Spectre (2015)

So a huge "Day of the Dead"-parade as an introduction... That seems done several times before. A lot of the outfits almost seem like a homage to "Live and let Die" and Kanaga. Unnecessary. Then Bond shoots two out of three bad guys (where it later in the story turns out all he really had to do was snipe the one he failed to hit), and a building miraculously falls down, before he chases the third into the crowd and onto a helicopter, eventually killing him as well. At least he got his ring (with the legendary octopussy), and we got some cool helicopter-stunts.

Ralph Fiennes was brilliant in the former instalment, as an understated aristocrat with a sharp brain and an even sharper tongue. Unfortunately they waste his first scene having him do what Judi Dench does much better: Sneering at Bond for going too far on a mission. He is better when worrying about the future under C, but he had much better dialogues to work with in previous instalments. Though his later scenes with Andrew Scott is fantastic. Harris as Moneypenny is still good, but her lines are also less scrumptious this time around. Craig David is much more soft-spoken than earlier, though I fail to see what they're trying to accomplish by that.

The political agenda with a merging of intelligence, is a cute touch, a continuance of Skyfall in Bond being outdated. Despite casting Scott as C, they fail to make it an interesting character. Perhaps because the snivelling little shit that fails to understand the importance of history as he basks in his own knowledge of the future, is done to death.

A truly marvellous scene is the Spectre-meeting. Almost bereft of sound, as one at a time speak numbers and economics, and Waltz has the softest and calmest of voices, while sitting at the unlit part of the table. Not a particularly subtle or original tweak, but still a masterpiece of a scene. Another plus to Mendes for picking Monica Bellucci for a scene, (and a night with Bond). It is so much more believable with a sensual, dangerous flirt when the female doesn't have to provide an ID to get a drink.

Mendes is better at the tension and more intimate action than he is a bigger set-pieces and Bautista vs Craig on the train is great fun. Impossible not to let the mind wander towards Robert Shaw's brilliant Grant and his fight with Connery in "From Russia with Love". And speaking of old patterns (besides Waltz' remake overcoat from Dr. No); Blofeld (like his intro) is at his best when he's lurking in the shadows. But modern Bond-films are too frenetic for that to really be effective. When he does appear, though, it is to a most devastating effect. Unfortunately, his next scene takes a sledgehammer to the credibility built.

There are so many homages and hints to earlier films (even Pleasance's scar), that it's almost distracting. As to the "Bond-formula", this is the closest Mendes came. But, some mediocre scripting and poor editing, makes it a bit lacking nonetheless. And the brother-angle towards the end is laughably bad. Mendes does know how to end a film, though, and seems to deliver again, until he cocks it up by adding another 3 unnecessary minutes that only serve against their purpose.

6/10


Best car used: Aston Martin DB10
Most memorable drink served: Vodka Martini, dirty.
Henchmen: Dave Bautista as "Hinx". Finally a real henchman again.
Villain: The one and only Blofeld, courtesy of Christoph Waltz.
Best one-liner: "They always know which buttons to press"
Song: "The Writing's on the Wall" by Sam Smith... The song is anonymous, his voice is atrocious. Like a chipmunk that inhales helium before every refrain.
Bond-girl: Léa Seydoux as Madeleine. Feisty at first, but not impervious to Bond's charm over more than 30 minutes