Blu-ray Movie Reviews

Roger Moore portrays Agent 007 with lethal determination in a plot that finds him racing against time to find a stolen device capable of controlling a fleet of nuclear submarines. As Bond teams with beautiful Melina Havelock and infiltrates the Greek underworld, the stage is set for nonstop action - including automobile chases, thrilling underwater battles and a cliffhanging assault on a magnificent mountaintop fortress.

Roger Moore definitely brought a level of suave to the James Bond character that his predecessors didn’t but his films tended to be the weaker of the series. This one was definitely my favorite of his features and one of the stronger Bond films overall in my opinion. It was the end of Blofelt and the ushering in of newer directions for the character. Top that off with great locales and action sequences and you have one of the stronger entries of the time.

MGM continues to impress with their Blu-ray delivery of Bond. I’ve seen this film countless times and never has it looked even close to this good. Detail is preserved beautifully and the image has a great sense of depth and dimension. Colors look very natural with no signs of wash out and the slightly veiled look of interior shots is true to the production. An outstanding visual presentation.

The DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack is a good representation of the material but still showcases a dated sound design that can be slightly shrill at times. The soundstage has an open quality and I enjoyed the ample surround use, but dynamics are a bit dated and the low end is a touch thin. Dialogue sounds very natural in tone and the balance of the mix is quite good. While not a showcase soundtrack, this was anything but disappointing.

Extras are in line with the other Bond Blu-ray entries and include two feature commentaries, some production features, a photo gallery and some animated storyboard sequences. The trailer for Sheena Easton’s title track and the trailers are also included.

Moore’s strongest entry into the Bond franchise makes a stunning debut on Blu-ray with a solid HD transfer. Highly recommended.