If James Bond directorial heavyweight Sam Mendes had doubts about his newest film matching up to the success of 2012’s Skyfall, he need not worry anymore.
“Spectre” packs a punch from beginning to end, with dazzling cinematography that spans the globe and has nods to 007s of the past, while still incorporating all the modern bells and whistles; think ’50s era turtleneck sweaters with new-age “smart blood†and injectable GPS.
James Bond (Daniel Craig) is the same stone-faced rogue of movies past, but this time he tests the limits of his MI-6 comrades when he undertakes a mission that has been a long time in the making, and without sanction by the higher-ups.
Firstly, things at headquarters have been shaken up. Judy Dench’s ‘M’ has been replaced by a consistently aggravated Ralph Fiennes, who spends much of his time as a director trying to wrangle his ever elusive superspy into submission. However, agents ‘Q’ and Moneypenny are still around, providing crucial background insights to Bond while he is on the run.
The threat this time around comes from new British Intelligence head honcho, “C,” who sees the 007 program as antiquated and wants to replace it with a global surveillance system that stands to invade the privacy of people everywhere.
At the same time, Bond is trying to track down the mysterious society of bad guys known as Spectre. With only a silver octopus-engraved ring to guide him, Bond tears through all manner of climates and continents as he seeks out Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), the missing link to his destructive puzzle.
Along the way, and always in classic 007 fashion, he romances beautiful women—among them, sultry Italian siren, Lucia (Monica Bellucci) and reluctant French doctor, Madeleine Swann (Lèa Seydoux)—and performs death-defying stunts without batting an eyelash.
We see Bond get into some pretty close scrapes as he grapples with the silver-thumbed sociopath, Hinx, played by a hulking Dave Bautista who brings forth his wrestling prowess to make for some believable fisticuffs. Also, a rather cringe-worthy scene that shows Bond at the mercy of microscopic needles ready to drill into his brain.
Attention to detail is quite possibly—next to a consistently intriguing plotline—the most enjoyable aspect of the film. Mendes takes the time to craft smooth scene transitions and ambitiously angled linear shots of landscapes, buildings and even car chase scenes. As to be expected, the wardrobe is spot-on as well, with 007 always outfitted in impeccably fitting midnight black suits, crisp white dress shirts and retro sunglasses.
This is also the first time in a long time that we see Bond show his more vulnerable side to a woman. With Oberhauser taking pleasure in being, “the author†of Bond’s pain, his ladylove Swann remains a valuable asset for Spectre to test Bond’s efforts to not let another woman he loves to fall prey to the enemy.
Throughout the film, Bond is constantly reminded to look to his past for answers. He revisits the painful moments of his life that were revealed in Skyfall so that his future can be rid of the demons that have plagued him for so long. And in every drop of blood he sheds, salvation nears closer.
Spectre delivers everything that is expected of it, if not more; a tried and true Ian Fleming adventure for the ages. The red-hot action is perfectly tempered by the impenetrable coolness that only James Bond can exude. Whether or not the ending of the film provides the judgment call audiences may hope for is one thing, but if this is the last film for Craig, nobody can say he didn’t go out on a high note.
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