With Sam Mendes (Skyfall, 1917) returning to direct, Spectre is a more action-driven James Bond spectacle of old (the opening scene alone is quite extraordinary) than Skyfall. But it tries to pack too much into its bombastic narrative confusion of 150 minutes, resulting in the least successful of Daniel Craig’s four Bond films to date.
New blood in the British Secret Service with a new M (Ralph Fiennes – Schindler’s List, Harry Potter) less accommodating with 007’s maverick decision-making. Bond is suspended following an unauthorised mission to prevent that opening bomb attack in Mexico City. Having discovered the global organisation Spectre is behind the bombing attempt and linked to Le Chiffre, Dominic Greene and Raoul Silva from the previous three Bond films, Craig naturally ignores his suspension and heads to Rome to confront Spectre and their reclusive leader, Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz – The Legend of Tarzan, Inglourious Basterds). Back in London, M has his own battles with the threat of privatisation.
It remains an enjoyable, OTT Bond experience but there’s an inbalance to the whole that leaves behind an unsatisfied taste.
Winner of the 2016 Oscar for best song (Sam Smith – Writing on the Wall).
Rating: 54%
An Opinion or Two 