WATCH THE TRAILER HERE
First, the Recap:
The plane loses its wings, careening down the snow-covered mountainside as it relentlessly chases after the all-terrain vehicle that is the sole target of the plane’s pilot, suave, cold, and endlessly determined British Agent 007–James Bond (Daniel Craig). And this is only one of the moments of addictive insanity one can expect from the fourth outing for Craig, “Spectre”. Picking up from the equally poignant and visceral aftermath of “Skyfall”, Bond has taken it upon himself to enjoy a little R&R, his way, during Mexico City’s Day of the Dead festival. Once events unwind there, he comes under even worse scrutiny from the newly appointed M (Ralph Fiennes) and is effectively told he’s old news in the wake of a re-formed, modernized, tech-centered intelligence agency.
But when new and enigmatic information surfaces regarding Bond’s past, more specifically details about his upbringing as a child, it sends him on a new hunt to determine the ultimate source of all the tragedy, misgivings, and loss in his life. And all authored by one man and one ominous organization. Seeking not only the answers to his past but also the endgame SPECTRE and its calmly disquieting leader (Christoph Waltz) have in mind, Bond teams up with Dr. Madeleine Swann (Lea Seydoux), the daughter of a very familiar nemesis, as he looks to stop SPECTRE, regain peace about his past, and ward off the dismantling and discontinuation of MI-6. But in the midst of it all, as with any spy game–who can you trust?
Next, my Mind:
The true and undeniable magic of the Craig-era Bond films has been the sense of how much more grounded in reality and humanness they have been, favoring a necessary departure from the borderline super-hero invincibility and gadgets of old for a much more raw, deeply scarred, fallible, and coldly focused 007–again–human. But, extremely skilled and invaluable to MI-6 human. This film continues that trend wonderfully and with gusto, but not only through just intense, exciting action sequences, but also through the ongoing building up of Bond as a character and his interactions with all those he comes across, for good or ill. Add the ever-present exotic locales, fast cars, beautiful women, and classic villain (and henchman) with this tone and feel, it’s a perfect combination.
Craig once again get to channel the entire spectrum here, expertly providing us with the fiercely loyal, icily unemotional, deadly accurate, blunt object that his Bond is, yet always managing to intermix the basic fact that he does have a heart, but is so damaged by past hurts, he just doesn’t trust anyone enough to fully let them in. And this makes him the indispensable agent he is. All the supporting cast excels too, from Seydoux’s tougher than she looks charmer, Waltz’s hauntingly effective villain, Fiennes’ by-the-book, but strong-willed M, Ben Whishaw’s modern Q, and Naomie Harris’ sexy yet intelligent Moneypenny. It all makes this film, like the previous three, exactly what Bond should be–the mix of fun, quality entertainment for the masses with an extra dash of character-driven soul. Thank you, Sam Mendes!
As always, this is all for your consideration and comment. Until next time, thank you for reading!
