Casino Royale and Skyfall are my two favorite Bond movies. Unoriginal I know, but whether you like Daniel Craig as Bond or not, you can't deny he has been an integral part of the series' highest points. Following the magnificent Skyfall, Spectre had some huge shoes to fill, and for the most part, it delivers exactly what you'd want. An attention-grabbing, tense opening fight scene, a lovely title sequence (whether the song is good is debatable), and an elaborate sinister plot surrounding James Bond that puts him up against his inner demons more than ever. Does it surpass Casino Royale or Skyfall? I don't think so, but as far as reintroducing the villainous organization SPECTRE into Bond canon after 40+ years, the film hits the nail on the head, pulls it back out, then slams it in even harder.
SPECTRE is revealed to have been affiliated with some of Bond's biggest threats - Mr. White, Le Chiffre, Raoul Silva - all under the control of one puppeteer, the head of SPECTRE and one of the most iconic villains of all time, Ernst Stavro Blofeld. It isn't much of a spoiler, as speculation was rampant ever since the first trailer (and hell, when the name of the movie was released). What's important is its execution, and Spectre leaves breadcrumbs for you to follow all the way through the belly of the beast. Not only is Bond under SPECTRE's crosshairs, but MI6 itself is experiencing a merger led by Max Denbeigh (Andrew Scott) who wants to eliminate the 00 division and focus solely on global intelligence. It's apparent early on that Blofeld has eyes everywhere, and while he works primarily in the shadows (Christoph Waltz only having 20 or so minutes of screen time), he poses a looming threat to Bond because of his sheer cunning and a past secret that unravels itself when the two finally meet.
The movie opens with a great tracking shot following James Bond (Daniel Craig) through a Day of the Dead parade. The beginning scene is the movie's strongest because it has a great action sequence and establishes the tone of the film. Sadly, the rest of the movie pales in comparison to its introduction. The main plot is Bond's search for the mysterious organization Spectre. The subplot is about the takeover of Bond's agency M16 by people working for Spectre. The movie attempts to connect both plots; but, in the end they only work to take focus away from each other and ultimately diminishes the film. Many elements of the story meant to be surprises were predictable, and lessened the effectiveness of these reveals. The actors are good, but the roles they played belittled them. Both Lea Seydoux, who plays Bond's love interest, and Christoph Waltz, the film's villain, act well, but have too little screen time, relevance, or good scripting to let them stand out. Lastly, the action sequences after the opening one are also underwhelming; they are either too short or not particularly exciting.
Lea Seydoux and Bond have this unfelt chemistry in this movie you wouldn't really feel. The comments and gestures they exchange don't really show a connection and towards the end a relationship that you wouldn't really buy or understand. This movie doesn't give enough time to explain the characters, and the real bonding between them. Their chemistry and relationship still show up as a question mark in my head, and a feeling that this movie would have been better off without a love, and isn't Bond's whole theme " Trust No One" after Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale?
The soundtrack in this movie is simply phenomenal, and really draws you in to the story (minus the subplot time). Even though the Bond music is used in the many of the soundtrack pieces, but never have I ever heard such rich music in a Bond movie. The music is captivating and takes the you into the real personality of Bond you probably haven't seen before. Ultimately, this Bond film lacks the real emotion it really deserves. The story tries to prove many things, while doing few. One of the villains are a complete waste, and a subplot that isn't necessary are really the problems at stake right now.
7.1/10 IMDb
64% Rotten Tomatoes
60% Metacritic
6,5/10 Verdict
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