Review of Spectre (2015) by Joanna B — 22 Feb 2016

Crammed with nail-biting moments, thrilling action, spectacular locations, dry humour, glamour girls, gadgets and a chilling villain, Spectre is everything you would want and expect from a Bond movie, but sadly pales in comparison its most recent predecessor.

A cryptic message sets in motion events that sees James Bond (Daniel Craig) come face-to-face with the sinister organization, Spectre.

Newly appointed MI6 leader, M (Ralph Fiennes) fights political pressures that threaten its future. Attempting to prove the practices of the 00 project and its concept of 'licenced-to-kill agents whose skills include assessing when NOT to kill' are not archaic, it is the appointment of C (Andrew Scott) with his internationally collaborative new spy technology that might prove MI6 obsolete.

Going rouge following Spectres trail from Mexico to Austria and Morocco, Bond is drawn into a confrontation with a close to home enemy from his past that holds dangerous secrets that will force him to question the value of everything he has fought to protect. Has bond finally met his match and will MI6 survive?

The visually extravagant Festival of the Dead opening sequence is amazing, meticulously created, it instantly sets Spectre up as a Bond force to be reckoned with and inadvertently shooting the film in the foot. A flesh wound patched with a hammy backstory, sentimental franchise stables, a mild variation on global domination by an evil genius and a feeling that everything old will become new again, this supposedly final Craig installment is overly fan manipulative.

The Verdict: Although not a dreadful film, each character and plot point is missing freshness. Sorry super fans that also includes the very tired looking Craig.

Published: Canberra Weekly.

Date of Publication: 19/11/2015.