James Bond returns for one of the most anticipated spy adventures in years.
I’m a James Bond enthusiast, certainly not a super-fan, but I like the character and movies very much. Needless to say I was pumped for the latest Daniel Craig installment of the franchise, Spectre. Plus, Christoph Waltz as the villain?! Yes please!
Going into this film, I knew it was going to be tough to live up to excellence that was Skyfall. Skyfall was so good, and really gets better upon repeat viewings. But none the less, I was still excited. Alas, Spectre was good, but not nearly as good as either Casino Royale or Skyfall. Still, you should go watch it. The movie checks off all the “Bond Film Necessaries”–action packed explosions, fast cars, guns, chase scenes, women, and intrigue.
Starting off, the main action sequence was good–we get an idea of where the film is going as Bond is, as per usual, chasing someone or something the audience isn’t yet privy to. The cinematography is excellent, showcasing Mexico City. And we get an awesome helicopter aerial stunt and fight. Who knew helicopters could fly upside down? Impressive. Cut to the title sequence, mostly computer generated as per the norm now. The theme song, “Writing’s On the Wall” by Sam Smith, was again, good, but not as powerful as Adele’s “Skyfall.” Of course we have the almost-naked lady silhouettes, in which they’re surrounded by octopuses (see Spectre’s ring theme). New to the opening is a little eye candy for the lady fans; a shirtless Daniel Craig: I’ve got no problem with that.
Moving on…. I’m going to try not to get too in depth with this review, because no one wants to read the full movie plot before they go see the film. We get to see references to each of Craig’s Bond films; the writers managed to loop all the past main villains and love interests into this film – that somehow or another they were a part of the Spectre organization. Which was a bit odd, as in Craig’s second Bond film, Quantum of Solace, the international crime syndicate behind it all was Quantum, not Spectre. I guess for the sake of the film, they had to re-write that part a bit. The entire film is focused on layers, that there’s someone behind every move of a terrorist organization, main character death, and/or pain to James Bond himself. And then it seems there’s someone behind that someone…and on and on. Not the best plot in my opinion. But it was nice to sum up and revisit the previous Craig Bond movies, sort of adding an extra layer of plot to the other films.
There are two main Bond girls for this film: Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux. There had been a lot of hoop-la surrounding the casting of an “older” woman (Bellucci is age 51) against Daniel Craig’s slightly younger Bond (he’s 47). I think it’s dumb to have much younger actresses play the love interest to someone who is, in many cases, much older. Hire someone based on acting skills, thank you very much. Bellucci was great – elegant, sure of herself, and beautiful. Kudos to the casting director here. However, she’s not in the film for very long. Lea Seydoux is a relative newcomer (she was in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol and The Grand Budapest Hotel). Her character is a strong, I-don’t-need-you type gal. She comes across as smart and able to handle herself (and a gun). But…that facade unfortunately disappears quickly in the film. I don’t know if her character was written this way, but of course she ends up “needing” Bond to help rescue her, she becomes a damsel in distress type. Disappointing.
Christoph Waltz is the main villain, he plays Ernst Blofeld (this should sound familiar to Bond fans; this character was first introduced in From Russia with Love in 1963, and he’s been in several more Bond movies since). Waltz certainly has presence in the film; his character is very calculating and cold. I think though his character could have come across as even more sinister, I didn’t really buy his portrayal as Blofeld. Don’t get me wrong, Waltz is good, exceptional in a torture scene, but he could have went even deeper into the psychotic type of villain. Waltz seems to play the same sort of bad guy in many films, and he carried that on to Spectre. (look for the white cat, Bond fans–another homage to past films).
Another throw-back to old Bond films is the introduction of a villain with a physical characteristic that he uses to kill with; e.g., Jaws from The Spy Who Loved Me and Moonraker. In Spectre we get Dave Bautista (who was excellent in Guardians of the Galaxy) as Mr. Hinx, an evildoer with thumbnails made of metal. Not that impressive really. But the fight sequences with Bautista and Craig are awesome. Hand to hand combat, brutal. I mean, Daniel Craig is a buff guy, but next to Dave Bautista he seems tiny. And in one particular fight, Bond has to look for a weapon to use against Hinx (rope, something laying around), and normally Bond has the upper hand in fights and it’s the other guy searching for a found weapon. So, overall, pretty decent fight scenes.
As the film progresses, we get plenty of car chases, gadget usage, and layered intrigue. I have to say the humor in Spectre is very tongue-in-cheek, and really not all that funny. You’ll see what I mean when you watch it. I feel like those breaks in the action were forced. Not really needed – and I really like the darker Bond films.
Towards the end of the movie, Bond gets lured into the old MI6 headquarters (showdown with Blofeld basically). It’s a great scene; the place is deserted and rigged to explode. It’s almost like a deadly fun-house from a carnival. We again revisit Bond’s past – the dead villains and loved ones. It’s a good way to wrap up the film, and in itself is a tribute to Daniel Craig’s four Bond movies. I’m not going to spoil the ending by saying what happens. But it definitely feels like this is Daniel Craig’s last Bond film. In recent interviews he has said he’s tired of the character, and if this is the last one for him it’s a good wrap. But the movie had some issues, and it wasn’t as strong as the previous film Skyfall, and normally that’s a sign it’s time to reboot the franchise, again.
Certainly go see Spectre, it’s very entertaining. Just don’t be surprised if you’re a bit let down.
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.