I can never work out if my unabashed love for all things Bondian means I am unable to dispassionately judge 007s big screen adventures, or makes me harsher than maybe I would be with other films.
I am a certified 007 lunatic. Ex-mod of CA 1.0s Bond forum, owner of every Fleming novel, continuation, movie, numerous reference books (inc. our very own Deborah Lipp's fine work), original poster prints, production art encyclopaedia, authorised and unauthorised bios of the character himself and many actors, owner of the Corgi DB5 and Esprit among others.... the list is endless and my office at home would be a mini-007 museum if I ever got round to unboxing it all and making shelf/wall space.
I am also lucky enough to have been to the theatre to see every newly released 007 adventure since A View To A Kill. It has become a tradition that I see these movies with my Mum and so, yesterday evening on opening night I booked tickets and went to collect my mum who has been looking forward to this ever since we went to see Skyfall together a few years ago.
Neglet's wonderful review thread of every 007 movie in order, in the run up to the release of Skyfall in the CA 2.0 forums was a great experience yet perhaps highlighted that there have been a fair few duds in the series.
I maintain that even bad Bond is usually better than 'bad' many other movies. Bond is like pizza. Even when it's bad it's still kinda good. Even A View To A Kill with senior citizen Moore covering up his old-man bitch tits with a blanket or podgy toupe toting Connery sleepwalking his way through Diamonds Are a forever, surrounded by shenanigans that were more camp than a row of pink tents, are still entertaining and a worthy way to spend a couple of hours.
Does that mean Spectre is bad? Oh, dear sweet Lord no!!! It's epic Bond! A rollicking, slick, expertly made movie that is very much in keeping with all of Craig's previous entries as the "Bond who bleeds" while at the same time ever so gently knocking on the door of the more traditional and outlandish 007 movie entries without however descending into farce or camp.
The classic Bond tropes are well and truly in place. M's wood panelled office, with an incumbent whose gruffness conceals appreciation and maybe affection for Bond. Moneypenny in situ as guardian of the outer office, a Q in his lab with banter with the 00 agent so disdainful of his requests to respect the equipment he is issued. Also in place are a villains remote lair with requisite 'big bang' and nick of time escape, a tricked out car and a torture scene that borders on the genuinely disturbing. Oh...... and the gun-barrel is back where it belongs!!
However the typically grounded (for a Bond film) style of Craig's movies somehow makes it all work without seeming like a pastiche. In some cases they seem to gently tease these tropes without doing any knowing winking or fourth wall stretching silliness.
There are also some brilliant touches including Fiennes excellent turn as the new M with some withering put-downs, not all aimed at Bond. Tanner is well used. As are Moneypenny and Q who get more to do than in many past Bond movies which makes good use Naomie Harris and Ben Wishaw who are too talented to be relegated to the taking of background roles these characters could so easily have been lumbered with.
One particular favourite small touch for me came during an extended fight scene where the virtues of having an actor, rather than a clothes horse, portraying Bond really shine through. In a long and very, very brutal fight with the hulking and seemingly indestructible henchman you see Bond experience fear and eventually desperation as everything he tries to avoid a beating fails. You see the subtle expression changes in his face as the fight progresses until a look of genuine terror takes over and you see Bond then attempt self preservation. There is no witty comeback following an ingenious dispatch of a villain here, rather a hero who really thinks he might have come to the end of the road. And all portrayed in the midst of a fight scene probably better than the previous high water mark of the series, 007 v 006 at the end of Goldeneye. I won't say anymore so as not to spoil it.
The pre-title sequence is big and exciting without being too OTT. The opening, single take tracking shot that lasts an uninterrupted several minutes is particularly effective. Sam Smith's title song has divided opinion but it works against the backdrop of another decent Danny Kleinman title sequence.
There are some great little Easter eggs for 007 geeks. Look out for the Hildenbrand Rarity
Christoph Waltz's assured smugness and dismissive whimsy makes him a good adversary.
Also, this movie binds all of this new, rebooted 007s previous 3 adventures into a loose single story arc. If you have been waiting to re-acquaint yourself with Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace and Skyfall then now is the time to do it before you go and see this one.
Does that mean it is perfect? No. Not at all.
- Monica Belluci's role is little more than a cameo and the seduction feels off.
- Dave Bautista is underused and could have achieved henchman greatness levels of Jaws and Tee-Hee with just a little more work.
- There are some instances where information comes too readily to Bond courtesy of Moneypenny or Q and a laptop that sometimes it feels like he is not working hard enough to uncover the mysteries of the plot that his movement from stage to stage sometimes feels unearned.
- Mr White's appearance is so good, and pivotal, but actually it feels as if Quantum and their part in the proceedings needs a little fleshing out.
- While the personal effects from Skyfall are not the propelling McGuffin the trailers would have you believe, I am genuinely at a loss as to exactly why one of the villains HAD to be somebody with a past acquaintance with 007 other than to allow the writers to say "Look how well we know Bond, we took about 3 paragraphs from the Octopussy short story and wove a story around this!"
These minor niggles aside though, how do I rate this movie? Overall excellent and entertaining. I loved Skyfall when I saw it but actually on repeated viewing it fades a little. I have always championed Quantum of Solace and passionately defend it against people who I feel didn't 'get it'. Casino Royale remains balls-out amazing to me.
I genuinely think this movie is better than Skyfall. It will need repeated viewings over time to see if it hits as hard as Casino Royale.
