To start off I've saw Spectre twice today. Once at 7am and again at 11am. Just too make sure I wasn't missing anything. The 7am was empty so I had he pleasure of watching it to myself .
I was smiling from ear to ear when the gun barrel sequence returned. I loved the pre-credits sequence, the CGI didn't look as bad as it did in the trailer. I thought the helicopter sequence reminded me of FYEO. The credits sequence I thought was one of the best, showing you the past characters like Silva etc.
So more positives, I thought Madeleine Swann was gorgeous. Great choice for a Bond girl. The gun fights were more realistic, near the end at Blofeld's complex, Bond is dispatching people with a couple of shots each. Instead of spraying wildly. I loved the different locations. Glad they went back to the globetrotting aspect. The entire train section I loved. As a throwback to FRWL and LALD. Dave Bautista did what was needed of him. He kicked Bond's ass one on one. I still think he could return. He did just get pulled of a train.
Christoph Waltz stole the film for me. Every scene he was in, he just oozed charisma. Even though he appeared to be of a sane mind, he just looked like he was ready to snap. As soon as he confirmed he was Blofeld, I nearly shouted in utter delight. Soon as the watch exploded and he flew back. I knew he was going to be back with the scar. I'm so glad they didn't kill him. I loved the look he gave Bond right at the end when Bond walks off to see Miss Swann. He knows he's going to kill her. Nice to see Q and M getting a bit more to work with. I laughed at Bond's flat hahaha ).
Some negative stuff now. The thing I don't get is though. How long is this set after Skyfall? Since Bond has been tracking Sciarra for a while apparently. But he received the video from M a few days after her funeral. I was a bit disappointed they blew up MI6 headquarters. I thought they might of done it to the new building. I thought Daniel Craig was sort of ringing it in. He didn't seem to be very charming and just kept referring to himself as a killer and an assassin. Granted that's the script of course. But he just didn't seem as interested in previous films. I wish they had of got Eva Green to record some footage for the tape he picks up. Monica Bellucci was underused. They even mentioned Felix and he didn't appear.
Final verdict.
I liked it. But I need to soak it in more. If this was DC's last Bond movie, it wouldn't surprise me. I just hope they keep Blofeld alive for another two movies at least. I just think Madeline should of said her name was really Tracy as they rode off in the DB5. Leaving it open for a wedding in the next one. Obviously it's not following the books anymore so you could have that happen. Just seems ridiculous how quick Bond fell in love. Ready to leave MI6 at the drop of a hat.
I agree with everything you have said.
I found it puzzling that after Bond finds out Blofeld has been the orchestrator behind all Bonds pain over the last 10 years, surely he would have blown his head off on the bridge.
Also in the timeline are we still pre Dr No? Or has that mission been and gone. Do we just ignore all the previous films Blodfeld has appeared in because the reallity of it is if the Dr No mission hasn't yet taken place, Bond can't kill him until after DAF is out the way.
Another character I'm hoping they bring back at some stage is Quarrel. As we know he is killed in Dr No (both book and film) it would be great to meet up with him again, and I hope also Leiter makes an appearance next time round.
Already can't wait for the announcement on the next one 3 years is a hell of a long time to wait, but wait we must I fear.
These films don't follow the previous twenty before Casino Royale. Since they restarted/rebooted them with CR. I'd love to see Quarrel. I also thought Blofeld was a bit Dr No(ish) in character. Blofeld referred to himself as a visionary and Bond replied with the line we have mental homes full of people like you. Connery has the nearly the same line of dialogue about back in Britain they have asylums full of people like Dr No. Which I thought was a nice nod to the older films.
"Sic Parvis Magna"
"Greatness From Small Beginnings."
I hate been that guy but I didn't think it was really all that much . The worse thing for me I was bored with large portion's of it, that's why I find it mind blogging that many think it's better then Skyfall (sadly bashed on here, not deserving in my view) or Casino Royale (it doesn't come close to this classic) but of course it's all matter of opinion I suppose. For me the saving grace of Spectre for me is Daniel Craig, the man is for me the best Bond since Sean Connery and delivers his best performance to date. Ralph Fiennes and Ben Wilshaw give very good performances. The PTS was excellent and probably along with the fight between Craig and Batista on the train, the best scenes in Spectre. Lea Seydoux wasn't bad but she's no Eva Green, but she's been the best Bond girl since then.
Onto the negatives, I thought the chase scene in Rome was rather boring, although I did love how Bond lands perfectly on the street then unclips the parachute and walks off, very cool. But the chase overall wasn't top notch Bond car chase. I felt Waltz was sadly underused, I disagree with one person above me saying he was the best thing in it. I think he was sadly and badly misused in it. Poor Monica Belluci was even treated more badly, was she even in the film for more then 5 minutes. She should have been used more. Batista did have a great scene with the train fight, but he was another that should have been used better. I personally would have liked to see him used for the ending and have him and Bond just have a even more brutal fight. I thought the film dragged when it got to Tangiers and could have done with some editing down. The worse thing for me was the ending, it was just very meh. Bond and Blofeld have a chat and then Bond saves Swann, then the end. Sure the old MI5 building blows up and Bond shoots down the helicopter, but the ending just lacked that oomph for me. It did bother me that it was so obvious that Andrew Scott was a villain and that Waltz was Blofeld, no twists or turns.
Maybe I'm far too critical on Spectre, but for me Casino Royale and Skyfall are two of the best Bond films I've seen. I just didn't feel excited when I left the cinema like I did for those films. Maybe another viewing might change my opinion. I'm glad many liked it but for me I was a tad disappointed, I give it a 6/10.
I hate been that guy but I didn't think it was really all that much . The worse thing for me I was bored with large portion's of it, that's why I find it mind blogging that many think it's better then Skyfall (sadly bashed on here, not deserving in my view) or Casino Royale (it doesn't come close to this classic) but of course it's all matter of opinion I suppose. For me the saving grace of Spectre for me is Daniel Craig, the man is for me the best Bond since Sean Connery and delivers his best performance to date. Ralph Fiennes and Ben Wilshaw give very good performances. The PTS was excellent and probably along with the fight between Craig and Batista on the train, the best scenes in Spectre. Lea Seydoux wasn't bad but she's no Eva Green, but she's been the best Bond girl since then.
Onto the negatives, I thought the chase scene in Rome was rather boring, although I did love how Bond lands perfectly on the street then unclips the parachute and walks off, very cool. But the chase overall wasn't top notch Bond car chase. I felt Waltz was sadly underused, I disagree with one person above me saying he was the best thing in it. I think he was sadly and badly misused in it. Poor Monica Belluci was even treated more badly, was she even in the film for more then 5 minutes. She should have been used more. Batista did have a great scene with the train fight, but he was another that should have been used better. I personally would have liked to see him used for the ending and have him and Bond just have a even more brutal fight. I thought the film dragged when it got to Tangiers and could have done with some editing down. The worse thing for me was the ending, it was just very meh. Bond and Blofeld have a chat and then Bond saves Swann, then the end. Sure the old MI5 building blows up and Bond shoots down the helicopter, but the ending just lacked that oomph for me. It did bother me that it was so obvious that Andrew Scott was a villain and that Waltz was Blofeld, no twists or turns.
Maybe I'm far too critical on Spectre, but for me Casino Royale and Skyfall are two of the best Bond films I've seen. I just didn't feel excited when I left the cinema like I did for those films. Maybe another viewing might change my opinion. I'm glad many liked it but for me I was a tad disappointed, I give it a 6/10.
You've pretty much wrote my review for me. I'm a little underwhelmed too. Maybe because I really really wanted to like it a little to much. To be honest, I'm not a massive fan of Skyfall either. It's good, but not the masterpiece it's made out to be. It's the writing for me, I'm really not a fan of the writing team doing these Bonds anymore. Parts felt forced, like it didn't know what tone it wanted to be. Example of the poor writing, why would Bond get drunk when he's meant to be on guard protecting Swan. A little unprofessional no? I'm surprised I haven't seen more complaints about Bond practically forcing himself on monica bellucci. I miss the days when Bond was a fountain of knowledge too. It's like Craig's Bond is a thick hit man who had to call Q or Moneypenny to get information. Like the writers are shoehorning the characters in. The car chase was ruined by the mid phone call he had to make. Took me out of the suspense. Surely, lose the guy THEN make a call? Poor writing again. The score was poor, reused and bland.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. PTS was great, I loved it. Hinx was badass, I hope to see him again. Blofeld is back (yaaaay), I like M Q and Moneypenny, but let's not focus so much on them next time. The train fight was good, and so was the spectre meeting. I liked it don't get me wrong, but it could have been better with better writers.
I hate been that guy but I didn't think it was really all that much . The worse thing for me I was bored with large portion's of it, that's why I find it mind blogging that many think it's better then Skyfall (sadly bashed on here, not deserving in my view) or Casino Royale (it doesn't come close to this classic) but of course it's all matter of opinion I suppose. For me the saving grace of Spectre for me is Daniel Craig, the man is for me the best Bond since Sean Connery and delivers his best performance to date. Ralph Fiennes and Ben Wilshaw give very good performances. The PTS was excellent and probably along with the fight between Craig and Batista on the train, the best scenes in Spectre. Lea Seydoux wasn't bad but she's no Eva Green, but she's been the best Bond girl since then.
Onto the negatives, I thought the chase scene in Rome was rather boring, although I did love how Bond lands perfectly on the street then unclips the parachute and walks off, very cool. But the chase overall wasn't top notch Bond car chase. I felt Waltz was sadly underused, I disagree with one person above me saying he was the best thing in it. I think he was sadly and badly misused in it. Poor Monica Belluci was even treated more badly, was she even in the film for more then 5 minutes. She should have been used more. Batista did have a great scene with the train fight, but he was another that should have been used better. I personally would have liked to see him used for the ending and have him and Bond just have a even more brutal fight. I thought the film dragged when it got to Tangiers and could have done with some editing down. The worse thing for me was the ending, it was just very meh. Bond and Blofeld have a chat and then Bond saves Swann, then the end. Sure the old MI5 building blows up and Bond shoots down the helicopter, but the ending just lacked that oomph for me. It did bother me that it was so obvious that Andrew Scott was a villain and that Waltz was Blofeld, no twists or turns.
Maybe I'm far too critical on Spectre, but for me Casino Royale and Skyfall are two of the best Bond films I've seen. I just didn't feel excited when I left the cinema like I did for those films. Maybe another viewing might change my opinion. I'm glad many liked it but for me I was a tad disappointed, I give it a 6/10.
You've pretty much wrote my review for me. I'm a little underwhelmed too. Maybe because I really really wanted to like it a little to much. To be honest, I'm not a massive fan of Skyfall either. It's good, but not the masterpiece it's made out to be. It's the writing for me, I'm really not a fan of the writing team doing these Bonds anymore. Parts felt forced, like it didn't know what tone it wanted to be. Example of the poor writing, why would Bond get drunk when he's meant to be on guard protecting Swan. A little unprofessional no? I'm surprised I haven't seen more complaints about Bond practically forcing himself on monica bellucci. I miss the days when Bond was a fountain of knowledge too. It's like Craig's Bond is a thick hit man who had to call Q or Moneypenny to get information. Like the writers are shoehorning the characters in. The car chase was ruined by the mid phone call he had to make. Took me out of the suspense. Surely, lose the guy THEN make a call? Poor writing again. The score was poor, reused and bland.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. PTS was great, I loved it. Hinx was badass, I hope to see him again. Blofeld is back (yaaaay), I like M Q and Moneypenny, but let's not focus so much on them next time. The train fight was good, and so was the spectre meeting. I liked it don't get me wrong, but it could have been better with better writers.
Thanks, I thought I be the only one who wasn't blown away by Spectre. I wanted to come here and write a glowing review but sadly myself and my brother came out feeling "meh, it was okay" and I certainly didn't feel that way walking out of Casino Royale or Skyfall. I think the biggest problem is the editing of the film, it felt very sluggish and slow. And in parts I was really bored especially anything involving Swann and Bond, I felt Bond fell far too quickly for her. I didn't think Craig or Seydoux had that much Chemistry. Maybe that's just me. Although Seydoux did a good job with what she was given. I did love the scene between Bond and Mr White, and Craig and Waltz did have good back and forwards together but not enough of them.
Only thing I disagree with you on is Skyfall, I think it's a masterpiece and I do think die hard Bond fans are way too harsh on it. Good to have Blofeld but they need to use Waltz better the next time they use him. I want more Q and M in the next film, I found the bits with them in Spectre more interesting then what was happening with Bond at times. although the Less of Moneypenny, I just not a big fan of Harris. Poor Batista deserved a better showing but he was badass when he was on screen. I gave it a 6/10, not bad but I think Mission Impossible Rogue Nation won the Spy film wars this year for me, plus that had Rebecca Ferguson who kicked ass.
The film opens with the gunbarrel at the start, great, but would have been nice to open straight up into the Mexico scene, rather than this 'the dead are alive' stuff. The PTS is fantastic, up in the top 10 PTSs. The single shot is great, the music is great, the helicopter stuff is good. A great start to the film, even with the 'Bond falling onto the sofa' thing which would seem more comfortable in a Brosnan film.
The titles. The song is actually much better up against some titles, and the shots of villains and M from the past films is a nice reference to the OHMSS or the GF titles.
So now Bond is back in London, he has his scene with M, C and Moneypenny at his flat. The scene at Bond's flat feels quite rushed, but it's better than having a long drawn out scene of morals or stuff like that you'd expect.
So Bond and Tanner head down the river to Q, who is apparently allowed to have his lab miles away from the Mi6 base. We see the old Mi6 building, making you wonder why it hasn't been demolished yet, and we see the new Mi6 base in all its CGI glory. I know, it's not bad CGI, but as a Londoner you know it is because you know that building doesn't exist.
Ok, so the Q scene. It's your traditional Q scene, being shown the gadgets and all that. Blnd is shown a car that is for 009 (when you think about it, this scene is completely illogical. It is literally 'look at this car Bond! It's not for you!') and he gets given his watch and he sees his DB5 being rebuilt (I don't actually know why Bond is allowed to have his car rebuilt in Mi6 labs). Oh, and remember that picture of the motorbike with the machine guns on the front that were released during filming? That's just in the background.
We have a couple of scenes in between, but Bond is heading to Rome, where he plans on attending a SPECTRE meeting. We see Bond in this meeting, and some discussions going on about the evil SPECTRE has done recently, when Oberhauser walks in and joins the meeting. They're looking for someone to replace Sciarra (guy who Bond killed in the PTS) and Hinx shows up, and shows his skills by gouging an agents eyes out and breaking their neck. This is actually a good scene that reminds me of the classic henchman scenes where they would show off their power. Oberhauser knows Bond is there, so he escapes and jumps in his Aston, only to be chased by Hinx in his Jaguar. This is a very cheesy chase scene which includes Bond being stuck behind an old man driving a Fiat 500 who he comically pushes into a railing, causing the airbag to deploy. (This is very Moore like, but would not look out of place in a Brosnan film). I let this scene pass, it was just a cheap joke and the audience was laughing. What I wasn't prepared for was a scene where Bond accidentally turns on the radio (this has been done in many movies, the one that springs to mind is X Men 2) and a scene where he uses an ejector seat. Parachute and all, with the steering wheel even moving to allow him to escape. These two scenes I dismissed as I thought 'well, they're obviously going for a Brosnan/Moore tone, so it's not too bad'.
Oh yeah, I forgot all about Monica Belluci. I don't even remember what her name was, she has so little screen time all her scenes were used in the TV spots and trailers (her character reminds me of Paris from TND, in that she does very little, but here her fate is not even shown - did Felix help her? Did she get killed? Who knows!)
So after all this, Bond is lead to Mr White, who has only a few weeks left to live. I'm not even complaining about this scene, this woulf have been a nice cameo if it wasn't in the trailers).
He is lead to Lea Seydoux, who is working at a clinic on top of a mountain in Austria. We have a nice little scene between her and Bond, and a good scene between him and Q, but then Lea is abducted by Hinx. After they escape in some cars, Bond obviously must have had Q magic him up a plane, as it appears out of nowhere and we don't even see how Bond got it. So we get a plane/car chase with the wings getting cut off (LALD reference) and Q struggling to get away from a henchman (FYEO reference) and then Q escapes easily (he just hides behind a door) and Lea and Bond head to Q's hotel room, where they learn about SPECTRE.
Now, here's the moment that might not be popular with many fans. It turns out everything done in the previous a craig movies have all been organised by SPECTRE, or has had some sort of involvement with them. Yes, Silva, the man who simply wanted to get revenge and kill M, apparently did some stuff with SPECTRE at some point. Really? Did we have to get him involved? Why? Why? Silva has nothing to do with CR or QoS. He was an ex agent who wanted revenge. But apparently, he's done some stuff with SPECTRE. So he's probably lying when he says about doing whatever he wants in SF. Great.
Q goes back to London and Bknd and Lea head to Tangier. Here they go to the L'American hotel where Bond talks to a rat (DAF reference) whilst sitting beside the bed the girl is sleeping on (AVTAK reference). Then he finds a secret room, where Mr White has kept some secret stuff and has apparently returned there every year since he and his wife were married. He has the co ordinates for Oberhauser's lair, in the middle of the desert. So Bond and Lea board a train where they are attacked by Hinx, undoubtedly the best scene int he film. But Hinx gets killed. Yeah. This was a character that could have been as iconic as Jaws or Oddjob, and he's just killed. Wouldn't it have been great if Jaws dies halfway through TSWLM? This is where the film falls apart and becomes a bore to sit through.
So they make their way to Oberhauser's lair, which is this surveillance place in this crater (YOLT reference) and talks about a meteor he has on display. Then they get to this surveillance room, and Lea sees Bond talking to her father before he killed himself. Bond tries to stop this but is knocked out, and wakes up in some torture place.
Now, I don't know much about technology, but I feel this was stretching it too far and is really disturbing. Bond has this drill drilled into the side of his head, and then his neck, this apparently will affect his senses, balance and his memory. But obviously the power of love is too strong, and Bond escapes with no harm done to him (hell, he shows no sign of pain when he gets up and manages to run around perfectly shooting bad guys. This scene should have been a lot more like the scene in Rogue Nation, where a knocked out Ethan awakes and doesn't really know what he's doing.)
The place is blown up, Oberhauser is given a scar and Bond tells Lea that it's not over. So that scene was pointless, the torture barely harmed Bond and the villain escape apparently. Great.
So they're back in London at some safe house, that they manage to get too before Q, M and Tanner (C is now known as a villain, and is preparing to use this drone stuff to replace the 00 agents), and some other stuff happens and Bomd is taken to the old Mi6 building, where Lea is apparently trapped and Bond has three minutes to save her or they both blow up (insert Dr Evil quote here. You all know which one I'm talking about).
Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling too good (not helped by the disturbing torture scene) and had to use the bathroom.
So I returned to see Oberhauser in a helicopter watching all this going down. Why is he there ? For no reason! He is asking to die now. So Bond and Lea escape, Mi6 is destroyed, the helicopter crashes and Oberhauser limps out, only for Bond not to kill him.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the big reveal scene! OBERHAUSER IS BLOFELD! What a suprise! Who saw this coming? EVERYBODY. This is a cheap plot twist that film makers seem to think we love. No. It's cheap and you can see it from a mile off. And the reveal scene isn't even that great! He just says 'I am Ernst Stavro Blofeld!' Wait, what? Your real name is Oberhauser. Why the f*** would you use such a specific name as that! Oh, and it was him who killed his own father because they took Bond in for two winters after his parents died (this was never mentioned in SF, I'm sure it would have come up, making me now question why was anything of Bomd left at SF? He obviously hasn't lived there since his parents died, he's been living in Austria! Anyway, Oberhauser killed his dad because his dad loved Bond more than him.
Finally, Bond gets his DB5 back from Q (I have no clue between then and since we saw it earlier has Q finished restoring it, considering they've been doing all this stuff) and rides away with Lea.
So, thoughts. Clearly too many references to past Bknd films thrown in there, meaning the story is not well developed. Villain motivation is pretty poor, and the twist is lame. However, up until the point where Himx gets killed,this could have been a decent Bond film.
Rating:
7/10 - it has good moments, but it's not that great of a film and really doesn't feel like a Bknd film of 2015. Stick Brosnan in as Bond and release this in 1999, boom. This film seems like it was written about 15 years ago before gritty Bond.
One aspect that the production team seem very attached to is the need to constantly reinforce the heritage of the story arc. Constant references to past characters to me show that they are not confident in maximising the characters they have in this film. A bit weak in my opinion.
I think this is interesting, although Quantum of Solace tried to push Bond more towards the 21st century and not use classic Bond tropes but it wasn't popular and people said that it didn't feel like a Bond film. Now Spectre apparantly has too many Bond tropes and is too reliant on the past! It's not really clear what the audience want- do they want a gritty 'realistic' Bond or do they want fantasy Bond?
I do think it would have been good if the Craig series could have properly developed a new 'iconic' character rather than using characters from the novels. That would link the films up more convincingly and would allow them to cast a really great actor who they can make the most of.
And in parts I was really bored especially anything involving Swann and Bond, I felt Bond fell far too quickly for her. I didn't think Craig or Seydoux had that much Chemistry. Maybe that's just me. Although Seydoux did a good job with what she was given. I did love the scene between Bond and Mr White, and Craig and Waltz did have good back and forwards together but not enough of them.
They didn't really have much chemistry; I felt that Craig had more chemistry with Belluci. However I don't think Bond fell too quickly; it's not like she's meant to be the love of his life. He's just enjoying being with a beautiful young woman. Part of the problem is that Craig doesn't have the good looks Bond should have so it's always a bit of a stretch to imagine all these women throwing themselves at him.
I want more Q and M in the next film, I found the bits with them in Spectre more interesting then what was happening with Bond at times. although the Less of Moneypenny, I just not a big fan of Harris. Poor Batista deserved a better showing but he was badass when he was on screen. I gave it a 6/10, not bad but I think Mission Impossible Rogue Nation won the Spy film wars this year for me, plus that had Rebecca Ferguson who kicked ass.
I loved Q and M; particularly near the end of the film where it was M, Q and Moneypenny together, I thought it was really great. Bond pretty much falls off the radar near the end; he should be the most interesting thing in the film but what's around him is more interesting.
Just got back from seeing it. I don't usually write long reviews, so I'll keep this short.
Basically, I thought it was fantastic. I'm undecided if it is better than SF or not, but it is on par with it. The story was quite gripping, and Christoph Waltz is one of the greatest ever bond villains. I loved the first SPECTRE meeting, and Hinx killing that guy was very memorable. The PTS is quite possibly the best in the series. And I absolutely loved how this film had references to the previous 3 Daniel Craig films, tying everything together. The torture scene was bloody fantastic, and the highlight of the film. I was delighted that Waltz WAS revealed as Blofeld. And I wasn't expecting to see the cat, or him being scarred. They've gone all out with this one and it is pretty epic. I can't wait to see it again.
Could bond 25 be "The Hildebrand Rarity"??
My one criticism though - the score. Recycled from SF. Some of the exact same music. Which was very distracting. Why the laziness?
Just got back from seeing it. I don't usually write long reviews, so I'll keep this short.
Basically, I thought it was fantastic. I'm undecided if it is better than SF or not, but it is on par with it. The story was quite gripping, and Christoph Waltz is one of the greatest ever bond villains. I loved the first SPECTRE meeting, and Hinx killing that guy was very memorable. The PTS is quite possibly the best in the series. And I absolutely loved how this film had references to the previous 3 Daniel Craig films, tying everything together. The torture scene was bloody fantastic, and the highlight of the film. I was delighted that Waltz WAS revealed as Blofeld. And I wasn't expecting to see the cat, or him being scarred. They've gone all out with this one and it is pretty epic. I can't wait to see it again.
Could bond 25 be "The Hildebrand Rarity"??
I totally agree...much better than Skyfall, and the whole package was there. Humour, style, chemistry between Bond and Lea and the Villan and henchman were genuinely frightening.
Looking fwd to seeing it again as it went by so quick, I want to have a look around, rather than keeping up with what's going on.
I thought the score was cracking too.
This is def in my top 5 (Skyfall isnt) and I give it 8.5 stars out of 10. (My only slight niggle is the stiltiness of dialogue between some of the characters...when Bond first meets Madeline it was a tad sticatto.)
She's worth whatever chaos she brings to the table and you know it. ~ Mark Anthony
Doubt it means much but as I type this there are 40 reviews of SPECTRE on IMDB and many are negative. Example:
Very very poor!
Author: marlonbarlow from Stoke on trent england
27 October 2015
*** This review may contain spoilers ***
This is my first film review I have ever done,don't expect any fancy words or critic lingo I'm just going to write how I saw it from a normal working class bond fans point of view. I felt that I had to write this review to show my utter disappointment at what I felt could have been a great film. My first gripe is that why did they have to put a reference to every bond film ever, it felt a bit like scary movie or another mickey taking comedy where you have to try to figure out which film it is from, the beginning had the voodoo from live & let die, the cable cars from the spy who loved me, the blown up mi6 headquarters from the world is not enough as well as a Thames boat chase, need I go on. I felt the plot was poor the villains were unbelievable and a bad guy who worked in mi6 well that reminds me of goldeneye oh wait or was it skyfall, nothing original springs to mind in this film. I felt Fiennes doesn't play m well and I still haven't taken to q although I do like his character. Just to clarify I have been to every bond film on the opening day since licence to kill in 1989 and I'm a die hard bond fan, I didn't like Craig at first but I.admit I love him as bond now but I feel the films they are making for him are not upto his level as bond! It's a sad day for me as I'm truly disappointed and with how the film ended I think it was hint to Craig saying goodbye as bond, I think this was his last film, when you watch it you will see what I mean!
Oddly, most of the Youtube reviews I've seen are fairly positive! Hmm - I guess Spectre is dividing fans. Perhaps a soft reboot is needed, new actor as Bond and some new writers for Bond 25? A fresh coat of Bond paint!
LoeffelholzThe United States, With LovePosts: 8,998Quartermasters
Another actor will come at the time it comes. I just hear too many good reviews to give stuff like the one directly above much mind.
Check out my Amazon author page!Mark Loeffelholz
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Sir MilesThe Wrong Side Of The WardrobePosts: 27,754Chief of Staff
SPECTRE is a good solid entry into the Bond franchise...will have to see it several times before I can fully appreciate it mind...although it does feel like two films bolted together...the Bond/Madeleine love interest doesn't convince at all - nowhere near as good as Bond/Vesper (so if you had trouble with that.... ) ...Hinx is fabulous - but WAY underused, I agree that he had the best line in the film (I say line...but well... ) ) ...the ensemble cast of M, Q & Moneypenny are also great....
Waltz is ok...nothing special at all...but I feel cheated that the whole four films have been about a guy that is a bit narked because his dad taught someone to ski ! I mean, REALLY ?:)
I quite liked how the Quantum/SPECTRE organisation repeated the mistake of having a desert lair getting blown to smithereens after Bond shoots out a fuel cell. )
'Alright guard, begin the unnecessarily slow moving dipping mechanism...'
One thing that drove me mad that Blofeld's whole thing about wanting to kill Bond was that Blofeld's Dad showed Bond a little more attention. After all the pain darkness and hurt we went through with Craig's Bond it really just came down to that. Come on that's lazy storytelling.
I must admit- I am very surprised at the amount of negative views on the movie. I am I guess what you would call a HUGE Bond fan (as opposed to a casual one) and I would say I am very knowledgable about the franchise. I saw Spectre on Monday and I thought it was an absolutely INCREDIBLE movie- My initial thoughts were that I enjoyed it more than Skyfall and I don't think that will change (I'm seeing it again on Sat at IMAX). I do think sometimes- we as Bond fans look too deeply into the new movies rather than just enjoying the spectacle. Spectre is much more of a traditional Bond movie but Mendes (and the writers) have somehow crafted a Bond movie which refers to a lot of the classic outlandish elements of the movies from the 60's and 70's- but makes it all "believable". Just to say that Dave Bautista's Mr.Hinx is a truly terrifying henchman. The train fight sequence is brutal and as crazy as it sounds (because obviously you know Bond isn't going to die), you really do fear for Bond during this scene because he gets battered!
BOND - "I'd say it's a 30-year-old fine indifferently blended Sir...with an overdose of bon bois."
M - "Colonel Smithers is giving the lecture 007!"
I can't write a huge in depth review as I have to be at work soon. However I thought I'd post a few pros and cons from what I saw last night.
PROS
[list=*]
[/list]Craig finally looks to have set the perfect tone for Bond. Serious and dark when it's called for but there are elements of the silliness of Moore's Bond. It's not done OTT however.
[list=*]
[/list]Villains are scary and awesome. Waltz is a brilliant Blofeld and as has been previously mentioned he seems to blend all the previous Blofeld incarnations into one. Hinx is the best henchman since Dario but harks back to the days Oddjob and Jaws. Truely menacing.
[list=*]
[/list]Gunbarrell is at the beginning. Finally!
[list=*]
[/list]The PTS was as spectacular as promised. Great stunts and the tracking camera work was excellent.
[list=*]
[/list]The scene on the train was straight out of FRWL. Very well choreographed.
[list=*]
[/list]Bond finally drinks a Vodka Martini again. About time!
[list=*]
[/list]Past references to old Craig films brought back some real nostalgia.
CONS
[list=*]
[/list]Some of the dialogue was choppy at times. Wasn't too convinced by the chemistry between Bond and Swann.
[list=*]
[/list]Didn't feel we saw as much of Blofeld as we could have. Needed a really spectacular showdown with Bond rather than just being shot down in his helicopter. A decent fist fight wouldn't have gone amiss.
[list=*]
[/list]I think some of the film was too fast paced and they seemed to travel from one place to another far too quickly. I could barely keep up.
[list=*]
[/list]Blofeld's motives were quite silly. Hoping he comes back for the next film with a big 'world domination' type plan.
[list=*]
[/list]There was a bit too much CGI at times. That's a minor quibble.
Overall a very solid entry into the series. I'll give it 7/10 and a mid-table ranking in my all time Bond films. Probably need to see it a couple more times to be able to take everything in and appreciate it a bit more.
I saw SPECTRE at 8pm Monday night and in my opinion it was Daniel Craig’s best Bond. As a life-long Bond fan, I’ve always felt like there was something missing since the Brosnan era. Craig’s films from CR to Skyfall were always worthy of being stand alone films that could have survived outside of the franchise. However, SPECTRE provided me with what I felt was missing; the true and traditional Bond format.
SPECTRE boasts a strong opening scene, colourful locations, beautiful women, an excellent villain, action-packed car chase, gadgets and the relationship with Bonds co-workers was explored. This is the formula for a James Bond film.
Craig’s previous films lacked one or more of these ingredients but SPECTRE provided all of them. The relationship/partnership he formed with Lea Seydoux’s character made the film what it was. Reminiscent of the classics such as Goldeneye, Dr. No, Live and Let Die and The World is Not Enough. The female character that inspires Bond to do what he does, and a strong woman who can work alongside him, make for cinematic excellence. As far as I’m concerned the James Bond franchise created this format, and they are the only ones worthy of continuing to do it justice.
If Craig doesn't return and fulfil his contract of a 5th film, then it would be the perfect film to end it all on. They have brought it back to the beginning with more traditional Bond flair - and that's what I missed the most.
What counts is what the heroine provokes, or rather what she represents. She is the one, or rather the love or fear she inspires in the hero , or else the concern he feels for her, who makes him act the way he does.
Author of 'Pussy Galore - A Representation of Women in James Bond Films'.
Active tweeter and tumbler - https://twitter.com/surrie_fullard
Childhood traumas cause some of the deepest psychological scars imaginable. It's not just that the Dad spent more time with Bond, it's that this boy had his parents tortured and killed in front of him, then the guy who came to his rescue essentially abandoned him as well. He blames Bond for that. He was likely mentally unstable before he went to live with the Oberhauser's and the fact that his adopted father didn't seem to love him and instead James "stole" that love from him helped grow a hate in him that festered for years.
People can get seriously screwed up in the head because of things that happen when they are adults - that's doubly true when it happens as a child. Especially after multiple traumatic experiences.
One of my big problems is that it's never explained how Le Chiffre, Greene, and Silva all fitted into SPECTRE. It's just stated rather than being explained.
In Skyfall, it seemed like Silva was motivated purely by personal revenge rather than any greater motive. In fact, I struggle to find an over-arching motive for his actions, unless it's just destabilizing MI6? Don't feel like they had to include Silva as a SPECTRE agent, could have just left it at Le Chiffre and Greene.
Also, don't feel like the film would have lost anything if Waltz was just a normal villain. I think the whole backstory was an interesting idea but it was never really built on and in the end, IMO, it didn't add anything to the film.
"You are about to wake when you dream that you are dreaming"
Craig started his 007 tenure with a classic retelling of a 1953 classic novel which was brilliant. I left the cinema very much wanting to see it again, which I did many times -{
This was followed by Quantumof Solace which started with a high paced perhaps poorly edited? car chase & then even though the performances were solid, DC in particular, it lost that momentum & I did not care about the greener than green storyline which ended as most Brozzas did with something getting blown up...oh dear! I still left the cinema wanting to see the movie again as I'd clearly missed something?.
Along came Skyfall & this ticked all the boxes for me as Casino Royale did back in 2006. I would have immediately rejoined the queue for the next screening if this had not been the crew screening days before general release.
Jump forward 3 years and 9am on 24th October on a cold dreary day I found myself outside the Odeon Leicester Square full of anticipation for Bond 24/SPECTRE which kicked off 90 minutes later with an incredible Spice Girls like "Tell you what I want what I really really want" join less one take pre-titles sequence....brilliant! One scene bounced to the next, some breathtaking in their cinematography, some slightly silly, some too long with other sequences IMO too short such as Blofeld's crater/volcano like lair. "James Bond, allow me to introduce myself ...I am" big explosion after really bad trip to the dentist to destroy the brain's memory centers? which clearly did not work! Was Ernst dead? no because Bond is seen creating a Spectre logo pattern of 7.65mm rounds at Blofeld's head in armoured glass in the trailer & we haven't seen that bit yet...D'ohh! so there was no real surprises in the following sequences apart from Bond not "taking the bloody shot!"....maybe it is time for the earlier mentioned priest hood?
With the movie ending with Bond finally getting the girl & Frauline Bunt not driving past in a Mercedes spraying her and the Aston with gunfire perhaps Bond or at least Bond in the guise of Daniel Craig has left? maybe Barbara and Michael are going to put Bond to rest and make something else? surely their other movie franchise Chitty Chitty Bang Bang must be due for a remake?
Whatever the outcome it really does feel like Daniel Craig has packed his bags and left what is left of MI6 & for the first time I left a Bond movie not that fussed about seeing it again but will look forward to the bluray release which hopefully may have extended or deleted scenes pulling certain inconsistencies/holes you could drive a tank through together.
A crew member is currently holding me to ransom with a prop he picked up thinking the price will sky rocket once the movie goes on general release? Boy is he in for a shock!
This IMO is a fitting swan song for Daniel Craig's Bond where beyond a shadow of doubt The World is Not Enough would have made a more fitting swan song for Pierce Brosnan's 007 tenure -{
One of my big problems is that it's never explained how Le Chiffre, Greene, and Silva all fitted into SPECTRE. It's just stated rather than being explained.
In Skyfall, it seemed like Silva was motivated purely by personal revenge rather than any greater motive. In fact, I struggle to find an over-arching motive for his actions, unless it's just destabilizing MI6? Don't feel like they had to include Silva as a SPECTRE agent, could have just left it at Le Chiffre and Greene.
Also, don't feel like the film would have lost anything if Waltz was just a normal villain. I think the whole backstory was an interesting idea but it was never really built on and in the end, IMO, it didn't add anything to the film.
This in the one small bit of negativity I would give the film. The whole link just seemed tacked on and there for the sake of it. It wouldn't have taken much to explain how everything fits together, Q could have done it after a bit of research. I always saw Skyfall as a film about a nutter taking revenge on M but now its like he is doing it to get back at Bond but just didnt fancy telling him about it.
Spectre is good, but I can see a lot of Bond fans here, like fanboys in general, are blind to its undeniable flaws and are overrating it. Once the film hits Blu-ray early next year I hope we will see these fans posting more balanced and objective reviews.
SPECTRE is a very good film but not as good has Casino Royale or Skyfall IMO (the best Craig Bond films).
The pre credits sequence is the best pre credits sequence in years, it's truly epic and atmospheric.
I don't like the theme song either but with the epic credits it sounds better.
People saying there was no chemistry between Swan and Bond must have been asleep.
When Blofeld came into the room for the meeting, you could have heard a pin drop, the silences were epic in the film and conveyed total power, Batista also made a great henchman. The torture scene was brilliant and Waltz portrayed the madness of Blofeld brilliantly. Blofeld is insane that's why he blames his Father and Bond for his troubles.
I need to see it another 50 times before I write about it properly, like many on here I've seen every Bond film hundreds of times and only seen SPECTRE once, it's not fair to rate it properly at this time.
Also loved the fact 007 nicked 009's Car, and the scene when getting chased was great, reminded me of Empire Strikes Back and the hyperspace doesn't work, loved the Car not working for him and playing 009's fav music.
And finally Swan in that dress on the train OMG gooooooorgeous.
Anyone else pick up on the "safe house" at the end being called "Hildebrand"
Yes I thought that was a nice touch
Could The Hildebrand Rarity be Bond 25's title?
I hope so although I'd prefer a Bond film totally set away from London next time. The Hildebrand Rarity may hint that Bond 25 may be London based again.
Comments
These films don't follow the previous twenty before Casino Royale. Since they restarted/rebooted them with CR. I'd love to see Quarrel. I also thought Blofeld was a bit Dr No(ish) in character. Blofeld referred to himself as a visionary and Bond replied with the line we have mental homes full of people like you. Connery has the nearly the same line of dialogue about back in Britain they have asylums full of people like Dr No. Which I thought was a nice nod to the older films.
"Greatness From Small Beginnings."
Onto the negatives, I thought the chase scene in Rome was rather boring, although I did love how Bond lands perfectly on the street then unclips the parachute and walks off, very cool. But the chase overall wasn't top notch Bond car chase. I felt Waltz was sadly underused, I disagree with one person above me saying he was the best thing in it. I think he was sadly and badly misused in it. Poor Monica Belluci was even treated more badly, was she even in the film for more then 5 minutes. She should have been used more. Batista did have a great scene with the train fight, but he was another that should have been used better. I personally would have liked to see him used for the ending and have him and Bond just have a even more brutal fight. I thought the film dragged when it got to Tangiers and could have done with some editing down. The worse thing for me was the ending, it was just very meh. Bond and Blofeld have a chat and then Bond saves Swann, then the end. Sure the old MI5 building blows up and Bond shoots down the helicopter, but the ending just lacked that oomph for me. It did bother me that it was so obvious that Andrew Scott was a villain and that Waltz was Blofeld, no twists or turns.
Maybe I'm far too critical on Spectre, but for me Casino Royale and Skyfall are two of the best Bond films I've seen. I just didn't feel excited when I left the cinema like I did for those films. Maybe another viewing might change my opinion. I'm glad many liked it but for me I was a tad disappointed, I give it a 6/10.
You've pretty much wrote my review for me. I'm a little underwhelmed too. Maybe because I really really wanted to like it a little to much. To be honest, I'm not a massive fan of Skyfall either. It's good, but not the masterpiece it's made out to be. It's the writing for me, I'm really not a fan of the writing team doing these Bonds anymore. Parts felt forced, like it didn't know what tone it wanted to be. Example of the poor writing, why would Bond get drunk when he's meant to be on guard protecting Swan. A little unprofessional no? I'm surprised I haven't seen more complaints about Bond practically forcing himself on monica bellucci. I miss the days when Bond was a fountain of knowledge too. It's like Craig's Bond is a thick hit man who had to call Q or Moneypenny to get information. Like the writers are shoehorning the characters in. The car chase was ruined by the mid phone call he had to make. Took me out of the suspense. Surely, lose the guy THEN make a call? Poor writing again. The score was poor, reused and bland.
However, it's not all doom and gloom. PTS was great, I loved it. Hinx was badass, I hope to see him again. Blofeld is back (yaaaay), I like M Q and Moneypenny, but let's not focus so much on them next time. The train fight was good, and so was the spectre meeting. I liked it don't get me wrong, but it could have been better with better writers.
"Do you expect me to talk? "No Mister Bond I expect you to die"
Thanks, I thought I be the only one who wasn't blown away by Spectre. I wanted to come here and write a glowing review but sadly myself and my brother came out feeling "meh, it was okay" and I certainly didn't feel that way walking out of Casino Royale or Skyfall. I think the biggest problem is the editing of the film, it felt very sluggish and slow. And in parts I was really bored especially anything involving Swann and Bond, I felt Bond fell far too quickly for her. I didn't think Craig or Seydoux had that much Chemistry. Maybe that's just me. Although Seydoux did a good job with what she was given. I did love the scene between Bond and Mr White, and Craig and Waltz did have good back and forwards together but not enough of them.
Only thing I disagree with you on is Skyfall, I think it's a masterpiece and I do think die hard Bond fans are way too harsh on it. Good to have Blofeld but they need to use Waltz better the next time they use him. I want more Q and M in the next film, I found the bits with them in Spectre more interesting then what was happening with Bond at times. although the Less of Moneypenny, I just not a big fan of Harris. Poor Batista deserved a better showing but he was badass when he was on screen. I gave it a 6/10, not bad but I think Mission Impossible Rogue Nation won the Spy film wars this year for me, plus that had Rebecca Ferguson who kicked ass.
The film opens with the gunbarrel at the start, great, but would have been nice to open straight up into the Mexico scene, rather than this 'the dead are alive' stuff. The PTS is fantastic, up in the top 10 PTSs. The single shot is great, the music is great, the helicopter stuff is good. A great start to the film, even with the 'Bond falling onto the sofa' thing which would seem more comfortable in a Brosnan film.
The titles. The song is actually much better up against some titles, and the shots of villains and M from the past films is a nice reference to the OHMSS or the GF titles.
So now Bond is back in London, he has his scene with M, C and Moneypenny at his flat. The scene at Bond's flat feels quite rushed, but it's better than having a long drawn out scene of morals or stuff like that you'd expect.
So Bond and Tanner head down the river to Q, who is apparently allowed to have his lab miles away from the Mi6 base. We see the old Mi6 building, making you wonder why it hasn't been demolished yet, and we see the new Mi6 base in all its CGI glory. I know, it's not bad CGI, but as a Londoner you know it is because you know that building doesn't exist.
Ok, so the Q scene. It's your traditional Q scene, being shown the gadgets and all that. Blnd is shown a car that is for 009 (when you think about it, this scene is completely illogical. It is literally 'look at this car Bond! It's not for you!') and he gets given his watch and he sees his DB5 being rebuilt (I don't actually know why Bond is allowed to have his car rebuilt in Mi6 labs). Oh, and remember that picture of the motorbike with the machine guns on the front that were released during filming? That's just in the background.
We have a couple of scenes in between, but Bond is heading to Rome, where he plans on attending a SPECTRE meeting. We see Bond in this meeting, and some discussions going on about the evil SPECTRE has done recently, when Oberhauser walks in and joins the meeting. They're looking for someone to replace Sciarra (guy who Bond killed in the PTS) and Hinx shows up, and shows his skills by gouging an agents eyes out and breaking their neck. This is actually a good scene that reminds me of the classic henchman scenes where they would show off their power. Oberhauser knows Bond is there, so he escapes and jumps in his Aston, only to be chased by Hinx in his Jaguar. This is a very cheesy chase scene which includes Bond being stuck behind an old man driving a Fiat 500 who he comically pushes into a railing, causing the airbag to deploy. (This is very Moore like, but would not look out of place in a Brosnan film). I let this scene pass, it was just a cheap joke and the audience was laughing. What I wasn't prepared for was a scene where Bond accidentally turns on the radio (this has been done in many movies, the one that springs to mind is X Men 2) and a scene where he uses an ejector seat. Parachute and all, with the steering wheel even moving to allow him to escape. These two scenes I dismissed as I thought 'well, they're obviously going for a Brosnan/Moore tone, so it's not too bad'.
Oh yeah, I forgot all about Monica Belluci. I don't even remember what her name was, she has so little screen time all her scenes were used in the TV spots and trailers (her character reminds me of Paris from TND, in that she does very little, but here her fate is not even shown - did Felix help her? Did she get killed? Who knows!)
So after all this, Bond is lead to Mr White, who has only a few weeks left to live. I'm not even complaining about this scene, this woulf have been a nice cameo if it wasn't in the trailers).
He is lead to Lea Seydoux, who is working at a clinic on top of a mountain in Austria. We have a nice little scene between her and Bond, and a good scene between him and Q, but then Lea is abducted by Hinx. After they escape in some cars, Bond obviously must have had Q magic him up a plane, as it appears out of nowhere and we don't even see how Bond got it. So we get a plane/car chase with the wings getting cut off (LALD reference) and Q struggling to get away from a henchman (FYEO reference) and then Q escapes easily (he just hides behind a door) and Lea and Bond head to Q's hotel room, where they learn about SPECTRE.
Now, here's the moment that might not be popular with many fans. It turns out everything done in the previous a craig movies have all been organised by SPECTRE, or has had some sort of involvement with them. Yes, Silva, the man who simply wanted to get revenge and kill M, apparently did some stuff with SPECTRE at some point. Really? Did we have to get him involved? Why? Why? Silva has nothing to do with CR or QoS. He was an ex agent who wanted revenge. But apparently, he's done some stuff with SPECTRE. So he's probably lying when he says about doing whatever he wants in SF. Great.
Q goes back to London and Bknd and Lea head to Tangier. Here they go to the L'American hotel where Bond talks to a rat (DAF reference) whilst sitting beside the bed the girl is sleeping on (AVTAK reference). Then he finds a secret room, where Mr White has kept some secret stuff and has apparently returned there every year since he and his wife were married. He has the co ordinates for Oberhauser's lair, in the middle of the desert. So Bond and Lea board a train where they are attacked by Hinx, undoubtedly the best scene int he film. But Hinx gets killed. Yeah. This was a character that could have been as iconic as Jaws or Oddjob, and he's just killed. Wouldn't it have been great if Jaws dies halfway through TSWLM? This is where the film falls apart and becomes a bore to sit through.
So they make their way to Oberhauser's lair, which is this surveillance place in this crater (YOLT reference) and talks about a meteor he has on display. Then they get to this surveillance room, and Lea sees Bond talking to her father before he killed himself. Bond tries to stop this but is knocked out, and wakes up in some torture place.
Now, I don't know much about technology, but I feel this was stretching it too far and is really disturbing. Bond has this drill drilled into the side of his head, and then his neck, this apparently will affect his senses, balance and his memory. But obviously the power of love is too strong, and Bond escapes with no harm done to him (hell, he shows no sign of pain when he gets up and manages to run around perfectly shooting bad guys. This scene should have been a lot more like the scene in Rogue Nation, where a knocked out Ethan awakes and doesn't really know what he's doing.)
The place is blown up, Oberhauser is given a scar and Bond tells Lea that it's not over. So that scene was pointless, the torture barely harmed Bond and the villain escape apparently. Great.
So they're back in London at some safe house, that they manage to get too before Q, M and Tanner (C is now known as a villain, and is preparing to use this drone stuff to replace the 00 agents), and some other stuff happens and Bomd is taken to the old Mi6 building, where Lea is apparently trapped and Bond has three minutes to save her or they both blow up (insert Dr Evil quote here. You all know which one I'm talking about).
Unfortunately, I wasn't feeling too good (not helped by the disturbing torture scene) and had to use the bathroom.
So I returned to see Oberhauser in a helicopter watching all this going down. Why is he there ? For no reason! He is asking to die now. So Bond and Lea escape, Mi6 is destroyed, the helicopter crashes and Oberhauser limps out, only for Bond not to kill him.
Oh, and I forgot to mention the big reveal scene! OBERHAUSER IS BLOFELD! What a suprise! Who saw this coming? EVERYBODY. This is a cheap plot twist that film makers seem to think we love. No. It's cheap and you can see it from a mile off. And the reveal scene isn't even that great! He just says 'I am Ernst Stavro Blofeld!' Wait, what? Your real name is Oberhauser. Why the f*** would you use such a specific name as that! Oh, and it was him who killed his own father because they took Bond in for two winters after his parents died (this was never mentioned in SF, I'm sure it would have come up, making me now question why was anything of Bomd left at SF? He obviously hasn't lived there since his parents died, he's been living in Austria! Anyway, Oberhauser killed his dad because his dad loved Bond more than him.
Finally, Bond gets his DB5 back from Q (I have no clue between then and since we saw it earlier has Q finished restoring it, considering they've been doing all this stuff) and rides away with Lea.
So, thoughts. Clearly too many references to past Bknd films thrown in there, meaning the story is not well developed. Villain motivation is pretty poor, and the twist is lame. However, up until the point where Himx gets killed,this could have been a decent Bond film.
Rating:
7/10 - it has good moments, but it's not that great of a film and really doesn't feel like a Bknd film of 2015. Stick Brosnan in as Bond and release this in 1999, boom. This film seems like it was written about 15 years ago before gritty Bond.
I think this is interesting, although Quantum of Solace tried to push Bond more towards the 21st century and not use classic Bond tropes but it wasn't popular and people said that it didn't feel like a Bond film. Now Spectre apparantly has too many Bond tropes and is too reliant on the past! It's not really clear what the audience want- do they want a gritty 'realistic' Bond or do they want fantasy Bond?
I do think it would have been good if the Craig series could have properly developed a new 'iconic' character rather than using characters from the novels. That would link the films up more convincingly and would allow them to cast a really great actor who they can make the most of.
They didn't really have much chemistry; I felt that Craig had more chemistry with Belluci. However I don't think Bond fell too quickly; it's not like she's meant to be the love of his life. He's just enjoying being with a beautiful young woman. Part of the problem is that Craig doesn't have the good looks Bond should have so it's always a bit of a stretch to imagine all these women throwing themselves at him.
I loved Q and M; particularly near the end of the film where it was M, Q and Moneypenny together, I thought it was really great. Bond pretty much falls off the radar near the end; he should be the most interesting thing in the film but what's around him is more interesting.
Basically, I thought it was fantastic. I'm undecided if it is better than SF or not, but it is on par with it. The story was quite gripping, and Christoph Waltz is one of the greatest ever bond villains. I loved the first SPECTRE meeting, and Hinx killing that guy was very memorable. The PTS is quite possibly the best in the series. And I absolutely loved how this film had references to the previous 3 Daniel Craig films, tying everything together. The torture scene was bloody fantastic, and the highlight of the film. I was delighted that Waltz WAS revealed as Blofeld. And I wasn't expecting to see the cat, or him being scarred. They've gone all out with this one and it is pretty epic. I can't wait to see it again.
Could bond 25 be "The Hildebrand Rarity"??
My one criticism though - the score. Recycled from SF. Some of the exact same music. Which was very distracting. Why the laziness?
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
I totally agree...much better than Skyfall, and the whole package was there. Humour, style, chemistry between Bond and Lea and the Villan and henchman were genuinely frightening.
Looking fwd to seeing it again as it went by so quick, I want to have a look around, rather than keeping up with what's going on.
I thought the score was cracking too.
This is def in my top 5 (Skyfall isnt) and I give it 8.5 stars out of 10. (My only slight niggle is the stiltiness of dialogue between some of the characters...when Bond first meets Madeline it was a tad sticatto.)
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt2379713/reviews?start=10
Oddly, most of the Youtube reviews I've seen are fairly positive! Hmm - I guess Spectre is dividing fans. Perhaps a soft reboot is needed, new actor as Bond and some new writers for Bond 25? A fresh coat of Bond paint!
"I am not an entrant in the Shakespeare Stakes." - Ian Fleming
"Screw 'em." - Daniel Craig, The Best James Bond EverTM
Waltz is ok...nothing special at all...but I feel cheated that the whole four films have been about a guy that is a bit narked because his dad taught someone to ski ! I mean, REALLY ?:)
PTS is awesome though B-)
Yes, this is another criticism of mine. Blofeld's reasons did seem a tad silly, and even childish.
Still though, really enjoyed the film overall.
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
M - "Colonel Smithers is giving the lecture 007!"
PROS
[list=*]
[/list]Craig finally looks to have set the perfect tone for Bond. Serious and dark when it's called for but there are elements of the silliness of Moore's Bond. It's not done OTT however.
[list=*]
[/list]Villains are scary and awesome. Waltz is a brilliant Blofeld and as has been previously mentioned he seems to blend all the previous Blofeld incarnations into one. Hinx is the best henchman since Dario but harks back to the days Oddjob and Jaws. Truely menacing.
[list=*]
[/list]Gunbarrell is at the beginning. Finally!
[list=*]
[/list]The PTS was as spectacular as promised. Great stunts and the tracking camera work was excellent.
[list=*]
[/list]The scene on the train was straight out of FRWL. Very well choreographed.
[list=*]
[/list]Bond finally drinks a Vodka Martini again. About time!
[list=*]
[/list]Past references to old Craig films brought back some real nostalgia.
CONS
[list=*]
[/list]Some of the dialogue was choppy at times. Wasn't too convinced by the chemistry between Bond and Swann.
[list=*]
[/list]Didn't feel we saw as much of Blofeld as we could have. Needed a really spectacular showdown with Bond rather than just being shot down in his helicopter. A decent fist fight wouldn't have gone amiss.
[list=*]
[/list]I think some of the film was too fast paced and they seemed to travel from one place to another far too quickly. I could barely keep up.
[list=*]
[/list]Blofeld's motives were quite silly. Hoping he comes back for the next film with a big 'world domination' type plan.
[list=*]
[/list]There was a bit too much CGI at times. That's a minor quibble.
Overall a very solid entry into the series. I'll give it 7/10 and a mid-table ranking in my all time Bond films. Probably need to see it a couple more times to be able to take everything in and appreciate it a bit more.
SPECTRE boasts a strong opening scene, colourful locations, beautiful women, an excellent villain, action-packed car chase, gadgets and the relationship with Bonds co-workers was explored. This is the formula for a James Bond film.
Craig’s previous films lacked one or more of these ingredients but SPECTRE provided all of them. The relationship/partnership he formed with Lea Seydoux’s character made the film what it was. Reminiscent of the classics such as Goldeneye, Dr. No, Live and Let Die and The World is Not Enough. The female character that inspires Bond to do what he does, and a strong woman who can work alongside him, make for cinematic excellence. As far as I’m concerned the James Bond franchise created this format, and they are the only ones worthy of continuing to do it justice.
If Craig doesn't return and fulfil his contract of a 5th film, then it would be the perfect film to end it all on. They have brought it back to the beginning with more traditional Bond flair - and that's what I missed the most.
Author of 'Pussy Galore - A Representation of Women in James Bond Films'.
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Childhood traumas cause some of the deepest psychological scars imaginable. It's not just that the Dad spent more time with Bond, it's that this boy had his parents tortured and killed in front of him, then the guy who came to his rescue essentially abandoned him as well. He blames Bond for that. He was likely mentally unstable before he went to live with the Oberhauser's and the fact that his adopted father didn't seem to love him and instead James "stole" that love from him helped grow a hate in him that festered for years.
People can get seriously screwed up in the head because of things that happen when they are adults - that's doubly true when it happens as a child. Especially after multiple traumatic experiences.
In Skyfall, it seemed like Silva was motivated purely by personal revenge rather than any greater motive. In fact, I struggle to find an over-arching motive for his actions, unless it's just destabilizing MI6? Don't feel like they had to include Silva as a SPECTRE agent, could have just left it at Le Chiffre and Greene.
Also, don't feel like the film would have lost anything if Waltz was just a normal villain. I think the whole backstory was an interesting idea but it was never really built on and in the end, IMO, it didn't add anything to the film.
This was followed by Quantum of Solace which started with a high paced perhaps poorly edited? car chase & then even though the performances were solid, DC in particular, it lost that momentum & I did not care about the greener than green storyline which ended as most Brozzas did with something getting blown up...oh dear! I still left the cinema wanting to see the movie again as I'd clearly missed something?.
Along came Skyfall & this ticked all the boxes for me as Casino Royale did back in 2006. I would have immediately rejoined the queue for the next screening if this had not been the crew screening days before general release.
Jump forward 3 years and 9am on 24th October on a cold dreary day I found myself outside the Odeon Leicester Square full of anticipation for Bond 24/SPECTRE which kicked off 90 minutes later with an incredible Spice Girls like "Tell you what I want what I really really want" join less one take pre-titles sequence....brilliant! One scene bounced to the next, some breathtaking in their cinematography, some slightly silly, some too long with other sequences IMO too short such as Blofeld's crater/volcano like lair. "James Bond, allow me to introduce myself ...I am" big explosion after really bad trip to the dentist to destroy the brain's memory centers? which clearly did not work! Was Ernst dead? no because Bond is seen creating a Spectre logo pattern of 7.65mm rounds at Blofeld's head in armoured glass in the trailer & we haven't seen that bit yet...D'ohh! so there was no real surprises in the following sequences apart from Bond not "taking the bloody shot!"....maybe it is time for the earlier mentioned priest hood?
With the movie ending with Bond finally getting the girl & Frauline Bunt not driving past in a Mercedes spraying her and the Aston with gunfire perhaps Bond or at least Bond in the guise of Daniel Craig has left? maybe Barbara and Michael are going to put Bond to rest and make something else? surely their other movie franchise Chitty Chitty Bang Bang must be due for a remake?
Whatever the outcome it really does feel like Daniel Craig has packed his bags and left what is left of MI6 & for the first time I left a Bond movie not that fussed about seeing it again but will look forward to the bluray release which hopefully may have extended or deleted scenes pulling certain inconsistencies/holes you could drive a tank through together.
A crew member is currently holding me to ransom with a prop he picked up thinking the price will sky rocket once the movie goes on general release? Boy is he in for a shock!
This IMO is a fitting swan song for Daniel Craig's Bond where beyond a shadow of doubt The World is Not Enough would have made a more fitting swan song for Pierce Brosnan's 007 tenure -{
This in the one small bit of negativity I would give the film. The whole link just seemed tacked on and there for the sake of it. It wouldn't have taken much to explain how everything fits together, Q could have done it after a bit of research. I always saw Skyfall as a film about a nutter taking revenge on M but now its like he is doing it to get back at Bond but just didnt fancy telling him about it.
Yes I thought that was a nice touch
The pre credits sequence is the best pre credits sequence in years, it's truly epic and atmospheric.
I don't like the theme song either but with the epic credits it sounds better.
People saying there was no chemistry between Swan and Bond must have been asleep.
When Blofeld came into the room for the meeting, you could have heard a pin drop, the silences were epic in the film and conveyed total power, Batista also made a great henchman. The torture scene was brilliant and Waltz portrayed the madness of Blofeld brilliantly. Blofeld is insane that's why he blames his Father and Bond for his troubles.
I need to see it another 50 times before I write about it properly, like many on here I've seen every Bond film hundreds of times and only seen SPECTRE once, it's not fair to rate it properly at this time.
And finally Swan in that dress on the train OMG gooooooorgeous.
Could The Hildebrand Rarity be Bond 25's title?
1 - Moore, 2 - Dalton, 3 - Craig, 4 - Connery, 5 - Brosnan, 6 - Lazenby
I hope so although I'd prefer a Bond film totally set away from London next time. The Hildebrand Rarity may hint that Bond 25 may be London based again.