SPECTRE (148 minutes, 12A) Directed by Sam Mendes. Starring Daniel Craig, Christophe Waltz, Léa Seydoux.
Ever since Casino Royale (2006) achieved the impossible feat of making James Bond relevant again, the franchise has never been in ruder health. This eagerly awaited follow-up to the monumentally successful Skyfall (2012) is going to make more money than Microsoft, but it’s a case of two steps forward, one step back.
Picking up immediately after the events of the last film, Spectre sees Bond (Daniel Craig) fighting a war on multiple fronts. First up is the task of hunting the shadowy Franz Oberhauser (Christophe Waltz), head of a multinational criminal organisation with links to the baddies from the previous three chapters. There’s also trouble at home, with oily new MI6 boss Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott) threatening to mothball the Double O program. Business as usual then.
Let’s start with the positives. Four movies in and Craig’s rough diamond has grown into the quintessential Bond. If this is the actor’s last hurrah (and it’s probably not), then Spectre provides a satisfying resolution to his story arc. Returning director Sam Mendes hits all the necessary beats, from kinetic action sequences in exotic locations to a spectacular set-piece every 30 minutes or so. But the realism of the previous movies has been lost in the quest to make the spectacle bigger, and Spectre starts ticking boxes best left as “optional”.
The action is far too slick, and any sense of genuine peril has all but disappeared. Signs of Brosnan-period cheesy humour are beginning to creep back in, along with the clichéd gimmickry of exploding watches and pimped-out supercars with ejector seats and machine guns. Spectre is still a decent popcorn flick that will please fans of “old” Bond, but those of us who have become accustomed to the new, gritty era will come away disappointed.
(Mark blogs about film, TV and other stuff at WhyBother.ie)
The names Bland, James Bland.
Why do critics insist that Bond must morph into James Bourne? Bond is essentially a fantasy spy genre, and that’s perfectly ok with me – the more submarines, exploding watches and ludicrous action scenes the better.
Space shuttle chases and lairs in volcanoes, all part of the over the top premise.
In fairness, accusing bond movies of being over the top and unbelievable is a bit of an oxymoron, its 90 minutes of mental floss before you have to face the drudgery of your pitiful “life” again.
The books were written by an alcoholic during the darkest days of the cold war after all, so maybe we should cut jb some slack and let him at it.
After all, anyone who can down 6 martini’s on a virgin flight and still walk is alright by me.
Didn’t a Cork DJ managed that on a Ryanair flight, except he walked with an n?
Bond movies are crap.License to Kill is almost an okay movie.Skyfall was absolute retreading boring bull.Its time for this sorry empire bolstering series to die.
Monica Bellucci.
+007. She could expect me to talk
“gritty era”
* squints with nose up, pushes spectacles slowly up the bridge *
..gritty?
…Mr Bong never dies
I liked the review :)
Jaysus, some typo wha!
I’m going t’ it anyway
I go to them all
Well
Since say
1980
And I think you forgot the brief Mark
The 007 Bond Brief
It is all about the ” clichéd gimmickry of exploding watches” and “ejector seats”
That’s why real Bond Supporters cheer at the car chase
Or when Anna Top got her arse burned
The Bond run never set out to be The Maltese Falcon
And sum’ting else
This Craig Bond is there with Dalton for me
sh1te
Both Act’tors try too hard to make the theatre of a Bond filum actual stage theatre. Too much Act’Tor not enough lads getting stuck in
Its not Hamlet
It was never meant ta’be
Don’t ya get it?
BTW. Best thing this franchise did was to appoint a Dame to the role of M. Genius. Especially as it would have had Fleming turning in his grave. HeeHee
And Brosnan is my favourite
Even if he is a tramp from Meath
So, Mark
Even Wordsmiths
Like you
That deliberately overanalyze
Over think
Over write
Over do their real points
Just to try and convince the likes ‘a me
They are too intellectual for the flimsy whimsy of exploding watches
Will never change the Bond audience’s mind
Yere just being a knob
the demon drink is an awful thing
Beaten into retardation with the collected e.e. cummings.
Ûck you
“Stop getting Bond wrong!”.
What did Seán Connery say when the books fell on his head?
“I blame my shelf”.
“Q, you’re a sh1te…….for shore eyesh”
Bump
Just out’ve Spectre
Spectacular
Fantastic
And on balance
As good as any ov’em
And defiantly the best opening
A daycent hat tip to Bond Tradition
And on that npte
Fiennes for M was savage
Warming ta’Craig
But he’s still not our Pearse
Great premise too
D’mind yer man’here n’his snark
Any Bond head out there
Will enjoy this one