****
After a mission in Mexico City goes awry, James Bond finds himself on the tail of top-secret crime organisation, SPECTRE. Haunted by events and enemies from his past, Bond must track down the elusive Mr. White to break into the top of the organisation, which also threatens to overthrow MI6 and the 00 programme.
This is not Skyfall, so you should stop expecting it to be from before you take your seat in the cinema. Whilst its predecessor was an art-house film disguised as a Bond outing, lamenting on trust, friendship and the inevitable passage of time, Spectre is an all out action film, jumping from excellent set piece to excellent set piece without much time for lamentation of any kind. It is, as it were, a return to the 'Classic Bond' films, jumping from country to country, with Bond equipped sporting an outstanding wardrobe and a sense of humour rarely seen before. If Skyfall was all depth, Spectre is all surface, but that by no means makes it a poor film, just very different from Sam Mendes' last outing.
So, if you're going to make a film that focuses on the surface, you had better make the surface pretty special, and Mendes doesn't disappoint: there are plenty of explosions; not one, but two Aston Martins; a alpine clinic made from glass and steel; four very beautiful women; and several super-stylish costume changes. The film opens with an extended long shot, that sweeps in and out of the crowds of Mexico City, into a building, and out of a window - it is seamless and effective, an excellent way of engaging the audience from the first few frames. This establishing sequence is swiftly followed by a helicopter punch-up, and then we're into the opening credits. Indeed, the opening montage establishes the tone for the rest of the film: fun, action packed and swift, moving from problem to problem with as many stunts and pirouettes as is possible. Again, not a criticism - the action set pieces are exciting and inventive, humorous in places and exquisitely shot throughout. Also, Ben Whishaw is wonderful and should be in everything.
In trying to be overly-complicated, however, the film often falls down. Here, we have two combined, but ultimately separate storylines: one with Bond and Madeleine Swann (the excellent Lea Seydoux); and the other with M (Ralph Fiennes) battling it out on home soil with dastardly newcomer, C (Andrew Scott). Both sections are quite different tonally, with Bond's storyline being frivolous fun, whilst M's London is a rather more sombre affair, raising questions about surveillance and information. The London plot seems underdeveloped, whilst Bond's speeds along from set piece to set piece, as the two stories inevitably come together. Frustratingly, the moment in which Bond meets 'the author of all his pain' Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) is one of the weakest sections of the film, a rushed and achingly unrealised section that could have been much darker.
For all the faults, and the fact the plot is whitewashed in favour of scenic locations, I still enjoyed it, because there is so much to like. Seydoux adds something a little different to the role of the 'Bond girl' and it's good to see Fiennes getting his teeth into the role of M, although all too briefly. It looks stylish throughout, and the action pieces are fun to watch. Yes, it is a little too long. Yes, if you compare it to Skyfall then you are likely to be disappointed. But, honestly, it feels as though this film doesn't care about its predecessor, and just drags you along for a thrill ride.
So, if you're going to make a film that focuses on the surface, you had better make the surface pretty special, and Mendes doesn't disappoint: there are plenty of explosions; not one, but two Aston Martins; a alpine clinic made from glass and steel; four very beautiful women; and several super-stylish costume changes. The film opens with an extended long shot, that sweeps in and out of the crowds of Mexico City, into a building, and out of a window - it is seamless and effective, an excellent way of engaging the audience from the first few frames. This establishing sequence is swiftly followed by a helicopter punch-up, and then we're into the opening credits. Indeed, the opening montage establishes the tone for the rest of the film: fun, action packed and swift, moving from problem to problem with as many stunts and pirouettes as is possible. Again, not a criticism - the action set pieces are exciting and inventive, humorous in places and exquisitely shot throughout. Also, Ben Whishaw is wonderful and should be in everything.
In trying to be overly-complicated, however, the film often falls down. Here, we have two combined, but ultimately separate storylines: one with Bond and Madeleine Swann (the excellent Lea Seydoux); and the other with M (Ralph Fiennes) battling it out on home soil with dastardly newcomer, C (Andrew Scott). Both sections are quite different tonally, with Bond's storyline being frivolous fun, whilst M's London is a rather more sombre affair, raising questions about surveillance and information. The London plot seems underdeveloped, whilst Bond's speeds along from set piece to set piece, as the two stories inevitably come together. Frustratingly, the moment in which Bond meets 'the author of all his pain' Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) is one of the weakest sections of the film, a rushed and achingly unrealised section that could have been much darker.
For all the faults, and the fact the plot is whitewashed in favour of scenic locations, I still enjoyed it, because there is so much to like. Seydoux adds something a little different to the role of the 'Bond girl' and it's good to see Fiennes getting his teeth into the role of M, although all too briefly. It looks stylish throughout, and the action pieces are fun to watch. Yes, it is a little too long. Yes, if you compare it to Skyfall then you are likely to be disappointed. But, honestly, it feels as though this film doesn't care about its predecessor, and just drags you along for a thrill ride.
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