Extras are spread across the two discs afforded each of the five movies in this set, with the only supplement on disc one of each movie being an audio commentary. Here's a look at what's in store...

Dr. No (1962):

The commentary on this release is identical to the one that was recorded for the previous release of the film by MGM and it features director Terrance Young and a few cast members who have all been recorded separately and then edited into one scene specific track moderated by John Cork of the Ian Fleming Foundation. The result is a pretty informative track that covers the origins of the film, provides plenty of interesting trivia about cast members both major and minor, as well as details on what was shot where and how it was done. Because everyone was recorded separately, there's no sense of camaraderie to be found and on that level it is a little stale as far as the presentation goes in that you don't have people playing off of one another's enthusiasm as you tend to get on the better group commentaries out there, but in terms of the wealth and volume of information that can be found here, there is little to complain about.

The second disc is where the rest of the extras are and we start off with the forty-two minute Inside Dr. No documentary (also included on the previous special edition release). This is a great look at the making of the film put together buy using new and vintage interviews with most of the principal cast and crew members including some recent footage with Connery. There are some nice clips and production photos used throughout to illustrate various points along the way, and it does a fantastic job of explaining how Fleming's book became the movie we all know and love from casting decisions to directorial efforts and scripting facts. Also carried over from the last disc is the twenty-two minute Terence Young: Bond Vivant featurette that paints a very nice tribute to the director through interviews with many of the people who worked with him throughout his career. What makes this segment interesting is hearing just what a large role Young had in the way that the movie turned out. Of course it was all based on Fleming's original vision and on Connery's charisma but Young is the man who put it all together and this turns out to be a genuinely interesting look at his work.

A brief black and white featurette from 1963 is also included. Originally devised to promote the television premiere of the film, it's interesting to see from a historical perspective but doesn't offer nearly the insight that the commentary or the Inside Dr. No piece do. Also included here is an interesting documentary on how the Lowrey restoration process was used to restore Dr. No and the other films in the set to the near immaculate condition that you see it on this DVD. This runs for eleven minutes and change and it features interviews as well as some telling before and after clips. The Guns Of James Bond is a fun piece about, well, the guns that James Bond uses in the movie. It's a very cool segment that clocks in just shy of five minutes and which was shot in black and white. It's hosted by Connery who does a good job of staying in character. Premiere Bond is a nifty look at the Bond-Mania that broke out on the opening nights of some of the movies. There are some really great vintage clips of various celebrities showing up and interviews with many of the players from the films, and this thirteen and a half minute piece covers not only Dr. No but all of the Bond movies up Tomorrow Never Dies.

Rounding out the extra features are the original theatrical trailer for the film, an alternate trailer entitled Introducing Mr. Bond, a trailer promoting the re-release of the movie with From Russia With Love, another re-release trailer where the film is coupled with Goldfinger, a couple of television spots, six radio advertisements and a very generous still gallery of photos and production art from various sources (including some shots from scenes that have been lost) – these are all found in the Ministry Of Propaganda section. A 007 Mission Control bit is also found here, which allows you to navigate the menu screens via your remote to learn more about various aspects of the production by way of some clips from the movie.

You Only Live Twice (1967):

The first disc for You Only Live Twice contains the same commentary track that was on the previous special edition DVD release from MGM. Like the track recorded for Dr. No, it's been created by splicing together recorded conversations with various participants and edited into a scene specific discussion of the film with John Cork piecing it all together. Gilbert shows up here to talk about his work on the movie as do a few of the performers and those who worked on the picture behind the scenes. It would have been nice to see a new commentary track but this one is perfectly sufficient and anything else might have been overkill.

On disc two, things start off nicely with a fantastic fifty-two minute documentary/clip collection entitled Welcome To Japan, Mr. Bond, which is new to this DVD. This was created back when the film was gearing up for its theatrical release so it's a little dated in that regard and obviously not comprehensive given the amount of sequels that have been made since, but it's a fun look at the James Bond movies that had been made up until that point in time. It's held together by Moneypenny and another woman discussing James' exploits which leads into the clips. Later on she heads into Q's laboratory and talks to him about Bond's behavior. It's goofy, but it does make for good, fun viewing and having Moneypenny and Q take care of hosting the ordeal was a nice touch.

The thirty-minute Inside You Only Live Twice that was on the last issue of the film has been carried over to this new disc as well. For those who haven't seen it, it appears in the Mission Dossier section alongside the twenty-three minute Silhouettes: The James Bond Titles and the brief Plane Crash Animated Story Boards segment. Each piece is narrated by none other than Patrick MacNee, the first one is a good, overall look at the making of the movie by way of some interviews with Gilbert and Peter Hunt. It's entertaining and interesting and even if Connery isn't involved, it does a fine job of detailing the movie from start to finish. The second segment is a look at the work of Maurice Binder and the work he did on the series before he passed away. The third is, as it states, a collection of storyboards shown in sequence to music.

Also new to the disc is On Location With Ken Adams which, at fourteen minutes in length, which provide a narrated look from Adams himself at the work he did on the film designing and organizing the construction of the now famous volcano base. There's some nice behind the scenes footage in here as well as some location footage from the era, which gives the piece some historical importance. We also get a peek at Connery and Gilbert doing their thing as well as footage of the base being built (it's huge!).

Whicker's World, again exclusive to this new DVD, is a piece that runs just over five minute and which starts with Michael Wilson opening the show and from there gives us clips of Broccoli and Connery appearing on the show. Dated, it's still very amusing to see the two of them interact and to hear Connery discuss his interaction with the Japanese locals. It would have been nice to see the entire episode here, rather than clips, however.

The new 007 Mission Control feature is laid out the same way here as it was for Dr. No. It is basically just a series of menus and submenus that allow you to check out clips from the movie based on content – navigate to the 'women' section if you want to see the ladies, for example. There's not much here that you won't see by simply watching the film but dig around enough and you will find the opening sequence without the text credits over top. There's also a bit in the locations section where you see the clips with commentary from Maude Adams where she gives us some background information on what we're seeing.

Rounding out the extra features are three original theatrical trailers, one television spot pairing the film with Thunderball, seven radio advertisements and a very generous still gallery of photos and production art from various sources – these are all found in the Ministry Of Propaganda section.

Moonraker (1979):

The first Moonraker disc contains the commentary that was recorded for the last release which features director Lewis Gilbert, producers Michael G. Wilson and William P. Cartlidge and screenwriter Christopher Wood. It's a decent track, even if it could have been more. Wilson carries the discussion and seems to have the sharpest memory when it comes to talking about how the project came together while the other participants fill in the blanks when and where they can with Wood lending some insight into why the story is the way that it is in the finished version of the movie.

New to the Ultimate Edition release, however, is a second commentary track this time with the star of the film, Sir Roger Moore. While it's a shame that Moore doesn't bring more to this talk in terms of what was required of him on set, he does tell some amusing stories about the director and some of his co-stars and he gets some good background information into the mix more than once. A lot of the track is observational, with Moore sort of commenting on what is happening in the film fairly randomly but he's got a great sense of humor about the whole deal and comes across as likeable here as he always does.

Disc two is, as you've probably guessed, a mix of new material and old material carried over from the previous release. First up is a forty-two minute Inside Moonraker featurette which is an extensive behind the scenes documentary that shows us how much of the effects work was done and which details the origins of the film in quite a bit of detail. Interviews with the cast and crew are mixed in with photos and clips from various sources to really paint a big picture of the experience that was making Moonraker and it actually proves to be very interesting stuff. Also quite interesting (and carried over) is the nineteen-minute Men Behind The Mayhem featurette which explores a documentary that is specific to the stunts and effects set pieces that this and other Bond films contain. There are plenty of clips and some nice narration to keep it all in context along with interviews and behind the scenes clips.

New to this release are more of Ken Adam's Production Films which, at twelve-minutes, give us a look at narrated footage that Adams shot while building some of the sets to be used in the movie. Like those seen on You Only Live Twice, this are pretty keen in that we get a look at the sets as they're being built in addition to little bits and pieces of general behind the scenes information. Also new to this release is an eleven-minute collection of interviews with the cast and crew entitled Bond '79 where we get a chance to enjoy little talks with Broccoli and a few other cast and crew members as organized by Michael Wilson. None of these are deep or meaningful but they're interesting enough and it's always nice to see vintage material included whenever possible.

Another new featurette is 007 In Rio which is a thirteen-minute look at the crew doing their thing in Rio for the scenes that take place there in the feature. It's interesting enough to see and some of the location footage is quite impressive. Also new to this release are two test footage clips - Circus Footage, Skydiving Test Footage - and two storyboard collections, both specifically for the cable car scene.

Rounding out the extra features are the theatrical trailer, a generous still gallery, animated menus, chapter stops, and the seemingly obligatory 007 Mission Control interactive bit that follows the same formula as those on the other discs in the set.

Octopussy (1983):

The first disc finds director John Glen providing a commentary track over the film. Carried over from the last special edition release, it's an interesting discussion as Glen's memory of the movie and the time he spent making it is very sharp. He covers casting and the locations shoots as well as how some of the action scenes were put together. He's very amiable throughout and quite an interesting guy. Unique to this ultimate edition release is a new commentary track with Sir Roger Moore. As with the other tracks that he's recorded for the film he stars in, it's an amusing if slightly unfocused talk. Moore always comes across as a very kind man with a great sense of humor and that does a lot towards making this more interesting than it actually is because although he talks a lot, he's not really saying all that much about the movie or his involvement in it so much as he is just sort of commenting on what happens on screen. It's a fun track, and fans will definitely enjoy it for the moments where he does go into some detail, but it isn't really essential.

Up next on the second DVD are a few featurettes, some new to this release and some carried over from the older disc. James Bond In India is a new, half hour look at the scenes that were shot on location in India and it features some very nice behind the scenes footage of the movie being made as well as some more candid moments of Moore relaxing when things allow him to take a break. This featurette was originally made to promote the film before it hit theaters. From the older disc we once again get Inside Octopussy which is an interesting thirty-five minute piece that once again uses Patrick MacNee's narration to explain the making of the film in a fair bit of detail. All the main cast and crewmembers show up here for brief but interesting interview segments and there's some good behind the scenes footage and photographs included as well. The twenty-one minute Designing Bond – Peter Lamont featurette that was on the last release is here as well, and it's a look at Peter Lamont's production design work on the various Bond movies which he was involved with. Everyone knows that the production design has always been a huge part of the appeal of these films and Lamont was the man responsible for a lot of the more memorable pieces that we've seen over the years. This is an affectionate and interesting tribute to his work.

Also new to this release, and something that is sure to be of interest to most fans, is the collection of screen tests that feature James Brolin in the part of James Bond. Brolin was the back up man that Broccoli and company had on deck if they weren't able to get Moore to reprise the role, so it's keen to see this material included here. This starts off with an introduction from Brolin who talks about his brief flirtation with the part, and from there we get three clips. The first clip shows Brolin and Maude Adams recreating a scene from From Russia With Love, the second involves a snake and Vijay Amritraj (who played Vijay in the film) and the third shows Brolin in a fight scene. These are really interesting to see and while no one can say for sure if the film would have turned out to be any better with Brolin in the lead, having them included on this release is a definite plus.

Also new to this release are four shorter featurettes. Ken Burns' On-Set Films is seven minutes of footage that a young Ken Burns shot on an 8mm camera on the set of the film. He narrates the footage as it was shot without sound and talks about his personal experiences on the set. On Location With Peter Lamont is a five-minute clip of location scouting footage that Peter Lamont shot of Berlin before production started on the movie. Lamont narrates the clip and talks about the Berlin of the day and how it has obviously changed since the 1980s. The last featurette is Shooting Stunts which, presented in two parts, is a collection of clips that show how the airplane and jeep sequences from the movie were assembled and cut, narrated by director John Glen. Testing The Limit – The Aerial Team is four and a half minutes of test footage from the plane fight scene, again narrated by Glen.

Rounding on the extra features are the interactive 007 Mission Control bit that we've seen on each of the discs in the set, a massive still gallery, a music video for All Time High from Rita Coolidge, a pair of storyboard to screen comparisons, and four theatrical trailers. Animated menus and chapter stops for the feature are also included, but you probably knew that already.

Tomorrow Never Dies (1997):

The extras start off nicely enough with a commentary track from second unit director Vic Armstrong and producer Michael G. Wilson that has been ported from the previous special edition DVD release. These two have worked together for a while now and been involved with more than a few of the Bond films so it makes sense that they have a good chemistry here. They talk about the roles they've played in getting this production off the ground, they detail some of the location work and the stunt work and give us a nice, overall feel for the making of the movie and they do it with a nice sense of humor and a lack of pretension. Even if the movie isn't as good as it could have been, this commentary is very strong. The second commentary, which is exclusive to the new ultimate edition release, features director Roger Spottiswoode who is accompanied by Dan Petrie Jr.. This track isn't quite as interesting as the first one mainly because it suffers from quite a bit of the dreaded dead air syndrome. Petrie does his best to keep Spottiswoode talking, and when he's got something to say he proves to be a pretty interesting subject, but he clams up here and there and despite Petrie's best efforts, the track drags because of this. Also included on the first disc is the film's isolated score available as an optional audio track and presented in Dolby Digital Stereo – a nice touch. Animated menus and chapter stops are of course provided for the feature as well.

The second disc starts off with the excellent fifty-eight minute long documentary, Highly Classified: The World of 007 that comes stars with an introduction from Q who talks about the video cassette you're playing! Q beams into your living room from a satellite and from there we get a wealth of interview and behind the scenes footage from the making of the movie. We see how the credits were put together and learn about the musical score, and we even get to talk to Michelle Yeoh a bit about her work on the movie. Brosnan shows up here a few times and we get a look at the storyboarding process and plenty of the stunt work as well.

An equally interesting documentary that also runs roughly an hour in length is The Secrets Of 007 which has been ported over from the last special edition release. Despite the fact that it is included with Tomorrow Never Dies it doesn't really cover that film in a whole lot of detail as this was made to promote the theatrical release of that film. Regardless, as retrospective documentaries go, this one is quite interesting and it gives us a look at the history of the franchise by way of some interesting interviews and an abundance of clips from throughout the series.

If that weren't enough, there is also featurette provided on the Making Of The Special Effects entitled Special FX Reel which again has been carried over. This is basically a before and after look at a few of the main special effects scenes from the movie that demonstrates what was done digitally to create them. A three minute Interview With David Arnold gives the composer of the movie's score a chance to talk about his work, however briefly, and it's interesting to hear his thoughts on the movie. Another segment entitled simply Gadgets gives us an insider's look at the creation of the trick cell phone, the customized BMW and the Sea Vac that Bond uses in the film.

Director Rodger Spottiswoode introduces a selection of deleted and extended scenes – Gupta In Office With Cards, Moving Assignment, Bond Gets A Jag, Full Sir Angus Black Story, Get To Know Him Better, Rental Car, Gupta Throws A Card At Guard, What The Hell Do I Pay You For, and Let's Stay Undercover. He also introduces a milt-angle segment that allows you to check out two different scenes - The Car Chase and White Knight – from three different angles by way of your remote control.

Rounding out the extras on the second disc is a music video for Moby's cover of the James Bond theme, some storyboard to film comparisons, a second music video for Sheryl Crow's theme song, and two original theatricals trailer for the film.

Also worth noting is that inside the attractive embossed box that holds the five slim cases are five separate booklets of liner notes that provide production details and a history of each of the five movies in this set and which is illustrated with promotional artwork and photographs. Each booklet also gives some interesting background information on the villains and Bond girls featured in each film. No author's credits are given.

The old adage that 'you can't please everyone' holds true in the world of DVD. Any time a major restoration is done or something is labeled as an 'ultimate edition' it opens itself up to careful scrutiny and nit picking. If you want to find flaws with this set, you will but there's no denying that, small grievances aside, this is a fantastic package. The films look and sound terrific and the extras are not only plentiful but most of them are actually quite interesting. Opinions will obviously vary as to the quality and merits of the individual films in the set but James Bond – Ultimate Edition Volume Four truly deserves the DVD Collector's Talk rating stamp of approval.

Ian lives in NYC with his wife where he writes for DVD Talk, runs Rock! Shock! Pop!. He likes NYC a lot, even if it is expensive and loud.