While Spectre does fall short of Skyfall the movie still outshines Quantum of Solace and does the franchise justice.
[dropcap size=small]I[/dropcap]f you’re heading to the movie theater to see the latest bond film Spectre with expectations that the film is going to measure up or out-perform Skyfall I can tell you right now that you’re going to be disappointed. Does that mean the film itself is terrible? No, and it surely does perform admirably despite several of its shortcomings.
“You’re a kite dancing in a hurricane Mr. Bond,” remarked Jespen Christensen’s character Mr. White. This statement accurately describes both the central plot of the film and Daniel Craig’s Bond. Spectre picks up where Skyfall ended, with MI6 struggling to recover from the destruction of their headquarters, M’s death and Bond following a trail of clues that sends him on a series of rogue missions around the world.
As per usual 007 is once again saving the world one kill at a time and this time he has recruited Moneypenny (Naomi Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) to finish up the job that Judi Dench’s M left him to finish following her death. While the film centers around Bond realizing that everything since the events that transpired in Casino Royale are connected to one single secret organization, you can’t help but wonder if the film is really asking the audience to question not only Bond’s humanity, but the purpose of the “double o” program too.
Throughout the film Bond is either enjoying his job as Britain’s best secret agent or he is beginning to wonder if its time for him to put down the gun and walk away from the “double o” program. In doing so, Daniel Craig’s Bond moves farther from the Bond that we all have grown accustomed to. A man who has a license to kill, is a weapon of mass seduction and can just as easily sleep with any woman he wants as he can successful infiltrate a secret enemy base, take out 20 something bad guys and return home with nothing but a few bruises and scratches to show for it. Sure, there are the usual explosions, sex scenes, exotic car chases through beautiful European cities, fist fights and death-defying stunts, but at the end of it all you can’t help but wonder if the script for the film was written to give Daniel Craig a proper send off while leaving room for a new Bond to step in to take his place.
Nonetheless, Daniel Craig’s portrayal of James Bond in Spectre is nothing short of spectacular and I would even go so far as to say he is one of the best actors, if not the best actor (sorry Sean Connery and Roger Moore fans), to play the role. When Ian Fleming described his James Bond as a “ironical, brutal and cold” he wasn’t kidding and Daniel Craig surely embodies all of those traits in Spectre. Daniel Craig’s talent combined with Christoph Waltz’s performance in his role as Oberhauser and Lea Seydoux’s work as Madeleine Swann deserves credit. The three of them bring something to the table that almost reminds you of Judi Dench and Daniel Craig’s performance in Skyfall and by the end of the film I found myself hating Christoph Waltz’s Oberhauser with a burning passion.
Despite the shortcomings of Spectre, the film will still keep you sitting on the edge of your seat thanks to the cast’s acting and Sam Mendes’ work in the director’s chair. The cinematography is beautiful and the momentum in the film slowly builds up with snippets of short comedy appearing here and there. At the end of the film you will be leaving the movie theater feeling fairly satisfied and excited for whatever comes next in the James Bond franchise.
