I don’t know whether it’s because I’m getting older, but it feels like Daniel Craig just started as James Bond but ‘Spectre’ is his fourth film in the role and probably his last turn as Bond. Each actor has brought their own style to the Bond franchise, but in my humble opinion, Daniel Craig was probably the most dynamic and exciting Bond so far. He left behind the campiness of Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan and took Bond on a grittier journey that more closely mirrored the books and reflected more modern post 9/11 sensibilities. As far as I am concerned, Craig’s first outing ‘Casino Royale’ is the gold standard for Bond films. I wasn’t too impressed with the subsequent offerings, but at least ‘Skyfall' tried to be innovative and break from a formula that has become tired after 24 films. ‘Spectre’ takes a step back and revisits the old formula and, while I enjoyed the film, I can’t say it will be particularly memorable. The film relies too heavily on cliche Bond style action sequences and seductions as well as throwing in a little too many nostalgic throwbacks from previous films to stand on its’ own.
‘Spectre’ starts off promisingly enough delivering a visceral action sequence in Mexico City. I enjoy when they explore cities we have not seen before and this definitely upped the ante for future action sequences. After the opening sequence, things become predictable. M is furious with Bond and puts him on notice. Of course, Bond rebels and follows a personal agenda regardless. All of this leads to Bond uncovering global level plot of villainy along with women to seduce. Been there done that and have seen it done better in other films.
I was excited to see the crime organization Spectre reintroduced as it has an illustrious history in terms of the Bond franchise. Although, I did find it odd such a pivotal organization was being introduced at the end of Bond’s career. I was even more excited that Christoph Waltz was tapped to be Blofeld, the head of the massive global crime syndicate. Who does a villain better than Waltz? My excitement was short lived as the limited screen time that Waltz had was really not all that impressive. Scenes that were supposed to heighten Blofeld menacing demeanor came across flat and almost boring. Twists, turns, and connections between Bond and Blofeld towards the end were thrown in that seemed forced and unnecessary. Sometimes less is more when it comes to plot twists. Truly a waste of Waltz’s villainous capabilities.
Of course there are the Bond women. They always seem to fall into two categories. The first one is the wife or girlfriend of the villain, who finds Bond irresistible to the detriment of their health. Monica Bellucci takes on this role and adds an Italian class that does the role justice. At 50, she is the oldest Bond woman to grace the screen and is stunning. The second category is the spunky damsel in distress. This is usually someone, through no fault of their own, have found themselves in a villainous situation from which there is no way out (except with Bond’s help of course). We find this in the character of Madeline Swann play by the beautiful Léa Seydoux. Like all Bond women her attractiveness is without question, but I always roll my eyes when they seemingly realize that Bond is the love of their lives in a 72 hour period. Still, the scene between Bond and Madeline in the restaurant railcar harkens back to the glamour and beauty of the 1940’s and she plays her role well.
The thing I loved about Craig’s first outing, ’Casino Royale’ is that they significantly scaled back on the over the top special effects and gadgets. ‘Spectre’ doesn’t take this lesson and relies a little too heavily on pyro technics over story. However, even though it seems i’ve mostly criticized the film, ‘Spectre’ is old school Bond and a fun ride with a little nostalgia thrown in. While my critique may be harsh, I found myself enjoying it like any other Bond film. Everyone has their favorite Bond and Daniel Craig is mine. I will miss him without question, but some of the names that have bandied about have me very excited (Please please let it be Fassbender). All said and done; ‘Spectre’ is worth the price of admission.
I give this film ** 1/2 stars
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