Columbia Pictures/MGM
James Bond is back! These words have been said twenty-three times. With twenty-six films, two of which don’t “count,” 007 has endured through the years. Whether campy and glib, somber and serious, and everywhere in between we just can’t get enough of the world’s greatest spy. Spectre, the twenty-fourth official EON production, has the nigh impossible task of putting a bow on the Daniel Craig era of Bond.
Much has been made in the press recently of Craig’s comments regarding whether he will return as Bond for a fifth outing, with comments about preferring to slit his wrists or requiring a boatload of cash to do so, it seems that one way or another Spectre is likely to be his last outing.
Fortunately, Spectre is a film about tying up loose ends. All three prior Craig films are referenced or have some sort of influence during the course of the film and it’s a well done culmination to the past almost ten years of the franchise. With direct references to Skyfall, Spectre has more of a sequel feel to it rather than the usual standalone style of Bond films. While having seen Skyfall is not a necessity, those who have watched all the Daniel Craig films will get a great deal more out of the film.
SPECTRE, as most people know by now, is a super secret organization, an extension, or rather a parent company to Quantum, the group featured in Craig’s second Bond film Quantum of Solace. James Bond is in pursuit of this shadowy organization and its mysterious figurehead played by Christoph Waltz. Along the way Bond meets two women with pivotal roles to play. Played by Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci, these women are beautiful and harbor secrets that just may rock the foundations of everything James knows. “Spectre” also refers to the past coming back to haunt James. The spectre of what has come and what shall pass hangs over his head like the Sword of Damocles.
To reveal anything else of the plot would spoil the film. But what is safe to say is this is a well-oiled machine at this point. Sam Mendes, directing his second in a row, is an utter natural at this franchise. To think the same man who made a bag in the wind a pop culture icon is now tackling arguably the world’s greatest action franchise is no small feat. Just as Skyfall was a beauty of cinematography so is Spectre. Though just a bit less than Skyfall. In fact, you could probably say this film is like Skyfall lite. It is still action packed, well acted, and looks gorgeous, but there is some missing element, some kind of oomph that is just lacking. This is in no way a condemnation of the film. I truly and thoroughly enjoyed it. I just didn’t love it.
There are parts to love. Ralph Fiennes back as M, Ben Whishaw’s Q and Naomie Harris as Moneypenny are great. They gel with Craig’s Bond perfectly. One thing Spectre does very well is take what Skyfall started, the merging of the sixties era Bond with the modern, and really finish it off. While we still aren’t back into crazy gadget territory again, there is a watch of some importance, a nice way to reintroduce one of the classic Bond tropes. Something else that gets a second coming is the henchman. While the last three films have focused mainly on the big bad orchestrating the mayhem, which we still get here don’t you worry, but we also get a bruiser muscle guy with a gimmick who will no doubt get comparisons to Oddjob and Jaws from the old days. Played by Dave Bautista, wrestler and a “Guardian of the Galaxy,” he is a beast. Again I won’t spoil his gimmick here but let’s just say it’s subtle enough to not seem too silly, but silly enough to harken back to the classic films. Also it leads to a few real nail biting scenes. With a commanding presence, Bautista is really becoming a movie star. His scenes in the film are some of the most brutal stuff you’ve ever seen in a 007 film. Also if they are sort of merging into the sixties era Bond, I would guess the next film will be this franchise’s On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. For those of you who are huge 007 fans I think you’ll get where I’m going with that. To say anymore would ruin the surprise.
Christoph Waltz also does a great job of bringing an old-fashioned villain into the modern world. He is almost as deliciously evil here as he was in Inglouriuos Basterds. It’s a shame though that due to a piece of bad writing, his impact is lessened. It’s also unfortunate Waltz has to follow Javier Bardem’s work in Skyfall. Silva was such an amazing piece of villainy that it’s no surprise they added a henchman this time around. While the two of them are wonderful taken here, they fall short of Bardem’s amazing work.
Some comparisons to Star Trek Into Darkness will definitely be coming, and they’re not wrong. For some of you who are nerdy enough to get where I’m heading with that comparison, sorry to spoil it for you. The film tries to take two twists, one which is not a surprise to anyone who knows anything about James Bond, and another that is telegraphed so early on you’d have to be an idiot to not see it coming. That second one, by the way, does nothing to add to the plot or tension. In fact it cheapens what the film is trying to do. It’s a plot device of coincidence, something I just abhor, and done so poorly here for such cheap effect it taints the whole film.
It’s small things like this that keep this as just a very good instead of a great film. Then there’s the action set pieces. Oh, sweet baby Jesus, is there action! The screening I attended was presented in IMAX, and if you have the choice to see it in IMAX … you probably shouldn’t. IMAX is always big and loud but the audio mix for this film is so loud for so much of its running time that my head was ready to split right in half by the end. Now splitting headache aside, the action was fast, furious, and abundant. From the beautiful opening set in Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos or Day of the Dead, which is probably my favorite stand alone scene of the film, the colors and costumes, and an amazing long take through the streets and buildings of Mexico, just stunning. Plus how fitting that we start in a celebration of the dead, considering how the dead of James’ past come back to haunt him in this film. We also head to London, Rome, snow covered mountains, and a desert. In true fashion, Bond blows the hell out of each and every place.
The effects on these giant set pieces was flawless. It appears a great deal of practical effects work was used but there are some scenes that just have to have some CG elements but I could only spot one or two and not for their lack of quality but merely by their impossibility. Another part of the film’s design I absolutely loved was the opening credits. Every Bond film has its sexy opening credits sequence, very often being trippy and having only a superficial connection with the plot. Here however is a breathtaking and ominous credits sequence, set to Sam Smith’s “Writings on the Wall.” The song is as beautiful and haunting as the visuals that accompany it. Perfectly setting the mood and trajectory we are about to take with the film. While not my favorite Bond theme ever, when set against this title sequence, it really jumps up there in my personal favorites list.
So is Spectre a perfect film? Well, no, not by any stretch. Is it a terrible film? Again, no way! Spectre is a very well done film and a fine addition to the 007 canon. While not the pinnacle of the franchise, it belongs in the upper echelons of this series’ many films. It’s a movie for Bond fans, a movie for action fans, and for anyone who just likes to have a good time at the movies. If this truly is Daniel Craig’s last martini it might be a dirty one, but good to the last drop.
Columbia Pictures/MGM
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