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

[Steve Christou]

horrid PAL speedup

To you, to me it was blissfully undetectable. And don't forget superior PAL picture quality, more lines remember? Makes all the difference.

 

[Steve K.H.]

With the DTS-ES AND DD-EX on the same disc, are we sacrificing bitrate?

It's good to see that there's another mindless film that has a capability to test out the limits of the HT.

Not like My Big Fat Greek Wedding which has my (and my wife's) vote for most overhyped and underdelivered film of the year.

Back to it... On her Majesty's Secret Service and Goldfinger were the best (they hooked me as a kid). Worst (in retrospect...) Moonraker. "Worst" is a poorly defined word though. All provide entertainment, even with Dalton.

(Connery is still THE Bond though )

As far as these minor nitpicky items that mean the film is not a 100% transfer of what we expect... I agree... it's inexcusable on a "Special" release... but I'll still buy it.

 

[Colin Jacobson]

Here's the deal on the subs: for the movie's first section, they're player-generated. Identifications of Korean and Cuban locations and all Korean-to-English translations come via player-generated subs. If you choose an English soundtrack, the movie defaults to subtitle stream "5" - you can't turn this off unless you select English subs to run through the whole movie.

Bizarrely, some scenes later in the flick use burned-in subs. Why the switch? I have no damned idea...

 

[Ed Faver]

Ron-

I'm less concerned about edge enhancement than I am over the quality of the script/direction/ating. If these components suck, then the home video portion of the disc doesn't matter cause I ain't buying & it'll never play on my screen.

That said, I was sory to see how disappointed you were by the film. This is the first Bond (out of all of them) that I missed on the big screen since The Living Daylights. The ackage is impressive, but I think I'll rent before I make a decision on purchasing.

Thanks for the review.

 

[John H Ross]

Bizarrely, some scenes later in the flick use burned-in subs. Why the switch? I have no damned idea...

Ooooh it's just MGM screwing round with their films again. Tomorrow Never Dies was the same: the "HMS Devonshire" card was in blue (burned-in) while the rest were player-generated.

Sorry, but all this crap about edge enhancement etc. etc. etc. means absolutely nothing if the film itself is in such a mess.

Studios: Create a good, consistent presentation of the film - as close to the theatrical experience as possible - and THEN worry about picture/sound quality.

I despair.

John

 

[Ed Faver]

Ron-

I'm less concerned about edge enhancement than I am over the quality of the script/direction/ating. If these components suck, then the home video portion of the disc doesn't matter cause I ain't buying & it'll never play on my screen.

That said, I was sory to see how disappointed you were by the film. This is the first Bond (out of all of them) that I missed on the big screen since The Living Daylights. The ackage is impressive, but I think I'll rent before I make a decision on purchasing.

Thanks for the review.

 

[KristianH]

Ronald Epstein:

How come the link to the review on the mainpage of the hometheaterforum site, says: (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED) and the thread doesn't? Did you change your mind half way through?

 

[Ronald Epstein]

Kristian,

An oversight. I'll update the link.

Thanks

 

[Armand G]

Nice review Ron. I agree that the last few bond movies are below par. The last good bond was Goldeneye in my opinion. Since I have all of them I will be adding this one to my collection.

 

[John H Ross]

Okay, I've just watched the R2 edition of DIE ANOTHER DAY and here's the lowdown on the subtitles/captions. Please note that the R1 version MAY be different:

Firstly, they look horrible. They're white, blocky and make no attempt to blend seamlessly with the film.

Second, they are right at the bottom of the screen. On my 16x9 TV they appear mainly in the black bar BELOW the 2.35:1 film image. There are quite a few too... locational indicators and Korean/English translations.

The last two captions (including the one below) are slightly different:

US COMMAND BUNKER
DEMILITARIZED ZONE, SOUTH KOREA

These are still player-generated but are placed slightly higher, over the film itself. Also, they kind of scroll on, a letter at a time, similiar to those X-Files captions.

Basically they look extraordinarily cheap and spoil an otherwise superb presentation. They make you think that your player is throwing out an error message and they take you totally out of the film.

Otherwise, this is a superb presentation with fabulous picture and sound.

John

 

[Larry P]

Great to hear that Rosamund Pike is doing a commentary track with Brosnan. The greatest Bond girl discovery since Jane Seymour in Live and Let Die. Although, her character was sorely underused in the film, no doubt to make more room for Halle Berry's character.

I've liked Halle Berry in several of her films, but this is what happens when actors get as popular as she has; they get completely miscast sometimes. Her character was just so completely misconceived that it weighed down the film like lead, or adamantium even. There were just so many awkward and dead moments between her and Brosnan that the character almost seemed like a last minute rewrite. Sure, her name helped get people into the theater, and her image on the cover of the DVD might help to get people to buy it, but not having her on the commentary track shouldn't take anything away from people's enjoyment of these discs.

This was truly the best and the worst Bond film ever. Another recent example of producer's just cramming so much into a two hour movie that the film only spends a little time on what actually works in it.

The disheveled Bond worked. The tortured Bond worked. The one upmanship of the Austin Powers films worked. And the villains worked. But it didn't spend enough time on these aspects of the film. It was too busy just repeating the same scenes from the previous Brosnan films. I think we have a pretty good idea on how this happens in the Hollywood of today, but it'd be nice to have the people involved with the film attempt to explain to the fans how they can do so much right, and then apparently deliberately sabotage their own production.

The discs however look fantastic. MGM just does so much right with this medium and again are pushing the limits of this technology in new and innovative directions (their apparent failure or success with edge enhancement and halos not withstanding). I just hope the discs go all the way and explain to me why the film did not go all the way.

And no, bad CGI does not make a Bond film bad. Bad acting, and dull characters do. My favorites are Live and Let Die and Never Say Never Again because they just milk all they can out of the sex appeal and humor of the characters. I just wish MGM would give us a great NSNA disc someday.

 

[Matthew_V]

.

 

[John H Ross]

MGM just does so much right with this medium and again are pushing the limits of this technology in new and innovative directions (their apparent failure or success with edge enhancement and halos not withstanding).

And don't forget their total inability to retain the original, theatrical burned-in subtitles (see above) :-(

John

 

[Yumbo]

MGM has retained original subs for Windtalkers DC

 

[Charlie Essmeier]

I mean, when was the last time you saw a really good Bond film?

Uh, Goldfinger, probably. Bond isn't a spy anymore, he's an action hero, by God.

I'd be thrilled if he'd just go back to being a spy, and Brosnan would be great at that.

Charlie

 

[Robert James Clark]

Visibility of edge enhancement is directly related to both the quality of your display device, and the size of the image.

If you don't want to see edge enhancement, don't get a good front projector!

 

[Mike Hess]

I enjoyed "Die Another Day". At nearly 50 years of age Pierce Brosnan shows no signs of slowing down. I wish I could have said the same of Roger Moore. He looked tired throughout his entire run as Bond. I understand that Brosnan will shoot one more and then he will pass the baton to the new guy. What do you think of Hugh Jackman as James? Oh well, just a thought.

 

[Michael Mathius]

This is a must own for me. Heck I even own Casino Royale.

 

[Joshua_Y]

I understand that Brosnan will shoot one more and then he will pass the baton to the new guy. What do you think of Hugh Jackman as James? Oh well, just a thought.

I say Jason Issacs (Tavington in The Patritot)

 

[Yumbo]

the TUXEDO character guy?