Bond 50: The Complete 22-Film Collection, Now Available on Blu-ray and DVD

by Rich Handley

Available today on both DVD and Blu-ray is The Bond 50: The Complete 22-Film Collection...

...which will become INcomplete in little over a month, when Skyfall hits theaters.


This box set features all 22 EON-produced James Bond films, from Dr. No to Quantum of Solace (once again, Never Say Never Again and the two previous versions of Casino Royale have been ignored... ah, well, it's pretty much expected at this point). It contains more than 130 hours of bonus features, many of which have been included with prior releases.

What's significant about this release, in my eyes, is that it makes nine of the titles available on Blu-ray for the first time: The You Only Live Twice, On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, Diamonds are Forever, The Spy Who Loved Me, Octopussy, A View to a Kill, The Living Daylights, Goldeneye and Tomorrow Never Dies. For those collecting the movies in Blu-ray format, that's very good news... except for those who have already purchased the other 13 titles individually.

Skyfall, obviously, is not included—however, the set DOES include an open slot for it, so that the separate release can eventually be added... at which point, the set's title will become incorrect since the box will now contain 23 films.

What can you do?

The movies are presented in widescreen format, with an aspect ratio of 1.85:1 and DTS Surround Sound. Each film can be played with dubbing or subtitling in English, French and Spanish.

Other features (for Blu-ray only):

"The World of Bond," described on Amazon thusly: "The 007 films have a look, style and attitude that is signature Bond. From the cars, to the women, to the villains and even the music, Bond films stand apart. The World of Bond takes the viewer through the best of five decades worth of classic James Bond in one thrilling montage. The World of Bond showcases the fascinating and entertaining interplay among unforgettable moments of danger, seduction, adventure and a dash of that distinguished humor that fans have cherished from the beginning up until now. To add to the experience, The World of Bond featurette will also offer a Pop-Up Trivia option to challenge even the sharpest of fans with little known facts and interesting trivia from the Bond Universe."

"Being Bond," described as "There's only one James Bond–but he’s proven too much for only one actor to play the role. In the franchise's 50-year run, six distinguished actors have taken on the part and secured a spot in cinematic history. Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and Daniel Craig each reflect on the impact and importance of taking on such a famous role. With this piece, gain insight into what each actor brought to the character and discover how they shaped the world’s most timeless secret agent."

The above specials sounds intriguing, as do the Skyfall Videoblogs, offering a behind-the-scenes look at the making of the new film, with input from the cast and crew. Still, as someone with all of the films to date on DVD, I don't think I'll be picking up a copy. I'm perfectly content with my DVDs for now.