The Broccoli’s got almost all of the “Skyfall” team back together with Hoyte Van Hoytema replacing Roger Deakins as cinematographer, Van Hoytema has a very tough follow up considering that in “Skyfall” there was the LED fight between Bond and an assassin. The cinematography in “Spectre” is not an issue.
“Spectre” is the culmination of “Casino Royale” “Quantum of Solace” and “Skyfall” plot lines that are to be tied up from Vesper Lynn’s betrayal to LaChiffe, whoever the villain was in “Quantum of Solace” and Silva in “Skyfall”. The problem I have with “Spectre”? The script is very bloated is there a tangible/valid reason that this movie is nearly two and a half hours long? Not really, all Bond films traditionally run long and how about trimming it back to maybe an hour and fifty five minutes? Could we try that? I have no issue with the technical aspects of the movie everyone is at the top of their game.
The film opens in Mexico City Bond is tracking down someone that causes an international incident, that results in…….Are you sitting down? Bond getting suspended by M (Ralph Fiennes) and he is to stay in London. Does he stay in London? Of course not, before 007 leaves England he stops by to see “Q” (Ben Whishaw) who promptly low jacks 007 with nano-bots in Bond’s bloodstream which is a tiny bit new of course being lo-jacked doesn’t prevent Bond from taking off for Italy for a funeral. Before that there is a scene in Bond’s very sparsely furnished apartment. How Sparse is it? It’s just sparse and yeah I could buy that as Bond’s place, however he sits in a chair in front of a window and if he is a wanted assassin wouldn’t there be someone with a scope on him? Are his windows bullet proof? Probably.
Other than getting suspended turns out the “00” program is getting shut down by “C” (Andrew Scott “Moriarty” from “Sherlock Holmes”) who is as poorly as disguised as villain as Obdiah Stone (Jeff Bridges) was rolling in on a segway for one of his first scenes for “Iron Man”. “C” is the new head of MI:6 “C” is attempting to have intelligence agencies around the world join together, specifically their data is to be consolidated into one place. The old headquarters of MI6 is set to be demolished, the new headquarters is a spiraling six story Apple store with no lens flare like in “Star Trek”.
In Italy Bond seduces Monica Belluci who appears for maybe five minutes or so she is a widow and Bond of course seduces her, Belluci tells Bond about a meeting that consists of nefarious people. The cabal of nefarious people is led by the mysterious Blofeld (2 time Oscar Winner Christoph Waltz) Blofeld is an ok character and his earth shattering revelation is that he is Bond’s adopted brother is just not that suspense filled.
“Spectre” has all the Bond trappings henchmen who don’t know how to aim, a villian’s lair built out of a crater in the middle of nowhere. “Skyfall” was a lot of fun that has its issues still however “Spectre” is just ehh runs way too long and if this is Daniel Craig’s last go around as Bond, well? He deserved better kind of, the only thing missing in this Bond flick is an invisible car.
Take52 