Warning-Spoilers
Spectre, the twenty-fourth installment in the ever enduring James Bond franchise did not disappoint; though despite matching Skyfall in artistic integrity it continuously relied on plots from Daniel Craig’s previous three films to support its own fragile storyline. In the realm of character development Ralph Feinnes seamlessly slid into Judi Dench’s role as M, and both Ben Whishaw and Naiome Harris reprised their roles as Q and Eve Moneypenny with natural comfort. Perhaps the true stars of the film were the breathtaking, almost panoramic wide shots of the diverse landscapes across Europe, similarly to Skyfall scenery was second to none and gracefully rode the thin line between extraordinary and absurd. In grand tradition the film opened with a staggering display of special effects and miraculous stunts set in Mexico City on El Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead);shot in the familiar khaki filter used in both Quantum of Solace and Skyfall, it served as a shallow attempt to convey the story’s exposition and pandered to meet the expectations set by previous films. This display was followed by the trademark opening sequence and overture featuring the song “Writings on the Wall” by Sam Smith and an abrupt entrance to the main plot, basically an extension to that of Skyfall. MI6 is again under the threat of cyberwarfare and “George Orwell-esque” invasions of privacy by newcomer Max Denbigh, played by Sherlock’s Andrew Scott, seeking to establish total surveillance under the pretense of national security. Perhaps one of the film’s greatest blunders was its overt failure to utilize Scott’s immense talent (as seen in his masterful portrayal of Moriarty) as a dramatic actor in favor of the established character actor, Christoph Waltz. Waltz’s portrayal of “Oberhouser” was refreshingly subdued compared to his previous roles as Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds and Walter Keane in Big Eyes, but still lacked the quintessential Bond villain qualities exhibited by Mads Mikkelsen and Javier Bardem . His reveal as Ernst Stavro Blofeld compensated for this but yet again proved to be another instance of leaning on franchise legacy for story support. Daniel Craig delivered with an entertaining approach, portraying a more nuanced, multifaceted version of his Bond while consistently maintaining the integrity of his character.The ladies of Spectre, Monica Bellucci and Lea Seydoux (who previously worked with both Ralph Feinnes in The Grand Budapest Hotel and Christoph Waltz in Inglourious Basterds) possessed a unique presence and exhibited a natural dynamic alongside Craig adding depth to otherwise bland scenes. Bellucci brought a modern, realistic tone to her short role as an endangered widow and combatted the persistent tradition of uncomfortable age gaps often seen in Bond films (there is only a four year age difference between Craig,47 and Bellucci,51). While Seydoux portrayed yet another modern rendition of the “Bond Girl” caricature, bringing a subtle dominance and believable quality to her character, Madeliene Swann. Overall, the film served its purpose as the final segment in Daniel Craig’s suave portrayal of Bond and satisfied the series’s need for closure, tying storyline’s with apt felicity and laying the foundation for the twenty fifth film and the new James Bond.
Overall Rating-★★★★✩
As seen first here
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