Die Another Day: Special Edition (2002) |
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Die Another Day: Special Edition (2002) |
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| General | Extras | ||
| Category | Bond |
Main Menu Audio & Animation Informational Subtitles-MI6 Datastream Audio Commentary-Lee Tamahori (Director) & Michael G. Wilson (Producer) Audio Commentary-Pierce Brosnan (Actor) & Rosamund Pike (Actor) Scene Selection Anim & Audio Featurette-Mission Briefings (7) Featurette-Shaken & Stirred - On Ice Storyboard Comparisons-Hovercraft Chase; Car Battle Multiple Angles-Inter-Action Sequences (4) Featurette-Title Design; Digital Grading Episode Introductions-Equipment Briefing (5) Gallery-Image Database (5) Theatrical Trailer Teaser Trailer-2 TV Spots Music Video-Die Another Day - Madonna Featurette-Making of Madonna's Die Another Day Trailer-007: Nightfire Game Featurette-Making of 007: Nightfire Trailer-James Bond Special Edition Collection Trailer |
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| Rating |
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| Year Of Production | 2002 | ||
| Running Time | 127:02 | ||
| RSDL / Flipper |
RSDL (58:13) Dual Disc Set |
Cast & Crew | |
| Start Up | Language Select Then Menu | ||
| Region Coding | 4 | Directed By | Lee Tamahori |
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Studio
Distributor |
 Twentieth Century Fox |
Starring |
Pierce Brosnan Halle Berry Toby Stephens Rosamund Pike Rick Yune John Cleese Judi Dench |
| Case | Amaray-Transparent-S/C-Dual | ||
| RPI | $44.95 | Music | David Arnold |
| Video | Audio | ||
| Pan & Scan/Full Frame | None |
English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (448Kb/s) English dts 6.1 ES Matrix (768Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) English Audio Commentary Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s) |
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| Widescreen Aspect Ratio | 2.40:1 | ||
| 16x9 Enhancement |
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| Video Format | 576i (PAL) | ||
| Original Aspect Ratio | 2.40:1 | Miscellaneous | |
| Jacket Pictures | No | ||
| Subtitles |
English English for the Hearing Impaired Dutch English Audio Commentary Dutch Audio Commentary English Audio Commentary Dutch Audio Commentary |
Smoking | Yes |
| Annoying Product Placement | Yes, plenty! | ||
| Action In or After Credits | No | ||
Die Another Day is a fun, tongue-in-cheek, 007 pastiche, made by Bond fans for Bond fans. Celebrating the 40th anniversary of Bond movies, and being the 20th Bond film, the 007 producers pulled out all the stops to create what has to be one of the most over-the-top Bond movies of all time. Often nostalgic, Die Another Day pays homage to the Bond universe by managing to cleverly reference just about every Bond movie ever made. Boasting immaculate video and audio, Die Another Day is also a real treat for all DVD enthusiasts. The DVD's technical specs alone made me drool: 16x9 enhanced widescreen image, with the audio options of Dolby Digital 5.1 EX and dts 6.1 ES Matrix . . . Mmmm.
"The name's Bond, James Bond".
Bond was created by author Ian Fleming (1909 - 1964), and, like his fictional character, Fleming led a colourful life which included being a British Spy (a Commander in British Naval Intelligence). While the novels and the movies often have a very tenuous relationship, one cannot easily discount the rich material that Fleming provided for these films. While the gadgets and gizmos (and later movie titles) are all new, the central characters, style, and swagger of the Bond universe is still all Fleming. I grew up as a child voraciously reading and re-reading all of Fleming's Bond novels, and before the age of video players, at least in our household, a Bond movie on television was to be savoured, and a Bond movie at the cinemas was a real treat. Indeed, one of the first films that I can recall my parents taking me to was The Spy Who Loved Me (1977).
Die Another Day is the twentieth Bond film, if one doesn't count the three unofficial Bond films, such as the appalling Never Say Never Again (1983). Die Another Day is also the fourth (and rumoured second-last) outing for Pierce Brosnan as Bond. (Incidentally, five actors have played Bond in the official films, including the former Aussie soldier from Goulburn, George Lazenby). Personally, I have always liked Pierce Brosnan as an actor, and picked him as the 'new' Bond back in the 1980s when he was starring in the television series Remington Steele. Sadly, the Bond producers disagreed, and hired the sulky and uncharismatic Timothy Dalton for what I find to be the most boring of the Bond canon. Die Another Day is also the most successful box-office Bond movie (in adjusted dollars) since Moonraker (1979). Thus, I think it's fair to say that it's the most popular Bond film released in many years.
Apart from the aforementioned nostalgia, Die Another Day is different to previous Bond movies in a number of ways. Firstly, there's a partial return to the Englishness of the Bond universe, which had been lost in recent years. If you recall the early Bond films, they were show-pieces for British culture - British music, art, manufacturing, and style. For example, in Die Another Day, the BMW has gone and Bond has returned to his trusty Aston Martin. Kiwi director Lee Tamahori (Once Were Warriors) has also brought his own visual style to the movie. Firstly, it's much darker, and slightly more violent and confronting than other Bond films. Also, there is plenty of slo-mo and sped-up highly stylised footage. This is also the first Bond film to extensively use CGI. Die Another Day also breaks with tradition in its structure. Usually in a Bond film we have a pre-title action sequence that is distinct from the rest of the film. This is followed by the Bond-style title sequence (with theme song), then Bond chatting to Moneypenny, then M, then Q, and with a bit of plot exposition and new gadgetry under his belt, Bond heads off on his new mission. However, for the first time, the pre-title sequence and the titles are both integrated into the single movie plot.
Due to the many plot twists and turns, I won't discuss the plot except to say that it concerns (let's say it together) a megalomaniac seeking world domination, who can only be stopped by Bond. Considering the nostalgic nature of the movie, I was hoping for the return of Bond's arch-nemesis, Blofeld, but alas there was no Blofeld, or white cat in sight. However, Die Another Day has its fair share of exotic and exciting cars, gadgets, women, and locations as Bond travels from England to Cuba, to Iceland, and to North Korea. Halle Berry and Rosamund Pike make great Bond Girls, while Toby Stephens and Rick Yune make suitably evil villains, without being overly clichéd. Dame Judi Dench and John Cleese reprise their roles as M and Q respectively, and again turn in solid performances. While there are a few moments of dodgy CGI work, the SFX, cinematography, editing, art direction, sound design, costumes, and stunts, especially the car stunts, are all top notch.
Interestingly, long-time Bond producer Cubby Broccoli has been placing his step-son lawyer (later a Bond producer himself) into cameo roles in many Bond movies, starting with Goldfinger (1964), where he plays a guard. Michael G. Wilson has been spotted in small roles in at least 12 Bond films (he appears in three small roles in Moonraker (1979) alone), however, Die Another Day is the first Bond film in which he is credited. Despite having a credited role, as General Chandler, Wilson still makes a fleeting appearance as an extra in another scene -- some people just love the camera! A number of other Bond-related people make brief appearances, such as Roger Moore's daughter, who plays a flight attendant. Furthermore, a number of sets, props and gadgets from other Bond films also appear throughout. Also, look out for the scene in which Bond picks up the book A Field Guide to Birds of the West Indies. It was from this coffee table book, written by a James Bond, that Ian Fleming got his character's name.
This transfer is close to perfect.
The transfer is presented in its original aspect ratio of 2.40:1. It is16x9 enhanced.
The sharpness of the image is great. Consider for example the detail in the skin texture in the close-up of Bond's face at 85:42. There are plenty of dark scenes, and the shadow detail is also great. For example, consider the shadowy scene at 104:11.
The colour is great, with accurate skin tones. The entire movie has been digitally graded, and while the opening in North Korea is purposely desaturated, the later scenes display a rich and consistent colour palette.
Looking at the largest file on the disc (containing 24,032 frames of the movie) I found an average bit rate of 5.992 megabits per second. I saw no problems with MPEG artefacts. In regards to film-to-video artefacts, there is some very slight aliasing in the form of a mild shimmer that appears on some objects, such as the blinds at 33:37. It is so slight that I debated mentioning it.
Tiny film artefacts appear throughout, but even on my large widescreen television, they are the size of mere pin-pricks. An example of a tiny white fleck can be seen at 3:57. Very occasionally there appeared to be some minor edge enhancement, but it was hardly noticeable.
English and Dutch subtitles are present on the DVD for both the feature and the audio commentaries. The English subtitles are accurate.
This is an RSDL disc, with the layer change placed at 58:13. It is noticeable, but not disruptive.
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The audio is magnificent, and of reference quality.
This DVD is an audiophile's wet dream -- the options include both English Dolby Digital 5.1 EX (448Kb/s), and English dts 6.1 ES Matrix (768Kb/s). I listened to both and I preferred the dts option. While the Dolby Digital mix shared the same clarity, spatial characteristics, and presence in the rears, the dts audio seemed to display a greater range -- especially at the bottom end. The bass in the dts track is so heavy that one doesn't just hear it, one feels it!
Apart from these brilliant feature audio options, there are also two audio commentaries, both presented in English Dolby Digital 2.0 (192Kb/s).
The dialogue quality and audio sync are excellent on both the dts and Dolby Digital audio tracks.
The musical score is credited to David Arnold, who also scored The World is Not Enough (1997) and Tomorrow Never Dies (1999). Arnold cleverly re-works Monty Norman's famous Bond theme, and some of John Barry's past Bond music. The movie also features one of the all-time worst Bond songs, Madonna's Die Another Day. I don't think that Madonna and movies mix. As an aside, it would have been great if they had brought back the great Shirley Bassey for another Bond number. After all, she managed to crack the Top 40 again with a new song only recently. The movie also features the Clash's London Calling -- one of the few pop/contemporary songs to be used in a Bond movie.
The surround presence and activity is enveloping and thoroughly immersive. As mentioned earlier, the film's sound design is wonderful, and an effective soundscape has been created here. With both the Dolby Digital and dts audio options the surround sound mix is very aggressive, boasting excellent spatial characteristics. The rears are used heavily throughout to carry the score and to provide ambience. There is also some very effective panning between speakers, for example the helicopter at 45:38.
The LFE track is licensed to kill, and totally scary. The subterranean rumble from my subwoofer began with the opening scene of thunderous waves at 0:40, and continued throughout. As I mentioned earlier, with the dts option the bass is so heavy that one doesn't just hear it, one feels it! Imagine an LFE track that reaches out from your subwoofer, its fingers piercing your chest until it grabs hold of your heart . . . and then it starts to gently squeeze -- that's how the LFE track feels in Die Another Day.
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The extras are plentiful on this 2-disc Special Edition. Unless stated otherwise, all extras are presented in an aspect ratio of 1.78:1, 16x9 enhanced, with Dolby Digital stereo audio.
An animated menu. The scene selections are also animated, with audio.
MI6 Datastream
Incorrectly described as being an "M16 Datastream" on the packaging, these Informational Subtitles pop up during the movie and provide interesting production notes and bits of trivia.
Audio Commentary 1
Lee Tamahori (Director) & Michael G. Wilson (Producer) provide interesting behind-the-scenes anecdotes and other information. Their commentary is joint, and screen-specific.
Audio Commentary 2
Actors Pierce Brosnan and Rosamund Pike provide a separately recorded, but screen-specific, commentary. While Brosnan is a little flippant, and has some fun, Pike appears to be quite serious, and in awe of her Bond experience.
Featurette - Mission Briefings (75:54)
There are seven briefings, which can be played together as Inside Die Another Day. Looking at different aspects of the production, these include behind-the-scenes footage, cast/crew interviews, and a look at some of the film's big action set pieces, such as the hovercraft and surfing scenes. The footage taken from the final film are included in their original aspect ratio, and 16x9 enhanced -- a nice touch.
Featurette - Shaken & Stirred - On Ice (23:34)
This extra looks specifically at the amazing car battle on ice. I have an interest in cars, and I found this featurette fascinating, as it covers how the film-makers had to reconstruct these beautiful V12 sports cars as 4WDs (with weapons) and still make them identical on the outside -- a very tough call.
Mission Deconstruction
Storyboard comparisons of both the Hovercraft Chase (4:24) and the Car Battle (3:20) scenes.
Inter-Action Sequences
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, four scenes -- hovercraft chase, blades, car battle, and Antonov fight -- are presented with the choice of multiple angles, and a composite of them. Note this is the original footage shot for the film.
Featurette - Title Design (9:59)
Presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, the title design for the Bond movies has always been outstanding. This extra looks at some of the many layers that make up the title design for Die Another Day.
Featurette - Digital Grading (3:28)
A simplistic, but reasonably good explanation of this process, which allows the director to change the look and colour of the film's various scenes. This tool allows directors to fix lighting problems, some continuity problems, or even change 'day to night' if required. There are some before and after examples from Die Another Day as well.
Equipment Briefing
These are five short explanations (in character, although not John Cleese) of Bond gadgets from Die Another Day: surfboard, watch, jet glider, hi-frequency ring, and the Aston Martin.
Galleries - Image Database
These galleries, containing many photographic stills, are divided into: Cast portraits; Special Shoots (Publicity shots); Sets and Locations; Stunts and Special Effects; and Vehicles and Gadgets.
There is also an Easter Egg here: Hit 'enter' on Halle Berry's image (emerging from the water), and there are three camera angles, and one composite, of this 1:17 minute scene.
Ministry of Propaganda
NOTE: To view non-R4 releases, your equipment needs to be multi-zone compatible and usually also NTSC compatible.
Die Another Day is to be released on DVD in Region 1 on 3 June 2003. We will update this section once the R1 disc is released, and we can compare the two versions.
If you're a Bond fan, like me, then Die Another Day is a must have DVD. If somehow you're not a Bond fan, then this one is well worth checking out -- you might be pleasantly surprised. The fast-paced, action-orientated story, the over-the-top stunts, and great humour all make this a fabulous Bond film. However, the DVD's specs make it a must-have DVD!
The video quality is excellent.
The audio quality is magnificent, and of reference quality.
The extras are plentiful and genuine.
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| Review Equipment | |
| DVD | Pioneer DV-535, using S-Video output |
| Display | Grundig Elegance 82-2101 (82cm, 16x9). Calibrated with Video Essentials. This display device is 16x9 capable. |
| Audio Decoder | Built in to amplifier/receiver. Calibrated with Video Essentials. |
| Amplification | Sony STR DE-545 |
| Speakers | Sony SS-V315 x5; Sony SA-WMS315 subwoofer |