by Tim Estiloz
★★☆☆☆
James Bond is back in the decades old film franchise that steadfastly manages to remain immensely popular around the world even after 24 installments and several actors of differing temperament in the lead role. Daniel Craig returns for his fourth go round as the secret agent with a “license to kill” in Spectre.
However, in this latest outing as 007; Craig and the franchise seem to have lost some of the rejuvenated momentum and mojo generated by it’s semi reboot predecessor, Skyfall.
In Spectre, director Sam Mendes attempts to continue his redefinition of the Bond character with new and more revelatory glimpses into his backstory, while at the same time giving old school audiences of the franchise numerous nods to a familiar past. From a car chase with gadgets echoing Bond’s classic Aston Martin DB5 in the film Goldfinger to the very title of this new film practically shouting who the villain is going to be to those “in the know”; Spectre is trying to move two steps forward while consciously taking one step back.
For the first half, much of this works as Bond searches for Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz ) the villainous mastermind behind a global crime cartel known as Spectre. Meanwhile, the battered remains of the “00” branch, still fragile and broken in the wake of the events that unfolded in Skyfall; now face a new enemy from within as an ambitious British government bureaucrat believes the program is outdated and passe. Some of this should sound familiar since the same plot device was used in Skyfall.
Mendes offers some stunning action sequences beginning with an impressively choreographed and massively cast opening scene amid Mexico City’s Day of the Dead parade. However, the action cannot make up for a plot narrative that becomes convoluted, flawed and cliched by it’s dismal second half. The film’s biggest failing is a supposed “big reveal” about the relationship between Bond and his nemesis that seems forced and against everything we know about Bond from previous films.
Daniel Craig has made it publicly clear he now hates playing the Bond character and it shows. He seems to be just going through the motions. Many of his main co-stars, with the exception of Ralph Fiennes as “M” and Waltz as Oberhauser, are superfluous. Though, it is wonderful seeing the stunning Italian actress Monica Bellucci onscreen as a Bond woman, however briefly.
Spectre ends somewhat enigmatically about Craig’s future as 007. After this mostly lackluster and tonally disappointing effort, perhaps that’s not a bad thing.
CAPSULE REVIEWS
SPOTLIGHT ★★★★★
A riveting story about the real life Boston Globe reporters who uncovered the truth behind the Catholic church sex abuse scandal in 2001. An absorbing drama about dogged journalism that tells it’s story deliberately, slowly and without sensationalism.
OUR BRAND IS CRISIS ★★★☆☆
Sandra Bullock and Billy Bob Thornton are fairly compelling in this drama about the manufacturing of a political campaign in the third world. However, despite a very promising start, the film loses momentum with an unconvincing finale.
