(It also bears mention that the booming “Spectre” score is a highlight).Īs top-notch as the “Spectre” production values are, however, the film suffers from several glaring weaknesses.įirst off, it’s abundantly clear that the screenwriters never intended to make a coherent quartet of films (plot elements from “Skyfall” feel shoehorned in at best, and glaringly out-of-place at worst). Juxtaposing sinister and erotic imagery, it’s an eerie echo of the title sequence from David Fincher’s “The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo,” and sets the tone nicely. That said, my distaste for “Writing On the Wall” is mitigated by the gorgeously hyperstylized title sequence, which ranks with the “Casino Royale” titles as one of my favorites of the Daniel Craig era. Where music is concerned, let’s face it up front: Sam Smith is no Adele. It’s the id of the Bond franchise at its most polished. This is followed up by a supercar chase through the streets of Rome, an aerial battle in the Austrian mountains, and a merciless fistfight on a desert train. It’s not as nerve-shredding as the chases that kicked off “Casino Royale” and “Skyfall” but it’s still spectacular. It captures, within a 4-5 minute shot, the entire Bond ethos–exotic locations, espionage, sensuality, and violence. For instance, “Spectre” kicks off with a classic Bond cold open set in Mexico City, featuring a mesmerizing tracking shot that puts “True Detective” to shame. With a budget approaching the total cost of the entire “Lord of the Rings” trilogy, the film’s production values are off-the-charts impressive. And “Spectre” is decidedly that (at least in its first half). I recall being slightly underwhelmed by the first few Bond films I watched–between the corny one-liners, hinky special effects, and thinly written plots (Roger Moore era, looking at you), I found myself craving a truly high-quality, pull-out-all-the-stops Bondstravaganza. Etc., etc.–it’s pretty much your traditional Bond fare, though there’s an overarching attempt here to conclude plot arcs that began in “Casino Royale” and have continued through subsequent movies. A new MI6 intelligence director plans to cancel the 00 secret-agent program, leaving Bond high and dry. Here, Bond (Daniel Craig) continues his journey into the modern era: MI6 is planning to launch a giant global surveillance program, while villainous organization Spectre (headed by an enigmatic figure allegedly from Bond’s past) has nefarious plans for the technology. “Spectre” is a frustrating film to review: in its attempt to provide a resolution to the last several films, it has one hand in the best of modern James Bond (“Casino Royale,” “Skyfall”) and one in the worst (“Quantum of Solace”).

Spectre film rating