You only live twice? There’s the sight of a trussed-up 007 – twice, in fact (for the Craig movies, they should have changed his name to James Bondage). As a auto fan, it’s very hard to think of how most of those luxury cars met an unfortunate end thanks to Mr. Bond or the villains after him (and how many millions upon millions of dollars they must cost).
Advertisement
This adventure picks up where that one left off, with the 00-program in ruins and Bond on the trail of… he’s not sure what.
If you’re an old-school Bond fan, you could not be happier to see that group – think Hydra, but with better tailors – is back in business. This film was no exception, director Sam Mendes did an impeccable job of it. However, admittedly Mendes may have made it a tad too dramatic with all of the twists and turns, but it certainly was a visionary masterclass. There is a fantastic fight sequence on a passenger train in Northern Africa that is just so sharp.
Spectre succeeds mainly as a series of dazzling set pieces connected by a thin plot, and its opening, set in Mexico City during the Day of the Dead celebration, is the flawless example of its strengths and weaknesses.
Then there’s the forgettable Sam Smith theme song, Writing’s on the Wall.
“Skyfall was an entirely reactive movie as far as Bond was concerned”, explains Mendes.
But Craig is cruelly efficient. Dave Bautista makes a good, Oddjob-like assassin. We ooh and ahh, because we love these Bond movies and Spectre does manage to scratch that singular itch.
Along the way, Bond meets Madeleine Swan (Lea Seydoux), one of the least interesting Bond girls in the history of the series.
Advertisement
Ever since Daniel Craig took over the role of 007, the Bond franchise has been moving toward a more grounded, John La Carre-style spy thriller and away from the cartoony gadgets of the Roger Moore era. And, lurking in the wings, there is a calm-voiced creep played by Christoph Waltz, whose casting is perhaps just a bit dully on the nose, given that the oft-villainous Waltz probably cooed evil from his bassinet. You do need to keep in mind that when Craig came on board, the whole James Bond story line was rebooted.
