Spectre English Movie
The opening of a film sets the bar for everything that follows. Or at least that's what they say. Going by that adage and the film's beautifully shot and choreographed long take opening, Sam Mendes's Spectre (or Specter in English that hasn't been twisted by the British for no reason) should've turned out to be another skillfully tense and trope-shattering outing for the director, much like his first contribution to the franchise -- the delectable Skyfall.
The film does keep your hopes up for a while. Beginning at the celebration of the Day of the Dead (as a sly nod to its title), it's followed by a building that crumbles after a detonation on its third floor and an action sequence on a helicopter so outrageous and physics-defying that only James Bond could pull it off with any conviction. Bond even gives one of his smug, winning, "I'm Bond, bit**es" smiles at the end of the sequence, assuring you that there's fun to be had in the vein of 007 films of yore, but with Mendes firmly in control.
Alas, there's only so much that he can do in the face of a plot that's barely there and the insistence on a more frivolous tone that harkens Bond back to his misogynistic ways from back in the day that made for some of the most mediocre films in the franchise.
The film's underlying theme of use and misuse of information, so relevant to today's society and its willingness to violate lives and privacy to be safeguarded by any means possible, brings a new dimension to the film that hadn't been used before. Sadly, everything else about the film, from its villains to its plot to even its action sequences, relies all too heavily on past nostalgia. The film even (re)introduces criminal mastermind Ernst Stavro Blofeld (the villain from many a Bond film) and his sinister global organization Spectre, who're hell-bent on world domination through unrestricted surveillance and access to information.
The film's screenplay, credited to no less than four writers -- John Logan, Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth -- is a slapdash and meandering one. It goes from one incident to the next without any semblance of continuity or drama, and it's only stretched thinner when coupled with Mendes's exploratory style of filmmaking. It doesn't jao that the humor in the film, something that could've distracted from the deficiency in the writing, is rarely funny and the witty/macho one-liners mostly tame and lame. Making this mission a personal one for Bond and part of a larger arc that also includes the last three films is an interesting idea in theory, especially in a franchise that basically resets with every film and every new Bond, but the writers never manage to make good on that promise with a back story of 007's childhood that manages to evoke nothing.
Then comes the Curious Case of Weak Characterizations. A more chirpy, deadpanning Bond in comparison to previous films should ideally make for more entertaining viewing, but comes across as a flat stereotype of himself instead. There are no demons from the past to battle this time (or at least, he doesn't battle with them), no depth to him, no redeeming qualities, no reason to root for him. Even during the half-baked finale, I couldn't care less about his fate and his survival, which is probably the film's biggest failure.
The "Bond Girls" in Spectre are the weakest of all Craig films and one of the weakest across the 24 films in total. The main female protagonist (Lea Seydoux) is the cliche dame-in-trouble with a violent past who falls in "love" with Bond for no reason, while the other female presence in the film (Monica Bellucci) is the cliche dame-in-trouble who falls in bed with Bond for no reason. Ernst Blofeld's characterization might be less of a caricature than his previous appearances, but his actions and his motivations couldn't be farther from instilling fear in the audiences.
Mendes, for his part, excels at the stylistic flourishes in Spectre that made Skyfall so immensely watchable. As with Roger Deakins in the latter, he collaborates wonderfully with cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema to make the film look gorgeous to the point that it resembles art. They manipulate darkness and shadows to give the film a lot more character and its characters a much darker and threatening appearance than they actually are. The action sequences are shot well too, even though the action itself is redundant and less than thrilling at times.
Where Mendes makes a misstep is in finding the heart and emotional core in a film so obsessed with giving the viewers a bang for their buck. While Skyfall was an emotionally dark and darkly emotional film that balanced out nicely against the extravagant action, Spectre is mostly a cold shell of a film that does more as a promotional tool for exotic countries it's been shot in than for its cardboard characters.
Adding insult to injury is Daniel Craig's weakest turn so far as the titular protagonist, even when compared to the much-derided Quantum of Solace. Admittedly the writing does play spoilsport for him, but Craig does nothing to make Bond likeable despite his inherent dick-ishness this time around. He mostly runs through his lines without putting in too much effort, relying more on people's love for Bond to tide him through. If it does turn out to be his final outing as the infamous spy, it would be a disappointing way to say goodbye to one of the best (if not the best) Bonds in history, even though the film does manage to wrap up his four films in a tidy little package.
Lea Seydoux looks as breathtakingly beautiful as ever, but (sadly) doesn't get enough opportunity to show off her acting or her action chops. Ralph Fiennes returns as M, but barely makes an impact due to his limited screentime and importance. Ben Whishaw as Q does well in providing the occasional comic relief. You know you've gone wrong with the film when Christoph Waltz makes for a weak and less-than-threatening villain. Andrew Scott is horrible as the excessively straight-faced C, while Monica Bellucci gets exactly 2 scenes, one of which involves (censored out) sex with James Bond.
All's well that ends well. Or at least that's what they say. Going by that adage and the film's finale, Sam Mendes's Spectre is a smug, hollow and underwhelming exercise in style that considers itself way smarter than it actually is. Weak script, generic action, unsatisfactory villains, offensively stereotypical Bond girls and a tired Bond: none of these are reasons to pay a visit to your nearest theater this weekend. Maybe wait for the next 007 film (with a new 007?) for a better shaking and stirring experience.
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