The dead are alive…
Directed by: Sam Mendes
Written by: John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Jez Butterworth
Starring: Daniel Craig, Ralph Fiennes, Lea Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Ben Whishaw, Monica Bellucci
The H-Bomb: Not long after the events of Skyfall, James Bond (Daniel Craig) finds himself on a “working holiday” in Mexico D.F., where he is trailing some middle-aged, pony-tailed creeper during a massive Day of the Dead parade. This leads to him thwarting what would have been one hell of a terrorist attack, while causing some epic property damage in the process.
Through all the carnage, Bond does manage to pick up one clue that sets him on the trail of an uber-shadowy organization. A ruthless network of terrorists and criminals that seems to have its tentacles in everything, and that literally has people everywhere. Bond soon discovers that this group has some startling ties to his own past, both recent and distant, and that the higher ups of the organization are all too aware that he is on to them.
All the while, M (Ralph Fiennes), is dealing with some heavy political shake-ups at MI6, which is being merged with MI5, as a weaselly new bureaucrat, “C” (Andrew Scott), is now shutting down the Double-0 program, in favor of more modern methods of spying, such as surveillance cameras and drones. New ways of intelligence gathering that are just a bit too Orwellian for M’s (or anyone’s) liking. Nevertheless, this weasel has some serious pull, and the Double-0 program quickly finds itself defunct.
Now, our suave super spy is forced to go it alone, hopping the globe, from Rome, to Austria, to Tangier, in search of this most elusive organization, all while dodging various bullets, and bombs, and a bad-ass, brick shit-house of an assassin named Hinx (Dave Bautista). Fortunately for Bond, he still has his colleagues, Q (Ben Whishaw) and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), that he can turn to when in need, as well as Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), a comely young doctor with an involved backstory and some vital information on this group of mystery men.
Spectre, the 24th cinematic adventure of Ian Fleming’s iconic secret agent man, has been garnering some startlingly mixed reviews, with a number of folks trying to nitpick it for this, that, and the other thing, and overall calling it a step down from Skyfall. Well, I am here to tell you to ignore such people, as I am the one and only critic you should be listening to on such matters, and I say that Daniel Craig, director Sam Mendes, and the fine folks at Eon Productions, have scored another bulls eye.
It’s incredible, how James Bond has gone from a franchise that, ten years ago, I couldn’t have given a toss about, to one in which I eagerly await each new installment. This is all, of course, thanks to the 2006 reboot, Casino Royale, and the casting of Daniel Craig as the legendary spy. It was a much needed shot of adrenaline that gave the series a darker, grittier overhaul, as well as an intense, and more human take on 007. In the four decades before Craig’s arrival, Bond was never a deep, or complex, character. Well, Craig, with the help of top drawer screenwriters like Paul Haggis and John Logan, has made Bond deep, has made him complex, and in doing so, has made him relevant to modern audiences.
With Quantum of Solace, it seemed as if they made Bond a bit too modern (too Jason Bourne-ish), and with Skyfall, we saw a return to the series’ classical roots, while retaining the modern touches. Spectre continues down this path, keeping the darker, multi-faceted 007 that has defined Craig, while providing the lively spectacle that recalls the genuine classics of the series, such as Goldfinger and The Spy Who Loved Me. One might fear that this would make the movie disjointed, and almost bipolar. Well fear not, the film’s darker and lighter aspects mesh together surprisingly well, culminating in the single most satisfying 007 movie I have seen since Casino Royale whooped my ass stupid some nine years ago.
Has it really been nine years? Shit… still feels like last month.
From the explosive opening in Mexico City, with some wince inducing fisticuffs aboard an unwieldy helicopter, this thing put a big, fat smile on my stupid mug… a smile that remained for the entire two-and-a-half hour run time. As great as Skyfall was, it was lacking just a bit in the action department, as upon repeat viewings, I felt the violence lacked a certain punch. Spectre doesn’t have that problem. Be it the high speed vehicular chase through the narrow streets of Rome, or the aerial pursuit along the snowy Austrian Alps, the action here is grand, visceral, and utterly jaw-dropping.
Craig quickly became known as the most physically adept actor to ever fill the tux, and he demonstrates here, that even as he pushes 50, he hasn’t lost his lethal physicality. This is no more apparent than in the brutal-as-fuck-all fistfight with Hinx aboard a speeding locomotive. Our blond Bond has never really met his physical match, before, but goddamn does he ever this time. Embodied by the mammoth Bautista, this big bastard is Jaws, Oddjob, and Bane all rolled into one monstrous beast. Silent, imposing, and shit-your-pants scary, the pounding he lays on Bond is bloody painful to watch, and impressive to behold, as the stunt work on display is just extraordinary. Hinx will go down as one of the great secondary villains of the series, mark my words.
Our lead villain is played with sly, impish glee by Christoph Waltz. He’s a baddie with a number of direct connections to Bond, some of which manifest themselves in genuinely surprising ways. That is what’s great about the Craig films, they all connect to each other, to one degree or another. The events that took place in earlier movies actually matter, and it all comes to a head with the arrival of Waltz’s sinister mastermind. He’s an old school megalomaniac, complete with an elaborate underground lair, yet he doesn’t feel out of place in this more “realistic” setting, and his underground lair is eerily plausible, as well. Waltz is great, of course, though his screen time is sadly very, very limited. Little more than a cameo, really. Kind of a missed opportunity, in a way.
The supporting players from previous entries, including Fiennes, Whishaw, Harris, and one very welcome surprise, all return and are given crucial roles to play in the story. Q is more than just the gadget man, Moneypenny is more than just the secretary that Bond lightheartedly flirts with, and I love that. They’re not just there to put in an obligatory appearance, they actually are pivotal to the plot. Bond’s CIA ally, Felix Leiter, gets a shout out, though he sadly does not appear… I suppose he’s too busy surviving the Hunger Games.
As far as our Bond girls go, Seydoux and Bellucci both make for fine additions, though Belluci’s role is regrettably brief. Seydoux’s Swann proves to be a most formidable leading lady, with beauty, brains, and genuine mystique. Her performance is a strong, nuanced one. Emotionally vulnerable without being a weak damsel-in-distress. She has the strongest chemistry that any Bond lady has had with Craig since Eva Green’s Vesper Lynd. Much like the lead villain, Swann and Bond do share a past connection.
After scoring a smash hit with Skyfall, Mendes returns to the director’s chair, once again bringing an elegant-yet-sophisticated, classical-yet-modern visual style to the picture. This time, instead of Roger Deakins, Mendes is aided by talented cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema (Interstellar), who gives the film a slightly harsher look, that is gorgeous all the same. Mendes also once again takes a character driven approach to the material, allowing the story to breathe and develop at a steady pace. It can seem leisurely in spots, though I was absorbed the entire time, and absolutely never bored. I’ll take the slower pace of Spectre over the frantic sloppiness of Quantum of Solace, any day.
Suffice it to say, I think Spectre is fan-fucking-tastic on every level. No ifs, ands, or tits, it is a slam bang piece of action entertainment, and just one hell of a terrific entry in the 007 saga. Thrilling, romantic, and utterly captivating. Skyfall may have set the bar pretty damn high, but this one soars right over the top of it. There have been rumblings that this may be Daniel Craig’s final outing as Bond, and I hope to hell that isn’t true. With his cold-eyed menace and undeniable charisma, he made for an amazing 007 straight out the gate, and dare I say, he has only gotten better. He is my James Bond, and I’d love for him to give us at least one more before he goes.
