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| Daniel Craig as James Bond |
I am a huge Bond fanatic and Skyfall is my favorite film in the lexicon, so of course I had high hopes for Spectre. And although I was both predisposed to both love it and be slightly disappointed by it, Spectre is largely a successful entry in the franchise. If it indeed becomes Craig's last turn as the secret agent, it would be a fitting finale -- although I hope it isn't.
Craig fully owns this role now, and I think audiences sort of take him for granted. He has been playing Bond for nine years but because his four films were more spread apart than his predecessors he's been subject to more rumors about being replaced even though each film has outperformed the last commercially, and Skyfall was arguably the most critically acclaimed Bond film of all time.
Craig is the best part of Spectre -- he's relaxed, funny and dashing in both an endearing and exhilarating way. There are a few other elements that work quite well in the film too. Even the film's detractors have to admit that it's gorgeous opening sequence ranks among the series' best. It's an elaborately staged sequence set at the Day of the Dead in Mexico City, much of it comprising a single shot leading to an edge of your seat fight scene set in a plummeting helicopter.
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| Monica Bellucci and Daniel Craig |
The action set pieces that follow never quite top it, but are nevertheless effectively staged -- particularly those featuring a silent and colossal David Bautista as the most formidable physical specimen Bond has faced in a very long time.
Where the film falls short -- and will rightly be compared negatively to Skyfall -- is in the tightness of its screenplay. Having recently watched all the Bond films in succession, I've drawn the conclusion that the simpler the plot the better the Bond film. Skyfall was a pretty straight forward revenge movie. Spectre is decidedly more complicated. And although I actually found many of the third act twists effective, the movie can meander at times while trying to tie up loose ends and link the movie to its predecessors.
Spectre also takes too long to set up its villain -- played by Christoph Waltz. He gets a terrific introduction scene but then sort of disappears. Bond movies are also only as strong as their villain, and while I like the direction they ultimately go with Waltz, some could argue its too little too late.
What is refreshing is that Spectre tries and mostly succeeds in injecting a little more humor into the series after three mostly straight Craig films. A couple bits verge on being too silly, but for the most part the laughs are well-earned, and the writers still wisely avoid the quips that often made the Pierce Brosnan Bond films feel stale.
Still, I do struggle with where to place this one. There is a lot to like in it (if not love). The new team of MI6 sidekicks (M, Q and Moneypenny) is very fun, the new Bond girls are effective in their roles, but I think the movie suffers from probably trying to do a little too much of everything. It's hard to rank this film but I am stunned by critics who are calling it cheesy or the worst of Craig's Bond films. Each one of these movies has to stand on its own terms, and I don't think they can all have the weight and gravitas of Skyfall. I don't think it's a step backward but it's not a landmark 007 either.
Here's where it fits in my all-time 007 rankings.
1) Skyfall
2) From Russia With Love
3) The Spy Who Loved Me
4) Goldfinger
5) Casino Royale
6) For Your Eyes Only
7) Live and Let Die
8) Dr. No
9) On Her Majesty's Secret Service
10) The Living Daylights
11) GoldenEye
12) Octopussy
13) Spectre
14) You Only Live Twice
15) Diamonds Are Forever
16) Thunderball
17) Die Another Day
18) Moonraker
19) The World Is Not Enough
20) The Man with the Golden Gun
21) Quantum of Solace
22) Tomorrow Never Dies
23) A View to a Kill
24) License to Kill
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