It’s incredible to think that the first big James Bond film was over 60 years ago, and it’s impact on the film industry, let alone the legacy of 007 and action thrillers forever since, is always worth revisiting and celebrating.

There’s a reason this release is called The Sean Connery Collection and that’s because, through the stars aligning, he became the first Bond in a mighty franchise, all influenced and inspired by Ian Fleming’s popular novels of the time. This new release, that champions Sean Connery as 007, and is out now on 4K UHD, includes Dr. No, From Russia With Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, You Only Live Twice and Diamonds Are Forever, for your ultimate watch-at-home movie experience from Metro Goldwyn Mayer.

The name’s Bond, James Bond….

These early Bond films lean into the classic action, intrigue and casual relationships (and deaths) we all came to know and love, but moreover they’re key in setting up the dynamics of the spy thriller, and certainly a creation of the tropes that today makes the genre an indelible fragment of filmmaking. As I’m sure you’ve either seen, or plan to see, these classic films we won’t delve too deeply into each film – as a normal review might – but instead look a little on the quality of the 4K UHD transfer, and a wink to the wealth of extras which deserve focus.

All the films are remastered from new 4K scans of the original camera negatives, with Dolby Vision HDR and also new Dolby Atmos mixes. As fancy as it should be. If you’re new to that side of things, and I won’t get too technical, Dolby Vision is intended to improve that image experience, and here it is enhanced as alongside the 4K Ultra HD, you’ll witness a wider colour spectrum than usual, basically making everything you see more crisp and vivid, even with the original date of the films – and the changes from practical to some basic CGI later on. Also, as a quick note, usually these 4K UHD releases also contain a Blu-ray but on the balance of what’s included on the 4K, there’s not really any need for the extra discs.  

Visually, the set follows the aspect ratios of the original releases, with audio in the aforementioned Dolby Atmos with the stereo mix – I’ll also list more audio, language and subtitle options in the summaries below. In terms of sharpness of image, these are also visually different from the previous 1080p Blu-ray releases, with the films being a native 4K presentation in 3840 x 2160p resolution, so nice and clear. It’s a smart touch keeping those original aspect ratios, which in this case follow 1.75:1 for Dr. No, From Russia With Love and Goldfinger, 2.35:1 for Thunderball, and 2.4:1 with You Only Live Twice and Diamonds are Forever. You also get a fine mix of that film grain whilst retaining a natural feel throughout, something that tells you about the quality from when these were first created.

I’ll add all the special features at the bottom of this write-up,  as there are certainly a lot, and on the 4K disc, even if archival, makes this an notable set. For anyone new, it’s worth starting with Dr. No and its extras, especially as the features Mission Dossier: Inside Dr. No and Terence Young’s Influence explores the huge significance of the director, including his input and impact on how he wanted everything to look and feel, including Bond’s very precise style, which has gone on to be a mainstay of the franchise – and all these insights are backed up in the features by many of the professionals he worked with during the original process.

They also delve into the original popularity of Fleming’s novels and the character, before moving into the realms of film-studio heads who saw the movie screen potential, and no-one more than Albert R. Broccoli – nicknamed Cubby – who could visualise the stories and what they could become, along with Harry Saltzman. And then began the process of getting them onto the big screen, which in time would also make Pinewood Studios what it is today.

They discuss the casting of Sean Connery, a relative unknown at the time, and the build of the accompanying cast throughout the franchise, and how the panache of Connery’s 007 was of the upmost importance, right through every aspect, from his clothes, his mannerisms and all now famous blasé nature towards whatever is going on around him, even if that changed in the most recent years, it definitely still remained. They talk of costume, set and sound designers, the location scouts and artists who helped expand those vast, global adventures – and even how John Barry came onboard (with Monty Norman) to create that classic Bond theme (and the rest) that’s lasted all those decades. Plus a full look inside into the origins of ‘that’ pinhole-gunshot opener, when Bond turns and shoots beyond the 4^th wall, and how it came to be.

As a collection, this is the way you’d want your classics to be presented, as sharp and cool as they’ve ever been. Sure, time has changed various viewpoints, or use of non-native actors in several main roles, but this is ‘of the time’ and gradually these things changed for the better. There’s little doubt in the overall influence and inspiration here as James Bond lives on, yet these films with Sean Connery, and especially the value of Terence Young, are timeless in their world creation. The Sean Connery Collection is a proper sharp shooter of a set, and they’re full of charm, thrills and thunderous adventures.

James Bond: Sean Connery 6-Film Collection on 4K UHD is out now: https://amzn.to/403CRBE

There’s also the James Bond: Sean Connery 6-Film Collection Steelbook Library Case here: https://amzn.to/4lfYeZa

Dr. No – 1962

James Bond, a resourceful British government agent, seeks answers in the disappearance of a fellow spy and a plot to disrupt an American space program.

Cast: Sean Connery, Ursula Andress, Zena Marshall, Anthony Dawson, Bernard Lee, Eunice Gayson, Jack Lord, John Kitzmiller, Joseph Wiseman

Director: Terence Young; Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum, Johanna Harwood, Berkely Mather

Special Features:

Commentary: Director Terence Young & Cast/Crew

Declassified MI6 Vault: James Bond’s guns, premiere events, exotic locations

Mission Dossier: Inside Dr. No, Terence Young’s influence

Ministry of Propaganda: Theatrical trailers, TV and radio promotions

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From Russia with Love – 1963

James Bond willingly falls into an assassination plot involving a naive Russian beauty in order to retrieve a Soviet encryption device that was stolen by the organization Spectre.

Cast: Bernard Lee, Daniela Bianchi, Lois Maxwell, Lotte Lenya, Pedro Armendariz, Robert Shaw, Sean Connery 

Director: Terence Young; Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum; Adapted by: Johanna Harwood

Special Features:

Commentary: Terence Young & Cast/Crew

Declassified MI6 Vault: Interviews with Ian Fleming, Raymond Chandler

Mission Dossier: Inside the film, Harry Saltzman’s role

Ministry of Propaganda: Theatrical trailers, TV ads, radio promotions

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Goldfinger -1964

While investigating a gold magnate’s smuggling, James Bond uncovers a plot to contaminate the Fort Knox gold reserve.

Cast: Austin Willis, Bernard Lee, Bill Nagy, Cec Linder, Gert Frobe, Harold Sakata, Honor Blackman, Lois Maxwell, Martin Benson, Sean Connery, Shirley Eaton, Tania Mallet

Director: Guy Hamilton; Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum; Paul Dehn

Special Features:

Commentary: Director Guy Hamilton & Cast/Crew

Declassified MI6 Vault: Behind-the-scenes footage, Aston Martin DB5 feature

Mission Dossier: Film’s making-of, cultural impact

Ministry of Propaganda: Extensive promotional TV/radio clips

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Thunderball – 1965

James Bond heads to the Bahamas to recover two nuclear warheads stolen by S.P.E.C.T.R.E. agent Emilio Largo in an international extortion scheme.

Cast: Adolfo Celi, Bernard Lee, Claudine Auger, Desmond Llewelyn, Earl Cameron, Guy Doleman, Lois Maxwell, Luciana Paluzzi, Martine Beswick, Molly Peters, Paul Stassino, Rik Van Nutter, Roland Culver, Sean Connery.

Director: Terence Young; Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum, John Hopkins; Original Screenplay by: Jack Whittingham; Story by: Kevin McClory, Jack Whittingham, Ian Fleming

Special Features:

Commentary: Terence Young, Editor Peter Hunt, Screenwriter John Hopkins

Declassified MI6 Vault: 1965 NBC special, Ford promo film, behind-the-scenes

Mission Dossier: Film’s making-of, history

Ministry of Propaganda: TV/radio ads, commercials, theatrical trailers

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You Only Live Twice – 1967

James Bond and the Japanese Secret Service must find and stop the true culprit of a series of space hijackings, before war is provoked between Russia and the United States.

Cast: Akiko Wakabayashi, Bernard Lee, Charles Gray, Desmond Llewelyn, Donald Pleasence, Karin Dor, Lois Maxwell, Mie Hama, Sean Connery, Teru Shimada, Tetsuro Tamba

Director: Lewis Gilbert; Screenplay by: Roald Dahl; Additional Story Material by: Harold Jack Bloom

Special Features:

Commentary: Director Lewis Gilbert & Cast/Crew

Declassified MI6 Vault: BBC documentary highlights, Ken Adam’s designs

Mission Dossier: Film’s inside details, animated storyboards

Ministry of Propaganda: Theatrical trailers, TV & radio promotions

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Diamonds Are Forever – 1971

A diamond smuggling investigation leads James Bond to Las Vegas where he uncovers an evil plot involving a rich business tycoon.

Cast: Sean Connery, Jill St. John, Charles Gray, Lana Wood, Jimmy Dean, Bruce Cabot, Putter Smith, Bruce Glover, Norman Burton, Bernard Lee, Desmond Llewelyn, Lois Maxwell

Director: Guy Hamilton; Screenplay by: Richard Maibaum, Tom Mankiewicz

Special Features:

Commentary: Director Guy Hamilton & Cast/Crew

Declassified MI6 Vault: BBC interview, action sequences, explosion tests

Mission Dossier: Film’s making-of, Cubby Broccoli feature

Deleted Scenes: Several cut scenes including Sammy Davis Jr., action moments

Ministry of Propaganda: Trailers, promotional ads, TV spots

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Audio: 

• Diamonds are Forever, Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice
• English Dolby ATMOS
• English 2M DTS-HDMA 
• English Descriptive Audio 2.0 Dolby Digital
• Spanish Dolby Digital 5.1 
• French Dolby Digital 5.1 

Subtitles:     

• Diamonds are Forever, Dr. No, From Russia with Love, Goldfinger, Thunderball, and You Only Live Twice
• English SDH, Spanish, French 

James Bond: Sean Connery 6-Film Collection on 4K UHD is out now: https://amzn.to/403CRBE

There’s also the James Bond: Sean Connery 6-Film Collection Steelbook Library Case here: https://amzn.to/4lfYeZa