The title of the 24th James Bond film, Spectre, could have a number of
different meanings that apply to this latest chapter. Not only does 007's
mission involve the spectre of long-held secrets and forgotten foes, but
there's the spectre of the franchise's storied history looming large. Sam
Mendes has the unenviable task of following up the series' biggest and arguably
its best film, Skyfall,
and while he and the creative team are mostly unchanged, Spectre often feels
like it is trying too hard to follow in the footsteps of what came before.
Bear in mind that Spectre is still tremendously exciting,
and the numerous homages will please old school fans who may not have been
pleased with the franchise's modern turn with Casino
Royale. Craig's Bond has been noted for an increased physicality, and
that definitely remains in play. But Craig gets more of a chance to crack a
joke or two, and the same goes for his co-stars who seem to have embraced a
somewhat lighter spirit. This Bond is back to having some fun again, with an
array of crazy villains, cool gadgets, hot women, and fast cars to help make
that happen.
Even the opening sequence, a technical
marvel of a long tracking shot through the streets of Mexico City during the
Day of the Dead parade, seems designed to measure up to Skyfall's brilliant intro. In this case it
more than lives up, as we see Bond, decked out in a slick skeleton costume and
arm-in-arm with a beautiful woman. That is until he suddenly leaves her, a
totally non-007 thing to do, so he can scale the rooftops and track down a target.
The pursuit leads to a group of assassins planning something big, and Bond
practically destroys the entire city to bring them down. The payoff is a
certain ring with the symbol of a certain nefarious organization.
Mendes' Bond films up to this point have
been less on big action and more of an examination about 007's place in the
information age. Some haven't appreciated having their favorite super spy
placed in such a context but it was an important step to re-establishing him
for today's audience. Is there still a place for secret agents in a world of
drone technology and clandestine wiretapping programs? Turns out Bond's
escape in Mexico City comes at a time when MI6 is under threat of being shut
down, and the destruction he's caused has led to some nasty newspaper headlines
for M (Ralph Fiennes) to put up with. With MI6 facing a shutdown thanks to the
machinations of a shady government bureaucrat (Andrew Scott), Bond is
officially grounded until further notice. Fortunately, Moneypenny (Naomie Harris)
and Q (Ben Whishaw) are keen on breaking the rules every now and then, helping
Bond solve a mystery with links to the death of an old friend, and possibly more.
And that mystery involves SPECTRE, led by the mysterious and supremely
confident Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz). He's a villain in the true
Bond mold; he's all evil grins, countdown clocks, and torture devices. He even
has an Oddjob-esque henchman played by the bruising ex-WWE superstar, Dave
Bautista. Also wrapped up in this game of cat-and-mouse are a sexy widow
(Monica Bellucci) and Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), the daughter of one of
Bond's foes. 
This is a film that aims to tie-up a
number of loose ends, and in getting there the plot is surprisingly untidy.
There simply isn't much to SPECTRE that makes them very interesting, short of
their all-encompassing tentacles into Bond's past. And in that latter regard
there are some definite revelations, but they're more effective to those with knowledge
of Bond's history than those who started with the Craig era. Where Mendes
and screenwriters Neal Purvis, John Logan, Robert Wade, and Jez Butterworth
excel is in making the stakes personal for Bond, and while some traditionalists
may balk at the notion, it's helped define Craig's 007 apart from the rest.
Mendes even handles the major set pieces extraordinarily well. The
aforementioned Mexico City scene is tremendous in its precision, while a
grueling train fight, clearly a tip of the hat to From Russia with Love, shows
his skill with close-quarters combat. It's also a great showcase for the
athletic chemistry between Bautista and Craig. They don't get nearly enough
screen time together but what they do get works brilliantly. Other action
scenes are big on spectacle but not necessarily big on tension. There are
multiple car chases which look pretty but lack sizzle, and a race down a
mountainside may give old school Bond fans a chill but doesn't add much
overall. This isn't a knock on cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema but
he's simply no Roger Deakins. 
While there has been a great deal of
secrecy surrounding many of the characters, the truth is that the twists are of
little real shock value, and the plot never seems to kick into that extra gear
of excitement. Swann is easily one of the better women to have entered Bond's
life. She's tough, smart, and capable, but she's also going to be falling in
love with him despite her protests. He's James Bond, of course she is! Waltz
essentially plays the same maniacal villain he always plays, and hoping he'll
shake up the formula is probably a dumb idea at this point. He's too good at
it, and there's nobody who fits playing this kind of bad guy better. And then there's Craig, the most brutish
Bond ever; the "blunt instrument" version of 007. He's been
almost too perfect for the role since the very beginning, but what has kept him
interesting is the way he's slowly added world-weariness to Bond. Sure, he's
still downing his martinis, driving his Aston Martins, and charming the ladies
like a champ, but fatigue has clearly begun to settle in. Whether this is Craig
adding his own publicly-stated fatigue at playing Bond is unclear but it works
in the context of the franchise right now. And right now the James Bond movies
have never been in a better place than they are at this moment. Skyfall may have teased a whole new world
for Bond, but Mendes reels it back in with a more traditional effort and shows
how classic Bond can still work. Spectre plays it safe, and while that
familiarity is enjoyable that also keeps it from ascending to the top of the
Bond canon.
Rating: 3.5 out of 5
