Sam Mendes, who directed the visually stunning Skyfall, takes a second bite at the Bond mythology with Spectre. The title alone is a throwbackto the Bond of Roger Moore and Blofeld, who Mike Meyers spoofed as Dr.Evil in his Austin Powers franchise. So does the throwback work? Will let's dig in...
Off the bat, Spectre is not as visually stunning as Skyfall. It's like Mendes wanted to create a different beast and tone with this one from his previous outing. The tone is dry, the visuals a bit washed out which kinda mirrors Bond's state of mind. Which is something that the Craig Bond era has done well in every movie; create a man behind the facade/icon that is James Bond - Bond is a character not just a catalyst for the plot.
Yet Spectre sees the return of the ridiculous gadgets that ended with Craig's taking up the mental as Bond. Which illustrates one of the biggest issues with Spectre: there's a sense of two Bond films trying to occupy the same space. The misogynist of the Roger Moore/Connery era who would sleep with a recently widowed woman, who is at odds with the meat and bones Bond of Craig's time - a spy, who at times, reflects on his life, action and its impact.
So depending on how you negotiate that line of the two Bonds, you will either love Spectre or it will leave you somewhat unsatisfied. Not to say that Spectre is a bad movie - far from it, it's heavily plotted. If you are a true Bond fan you will love the references from classic Bond films that are littered through the movie, from characters to props to settings. Action set pieces are there - even the return of the gun barrel sequence at the beginning of the movie.
Then there's also a true sense of a story arc finally closing in on itself - an arc that started with Casino Royale. I loved how the film brought back all the other films to pay them off in this one, pity one can see the resolution from the get-go. So there are no major surprises for true Bond fans, just confirmations, which is a pity.
I honestly feel in theme and story this is the last of the Craig Bond films. If he does come back for the contractual, obligatory 5th and final film, it will have to take a very different theme, slant and trajectory from all the Craig Bonds, 'cause Spectre puts some old dogs to rest.
It would also be cool to have a plot that does not repeat the same plot of Bond having to work outside Mi6 (go rogue), 'cause all four previous Bond flicks have had that and it's becoming tedious. By the way... South Africans will love the references they get in the film, yes, Hollywood acknowledges we exist.
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Rating
***
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* utter rubbish ** only if theres nothing else *** meh,its aight **** Almost Perfect ***** Instant Classic