Movie Review: "Spectre" (2015)

The world seems to be spinning into unimaginable lunacy and madness, so let us take a break and seek a tiny bit of cinematic escapism, shall we?  Bond is back, and here is my long-delayed review.

Live and Let Sigh.

The 007 universe brings back an iconic villain, but he and even Bond himself find themselves playing second fiddle in the end to traditional supporting characters who emerge from the wings to command the screen.  Give us a movie with Q, M, and Moneypenny (Ben Whishaw, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris ... and why not throw in Rory Kinnear's faithful Tanner too) on adventures right there beside Bond, and we might be onto a great twist to this venerable franchise.  As Spectre stands, though, it is a mixed bag of forgettable entertainment with tonal dissonances that threaten to push the movie into the world of camp at the most untoward moments.  Skyfall this movie isn't ... and more's the pity, because Skyfall set up the Bond universe with a promise of new greatness, but it's a promise that Spectre can't keep.

I'm not saying that I didn't like the movie.  I'm saying that I thought it could have been - and should have been - better than it is.  I suppose in the scale of Bond we should be glad that this is nowhere near as bad as Moonraker or Die Another Day or (since we're in the Age of Craig) Quantum of Solace, but for a movie that purports to give us none other than SPECTRE itself and that casts the indisputably great Christoph Waltz as the villain, Spectre fails to live up to its potential.  Missteps big and little keep dogging it and dragging down the already-bloated 2 hour 30 minute running time.  Let me try to explain.  Better get yourself a martini shaken, not stirred.  While you're at it, would you mind getting me one too, darling?

What's In A Name? A Cheesy Summer Action Hero By Any Other Name Would Kick As Much Butt

Out of a very crowded field of silly movie character names I pick "Stacker Pentecost" as the best/worst/most memorable. Besides, Idris Elba is at least five kinds of awesome.

Still, if we want to talk about ridiculous movie character names, we should not forget the glorious, laugh-out-loud silliness of almost-to-clearly NSFW monikers from the world of James Bond.  (Out of that bunch I think I have to pick Honor Blackman's character name from 1964's Goldfinger.  Any name that can make even Bond himself say disbelievingly, "I must be dreaming" deserves a mention)

"Bond Girls" or "Bond Women"?

Someone thinks that the term "Bond Girls" should be changed to "Bond Women."  He then argues that James Bond wants real relationships with women and not just casual disposable sex, an argument that prompts La Parisienne and me to ask incredulously, Have you even seen any James Bond movies?  

And I don't care if the guy is writing Bond books.  He's no Ian Fleming.

007 is practically his own genre, and genres have expectations and rules.  Leave James Bond alone!  Let him drink, smoke, brawl, and flirt as much as he pleases as long as he's also sparring with Moneypenny and Q and M and going after bad guys.

Gee, next we'll see some awful wussified version of Bond who is a pacifist vegan hipster or something!  No, thanks.  I leave you with classic vintage Bond: women want him and men want to be him.  It's movie magic.

Oh, James.

Movie Review: "Skyfall" (2012)

 

Resurrection.

 

Skyfall will make you forget the disappointment of Quantum of Solace (2008) as it fulfills the thrilling potential that Casino Royale (2006) presented of a new kind of Bond, and Daniel Craig blows away any lingering doubts that he is the best Bond since the iconic Sean Connery.  Moreover, Skyfall - a movie that was almost never made as critics wondered if the Bond genre had gone extinct - is a triumph that, despite some flaws, resurrects Bond in glory as the box office celebrated.  This is Bond wrapped in elegiac themes and gorgeous visual artistry, Bond a galaxy away from the self-parodic wisecracks of the past, Bond that plumbs the depths and doubts of being Bond.  It is also, as the Cine-Sib said, "a reboot without being a reboot," and the result is riveting. The full review is after the jump, but if you're in a hurry and can't engage right now, at least take a look at the spectacular music video of Grammy-winning Adele (!) singing the Skyfall theme:

 

Movie Madness: James Bond Supercut

Here's a neat project done by some James Bond fans: a video consisting of clips from each Bond film in chronological order.  In short:

Approximately five minutes from each of the 22 Eon produced James Bond films have been cut together, in order and in sequence, beginning with the first five minutes of DR. NO (1962) followed by minutes 5-10 of FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE (1963), minutes 10-15 of GOLDFINGER (1964), minutes 15-20 of THUNDERBALL (1965), continuing on through each of the remaining 18 Bond features (accounting for variables in each title’s running time) culminating with the final five minutes of 2008′s QUANTUM OF SOLACE.

It's a fascinating way to look at the history and evolution of James Bond the genre. Cool gadgets, rip-roaring fight scenes, snappy outfits, naughty one-liners, beautiful Bond girls, and Bond himself ... What are  you waiting for?

Movie Madness: A Primer to the 007 Films

Thank goodness Skyfall opens today so I have some escapist cinema!  Since we're on the subject, AV Club has a neat little guide to Bond flicks.  It does, though, claim that Die Another Day is the worst Bond flick.  Really?  Worse than Moonraker?   (UPDATE: Another review of the whole franchise.)

I can't help adding my two cents: the best Bond ever is Sean Connery without question, but Daniel Craig has won me over in Bond's newest incarnation.  (Casino Royale was a roaring bit of fun.)  I never cared much for Roger Moore, not even in his prime (sorry).  One more thing: casting Dame Judi Dench as M was one of the best decisions the franchise ever made.

Movie Trailer: 007 is Back in "Skyfall"

I Can't Stop Watching This