at a location where you find the World's largest wave formations.

 

[Kyle J Richard]

I love Bond movies...that being said, Die Another Day was another Bond movie simply filling a quota...and it failed. It seems that every few years a new one must come out. Typically, this is a wonderful thing. After seeing the films of the Dalton era at home as a child, I eagerly anticipated Goldeneye (I was not let down)and the films that followed. These three films stand among the best in the forty years of Bond. Bond is more than gadgets, car/boat/etc chases, and mindless action...Bond is a man on a mission (wow, that's cliche...). Stories drive Bond. Films such as The Spy Who Loved Me, Thunderball, Octopussy, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, License to Kill, Goldeneye, For Your Eyes Only, and From Russia with Love are, in my opinion, the best of them all. Why? They were, for the most part, plot driven. Die Another Day could have been great. Bond was imprisoned...that is great. The rest of the film did not live up to my standards. I don't know why everyone raved about Halle Barry's character. She is easily forgettable. Ms. Berry is phenomenal actress...she was not the problem. She is incredibly beautiful and equally as talented. I simply can't remember anything about Jinx. Sadly, this is the case for all of the other characters in the film. I thought that they all could have been great. There is no character development. Everything is formulated. A story that could have been amazingly different from the others turns out to be just another Bond movie. There are only two things that saved this film from complete oblivion: Bond references and Pierce Brosnan. Picking up on the little references from the films of the last four decades was fun and Pierce Brosnan is simply one of the coolest actors ever. Sadly, no one at MGM notices the flaws in the series. I can't be the only one. Hopefully, they pick up the slack.

P.S. - The CGI was horrible.