Topping Casino Royale and Skyfall was always going to be hard. Instead, we have a great film still, but not quite as exciting as the previously mentioned. It does, however, wallop Quantum of Solace.
Everything about this film is gloss, but, the substance is still very much there. Intriguing story, stunning visuals, massive action set pieces (albeit a bit far between), roaring score, stunning Bond girls and a flash and confident as hell James Bond. And, of course, an interesting villain with a flare for the eccentric.
I suppose the twists were not that surprising, but I enjoyed the way they played out. The film could use a cut down, as the pace did wane in the second half. As has been mentioned in other reviews, the opening sequence is probably the most exciting sequence for the film, with the ending being surprising lack lustre.
Bellucci is way too underused here - she gets about 10 mins of screentime, if that. Lea Seydoux is just a delight, but doesn't have the chemistry with Bond that Eva Green did. Bautista utters one word in this film. His part stays true to classic Bond henchmen - all brawn, little to say. And then there is Waltz. Always fun to watch, good guy or bad. Here, I think he was a bit underused as well, and his motivations were probably not enough for me.
Craig is definitely a great Bond. I think we all knew that after Royale. It is unfortunate that Quantum didn't have the script to allow him to have a great entry there too, but, 3 out of 4 ain't bad. I hope he returns for one final outing. He's still young enough for one more.
I've probably highlighted a few more negatives than positives about this one, but, overall I had a great time with Spectre. It has all the hallmarks a Bond film should have, and combines them well enough to make this a must see film. Royale and Skyfall hold up very well after repeat viewings, so I look forward to seeing if this one does too.
Everything about this film is gloss, but, the substance is still very much there. Intriguing story, stunning visuals, massive action set pieces (albeit a bit far between), roaring score, stunning Bond girls and a flash and confident as hell James Bond. And, of course, an interesting villain with a flare for the eccentric.
I suppose the twists were not that surprising, but I enjoyed the way they played out. The film could use a cut down, as the pace did wane in the second half. As has been mentioned in other reviews, the opening sequence is probably the most exciting sequence for the film, with the ending being surprising lack lustre.
Bellucci is way too underused here - she gets about 10 mins of screentime, if that. Lea Seydoux is just a delight, but doesn't have the chemistry with Bond that Eva Green did. Bautista utters one word in this film. His part stays true to classic Bond henchmen - all brawn, little to say. And then there is Waltz. Always fun to watch, good guy or bad. Here, I think he was a bit underused as well, and his motivations were probably not enough for me.
Craig is definitely a great Bond. I think we all knew that after Royale. It is unfortunate that Quantum didn't have the script to allow him to have a great entry there too, but, 3 out of 4 ain't bad. I hope he returns for one final outing. He's still young enough for one more.
I've probably highlighted a few more negatives than positives about this one, but, overall I had a great time with Spectre. It has all the hallmarks a Bond film should have, and combines them well enough to make this a must see film. Royale and Skyfall hold up very well after repeat viewings, so I look forward to seeing if this one does too.
Rating:
4/5
