Dr. no

By: Jack Hunt 3.12.2009

The Movie Itself:
"I admire your courage, Miss..?"
Sylvia Trench: "I admire your luck, Mr..?"
"Bond. James Bond."

And with the famous introduction we find a study 46 years in the making, one that spans almost five generations and with 22 films already to it's credit. The iconic character that is James Bond, derived from Ian Fleming’s novels of the same titles, would live on in film goers’ imagination in a way that few characters or films ever have. It would peak interests and explore a crafted sense that helps to define what a spy thriller truly is, one that appears to be lost amongst today’s modern films. An agent of the British Secret Intelligence Service (MI6), but he is not just a spy. He is a well-paid assassin, but he is not simply a murderer. He is graceful yet brutish, approachable yet cold hearted. Commander, Sir James Bond is a man who values country, ideals and the unquenchable lure that makes up a beautiful woman.

The first installment of the storied franchise takes our hero, James Bond, on a dangerous mission in Jamaica. Bond (Connery) must uncover the reasons for the disappearance of fellow Agent John Strangway, and the oddly coincidental troubles of recent NASA launches. Once there, Bond must quickly deal with a poorly trained assassin, a common theme throughout, with some being more beautiful than others. He then meets up CIA agent, Felix Leiter (Lord), who briefly fills Bond in on the basics of the mission at hand, and introduces him to his right-hand man, Quarrel (Kitzmiller), an islander who knows his way around a boat and the mission. After realizing that Professor Dent (Dawson) is working with a strange new partner, Bond is hot on the tail of the main suspect: a mysterious metal-handed madman known by the name Dr. No (Wiseman), whose headquarters is located on the forbidden island of Crab Key, of which Quarrel believes, is haunted by a dragon.

There Bond meets the beautiful Honey Ryder (Andress), and Quarrel’s fears would ultimately come true, as he is made an example of the detriments of making and uninvited visit to Crab Key. With Quarrel’s unfortunate demise, Bond and Ryder attempt to infiltrate the island under the shady falsehood that they are actually being held captive by Dr. No and his gang of poorly trained henchmen. Dr. Julius No is an odd combination of Chinese and German descent, with a strange taste in weird ill-fitted suits. Bond and Ryder are hastily refitted to accommodate their host’s acquired taste and learn of Dr. No’s affiliation with the criminal organization known as SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion). Dr. No then carefully explains his evil plot, which focuses on his obsession with radioactivity, of which resulted in the loss of his hands. Next Julius makes the typical offer of suggesting Bond take a vague position within the evil collaboration that is hell bent on disrupting NASA’s space program with a radio beam, powered by atomic energy. Thankfully, Bond has never been known to accept any uninspired offers and knows his way around nuclear reactor. From there he is able to work his way out of several sticky situations, before finding the telltale loophole in Dr. No’s and SPECTRE’s evil plan. Can James Bond save the world and move onto to his next exciting mission in ‘From Russia with Love’? Odds are very good he can. Fairytales don’t always have a happy ending, but in the life of a seductive British Secret Agent, it’s pretty much guaranteed that Bond will have his way.

Throughout childhood, my experience with Bond films was some Moore, mostly Dalton and finally Bronson. Around the time, those stars and their films got the most air time on national TV. Sure I’d seen ‘Goldfinger’ countless times, but I failed to realize the depth of the Connery editions and the idealism that Bond films truly offered. ‘Dr. No’ is a unique film in several aspects to the franchise. The story is basic, yet driven by the character, unlike later installments, that would focus on Bond’s unmistakable charm, his knack for escaping the inescapable, and his famous witticisms. 'Dr. No' introduces Bond in the purest state. Sean Connery invents the image of 007, breathing life into the character in a remarkable way that has yet to be duplicated. The pacing of the film is fantastic, with never a dull moment, and with a total complete storyline. The mission is simple: stop the bad guy, save the world, and get the girl. Got to love it.

Sean Connery would rightfully win the role of James Bond, with his dashing good looks, undeniable character and screen presence. But there was also a little help from Ian Fleming’s wife, who urged her husband to cast Connery, because she found him an appealing triple threat: cool, calm and collected. Tall, dark and handsome, dashing and Scottish. I have to totally agree with her women’s intuition on Connery, the man oozes sex appeal. To say the least, the man has it all. That may read like I want to go out on a date with Mr. Connery, but this is coming from a completely heterosexual male in every sense of the word. I don’t, but I sure wouldn't mind him asking. Fleming originally wanted Roger Moore to portray the first Bond, as he would late reprise the role with subjective success in several later Bond films. “Underneath the mango tree, my honey and me…” Is there any place you’d rather be? Ursula Andress is easily the most strikingly beautiful Bond girl of them all. With time running out on the final casting of Bond’s original leading lady, Andress was cast as Honey Ryder when producers saw a photograph, allegedly of a wet T-shirt contest, that one less notable John Derek had taken of his wife at the time. In any event, with the final piece of the puzzle in motion, Andress undoubtedly failed to realize the lasting impact of her role through the ages.

Honey

The opening line of this review could very well prove to be my favorite in all of cinema history. Not the often lame interpretations, but the aforementioned opening scene at the card table. It still gives me chills. Director Terrence Young crafted one of the most complete and thrilling Bond adventures to date, and I believe it’s his original vision that helped to catapult the series into what it is today. He remains my favorite director of the franchise, as he would also add his magically touch to later editions ‘From Russia with Love’ and ‘Thunderball’. From the sheer amount of hours I’ve had the pleasure to delight myself with all that is James Bond, it’s safe to say that I’ve trained myself into being some sort of expert on the subject. And no one has captured the essence of who of what Bond is more than Sean Connery, with his legendary portrayal of the famed Secret Agent.
Rating: 9/10

The Presentation:
I couldn’t think of a better way to kick off the second installment of the Bond on Blu-ray releases then to start with the original. Having been previously patiently waiting for the first batch and now being delighted with the thought of the second batch slated for a March release, to coincide with the release of Bond’s latest adventure, ‘Quantum of Solace’, I can hardly contain myself. In reviewing, I took some time-out to consider both the ‘Dr. No’ 2006 (Ultimate Edition) DVD and the dramatic effect of the 2008 Blu-ray release.

Dr. No debuts on Blu-ray with an astonishing 1080p~AVC MPEG-4 transfer and it’s a thing of beauty. Honestly, this release is easily one of best catalogue transfers I’ve ever seen, with brilliant exteriors and interiors alike. Beautiful exterior locations are the strength of the film with; the picture perfect beaches, the stunning effect of the glimmering water and the deep blue sky. To my delight, interiors are also equally as brilliant and with fine detail. Blacks are deep and colors are vibrant. Reds shine a glorious ruby shade or bright tone when required, yellows are soft and muted, oranges are brunt and greens are flush. I was shocked by how deep the original color palette is and how it remains in the present. Skin tones are correct, with every glorious wrinkle and bead of water or sweat on full display. The disc is very bright, but never too bright, as was my major problem with ‘Casino Royale’. The high definition feel is a little relaxed and some light grain is noticeable, but proper to retain the film’s original intent. Over-all the Blu-ray has spectacular clarity and sharpness. In short, I never thought Dr. No could look this good.

Bond, James Bond

It’s no secret that Ursula Andress is historically my favorite Bond girl, as is her legendary introduction to the film. It’s not just her crafted figure, sun kissed skin or those memorizing eyes. It’s the bikini! All of her power is reveled in the famed white bikini and faintly remains a statement to the lost innocence of the early 60’s. It’s as true today as it was then. A woman in film can do more for me with an inviting smile, than a raunchy sex scene or showing all of the goods. Thankfully, the Bond franchise never chose to abandon the idea of enchanting innuendos for tacky nudity. With that said, this scene is just one of the testaments to how this transfer delivers on all account. Now I could talk the clarity of the blue, green tones of the water and sky. The powder soft sand and the steamy heat that the method of transfer gives off, but you’d have to see it to believe just how good it is. Truly a thing of beauty and one of my favorite scenes, in a franchise packed with classic and unforgettable sequences.

As for par with the first batch of Bond Blu-ray releases, MGM includes the original Mono Dolby Digital 1.0, but beefed it up with a new 5.1 Lossless DTS-HD. Over-all the disc sounds pretty good. It doesn’t blow me away, but it’s hard to strike negative points for including a decent original soundtrack and a beefed up 5.1 surround audio track selection. Of the few flaws in the film, some moments of brief digital noise reduction are evident, but it never takes away from the transfer and is added with only a positive effect. There are virtually no signs of age or dirt. The Blu-ray transfer of ‘Dr. No’ is meticulously polished and MGM has delivered one of the best transfers I’ve ever seen - period. It’s hard giving this brilliant transfer anything but a perfect score. So surreal.
Rating: 10/10

Dr. No

The Extras:
"That's a Smith & Wesson, and you've had your six." No need to worry, Bond’s ‘Walther PPK’ holds a couple of extra shots just in case the mission should require the need. Here we find some detailed bonus extras and featurette’s that are sure to keep most Bond fans delighted, with original content and behind the scenes footage. Including some interesting original time-period pieces that are well anything but ordinary. Enjoy!

Commentary: John Cork narrates a collection of audio sound bites featuring Director Terence Young and a collection of cast and crew. Most seem to be of the time period of the original theatrical release of the film.

License to Restore: An inside look at the painstaking process of bringing the classics back to life in the glory of HD. (12 mins HD)

The Guns of James Bond: “I’m not James Bond, he’s a fictitious character…” With Sean Connery himself and Geoffrey Boothroyd, the famed guy who wrote a letter to Fleming complaining about Bond’s choice of weapons in the Novels. Simply put the basic special feature ever! A detailed rundown of James Bond second most important weapon, his guns. Great piece; looks terrible. (5 mins SD)

Premiere Bond; Opening Nights: Michael Wilson narrates a detailed description of the history behind the star-studded events that is a James Bond release. Very enjoyable and informative. (13 mins SD)

007 Mission Control: A feature that allows user to connect to specific information of a dedicated scene.

Inside Dr. No: A featurette dedicated to the details of the timeless introduction of the very first Bond film. Some behind the scene information, with a history breakdown of Ian Fleming’s Novels and James Bond. Everything you ever wanted to know about James Bond, ‘Dr. No’ and more. Sit back and enjoy the ride. (42 mins SD)

Terence Young; Bond Vivant: A detailed look at the director who first brought James Bond to life on the big screen. (18 mins HD)

Dr. No 1963 Featurette: An original featurette that describes who James Bond is and what he is all about. Again we visit the weapons of James Bond, also with some behind the scene information. And again; great piece, looks terrible. (9 mins SD)

-Theatrical Archive: 4 Original Theatrical Trailers; some in HD, some not (10 min, HD-SD)
-TV Broadcasts: TV spots for the film. (SD 2 mins)
-Radio Communication: An introduction and some audio advertisements.

Image Database: “Experience the world of Bond in 1962. The year ‘Dr. No’ was released with this unique, retro photo gallery.” Unique? Probably not. Retro? Hell yes!

Credits: As so you never forget, here are the credits again!
Rating: 8/10

Overall:
It’s a hard time having to not love the original that started it all. But hey, I love it. ‘Dr. No’ is James Bond in his purist State; without the gadgets, massive explosions and special effects that modern reincarnations seem to swear by. A crafted spy thriller? Yes! Beautiful women? You better believe it! An exciting villain? One of the best. It all adds up to a memorable picture that would make Sean Connery a legend. How can one ignore ‘Dr. No’ on Blu-ray, with its historic transfer on this fully loaded release? Quite simply, you can not.
Rating: 9/10