This is one of those disc reviews I particularly enjoy writing because there is not a single negative thing I can say about the disc. MGM/UA's new laser edition of the latest installment in the "James Bond" series, 'Goldeneye', is just about all anyone could ask for in a laser disc.
'Goldeneye' is the seventeenth outing for Ian Fleming's super spy from Producer Albert Broccoli. It is also the debut of Pierce Brosnan as 007, the fifth to play that role (not counting 'Casino Royale'). Fans of this series tend to be an opinionated lot, always eager to debate the relative merits of one "Bond" over another which of the films were the best (though most agree that Sean Connery is the "Bond" all others are judged against). For my part, I will say this about Brosnan and 'Goldeneye'. As 007, I consider Brosnan second only to Connery and 'Goldeneye' about a "B-" Bond film. But as a pure action film, 'Goldeneye' gets a solid "A" and this new disc shows it off to its best advantage.
The THX approved transfer of 'Goldeneye' is virtually flawless. This is, hands down, as good as laser disc is likely to look. Colors are very accurate and perfectly saturated. Contrast and brightness are excellent, as is sharpness and detail. The image has a clarity and smoothness unsurpassed by any disc I have seen. The Panavision framing looks to be spot on 2.35:1, and I did not note any aliasing or shimmering artifacts often plaguing 2.35:1 transfers. This is certainly video at its finest.
You want audio? We got audio. The matrixed Dolby soundtrack found on the digital PCM tracks is, in terms of sound quality, easily superior to the theatrical DTS audio I first heard this film in (and that was pretty good). The mids and highs are clean and crisp making dialog very natural sounding. There are many great directional effects and liberal use of the surround channel. The real improvement here though, is in the low end. There is bass here that the theatrical presentation could only hint at. Played at THX levels, the neighbors are sure to knock on the door looking for the party. You want more than just great sound? No problem. If you have the hardware, there is also Dolby Digital Surround to thrill you.
The film runs 130 minutes and is spread to three sides in CLV. The side break is well placed and the platter break, though it occurs in the middle of a major action scene, is still not too abrupt. The disc contains 49 chapter markers for the feature. List price is $44.98.
Now, I could stop right here and this would be a terrific disc. But wait, there's more. Much more. On analog left channel you will find running commentary by the film's director, Martin Campbell, and co-producer, Michael G. Wilson. Following the feature on side three is the orignal TV special "The World of 007" that ran on network television prior to the theatrical release. Hosted by Elizabeth Hurley, this was mostly a promotion for 'Goldeneye', but also is a fairly entertaining retrospective of the entire "Bond" series. This program runs about 44 minutes.
But wait, there's even more. There is a CAV supplement on side four titled "The Goldeneye Dossier". This section consists of the following...
-The terrific teaser trailer that ran last summer.
-A five minute production featurette.
-Thirteen (count 'em, 13!) TV spots.
-The 'Goldeneye' music video with Tina Turner.
-Something called "James Bond International" which is the scene where Bond is called into the new M's office, but the soundtrack is presented in three foreign languages, starting with Italian, then French, then German.
With all this for $45 bucks, 'Goldeneye' has to be the odds on favorite for "best laser disc value" of 1996. After a too-long period of near dormancy, it would seem the MGM Lion is back with a vengeance.
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