Customer Reviews

From Russia with Love

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

If you're a fan of Bond movies, you cannot miss this one on Blu-Ray! They did a fantastic job brining this one (just happens to be my favorite) over to blu-ray!

Must buy! :)

I've seen this film many times on TV, VHS and DVD, but this blu-ray transfer is absolutely stunning. Cleaned up by the good folks at Lowry Digital Images, the picture clarity is perfect and shows details that I've never picked up before. This blu-ray makes an old film new again, I'm very impressed by the quality of all the Bond films on blu-ray.

I have recently started watching all of the James Bond movies again, and I hate to say it, but this is probably the one Sean Connery film that is not the best one. The other movies are great, so it is difficult to compare this one to them, as it did not hold my attention or keep me entertained. So, I will say that as a Bond fan, I enjoyed parts of the movie, but this is not the best film in the franchise.

Rather that go into any details or opinions on the content of this Bond movie (as it is likely well enough known already), I'll do a simple review on the quality of the Blu-Ray disc: it's great! I was concerned about the transfer quality given the disc's new low price, but the studio really did a great job. I'd say that the picture here was better than the one on the new North by Northwest Blu-Ray issue, which costs a lot more. Sound was fine too, although not up there with the modern soundtracks that were engineered in surround sound in the first place (no real surprise there). Bottom line: this disc offers great value and a fine Blu-Ray movie experience. If you like the movie, you'll not be disappointed with this disc! Here's hoping that the rest of these Bond Blu-Rays are just as good.

P.S. I gave 4 stars due to sound quality. The picture would easily rate 5 stars for a movie of this vintage.

This second James Bond flick is great, but has some inconsistencies. For instance, why is the head of the KGB in the country they are in, leading a raid into a gypsy camp? And, although the Gypsy leader told Bond he would have to resolve the dilema of the two girls wanting the same man, there was never any resolution to that. Which girl did Bond choose?

On the other hand, the fight on the train has to rate up there in the all time great fight sequences, and the overall ambience of the film is absolutely great. I give it full stars regardless of the inconsistencies noted above.

Col. Klebb (Lotte Lenya) Tells Tatiana Romanov that the KGB wants her to defect and take the LEKTOR (a typewriter sized cipher device with her). M (Bernard Lee) tells James bond that he is to help Tatiana and get the Lector. Every thing sounds pretty simple. But who is Klebb really working for?

This movie relied more on acting than gadgets. In later movies gadgets almost outshine even 007. Here the only real gadget is the brief case with the standard 00 issue.

As if you have not heard it a million times this is the definitive 007 movie. When some one mentions 007 this is the one that come in mind. It has well known good guys, bad guys and good-bad guys (Lotte Lenya). See her in the movie that made her famous "The Threepenny Opera".

Who can forget the posters of Daniela Bianchi with the velvet band around her throat? She even looks good through a periscope.

Of course with out Sean Connery as 007 became a classic. All the later Actors that played the bond Character are compared to him. This is almost a series of several mini movies as we move focus from one character to another.

After the boffo debut of Sean Connery in Dr.No,its' popularity insured another release.In fact the first three were to see a year to year release.
This second release"From Russia With Love" really takes a hard tack on the cold war tensions extant at that time.However unlike Dr.No which took place in pretty much the same locale,this film was to start a trend which took Bond to muliple locations within a single movie.Depending on the movie this could be a plus;but in this case I found it to be a minus.We get so many locations that the plot becomes too involved and at times makes it a bit sluggish.
The movie opens a little differently than its' predecessor.To start we get the famous "eye shot" piece right off.Then we move into the short prologue.This has Bond seemingly in a large garden maze looking for,but really being stalked by,a villain called Red Grant,played menacingly by Robert Shaw.Tension builds nicely until,what's this?.....our hero is killed!The action stops,a yell is heard and the camera pulls back to reveal that what we have witnessed wasn't really Bond but a surgically altered look a like that was "done in".And it was all a training exercise for villain Grant.
At this point the credits start to roll with the wonderful theme music, but no vocals.The vocals were later sung during the end credits by Matt Munro.Also in Dr No the opening credits showed a few girls dancing in coloured shadows.In this one we see more girls'distinct and showing more flesh;something that would be "improved" upon in future Bond films.
The film opens in Venice,Italy where a chess championship is taking place between a Canadian and Czech player(Ironically the movie goes full circle as it ends up back here in the end).The Czech player during the match is summoned to the criminal organization SPECTRE run by one Dr.Blofeld who(face unseen until a later film)would sit in his chair stroking his white cat;pulling all the strings to the subsequent illegal activity that Bond would try to quell.He puts in motion a plan(by the Czech player) assisted by one Colonel Kleb(played by Lotte Lenya-yes,the same one referenced in "Mack the Knife"!)to trap and kill Bond.Colonel Kleb it seems is a former SMERSH agent(Russian) but,unbeknownst to all but a few people,has defected to SPECTRE.
One Tatiana Romonov played by Daniela Bianchi is recruited by Kleb to be the "defecting" agent that Bond will contact to obtain a "Lektor" decoding machine.Bond gets his usual "M" briefing before heading out on his assignment and we are introduced to one "Boothroyd" played by Desmond Llewllyn."Boothroyd" would become a permanent fixture in the Bond pics as "Q",Bond's man of a thousand gadgets.
Bond heads off to Istanbul to meet one Kareem Bey played wonderfully by Pedro Armendariz,his contact there.Kareem is a very influential man.In fact he has many sons who help to run his local "syndicate".Before long both are off to a local gypsy camp to see a contact there.Red Grant(Shaw) is now back in the picture following Bond's every move.In fact during an ambush at the camp Grant actually saves Bond's life,but only in order to later dispose of him himself.
After the ambush Kareem gets revenge on the man he knows is responsible for the ambush.In town there is an overlarge English sign of a(real)film called "Call me Bwana" starring Bob Hope and Anita Ekberg.The poster consists mainly of Anita's large face.Kareem shoots his adversary while climbing out of a concealed window that opens up in her mouth.Bond says in his usual style:"She should have kept her mouth shut".
Bond meets up with Tatiana as planned and they both "steal" the Lektor.Kareem arranges a trip through the eastern block on a train to get Bond,the girl and the machine spirited to the west.Along the way much intrigue and fighting ensues.Kareem is killed and Grant(who has been dogging Bond all the way) kills and takes the place of a British agent in Zagreb,Yugolslavia.Of course Grant's real identity is eventually revealed and after a harrowing struggle Bond narrowly escapes certain death.
Farther on Bond and Tatiana,who by now is in love with Bond(naturally!),disembark the train and overpower Grant's contact and steal his truck.In short order they are being pursued by a SPECTRE helicopter.The truck is disabled and they have to hoof it.What ensues is similar in nature to Hitchcock's "North by Northwest" where Cary Grant was divebombed by the plane.Here Connery gets harrassed in the same manner by the chopper,done very effectively.He eventually brings it down and they head to the coast.Here they commandeer a SPECTRE contact boat and head aross the Adriatic Sea to Venice.While there in a hotel waiting to leave the city for London Bond is set upon by Colonel Kleb(disguised as a maid) who Blofeld has dispatched to once and for all dispose of Bond...or else.Will she succeed? Will she regain possession of the all important Lektor decoding machine?More importantly in the end,will Tatiana help Bond or Kleb?
Here the movie ends and the vocals of the lovely theme music commence.
As you can tell by the plot synopsis I have given there is alot going on throughout this movie.For space sake I can only give you small details of course.Fleshed out this movie as I said at the start slows down a bit too much in many places such as the gypsy camp and on the train.I think it could have been tightened up a little more in the script and editing room.There are just too many little details we needn't have to have seen which unnecessarily pad it.
Having said that that doesn't make this movie poor by any stretch.It is a very action packed and charged movie that constantly thrives to keep the tension going throughout.A nice touch in that respect was the Robert Shaw character who is that constant and nagging unseen(by Bond)threat.
So even though,in my oppinion,not up to the level of its' predecessor "To Russia with Love" is still a very entertaining flick which you will still enjoy.And this new remastered edition is a delight to the eyes and ears.After all,it's a Connery Bond....what more does one need?