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I've been a long time James Bond fan, and the Daniel Craig run has been pretty solid. I even enjoyed the much hated Quantum of Solace. Spectre feels like a culmination of the last few movies. finally pulling together the loose threads and cinching the series into a continuing story.
Spectre is a beautiful movie. this really comes as no surprise after the last few movies in the series. It glorified every one of it's set pieces. from the cool Cybertech style of the new agency or Day of the dead in Mexico. Every set piece was great. the Production design department was on top of their game for the whole film. adding little touches at almost every turn.
Also amazing was the cinematography. The opening shot of the movie was a long complex tracking shot through the Mexican parade filled streets to a private room, up to the rooftops and ending at an assassination. it was unbelievable how the camera flowed amongst the crowd. Not to mention the cool music playing over top the whole scene.
If i really had to criticize the movie, and I do, I'd ding the movie for being a bit 'rail shooter'. I haven't really ever felt this kind of 'by the numbers' take on a bond movie before. in this it felt like the movie had to hit a certain number of plot points and then just move to the next one. There was very little in this movie that didn't just come up to move the plot forward. usually it would be fine, but Bond movies always had a sense of investigation.
The movie started with Bond 'randomly' going after a man in Mexico. killing him, luckily getting a ring, then going home. getting 'grounded' (bad boy, go to your room!) then going off to Rome to go to a funeral for the man he randomly killed. Banging the wife, this time played by the much too famous and respected to be just a throwaway bond girl, Monica Belluci. She tells him about the big meet up of the biggest crime agency on the planet. (coincidentally right down the road). he peeps on the meeting, which coincidentally sets him off to find Mr white, who sets him off to find his daughter, who sets him off to find a hotel room, that sets him off to find a 'secret base'. So on and so forth.
It felt like a bunch of cool set pieces connected together by little to no real connection. Though the set pieces sure were beautiful.
Other than bond we were introduced to a few characters. M, Q and moneypenny return from Skyfall. M's decent in this, hinting at some interesting future movie appearances. Moneypenny is, well a less sexist version of moneypenny. and Q is a great little character. the best of the returners. We also have the throwaway Monica Belluci, and Lea Seydoux, who's actually pretty good.
Then the Dark Side. Starting with Dave Bautista. He's, well, there. He shows up randomly a few times to chase bond, or punch bond. but ultimately he is a nameless thug who never has any character depth.
But who cares about him when we have Christoph Waltz as Hans Oberhauser? I loved him in this, he's a psychopath but intelligent and not just interested in killing bond, I really felt like there was more to his story than we were told.
Overall I liked the movie, but I felt like it could have been a bit better if the filmmakers were to let bond be less of a 'blunt instrument' and more of a 'calculating killer'
Final Verdict: 81
Spectre
Spectre is a beautiful movie. this really comes as no surprise after the last few movies in the series. It glorified every one of it's set pieces. from the cool Cybertech style of the new agency or Day of the dead in Mexico. Every set piece was great. the Production design department was on top of their game for the whole film. adding little touches at almost every turn.
Also amazing was the cinematography. The opening shot of the movie was a long complex tracking shot through the Mexican parade filled streets to a private room, up to the rooftops and ending at an assassination. it was unbelievable how the camera flowed amongst the crowd. Not to mention the cool music playing over top the whole scene.
If i really had to criticize the movie, and I do, I'd ding the movie for being a bit 'rail shooter'. I haven't really ever felt this kind of 'by the numbers' take on a bond movie before. in this it felt like the movie had to hit a certain number of plot points and then just move to the next one. There was very little in this movie that didn't just come up to move the plot forward. usually it would be fine, but Bond movies always had a sense of investigation.
The movie started with Bond 'randomly' going after a man in Mexico. killing him, luckily getting a ring, then going home. getting 'grounded' (bad boy, go to your room!) then going off to Rome to go to a funeral for the man he randomly killed. Banging the wife, this time played by the much too famous and respected to be just a throwaway bond girl, Monica Belluci. She tells him about the big meet up of the biggest crime agency on the planet. (coincidentally right down the road). he peeps on the meeting, which coincidentally sets him off to find Mr white, who sets him off to find his daughter, who sets him off to find a hotel room, that sets him off to find a 'secret base'. So on and so forth.
It felt like a bunch of cool set pieces connected together by little to no real connection. Though the set pieces sure were beautiful.
Other than bond we were introduced to a few characters. M, Q and moneypenny return from Skyfall. M's decent in this, hinting at some interesting future movie appearances. Moneypenny is, well a less sexist version of moneypenny. and Q is a great little character. the best of the returners. We also have the throwaway Monica Belluci, and Lea Seydoux, who's actually pretty good.
Then the Dark Side. Starting with Dave Bautista. He's, well, there. He shows up randomly a few times to chase bond, or punch bond. but ultimately he is a nameless thug who never has any character depth.
But who cares about him when we have Christoph Waltz as Hans Oberhauser? I loved him in this, he's a psychopath but intelligent and not just interested in killing bond, I really felt like there was more to his story than we were told.
Overall I liked the movie, but I felt like it could have been a bit better if the filmmakers were to let bond be less of a 'blunt instrument' and more of a 'calculating killer'
Final Verdict: 81
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