Courtney is back with the new Bond movie trailer and analysis!
SPECTRE
Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion. An evil, calculating global criminal syndicate which aims to sew chaos and conflict around the world…and also James Bond’s newest (and oldest) foe.
The teaser trailer for the film SPECTRE dropped a couple of weeks ago, giving fans a taste of what’s to come for Daniel Craig’s Bond this November. The trailer picks up where Skyfall left off, showing the giant hole left in MI6 headquarters by a bomb from computer mastermind and former MI6 agent Silva. The ever-affable Moneypenny begins to narrate as ominous music seeps into the background. Apparently, Bond has a secret of some kind, discovered in his family’s effects leftover from the destruction of his childhood home. We don’t get to see much, but what we do see is a burnt, obscure picture showing what appears to be a man (father?), son, and another sibling.
This is quite interesting. Never in any of the Bond films—all 24 of them—have we ever seen or heard of James Bond having any siblings. We just got a sense of Bond’s past in Skyfall, and it looks like SPECTRE will be delving deeper into his history. Rarely have any of the James Bond films gone in depth into Bond’s past, family, or even his inner struggles. Most of the films have centered on the (now) expected Bond stereotype: guns, drinks, girls, cars. But finally the script writers and movie directors have a more than capable actor in Daniel Craig, and the fans can get a deeper, more complex James Bond story.
As the trailer progresses, we see Bond going off on his own to investigate what is his family secret. He tracks down what appears to be a secluded former enemy (Mr. White, I think) in hiding. While confronting this man, Bond shows him what he’s discovered: a bleak, steel ring with a black octopus engraved upon it. Steadfast Bond fans, such as myself, have seen this logo before. It first appeared in 1962’s Dr. No featuring the immortal Sean Connery as James Bond.
It’s SPECTRE’s logo; now, we know who Bond will be going up against.
Something interesting to note about this ring; it’s understated in its design. Simple, yet it seems foreboding somehow. In Dr. No, the original SPECTRE ring was, for lack of a better description, gaudy. It was huge with a large white circle and the octopus predominately displayed. To match this ostentatious jewelry, Dr. No always carried around a white Persian cat. The whole aura of the man was almost laughable, and not very threatening. In contrast, the new SPECTRE ring featured in the teaser trailer was the exact opposite; understated, cold, ominous. I think this is an insight into how the new incarnation of SPECTRE will appear in the upcoming film. I think Bond will be pitted against an organization that is far more focused and driven. And, as we see in the trailer, they are prepared for him.
Interesting side note for fellow Star Wars fans: The head of SPECTRE, a man named Blofeld, has been featured in several Bond films. The most recent was 1983’s Never Say Never Again, and the character was played by Max Von Sydow, who will be appearing in Star Wars Episode VII. Moving on…
As Bond tracks down the meaning behind the ring, we see it leads him to a meeting of the SPECTRE syndicate. Softly we hear tinkling chimes playing the Bond theme music, then comes a familiar voice, “Welcome James. It’s been a long time.” That voice in none other than two time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz.
Can you say AMESOME?!
If you didn’t already know Waltz was going to be in the new Bond film, hopefully this was an excellent surprise. I absolutely love Christoph Waltz; he’s such a powerful actor, and he’s going to bring quite an edge to a Bond villain. I have a feeling Waltz’s character will be a quiet, understated, yet deadly opponent for Bond. In the previous scene where Bond addresses Mr. White, Mr. White tells Bond he is “a kite dancing in a hurricane”. That is some pretty powerful foreshadowing. Perhaps our hero is about to encounter his greatest foe yet.
The trailer is a teaser (only one minute, 37 seconds) so it doesn’t really show much of what’s going to happen in the new film. We get a general idea of the plot while still giving us some mystery. We get to see a brief glimpse of the featured Bond girl of the film, the beautiful Monica Bellucci, And, of course the obligatory Aston Martin shot.
I really like that the new films are more in depth and less campy (Moonraker, anyone?) than Bond films of the past. Of course there’s still Bond girls, fast cars, and tongue-in-cheek quips. But now we’re getting better storylines, not to mention a better James Bond in general. Not only is Daniel Craig an amazing actor, he’s an amazing James Bond. And that’s a difficult thing to be—there’s a lot of history to live up to in that role. Craig is the sixth man to play the iconic anti-hero, and, in my opinion, the best one yet. I love the older Bond films—I’ve seen them all (almost…haven’t seen Lazenby’s one-off), and I will always appreciate the insights each actor brought to the role. But Daniel Craig has seriously brought a dimensionality to the character that we’ve not seen before. 2012’s Skyfall was one of the best Bond movies ever, and I can’t wait to see what director Sam Mendes does for SPECTRE.
The trailer winds down after Waltz’ character’s welcome statement…the music starts to get louder…and BOOM! A gunshot into glass with the word SPECTRE, with the cracks in the glass spreading down, down, down into long lines…like octopus arms.
Chillingly well done.
I’m looking forward for the official trailer, and I’ll certainly be there opening weekend to watch SPECTRE.
Courtney Martin is a graduate of Indiana University and works in publishing. She’s an avid Star Wars fan and wrote the recipe blog Courtney Cooks Star Wars on suvudu.com. When not enveloped a science fiction or fantasy novel, she is watching television with her husband and son, doing crossword puzzles, or playing with her Shih Tzu, Burt.