– Film Review by Cate Marquis –
“Spectre” wraps up Daniel Craig’s Bond in style – if he’s leaving
Daniel Craig, who reportedly has said he is done playing James Bond, would be wrapping up his run as 007 with style in “Spectre.” While packed with eye-popping set pieces and typically globe-trotting 007 action, some might find “Spectre” is not as over-the-top entertaining as “Skyfall.”
Still, “Spectre” looks very cool, with pretty locations, stylish fashions and clever gadgets. It has the requisite 007 chases and action, along with villainous Christoph Waltz and Bond-girls Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci. The talented cast breezes through their roles effortlessly, but Bond films are really about the action and style.
The film opens in high style, with a lavish, energetic sequence set during the Day of the Dead street festival in Mexico City. The sequence is filmed in a mix of restless hand-held point-of-view shots as Bond navigates the crowd and soaring aerial photography to take in the whole scene. Having drenched the audience in atmosphere and color, it then morphs into a terrific action sequence, with exploding buildings, crumbling walls and a battle in a helicopter. It is the first of several terrific action sequences sprinkled throughout the film.
With a bit of a reboot after Bond’s longtime boss, played by Dame Judith Anderson, has been killed, Ralph Fiennes plays M, while Naomie Harris plays loyal secretary Moneypenny, and Ben Whishaw plays the supplier of technology and toys, Q. With his department being taken over by a bureaucrat (Andrew Scott) set on phasing out the old-school licenced-to-kill spy program, 007 has to battle adversaries within and without MI-6 to solve the cryptic message he received in Mexico.
Directed by Sam Mendes, who also helmed “Skyfall,” “Spectre” has plenty to entertain and satisfy Bond fans. Daniel Craig still exudes cool as Bond, who has to go under deep cover to unravel the nefarious web threatening the U.K. and the world. The hunt takes him from Britain to Rome, Austria and beyond.
While “Spectre” has all the 007 requirements, it also seems to just be running from fabulous location to fabulous location, without enough story to support all the travel. There are explosions and action but there are also times where the story seems to pause, just so the next step can take place in some other gorgeous or exotic place. At nearly 2 hours and 30 minutes, this is a long film but the determined globe-hopping makes the film drag in spots, and the film feels longer than it is.
Where “Spectre” succeeds completely is in its gorgeous visuals. Locations, actors and sets all look so good, one can just get lost in that alone.
If Daniel Craig is truly done playing Bond, he is pretty much going out on top with “Spectre.” The film’s ending opens an exit door for the martini-drinking spy but no one really believes the long-running franchise is done. And it is worth remembering that there is a film titled “Never Say Never Again,” starring Sean Connery as James Bond, a role he had reportedly sworn off. So you never know about Bond.
