James Bond
Goldfinger, Thunderball, Goldeneye, For Your Eyes Only, License to Kill, Live and Let Die, Tomorrow Never Dies
(MGM Home Entertainment, DVD: $140; VHS: $80)
For testosterone-driven moviegoers interested in the simple pleasures of misogyny, mayhem, and Miss Moneypenny, look no further than MGM’s seven-film, super-thriller secret agent gift set. Packed with more Bonds than the U.S. Treasury, this surprisingly well-chosen collection includes 007 turns from Roger Moore, Sean Connery, Timothy Dalton, and our Bond du jour, Pierce Brosnan. Billed in perpetuity as the longest-running, most successful film franchise ever, this collectable pack is a testament to how Ian Fleming’s original conception continues to squeeze the most bang for its buck out of lingering Cold War fears, global terrorism, and the unabashed exploitation of women with tongue-in-cheek monikers. And while it’s easy to pin this continued prosperity on the allure of the title character, fare shakes — or stirs, rather — are due a talented supporting cast of actors who have taken the plum roles of Q, M, and D-cup respectively. Of the more notable pictures included here are: Goldfinger with Connery, Goldeneye with Brosnan, For Your Eyes Only with Moore, and License to Kill with the only widely agreed-upon junk Bond, Timothy Dalton. True enthusiasts should note that the DVD box set categorically out-commands the VHS collection, as it includes overlaid filmmaker commentaries, making-of featurettes, documentaries, and wide screen anamorphic formats.
This article appears in December 10 • 1999.