Spectre (2015) Review
"You're a kite dancing in a hurricane."
-Mr. White
What Works:
I really like the first 2/3rds of Spectre and it starts with an excellent opening sequence and the best part of the movie. The initial long take to open the film is extremely impressive craftsmanship and the following fight in the helicopter is spectacular. This movie certainly perks early, but it's a very high park.
The next few action sequences are also a lot of fun. We get a classic car chase and Craig finally gets a car laden with gadgets. Unfortunately, not all of gadgets were loaded into the car when he took it. The airplane/car chase in the Austrian alps is also very well done and creative and the fight with Mr. Hinx (Dave Bautista) on the train was a nice throwback.
In general, the stuff in Morocco felt very old-school, almost like a Connery film. Does it fit in Craig's universe? Not really, but I like it. It gives the film a very unique feel that works a lot of the time.
Finally, this is the funniest of all of Craig's films. By no means is it as funny as a Moore film, but there are some comedic one-liners from Craig. His films have been very dark, which I don't mind, but I like when the Bond films mix it up a bit in terms of tone.
What Sucks:
Most of the problems with Spectre come in the final 3rd of the movie, the biggest being its villain. You can have the Bond villain be Bond's evil foster brother. You can also have the villain be his archenemy, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. You can't do both. It doesn't work at all. This Blofeld ends up being the most disappointing Bond villain of them all and it's a waste of a fantastic actor in Christoph Waltz. I was really excited for him to be a Bond villain, but he doesn't get much screen-time and his character doesn't work despite his best efforts.
The action in the final 3rd of the movie isn't all that great either. First, Blofeld tries to damage Bond's memory by drilling into it, but it doesn't work...for some reason? This scene falls completely flat as does Bond's escape from Blofeld's base. It's just not very interesting. As for the final showdown in London, Blofeld setting a trap for Bond feels more like something out of a Batman movie. It could have worked, if not for the final problem I have with the film...
At the end of Spectre, Bond leaves MI6 and drives off with Madeline Swan (Léa Seydox). This wouldn't be the first time Bond has left MI6 to be with a woman. However, the other two times were with two of the best Bond girls ever in Tracy and Vesper. Both of whom Bond has extremely high levels chemistry with. He does not have nearly that amount of chemistry with Madeline. She's fine, I guess, but they've only known each other for a couple of days and for most of that it seems like Madeline can't stand Bond. I just don't buy that Bond would retire from MI6 for her and that she's the one for him. It's not like she's bad by any means, but it's just not believable enough.
Verdict:
Spectre peaks immediately with an amazing opening seqeuence and continues being solid for the first 2/3rds of the movie with some excellent action, interesting style, and more humor than usual. Unfortunately, the final 3rd tanks the movie hard with subpar action, an extremely disappointing villain, and an unbelievable ending. It's better than Quantum of Solace, but just barely.
7/10: Good
#1. Octopussy
#2. Skyfall
#3. The Spy Who Loved Me
#4. Casino Royale
#5. From Russia with Love
#6. Goldfinger
#7. Goldeneye
#8. The Living Daylights
#9. Moonraker
#10. Die Another Day
#11. On Her Majesty's Secret Service
#12. License to Kill
#13 Tomorrow Never Dies
#14. Live and Let Die
#15. Dr. No
#16. For Your Eyes Only
#17. The World is Not Enough
#18. Thunderball
#19. Spectre
#20. Quantum of Solace
#21. You Only Live Twice
#22. A View to a Kill
#23. The Man with the Golden Gun
#24. Diamonds Are Forever
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