James Bond 007: Never Say McClory Again

December 15, 2009

*This rating was given before reviews were required*

November 15, 2009

*This rating was given before reviews were required*

May 24, 2009

*This rating was given before reviews were required*

May 23, 2009

Finally got a chance to see this after a few past failed attempts. JDownloader made it very easy. I had heard a lot about this FanEdit and was eager to see if somehow this Bond abortion could be brought back into the cannon of the official movies.

The DVD is simple and to the point, so I go straight to the feature. The iconic Bond barrel logo has been added but feels slightly dated as a younger Connery sporting a trilby does the honors. This I suppose could not be helped.

The idea of using original Bond scores is a good one and in the opening action scene the music is inserted very well. As the story unwinds the John Barry score works exceptionally well. It gives the flavor of a true Bond movie. Unfortunately, some musical choices are completely wrong, as in the case of the fight in the hospital and the introduction to the villains boat. Also the volume of some music is to far too loud in the mix.

I think keeping the scores to an certain era and composer would have helped a great deal in tying this project together. As it is the differences in the selected music are a huge distraction.

There are no real hard cuts but certainly awkward moments. Also some shots are very soft as if zoomed or scaled too much. I also noticed slight stuttering especially during panning shots. Entertainment value is the same as the original.

DVD 4, Editing 3, Audio Editing 3, Entertainment 2

6/10

November 17, 2008

That was spectacular. I would have at least kept the original Never Say Never Again theme during either the opening or closing credits, but everything else is improved by the new score, and Shirley Bassey is a classic Bond theme vocalist. Never Say Never Again finally feels like a James Bond movie. From the gunbarrel to the “Nobody Does It Better” song at the end, I loved every minute of it.