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#702 - Spectre
Sam Mendes, 2015
A British secret agent goes rogue in order to track down a clandestine organisation of terrorists.
Spectre had some pretty difficult expectations to live up to. Not only is it following the wildly successful Skyfall but it's also coming at the tail end of 2015, which has been quite the banner year for spy movies. Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation are just a handful of the spy films that have come out this year with the intention of providing rip-roaring escapism that invoked everything from comedic pastiche to retro homage to straight-up action. Unfortunately, while these would seem to serve as apparent appetisers for the main course that is the latest installment in the world's premiere spy franchise, they also serve to undermine Spectre by exposing just how similar it is to those particular films. While I naturally have to take the long-running franchise's widespread influence into account before accusing it of being a rip-off, that still doesn't prevent Spectre itself from feeling all kinds of familiar. For starters, there's the fact that the plot is eerily similar to that of Rogue Nation, though it's not without justification. While Bond (Daniel Craig) is like Ethan Hunt in that he is made to go rogue in pursuit of a shadowy collective of operatives looking to cause global mayhem for fun and profit, that is at least backed up by the previous Craig films working to establish the existence of such a collective.
To be fair, it's not like Spectre doesn't lack for ambition at times - if nothing else, the opening sequence that crafts an elaborate tracking shot following Bond as he makes his way through the crowded streets of Mexico City is definitely a stand-out even before it leads into a daring fight on board an out-of-control helicopter. Of course, that ambition peters out very quickly over the course of 148 incredibly staggering minutes. Granted, even the shortest Bond movies do have their fair share of sluggish moments, but this only becomes more pronounced in Spectre as it drags things out unnecessarily during Bond's investigations in ways that feel like they're forced to fill out formulaic criteria. A good example of this is the entire series of scenes involving Monica Bellucci as one villain's widow (and a potential lead for Bond), which could have been axed without the film losing anything of worth (Bellucci herself notwithstanding). The fact that the film keeps trying to tease out the mystery behind Spectre and the rather unsurprising revelations surrounding its leader (Christoph Waltz, whose trademark smarminess wears thin even during his limited amount of screen-time) only contributes to the film being an overly long bore. That's without bringing up the extremely clunky (even for Bond) romantic sub-plot that develops between Bond and the young doctor (Léa Seydoux) who has a very personal connection to the conspiracy.
Given how much Spectre is content to stretch things out, one might expect it to offer some decent characterisation to go along with its lengthy narrative. The past three Craig films have worked as one massive origin story for Bond that detailed his journey from rough-edged recruit to dispassionate professional as he endures greater and greater trials and also saw the assembly of whole new versions of series regulars such as M (Ralph Fiennes), Q (Ben Whishaw), and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris). Here, they lapse into the well-worn roles that existed in classic Bond and each have their own recognisable modes of banter with Bond - M's cultured British variation on the turn-in-your-badge boss, Q's prim yet sardonic lecturing, and Moneypenny's cheeky yet distant flirtations. The actors involved are solid enough, but the writing isn't there to back them up. Craig himself doesn't fare much better; though his Bond has always been a stony-faced cad whose sentimental side is barely glimpsed and often has ulterior motives (especially when it comes to the majority of the women he's encountered), this shouldn't translate into him coming across as a grouchy dullard for most of this film. While Bond girls don't exactly get the most nuanced development at the best of times, here it's just so messy and the actresses' ability isn't enough to make a difference. I already pointed out how incredibly extraneous Bellucci's character ends up being, but Seydoux's ostensibly meatier role definitely doesn't make much of its potential and instead lapses into not only a lot of the usual Bond clichés but some decidedly more generic action movie love-interest clichés.
These problems are pretty severe, but the main problem with the Bond series in general is that it attempts to reinvent the character year after year in response to not just cinematic trends but also to changing social and political norms. While this ostensibly makes sense as it needs to stay fresh one way or another, it only serves to create an inherently conflicted franchise, especially when the reinventions tend not to stick and Bond movies invariably lapse back into ludicrous goofiness - just look at Pierce Brosnan's tenure. James Bond's original status as a power fantasy for white males resulted in a lot of the work being quite racist, sexist, and politically conservative, so of course there have been several attempt to redefine Bond in ways that try to correct or at least criticise the character's more problematic flaws while still trying to stay true to the character's basic appeal. This much is represented in the film by a smug executive (Andrew Scott) whose plan to launch an all-encompassing surveillance network will supposedly render field agents like Bond obsolete, while the film does pay some more lip-service to criticism by having characters straight-up ask Bond just why he keeps doing what he does. The problem with such acknowledgements of Bond fiction's fundamental shortcomings is that they do ultimately feel insincere when faced with the demands of a Bond narrative (or at least in this particular Bond narrative). A large part of Spectre is about Bond confronting even more of his past traumas in the name of revenge, but even when the film opts to delve into the man's psychology it's usually just serving as filler between action scenes or plot-related exposition.
Even though the plot of a Bond movie only serves as the foundation on which a variety of entertaining assets can be built, there is still a lot left to be desired about Spectre. The aforementioned opening only goes so far when the film runs through yet another collection of familiar Bond set-pieces to largely unremarkable effect. While the earlier Craig films have tried to re-invent Bond in a way that avoids the series' more fantastic elements such as cartoonish supervillains and elaborate gadgets, those elements slowly but surely bled through into Skyfall and are now in full-force with Spectre. This would be tolerable if only they yielded decent results. To be fair, there is a nice little homage to the series' various train-carriage battles with a fight between Bond and a henchman (Dave Bautista, whose role as a silent brute echoes classic Bond henchmen like Oddjob or Jaws without quite managing the same level of personality as those two, which is a shame considering how well Bautista played an eccentric yet dangerous warrior in Guardians in the Galaxy). However, this is compromised by the fact that the vehicular chases tend to be rather tedious affairs that are dependent on creating spectacular destruction or easy character-based humour in lieu of any serious thrills. This also ends up providing another example of how the film's length works against it as the deliberate subversion of the standard Bond movie climax only serves to make one look at their watch rather than get excited for what could possibly be coming next.
One of the most striking things about Skyfall was the studied high-contrast cinematography courtesy of veteran Roger Deakins, so replacing him with Hoyte van Hoytema is a noticeable shift that may result in some technical flair (case in point - the opening shot) and avoids devolving into empty shakycam but its emphasis on low-contrast camerawork definitely makes the film look more than a little bland. To this end, Thomas Newman's score mixes classic Bond bombast with contemporary guitar-based chugging to debatable effect; that's without mentioning the incredibly limp theme song performed by Sam Smith over the tiresome opening credits. Such elements combine to make for a film that could generously be described as one of the most middling Bond films ever made, which definitely makes it a far cry from being a genuinely good film. The fact that it is not only the most expensive Bond film to date but also one of the most expensive films ever made does make it feel extremely safe. It attempts to temper the classic Bond formula with the sensibilities of Craig-era Bond and also throws in some straightforward blockbuster traits for good measure, though the resulting mixture doesn't gel smoothly. If this is to be the final instance of Craig donning a tuxedo and wielding a Walther PPK, then it's hardly the worst film with which to leave the franchise - unfortunately, it is hardly the best either.
Sam Mendes, 2015
A British secret agent goes rogue in order to track down a clandestine organisation of terrorists.
Spectre had some pretty difficult expectations to live up to. Not only is it following the wildly successful Skyfall but it's also coming at the tail end of 2015, which has been quite the banner year for spy movies. Kingsman: The Secret Service, The Man From U.N.C.L.E., and Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation are just a handful of the spy films that have come out this year with the intention of providing rip-roaring escapism that invoked everything from comedic pastiche to retro homage to straight-up action. Unfortunately, while these would seem to serve as apparent appetisers for the main course that is the latest installment in the world's premiere spy franchise, they also serve to undermine Spectre by exposing just how similar it is to those particular films. While I naturally have to take the long-running franchise's widespread influence into account before accusing it of being a rip-off, that still doesn't prevent Spectre itself from feeling all kinds of familiar. For starters, there's the fact that the plot is eerily similar to that of Rogue Nation, though it's not without justification. While Bond (Daniel Craig) is like Ethan Hunt in that he is made to go rogue in pursuit of a shadowy collective of operatives looking to cause global mayhem for fun and profit, that is at least backed up by the previous Craig films working to establish the existence of such a collective.
To be fair, it's not like Spectre doesn't lack for ambition at times - if nothing else, the opening sequence that crafts an elaborate tracking shot following Bond as he makes his way through the crowded streets of Mexico City is definitely a stand-out even before it leads into a daring fight on board an out-of-control helicopter. Of course, that ambition peters out very quickly over the course of 148 incredibly staggering minutes. Granted, even the shortest Bond movies do have their fair share of sluggish moments, but this only becomes more pronounced in Spectre as it drags things out unnecessarily during Bond's investigations in ways that feel like they're forced to fill out formulaic criteria. A good example of this is the entire series of scenes involving Monica Bellucci as one villain's widow (and a potential lead for Bond), which could have been axed without the film losing anything of worth (Bellucci herself notwithstanding). The fact that the film keeps trying to tease out the mystery behind Spectre and the rather unsurprising revelations surrounding its leader (Christoph Waltz, whose trademark smarminess wears thin even during his limited amount of screen-time) only contributes to the film being an overly long bore. That's without bringing up the extremely clunky (even for Bond) romantic sub-plot that develops between Bond and the young doctor (Léa Seydoux) who has a very personal connection to the conspiracy.
Given how much Spectre is content to stretch things out, one might expect it to offer some decent characterisation to go along with its lengthy narrative. The past three Craig films have worked as one massive origin story for Bond that detailed his journey from rough-edged recruit to dispassionate professional as he endures greater and greater trials and also saw the assembly of whole new versions of series regulars such as M (Ralph Fiennes), Q (Ben Whishaw), and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris). Here, they lapse into the well-worn roles that existed in classic Bond and each have their own recognisable modes of banter with Bond - M's cultured British variation on the turn-in-your-badge boss, Q's prim yet sardonic lecturing, and Moneypenny's cheeky yet distant flirtations. The actors involved are solid enough, but the writing isn't there to back them up. Craig himself doesn't fare much better; though his Bond has always been a stony-faced cad whose sentimental side is barely glimpsed and often has ulterior motives (especially when it comes to the majority of the women he's encountered), this shouldn't translate into him coming across as a grouchy dullard for most of this film. While Bond girls don't exactly get the most nuanced development at the best of times, here it's just so messy and the actresses' ability isn't enough to make a difference. I already pointed out how incredibly extraneous Bellucci's character ends up being, but Seydoux's ostensibly meatier role definitely doesn't make much of its potential and instead lapses into not only a lot of the usual Bond clichés but some decidedly more generic action movie love-interest clichés.
These problems are pretty severe, but the main problem with the Bond series in general is that it attempts to reinvent the character year after year in response to not just cinematic trends but also to changing social and political norms. While this ostensibly makes sense as it needs to stay fresh one way or another, it only serves to create an inherently conflicted franchise, especially when the reinventions tend not to stick and Bond movies invariably lapse back into ludicrous goofiness - just look at Pierce Brosnan's tenure. James Bond's original status as a power fantasy for white males resulted in a lot of the work being quite racist, sexist, and politically conservative, so of course there have been several attempt to redefine Bond in ways that try to correct or at least criticise the character's more problematic flaws while still trying to stay true to the character's basic appeal. This much is represented in the film by a smug executive (Andrew Scott) whose plan to launch an all-encompassing surveillance network will supposedly render field agents like Bond obsolete, while the film does pay some more lip-service to criticism by having characters straight-up ask Bond just why he keeps doing what he does. The problem with such acknowledgements of Bond fiction's fundamental shortcomings is that they do ultimately feel insincere when faced with the demands of a Bond narrative (or at least in this particular Bond narrative). A large part of Spectre is about Bond confronting even more of his past traumas in the name of revenge, but even when the film opts to delve into the man's psychology it's usually just serving as filler between action scenes or plot-related exposition.
Even though the plot of a Bond movie only serves as the foundation on which a variety of entertaining assets can be built, there is still a lot left to be desired about Spectre. The aforementioned opening only goes so far when the film runs through yet another collection of familiar Bond set-pieces to largely unremarkable effect. While the earlier Craig films have tried to re-invent Bond in a way that avoids the series' more fantastic elements such as cartoonish supervillains and elaborate gadgets, those elements slowly but surely bled through into Skyfall and are now in full-force with Spectre. This would be tolerable if only they yielded decent results. To be fair, there is a nice little homage to the series' various train-carriage battles with a fight between Bond and a henchman (Dave Bautista, whose role as a silent brute echoes classic Bond henchmen like Oddjob or Jaws without quite managing the same level of personality as those two, which is a shame considering how well Bautista played an eccentric yet dangerous warrior in Guardians in the Galaxy). However, this is compromised by the fact that the vehicular chases tend to be rather tedious affairs that are dependent on creating spectacular destruction or easy character-based humour in lieu of any serious thrills. This also ends up providing another example of how the film's length works against it as the deliberate subversion of the standard Bond movie climax only serves to make one look at their watch rather than get excited for what could possibly be coming next.
One of the most striking things about Skyfall was the studied high-contrast cinematography courtesy of veteran Roger Deakins, so replacing him with Hoyte van Hoytema is a noticeable shift that may result in some technical flair (case in point - the opening shot) and avoids devolving into empty shakycam but its emphasis on low-contrast camerawork definitely makes the film look more than a little bland. To this end, Thomas Newman's score mixes classic Bond bombast with contemporary guitar-based chugging to debatable effect; that's without mentioning the incredibly limp theme song performed by Sam Smith over the tiresome opening credits. Such elements combine to make for a film that could generously be described as one of the most middling Bond films ever made, which definitely makes it a far cry from being a genuinely good film. The fact that it is not only the most expensive Bond film to date but also one of the most expensive films ever made does make it feel extremely safe. It attempts to temper the classic Bond formula with the sensibilities of Craig-era Bond and also throws in some straightforward blockbuster traits for good measure, though the resulting mixture doesn't gel smoothly. If this is to be the final instance of Craig donning a tuxedo and wielding a Walther PPK, then it's hardly the worst film with which to leave the franchise - unfortunately, it is hardly the best either.