The Bond franchise certainly has come a long way since "Dr. No" 53 years ago, hasn't it? Going from a once-new spy movie to the campy films of Roger Moore to the violent era of Timothy Dalton, it's great to just rewatch all of these movies and watch them evolve over time. Spectre is the latest entry in the Bond series and Daniel Craig's 4th outing as the famous spy. This is a special and highly anticipated movie though, because of the titular group: Spectre. After a long lawsuit over the rights to the name, Spectre is finally back where it belongs. Is this movie a worthy return for the organisation? Absolutely.
Daniel Craig is my favourite version of Bond, bringing the charm of Connery and the brutality of Timothy Dalton. Skyfall brought a new dimension to the character, exploring his past in a bit more detail, showing off his childhood home and his parents graves. Through all of that, he gave an emotional performance, but also kept the witty humour associated with the character. He continues to show off in this film, especially in his interactions with the rest of his team, such as Moneypenny, Q, or Ralph Fiennes' M (who gets the best line in the film, by the way). Lea Seydoux acts as the film's Bond girl, and also does a good job, particularly in some scenes in the middle of the action. Let's be honest, though, Bond is known best for it's iconic villains. And Christoph Waltz is best known for playing bad guys! A match made in heaven! Waltz is great as the film's villain, Franz Oberhauser, but is unfortunately held back in the shadows too long to really let us get to know the character.
The plot of Spectre might seem familiar to fans of the franchise. Not the whole thing, mind you. I'm not saying at all that this is a rip-off of any classic Bonds. Don't be surprised though if you have seen Bond on the trail of a terrorist group before, and especially this group. That's not to say that it's not enjoyable, as it is kept full of action and humour. The writing in the movie is great, and gives a lot of development to the regular supporting cast in particular, fleshing out people like M and even bringing Q into the field with Bond. If I have one complaint regarding the plot, it is that this film feels long. Clocking in at 148 minutes (just under 2 and a half hours), sections of this movie feel like filler and completely unnecessary.
The plot of Spectre might seem familiar to fans of the franchise. Not the whole thing, mind you. I'm not saying at all that this is a rip-off of any classic Bonds. Don't be surprised though if you have seen Bond on the trail of a terrorist group before, and especially this group. That's not to say that it's not enjoyable, as it is kept full of action and humour. The writing in the movie is great, and gives a lot of development to the regular supporting cast in particular, fleshing out people like M and even bringing Q into the field with Bond. If I have one complaint regarding the plot, it is that this film feels long. Clocking in at 148 minutes (just under 2 and a half hours), sections of this movie feel like filler and completely unnecessary.
Spectre is a technically brilliant film. Its sound design and lighting are great, but what it really deserves credit for is the camera work. As the film starts in New Mexico, the audience is greeted to an uninterrupted 4-minute long tracking shot that follows Bond through the crowd, into a hotel, up a lift, into his hotel room and onto the roof of the next building to get into a good position to kill his target. Then the film cuts. Maybe it's just me but that is incredible work by the cinematographers. Whatever they were getting paid, they should have gotten an extra pat on the back for their work here.
CGI has always been a slight issue for this series though. Even Skyfall, which some hail as the best Bond film, had its odd moments. Spectre is no exception, with some sections such as the much advertised plane sequence, have some strange effects in the background. That's only the computer effects, though. The practical effects, like the explosions and the car chase, still look great. Just keep looking at them, and you'll be fine.
CGI has always been a slight issue for this series though. Even Skyfall, which some hail as the best Bond film, had its odd moments. Spectre is no exception, with some sections such as the much advertised plane sequence, have some strange effects in the background. That's only the computer effects, though. The practical effects, like the explosions and the car chase, still look great. Just keep looking at them, and you'll be fine.
James Bond is not the typical spy. Not so well known for how he uses gadgets to extract information without being seen, but rather the lines he comes up with to fit whatever crazy way he might find to kill someone, Bond is renowned for its action. Spectre is a little different from other Daniel Craig films, though. While Craig's films have focused a lot more on brutal hand-to-hand combat, Spectre adds in a few more fun sequences with great stuntwork and gadgets (unfortunately, no barrel role and kazoo whistle here). Thankfully, they still maintain the intensity of other Craig movies, and will keep you engaged the whole way through.
Overall, Spectre is a highly enjoyable and worthy addition to the Bond franchise. With great performances all round and some brilliant writing, the only thing holding this back is its bloated length. A good movie? It's fantastic. As good as Skyfall? I don't think so but I'm still looking forward to seeing Bond return in the future, hopefully with Daniel Craig for that one film he's still contracted for. That is, if he doesn't kill himself first like he keeps threatening.
Pros
- Tying up loose ends
- Great writing
- Performances
- Fun but intense action sequences
Cons
- A tad long
- Holds back villain too long
Rating: 8/10
Release Date: 26th October, 2015
Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Andrew Scott, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci
