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46 years and 21 films after the debut of the world's most famous secret agent, Dr. No makes for a fascinating viewing experience. Many of what would become trademarks in the franchise are visible, although they are often not as fully-formed as they would later become - the gunbarrel opening is present, for example, but there is no pre-title sequence. And although the opening credits are delivered in then-innovative fashion, making use of Maurice Binder's inventive visuals, there is no title song other than the Bond theme itself. Most importantly, the sauve and witty character of James Bond is already here and surprisingly well-defined: Sean Connery looks completely at home in his Savile Row suit, and he delivers the one-liners with supreme confidence (a particularly memorable one being "they were on their way to a funeral," after a hearse that was chasing Bond careens off a cliff).
There's more than just curiosity value here, however: Dr. No is a very adept and engrossing mystery thriller in its own right. The plot concerns Bond being sent to Jamaica to investigate the disappearance of a British agent named Strangways, who is seen being killed by three hitmen posing as blind men at the start of the film. The trail that Bond follows leads him around many exotic and eyecatching Jamaican locales, and the investigation provides a great hook to engross the viewer. Interestingly, the film shows a Bond with a slightly harder edge than later became the norm, with him coldly dispatching an unarmed would-be assassin in one memorable scene. Eventually, of course, all the clues take him to the titular Doctor No, an enigmatic man residing on a private island off the coast of Jamaica. The villain's lair consists of several very elaborate Ken Adam sets, which makes the climax feel like a smaller scale (but actually more gripping) version of You Only Live Twice's finale.
Of course, the other mainstay that Dr. No introduced to the series was the Bond Girl, here in the shapely form of Ursula Andress, who remains probably the most beautiful woman to appear in the series, and definitely the one with the biggest cultural impact. Although there is some of the usual casual sexism present in films from the period, much more troubling are the racial elements. The film is well-meaning and gives black characters some important roles, which was unusual for the time, but it is still slightly troubling to see Bond treating his black Jamaican contact Quarrel like a servant, at one point even telling him to fetch his shoes. It's hardly malicious, though, so it doesn't really harm the film; it's just one of the surprisingly few elements that dates the film. Overall, it's an excellent beginning, and it's easy to see why 007 soon found himself becoming a cinema icon.
The extras
Firstly, it must be mentioned that the picture quality here is fantastic. The restoration work done by Lowry Digital Images (about which there is a featurette on Disc 2) makes this feel like an entirely new film, with colours and details that jump off the screen. Only the poor rear projection in one of the car chase scenes gives away its age. The extras package is consistent with the rest of the Bond Ultimate Editions, including a commentary, 45-minute "Inside Dr. No" documentary (which, truth be told, will not really reveal anything new to many Bond fans), a shorter featurette on director Terence Young, and several archival featurettes. It's the picture quality that really makes this DVD highly recommended.
The summary
An accomplished debut to an enduringly popular franchise, Dr. No is at least as good as most of the subsequent, more lavish entries.
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