‘Spectre’

With Sam Mendes 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) 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). 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%

Director: Sam Mendes (Skyfall, 1917)

Writer: John Logan (Skyfall, Hugo), Neal Purvis (Skyfall, Johnny English), Robert Wade (Skyfall, Johnny English), Jez Butterworth (Fair Game, Black Mass)

Main cast: Daniel Craig (Skyfall, Infamous), Ralph Fiennes (Schindler’s List, Harry Potter), Christoph Waltz (The Legend of Tarzan, Inglourious Basterds)

‘Skyfall’

Bond number three for Daniel Craig – and, with Oscar-winning director Sam Mendes at the helm, Skyfall is a dramatic, risk taking spectacle and comfortably sits among the all-time greats of the 50 year-old franchise.

The thrills and spills remain as from Istanbul to Hong Kong, Macau to London, Bond finds himself up against arch-villain Silva (Javier Bardem). A former agent himself, Silva has a very personal grudge against M (Judi Dench). Cue M at the centre of the action that is, for a Bond film, restrained, solemn yet full of wry humour and deep sadness. With breathtaking cinematography (Roger Deakins) and Adele providing the theme song, Skyfall sees so many of its pieces coming together to create a Bond crammed with great twists and turns that can leave you somewhat breathless and elated.

Nominated for 5 Oscars in 2013 including cinematography (Roger Deakins’ 10th nomination), soundtrack (Thomas Newman’s 11th nomination) and editing, won 2 (best song, sound editing).

Rating: 87%

Director: Sam Mendes (American Beauty, 1917)

Writer: Neal Purvis (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace), Robert Wade (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace), John Logan (Rango, The Aviator)

Main cast: Daniel Craig (Casino Royale, Dream House), Javier Bardem (Being the Ricardos, Biutiful), Judi Dench (Philomena, Shakespeare in Love)

‘Genius’

A somewhat unheralded feature considering its cast, Genius is the period of time in the life of renowned book editor Maxwell Perkins (Colin Firth) as he edited the first book by Thomas Wolfe (Jude Law) in readiness for publication.

A close and supportive friendship developed between the two, in spite of the best efforts by Wolfe’s muse, patron and (older) lover, Aline Bernstein (Nicole Kidman) to drive a wedge between the two men. Look Homeward, Angel was a best seller and, during his short career (he died at the age of 38), the verbose, larger-than-life eccentric Wolfe became more successful than many of Perkins’ other writers, including Scott Fitzgerald (Guy Pearce).

Stagey, wordy and character driven, Genius is a chamber piece of a film, adapted from the book by A.Scott Berg and directed by theatre director Michael Grandage. It does, admittedly, verge on staid and pedantic but with a rock solid, quietly introspective Firth guiding the unpredictable Wolfe, the narrative draws you in to its telling.

Rating: 61%

Director: Michael Grandage (Red)

Writer: John Logan (Skyfall, Gladiator) – based on the book by A. Scott Berg

Main cast: Colin Firth (A Single Man, The King’s Speech), Jude Law (The Talented Mr Ripley, Fantastic Beasts), Nicole Kidman (Destroyer, The Hours)

‘Alien: Covenant’

It’s not the most coherent of the Alien/Prometheus films and, at times the action seems a little rushed after an overly slow intro, but Alien: Covenant is nothing if not spectacularly crafted.

Thrills and (literally) spills abound as the synthetic David (a sublime Michael Fassbender) looks to creation and immortality. But the real story of course is the virus that evolves into the deadly creatures – and what’s low in number in Alien: Covenant is still enough to create carnage on an unchartered planet and aboard the colony ship, Covenant. With Oram (Billy Crudup), the disliked captain, struggling, it’s left to Katherine Waterston to take the lead against the so-called perfect living entities.

Ridley Scott returns and plumbs the same scares from the original to great effect along with several references to earlier films in the franchise as the action keeps on coming and the gore count keeps on rising. Pity about the storyline and the inept crew.

Rating: 58%

Director: Ridley Scott (The Martian, Alien)

Writer: John Logan (Genius, Skyfall), Dante Harper

Main cast: Michael Fassbender (Prometheus, 12 Years a Slave), Billy Crudup (20th Century Women, Almost Famous), Katherine Waterston (The Current War, Fantastic Beasts)

‘Spectre’

Boring Bond batters Blomfeld bearing bulging brown blazer.

Bombast in place of thrills, arrogance in place of charm, Spectre is an incohesive mishmash of tensionless set pieces – explosions and helicopter fight over Mexico City, car chase through deserted streets of Rome, explosions in London, kidnapping in Austria, more explosions in Morocco…

Technically, it’s all very well done, but whereas director Sam Mendes breathed new life into the franchise with the superb Skyfall, this overblown concoction  already looks tired and offers nothing new. And, forgivable if there was an ounce of humanity in his performance, Daniel Craig just does not fit those suits…

Nominated and won 1 Oscar in 2016 for best song (Sam Smith/Jimmy Napes).

Rating: 42%

Director: Sam Mendes (Skyfall, Road to Perdition)

Writer: John Logan (Skyfall, Hugo), Neal Purvis (Skyfall, Quantum of Solace), Robert Wade (Skyfall, Quantum of Solace), Jez Butterworth (Black Mass, Get On Up)

Main cast: Daniel Craig (Skyfall, Layer Cake), Christoph Waltz (Big Eyes, Django Unchained), Léa Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Colour, Midnight in Paris), Ralph Fiennes (The Constant Gardener, The English Patient), Monica Bellucci (Malena, The Whistleblower)