Rating: 
Summary: A weak gift set
Review: I thought the purpose of breaking up these Bond DVDs into seemingly random volume collections was so that the lesser Bond films wouldn't be stuck in a box together. However, that's just what they ended up doing with this set.The two greats here are Thunderball and On Her Majesty's Secret Service. Thunderball shows Bond mania at the top of its game, and while the underwater sequences are dragged out, this is still essential Bond. And say what you will about Lazenby, but OHMSS has story, heart, as well as action and beautiful girls. It's one of the most original films in the series. Not to dump on Roger Moore, but unfortunately the stinkers in this set are all from him. Live and Let Die, for its occasionally quirkiness, is stil sub-par. Octopussy starts out promising but quickly becomes too convoluted for its own good. And only a good theme song and the appearance of Christopher Walken make A View to a Kill watchable. And Die Another Day? Whether it's good or not isn't the point. Chances are most Bond fans already snagged their copy when the DVD arrived in stores earlier this year. Instead of releasing this set at the same time, MGM wants you to buy the disc again. This set is for die-hard fans only. The great extras on these discs don't compensate for sub-par Bond movies and a bad marketing maneuver. Get Thunderball and OHMSS seperately.
Rating: 
Summary: An Endearing Hero of Distinction
Review: In THUNDERBALL 007's Astin Martin DB5 returns and so do the evil forces of S.P.E.C.T.R.E. In his fourth film Sean Connery is self-assured, inimitably virile and an infallible James Bond. Adolfo Celi as Emilio Largo devises and implements a plan that ultimately draws 007 to the Bahamas in search of a missing Vulcan jet lost on a NATO training sortie. This is a lavish Bond film where most of the action takes place underwater. What makes the film very memorable is John Barry's rich and esoteric score combined with Lamar Boren's beautiful and picturesque underwater photography. ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE is the one film closest to any of Ian Fleming's Bond novels. George Lazenby, possessing the physique and physical attributes that fit the role, gives a visually striking and straightforward performance in his only appearance as James Bond. The combined efforts of all the filmmakers and Lazenby's performance of a James Bond with conviction, assuredness and determination make this a definitive James Bond film. The film has a sense of undeniable drive behind it accentuated by Lazenby's no-nonsense approach and the urgency of John Barry's instrumental theme used repeatedly to never let up the pace. There are intensely choreographed fights of great ferocity, exciting and incredible ski chases, car chases, an alpine battle atop an ice-capped peak and an extraordinary thrilling bobsled chase. There is more action, suspense and emotion packed into this film than any other in the series. LIVE AND LET DIE is the one film in the James Bond series that stands out from the rest. This is Roger Moore's first film as James Bond. If you examine this film you will see that Bond is no perfunctory agent. He dispenses lethal doses of vengeful comeuppance with his urbane charm. The film's lighter approach under Guy Hamilton's direction actually makes many of the scenes of violent and contorted death more palatable. On closer examination this film is a highly stylized piece of action filled nonsense that delivers outrageous thrills, characters, dialogue and humor in a well-choreographed non-stop bit of filmmaking. OCTOPUSSY is a rare gem of the series. It falls somewhere between the style of FOR YOUR EYES ONLY and MOONRAKER and in some scenes even hearkens back to the subtly of GOLDFINGER. The scenes with M, Q and Moneypenny and even the confrontations with Louis Jourdan as Kamal are reminiscent of earlier days. Elements of the script go back to Fleming's short stories: "The Property of a Lady" and "Octopussy." The suspenseful and awe-inspiring pre-credit sequence is one of the best, highlighted with John Barry's pure Bondian score. Barry also did a fine job scoring the scenes involving the Soviets, which embodied an eastern block flavor reminiscent of the cold war. Roger Moore goes through his paces for queen and country and will not be deterred until the villain is vanquished, but he does it in such gentlemanly fashion that it continues to hit a chord with many viewers earning him continued acceptance. OCTOPUSSY is one of the most underrated films in the series as it brought true substance to the character of James Bond. In A VIEW TO A KILL your heart kind of went out for Roger. John Barry's score is somewhat sentimentally romantic with a tinge of melancholy conceivably out of respect for Roger. The one image that remains with me from this film is when Bond carries Stacey on his back climbing down the fire truck ladder rescuing her from the burning City Hall. As corny as that scene may have looked it hearkened back to a time in films when heroes really were heroes. Christopher Walken gives a brilliant performance as the aloof and psychotic Max Zorin, a steroid child of Nazi experimentation. You really want to see him get his comeuppance. A VIEW TO A KILL is a mixture of the 80's craziness and a feeling of melancholy for what once was. It's nostalgic Bond and imaginative filmmaking. DIE ANOTHER DAY is very good and we see James Bond get involved in and out of some situations we thought we would never see on the screen. Not since ON HER MAJESTY'S SECRET SERVICE and THE WORLD IS NOT ENOUGH have we seen this amount of engaging insight into the psyche of James Bond. True to the best films in the series, Bond is not infallible but he is resourceful and loyal and will not be deterred from seeing duty and justice served. The second hour reverts to the superhero version of Bond this time aided by gadgets and computer generated effects that defy all credibility. Toby Stephens gave an excellent performance as the villain Gustav Graves. Halle Berry as Jinx was adequate as a Bond girl. John Cleese as the new Quartermaster looked more at home than many of the other regulars. I suppose Cleese has some of the best lines in this film. Even though his scene is brief it does make a lasting impression. Madonna's cameo as Verity the fencing coach was a pleasant surprise. Also, her main title song went appropriately well with the film's opening. As for David Arnold's score, it continues to emulate John Barry's style but contains a good deal more of the composer's own creating a hybrid sound. You have to give Arnold credit for that. Arnold does seem to demonstrate moments of brilliance especially in his love scene compositions but he should follow the rule of "less is more" when it comes to scoring the action scenes.
Rating: 
Summary: A mixed bag
Review: It's a tough call, but I have to take this set over the other two, largely based on the strength of Thunderball and Live and Let Die. Unfortunately, the godawful Octopussy comes with it. It was a smart ploy mixing these sets rather than treating them chronologically, as you are forced to have to accept some of the weaker Bond movies along with the stronger ones. Given the prices, it is better to make a set of your own. My choices would be Goldfinger, Thunderball, Diamonds Are Forever, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Live and Let Die, and The Living Daylights. Three out of six on this box set.
Rating:
Summary: A mixed bag
Review: It's a tough call, but I have to take this set over the other two, largely based on the strength of Thunderball and Live and Let Die. Unfortunately, the godawful Octopussy comes with it. It was a smart ploy mixing these sets rather than treating them chronologically, as you are forced to have to accept some of the weaker Bond movies along with the stronger ones. Given the prices, it is better to make a set of your own. My choices would be Goldfinger, Thunderball, Diamonds Are Forever, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Live and Let Die, and The Living Daylights. Three out of six on this box set.
Rating: 
Summary: A Great Collection
Review: Let me just start and say that I am extremely happy with MGM's choice of releasing all three box sets for the holiday season.
I have been looking forward to this for a long time. THUNDERBALL, Connery's fourth outing as 007 is a very pleasing installment in the collection. It contains all of the elements for a great Bond film. An exciting plot, a frightening villan, exotic locations, and beautiful women. Adolfo Celi is perfect as the cycloptic villan. And Claudine Auger is delicious as the bikini beauty. This is one Bond film you don't want to miss.
***1/2 O.H.M.S.S., is the 1st Bond film that follows the classic Ian Fleming tale almost word by word. Telly Savalas is great as the new "punch ya lights out" Blofeld. Diana Rigg is nothing but perfect as the love of Bond's life. However, Lazenby isn't as well cast as the rest of them. All of the Bonds have a special quality, except him. I was pleased to see that he didn't last long in the role at all.
*** LIVE AND LET DIE, is Moore's first appearance as the British spy in this comic book like movie. It features plot elements in the classic 70's tradition. I have to say Moore did quite well as his 1st time. However, it would be THE SPY WHO LOVED ME that established him as the character.
*** OCTOPUSSY, is a new type of Bond film which features a simple yet entertaining story. Stephen Berkoff plays the psychopathic Russian General Ourov bent on total Soviet control. Louis Jordan as the exiled Afghan prince who fund Ourov's scheme. This is a lesser-known Bond film that shouldn't be missed.
*** A VIEW TO A KILL, is Moore's final outing which was long overdue. This silly plot features a platinum blonde Christopher Walken as Max Zorin and his Amazonian mistress May Day (Grace Jones). The only highlight of this film is it's brilliant stunts. It is an easily overlooked Bond film.
**1/2 DIE ANOTHER DAY is possibly the worst 007 flick yet. This film is only a collage of the past 19 Bond films. Taking it's plot lines, screenplays, and famous scenes. I also didn't understand the hype which overtook Halle Berry's role. The whole DNA plot was just plain confusing and James Bond 007 shouldn't have spent 14 months in a North Korean prison and ending up looking like Robinson Crusoe. I hade very high expectations for this movie which were all for nothing.
*1/2
Rating:
Summary: Really only 2 1/2 Stars; Least Stocked Set of the 3
Review: Let me start off by saying that this is the worst set of the 3 (I already reviewed the other two), but since I am a Bond fanatic, I feel obligated to buy this set. *I grew up with Sean Connery, and while Thunderball is not his best, it ranks pretty high on my list of Bond films. Connery had not yet started to show his age (that would come in You Only Live Twice) and he was still able to do some very good fighting sequences. Largo is perhaps one of the best Bond villians (next to Goldfinger of course). *On Her Majesty's Secret Service would have been the best Bond movie of all time had it not been for George Lazenby. At the time, I initially refused to go see this movie at the theater because I felt that some "no name" was taking the real James Bond away from me. However, after a friend convinced me to go see it, I realized that while Lazenby was subpar, this was a great movie. The fact that it doesn't fit the profile makes it superior to many of the films (i.e. Bond getting married). Telly Sevalas (pre-Kojak for those of you who know who that is) was hands down the best Blofeld, blowing Donald Pleasance and Charles Gray out of the water. Dianna Rigg was beautiful at the time, and made a perfect Mrs. Bond, if only for a short time. Would have been great if they had stuck with the original plan and cropped the ending and used it as the beginning to Diamonds are Forever. *Live and Let Die marked the beginning of the Roger Moore era. When Connery retired ("officially") after Diamonds are Forever, Moore brought a sense of humor to the series that many, including myself, disliked. While Jane Seymour was gorgeous at the time (hell still is), she was not the right fit for a Bond girl. This is by no means one of the worst in the series (that priviledge goes to Octopussy and View to a Kill), but it does not rank in my top 10. *Octopussy was HORRIBLE. This is offically my worst Bond film. Roger Moore, who should have gone out on top after For Your Eyes Only, looked way too old for the part (like Connery in Never Say Never Again). And don't get me started on Maud Adams. Her acting was atrocious in The Man with the Golden Gun and she also looked pretty old for a Bond Girl. Horrible villians, girls and a horrible Bond make this the worst movie. While I liked the song, it never mentions Octopussy, making it virtually useless as a Bond song. *As if Octopussy wasn't bad enough, along comes A View to a Kill. Roger Moore's last two outings tarnished what could have been a semi-great run at James Bond. Christopher Walken was born to play a Bond villian, and he is the sole reason I ever watched this atrocity. I guess if I were an 80's teen I would drool over Tanya Roberts, but all I saw was an wimpy Bond girl who couldn't act and who Mayday should have wasted. On the subject of Mayday, while she may look like a man, she was still a decent villianess for Bond to deal with. Roger Moore's last shot at Bond will always be remembered as a failure. *My oh my how times have changed. Gone are the excellent storylines of From Russia With Love and Goldfinger, replaced now by the special effects era of Die Another Day. I guess the only people who liked this movie were the young Bond fans who never grew to appreciate the good Bond films. While The World is Not Enough wasn't perfect, Pierce still showed me that he still had it. After seeing this movie, I am not so sure. Only time will tell if Brosnan still has it in him to make another gem like Goldeneye. While Halle Berry is attractive as Jinx, I found the star of this movie to be Miranda Frost. She was a good throwback to the days of From Russia with Love and Thunderball, both of which had superb villianesses. Madonna's techno-laced theme is IMHO the worst in the series. Man how I miss the days of women like Shirley Bassey and Sheena Easton. After Moonraker bombed critically, Broccoli gave us For Your Eyes Only, which was one of the best Bond movies to date. So if history repeats itself, then maybe this next movie will return our hero to the formula of old and make this Bond fan happy once again.
Rating:
Summary: A serious presentation for owning the collection
Review: MGM offers a new chance for 007's fans to have the complete collection by presenting the complete collection in three sets (except Never Say Never Again, available at Amazon for $13). I do not agree with various comments from other reviewers complaining about the bad marketing of MGM, since they have already presented the movies in singles and in three sets before. And by presenting them, once again, with improved quality and logic price in three packages, there is no harm at all. What is beautiful in James Bond movies is the concept. The imminent illusion of the "non-reality" in all his movies is something comfortable to every potential viewer. No one would be offended by the unbreakable hotshot imperialist; timely, everybody would enjoy the sophistication, manners and cold-blood brutality of a professional spy (and gentleman) mastering the world and women' hearts. There is always something new in every movie, the sequence of the incidents, the very well woven plots and the presentation of psycho genius personalities or pathetic authoritarian leaders or governments. All are offered in new ways, new places and from different points of view that would necessary put you in suspense. The British sense of humor and the mysterious touch added to the colors of the hero have a lot of show-off in comparison to American-made movies, where heroes are presented from reality and where "nobody care if you believe it or not". My best movies are "Diamonds Are For Ever", "The Spy Who Loved Me" and "Die Another Day"; but I always have a reason to watch other titles for the 10th or 20th time (I already saw "Die Another Day" for three times). Probably, it is the best collection ever made to date, so if you believe that action movies are an important part of real Cinema, and that real entertainment is a just aim of it, I believe that you are having a very good chance to have the best of it in a very reasonable price. I am personally grabbing the chance to replace my old VHS collection with this sophisticated DVD one, I started with the first set and I am buying the other two, one in every next month.
Rating:
Summary: Don't Forget "Never Say Never Again"
Review: Not sure why, but the Bond movie "Never Say Never Again" was left out of all 3 packs. The TRUE James Bond fan collection will not be complete without it, and you have to order seperate. Not sure why they left it out of the pack(s)?? And depending on if you consider Dr. No to be the first Bond film or if not, then you'd want CASINO ROYALE for the complete collection.
Rating:
Summary: THE PAST, PRESENT, AND FUTURE OF BOND....
Review: okay. thunderball, though great, was not connery's best. certainly goldfinger is the high water mark of bond - for both connery and the whole franchise. ohmss, though classic, is still, to me, the best bond film connery never, but should've made. after his twin clunkers, the world is not enough(butt-awful!) and tomorrow never dies(only slightly better), die another day brings brosnan back full circle to the opening sequence of goldeneye and fulfills his promise and protential, forever cementing him as the 2nd best bond...ever! sorry, roger, but although live and let die and the spy who loved me were your best and definitely two of the top ten bond films of all time, octopussy and a view to a kill proved you held on too long to a good thing and are irrefutable proof that it was you, roger, not timothy dalton, who killed the bond franchise in the 80's. poor dalton got all the blame, but he only tried to resurrect what was already comatose...perhaps he went too far out on that "edge." but, what about the future? who should be entrusted w/bond from now on? for my money, the top three best choices to assume the role and the legacy are: #3 - clive owen. not the top choice, for sure, but, after seeing him in the bourne identity, he could possibly make it work(much like the fourth protocol showed how deliciously tough & butch & evil & capable brosnan could be). #2 - colin farrell - too short, for sure, but he has the menace and the charm and could possibly pull it off, were he to change his mind about doing it. and #1.....adrian "the highlander" paul. i've never seen him mentioned in any of "the next bond" hooplas, but i think he would be the ideal choice and i think this is the perfect moment in his career(not very well known), and that of the franchise. it's always best to pull an actor at the right moment to assume the bond mantle, connery, moore, and even brosnan, to an extent, were relatively, largely unknown w/not too much prior recognition when they became bond, unlike farrell, who clearly doesn't need to be bond - his career is pretty strong right now. anyways, paul has the best of everything...connery's good looks, charm, and roguish air of menace, moore's twinkle and humor, and brosnan's steely coolness. he could handle the action, fight scenes, and romance. and, although in his mid-late forties, he is not too old for the part and could possibly take the series into the gardner novels, presenting an older, world-wearier bond. now that would've been perfect for brosnan, who is aging, but has the perfect look for that bond. maybe we could depart from fleming and open the gardner canon for some fresh stories?! note to the broccoli's. bond has been lucrative for you, no doubt, but maybe you should sell the rights so the next and future generations can enjoy our own bond. you've had a great ride, but let's keep bond alive and thriving and fresh...i think fleming would approve???!!!!
Rating:
Summary: Bond is back...and how!
Review: The Bond movies are not so much a series of films as they are a cultural phenomenon. Every 007 fan should own these sets. Having said that, the quality of the films varies widely, but that is to be expected from a series 40 plus years in the making. Mr. Wilkinson (see other reviews), misses the point of On Her Majesty's Secret Service entirely. Love it or hate it, it is the most satisfying emotionally of any of the Bonds, and I only wish Sean Connery had been the star. I also think referring to any 007 epic as "retarded" is a vapid generalization. What does that mean, anyway? "Retarded", as in not a fully realized work of art, cinematically retarded? Anyway, to me Pierce is the best Bond since Sean, and I feel all the movies are worth watching, even Never Say Never Again, a pallid remake of Thunderball. At least it brought Connery back, something which Broccoli and Saltzman weren't able to accomplish. If pressed, I would say highlights are Thunderball, You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty's Secret Service, Goldfinger, Goldeneye and The Living Daylights. Enjoy!
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