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| Courtesy of Columbia |
Although
he’s still a jet-setting spy with a tendency of getting distracted by the
ladies, Bond is much more in the vein of Jason Bourne thanks to Craig’s
interpretation of the character. He’s an assassin who gains the upper hand
through pure, brutal force. It’s a far cry from the fanciful, one-liner
spouting versions of 007 that Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan played.
As
someone who arrived late to the series, these newer films have been my
favorites because of that realism (which is, admittedly, heightened for maximum
dramatic effect). However, I’m also aware that some fans prefer the old-school
movies that seemed more interested in exotic locales, beautiful women, crazy
action sequences and villains with hilariously complicated plans for world
domination than it did with, you know, telling an actual story.
Those
fans are in luck. Spectre is a return to form for the franchise, but for me
that’s not exactly a positive development. I could actually feel the movie
taking several massive steps backward in quality as it lurches through its far
too long 150-minute running time. Bigger isn’t always better.
What’s
worse, the classic-era Bond isn’t a good fit for Craig at all. If you watch
closely, you can see a tiny piece of his soul die every time the screenplay
(credited to four different writers – never a good sign) forces him to deliver
a groan-worthy pun. Clearly, Spectre isn’t Casino Royale or Skyfall. But
if we’re looking on the bright side, at least it’s better than Quantum of
Solace. And there are no invisible cars or ice castles that marked the nadir
of Brosnan’s time in the role.
The
film picks up with Bond and his cohorts (including Ralph Fiennes, Rory Kinnear,
Ben Whishaw and Naomie Harris) readjusting to the spy game after the death of
their beloved M and as the new head of national security seeks to phase out
their program. When a cryptic message provides Bond with a critical lead, he
quickly finds himself on a rogue mission that takes him around the globe.
After
obtaining important information in Mexico City and Rome, the headstrong agent
learns about a mysterious, evil organization known as SPECTRE, headed by an
equally secretive man known only as Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz). In order to
take him down, Bond must find the daughter (Lea Seydoux) of an old enemy, who
may hold the secret to the weakness of Oberhauser’s massive plan.
Did
that make sense? If not, it doesn’t matter. Before you can figure out what’s
going on, Spectre has already moved on to the next country and a new action
sequence. If that’s all you’re looking for, the film has plenty to offer. But
if you want actual stakes or memorable characters, I’m afraid you’re going to
walk away disappointed.
That’s
a shame considering that returning director Sam Mendes did such a masterful job
with Skyfall. That installment played out like an epic tragedy, with plenty
of emotional drama and a constantly elevating sense of doom and inevitability.
Audiences get none of that with Spectre, even though the screenplay futilely
attempts to connect the four storylines of the Craig era into one giant
narrative.
The
movie looks gorgeous thanks to cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema, Thomas
Newman’s score is fantastic and there’s no question that Mendes has a keen eye
for staging spectacular action sequences – particularly the movie’s opening
scene that kicks off with a complex single take. But I eventually got
desensitized to the whole thing; by hour two, it honestly felt like I was
watching someone else having a great time as they played a video game.
Admirably,
the actors do everything they can to elevate the material. Craig has excelled
at showing Bond’s evolution over the course of these films, and it’s great to
see him show that his character has loosened up a little. It’s when the script
forces him to attempt comedy that we have a big problem.
Fiennes,
Whishaw and Harris continue to be great additions to the cast, but it’s
criminal how much the story wastes them. It took four movies for the Mission:
Impossible franchise to finally learn the value in giving Tom Cruise a team,
but the creative forces behind the Bond films apparently didn’t see them.
Seydoux,
stunning as always, makes an excellent Bond girl for the modern era, although I
wish I could say the same for Monica Bellucci. Why cast one of the world’s most
beautiful and talented actresses if you’re going to put her in the movie for
less than five minutes? It’s ridiculous.
The
villains of Spectre suffer the same fate. They’re memorably cast and the performers
give it their all, but they’re saddled with dumb motivations and plot twists
that viewers will see coming a mile away. It’s the kind of story that’s
exciting in the moment, but as soon as you think about it for a moment the
entire thing falls apart.
Again,
your mileage may vary – you might love Spectre. But when I think about how the
film could’ve been the culmination of a nine-year reinvention of a character –
and then compare that to what we get instead – it just makes me sad.
Spectre is rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing
images, sensuality and language.
Grade:
C+
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