And so, after three years of waiting, the latest James Bond film christened “SPECTRE”, has been released to an immense amount of hype, perhaps even the second most anticipated release in this quarter of the year. Not to mention that it will be the last film where Daniel Craig plays the iconic 007. So, how does this film hold up?
Before we get into that, a brief impression on the Daniel Craig Bond films: Never saw Casino Royale, Didn’t like Quantum of Solace, aside from the intro song, and as for Skyfall-well, nearly everyone loved Skyfall and I put myself in the majority. All in all, I was fine with the series of films. In fact, one thing I loved in particular with the films is that unlike the other Bond films, these ones felt connected to each other, as if every film was a chapter in a saga instead of being standalone. Since the Daniel films are technically prequels it fits, but its also refreshing to see consequences and effects passing on to the next films. I’m not a fan of Daniel Craig himself though. To me, he always looked like he had only one facial expression regardless of anything going on. I couldn’t ever picture him as the charming, suave even seductive 007. Don’t get me wrong, he isn’t bad at all, just unfitting.
Fun fact: SPECTRE as of now is on record to be the most expensive film in the James Bond franchise ever made, coming up to around $350m. Also, the film has had the biggest opening of all time in the UK, netting an estimated £41.7m at the box office in its early days of release. Its also had the biggest openings in the Netherlands, Finland, Norway, Denmark and Sweden.
But that’s the past, let us talk about the now: Where does Spectre fit in with all of this? The story begins with Bond carrying out a hit in Mexico City. To M, its the final straw, especially with political powers plotting to end the secret services for good. But for Bond, it is only the first step of many towards exposing a sinister organisation that has haunted him since the beginning, not just in his career as 007, but also in his childhood….
Firstly, SPECTRE plays out as the quintessential James Bond film, full of glamorous suits and dinner dresses, big brutes of villains, big action set in the most iconic of places…you know what you are given with this one. The action scenes in the film are very entertaining and well-done, with the right hint of danger and grandeur. Personally my favourite has to be the one in Austria with the plane, only really because the action scene in Mexico City in the helicopter felt a little odd. I don’t know if CGI was implemented, but it does feel that way, making it feel less tense. Otherwise it would have stood out the most.
Fun fact: Turns out the helicopter scene WAS real, it was a Red Bull helicopter, built especially for barrel-rolling and free diving, and it was flying out of control in the Zocalo,which is the main square in the centre of Mexico City, piloted by the world-famous aerobatic Chuck Aaron.
I also like the camerawork in the film, with key objects and people only partly or briefly revealed, either blurred out in the background, or just appearing from out of shot. In particular, there is one scene where a widow is just walking through her house, playing to orchestral music, but things are playing out behind her but everything is blurred and barely visible. Although the outcome is predictable, its worth it to see how beautifully simple the sequence is, a true homage to the charm of Bond.
As for the actors, I’ve already said my piece about Daniel Craig as Bond, and it stands here. Lea Seydoux I have always had a liking for, since I saw her in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. There is a cold, icy beauty to her which I think works well in a spy flick like Bond, but the effect is weakened by the moments she shows emotion. Monica Bellucci felt wasted to me: Only there for Bond to smooch up to and once that happens she disappears into the nether. Batista as the big silent henchman ‘Hinx’…well he’s big, is very good at beating up people and doesn’t afraid of anything. But seriously, his brutal fighting style and size gives off a looming, ominous presence. Finally, as soon as I saw that Christopher Waltz would play as the villain Blofeld, I instantly knew that he would steal the show. Since Inglourious Basterds I have always liked Waltz in everything he has been in, especially villains. There is something about the way he smiles and talks that engages you but leaves no illusions that he can be truly diabolical.
Fun Fact: This will be the first Bond film where the whole main cast will have been born AFTER the Bond franchise itself was established.
However despite the solid casting, SPECTRE still has a very high bar to meet and even exceed, which was set by its predecessor Skyfall. And SPECTRE I’m sorry to say didn’t meet that standard. Perhaps the biggest drawback is the plot. In the first half, its good. I loved the gradual unravelling of the SPECTRE organization, in particular the big meeting, however by the second half of the film it becomes very clear that the plot is missing something significant.
In Skyfall, even though the danger was at a more personal level, there was still the sense of urgency, that this danger needed to be quelled, and it needed to be quickly, otherwise more should suffer the consequences. In SPECTRE, there is never the presence of a global risk. When you think about it, what does the SPECTRE organization actually do, other than strike at Bond? Nothing that gives them the feel of a group that could crush nations. The quest to stop SPECTRE is tied in with a new international law proposed by C to create a global surveillance network, rendering the secret service obsolete. For the most part, this plotline feels like the weaker side of the film, due to a sort of unoriginality (Spooks did it!) and predictability to its outcome. The final climax to the film isn’t very good either. True its very symbolic, particularly given the point that the overall story is at right now, but I get the feeling it should have been more confrontational.
Fun fact: According to the TV Tropes website, the Mexican government had apparently given Sony Pictures money in return for “not portraying Mexico in a negative way.” Allegedly they wanted to remove any references to Mexican gangsters and a sub-plot about assassinating a Mexican official, asking them only to show the nice and prosperous side of the country.
To conclude, I would give SPECTRE a 7 out of 10. Its good, but not as good as Skyfall. Nothing more I can say about that.
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