James Bond: Ultimate Edition, Volume 4

The standout in the fourth and final Bond box is clearly Dr. No (1962), which introduced secret agent 007 to movie audiences and made an international superstar of its leading man, journeyman actor Sean Connery. Modestly produced and disarmingly straightforward, the series opener establishes Bond as a suave but ruthless spy (at one point he cold-bloodedly kills a disarmed adversary). Ursula Andress, the first Bond girl, can't act her way out of a paper bag but fetchingly fills out her teeny-weeny bikini. You Only Live Twice (1967), Connery's fifth outing in the role, reflects the campiness that had begun seeping into the series—the weakest Bond film released up to that time, it's still head and shoulders above some of the lame Roger Moore entries, and location shooting in Japan lends it an exotic flavor. Moonraker (1979), in which Moore's 007 attempts to thwart the hostile takeover of a space station, shows the series beginning to decline and unwisely gives too much screen time to Richard Kiel's “Jaws,” a ludicrous villain. But even that entry seems great compared to Octopussy (1983), which is almost certainly the weakest Bond film to date, featuring erstwhile supermodel Maud Adams in the title role and Louis Jourdan as a suave villain who overshadows Moore's lackluster performance. By contrast, Tomorrow Never Dies (1997), with Pierce Brosnan in fine form as the secret agent, not only bristles with intrigue but also boasts some of the strongest action sequences in Bond history, courtesy of unusually capable Bond girl Michelle Yeoh, a Hong Kong martial arts film favorite who performs nearly all of her own stunts. Each film is presented in a beautifully remastered double-disc edition, with DVD extras across the set including audio commentaries, “making-of” featurettes, deleted scenes, screen tests, booklets, and more. Highly recommended. (E. Hulse)