Review of Spectre (2015) by Nikolayg — 06 Dec 2015

I love the guy who called this movie "foreseeable" in his negative review. Yes indeed it was foreseeable. It was advertised before it was released. This Bond flick is beautifully shot from start to finish (the love scene on the train, though brief, was a work of art); the best acting in any Bond film to date; the best character development of Bond in any Bond film to date (I know there are people who want Bond to remain a flat cardboard cutout comic book-like character; I'm not one of those people); a teaser among the very best of Bond teasers; arguably the best opening animation sequence (but the song is forgettable); the single best Bond story to date.

But it is in a way a real drama as well as a Bond movie. Again, some people complain about this along with the (relative) realism of Craig's Bond, and the grittiness, but I love it. I'm not a child so I need a little bit of realism, at least emotional realism.

I plan to head back to the theater to see it again, this time in iMax, which will make this the only Bond film I have ever traveled to a theater to see twice. For my money the two best Bond movies since Connery are Spectre and Casino Royale (Casino Royale had the most beautiful Bond girl in history, Caterina Murino) and the most specifically motivated villian.

As for Skyfall, the writing ruined it. Comic bookish vaguely motivated bad guy; a radio homing transmitter as a Q gadget? Has Q not seen the iPhone?, and a Bond who didn't behave consistently with his character as established in Craig's first two films.

No, for my money Casino Royale and Spectre are the best Craig Bond movies and the very best Bond movies since the 1960s. I would love to see Craig come back for more.