Spectre (2015)

User Review

• 

  Barneyonmovies

  7 / 10

  WHAT I LIKED: After 'Skyfall,' saw Daniel Craig's Bond embrace his demons and rid himself of M's Imperial control, Sam Mendes' 'Spectre,' is a satisfying follow-up as it has him somewhat freed and on a personal mission for himself for the very first time. He's gone solo following up on the threads hinted at in Quantum, and he ultimately comes face to face with the elite villainous organisation Spectre who then appear truly impossible to take down. The themes there with the tentacle logo, smart blood and joint security council are far more overt and clumsy than the stuff about Empire in the brilliantly subversive 'Skyfall,' but it's hard to argue that it's not at least enjoyable watching this character act as something other than a victim of his employers here.
  
  Craig rises to the challenge and embraces the confidence that comes with his newfound freedom, and the further unpicking of his character then ultimately comes from him delving even further into his past, and new Bond girl Madeleine questioning his entire role. Bond ultimately realises he doesn't need to be a cold-blooded assassin at all and seemingly leaves it all behind at the end after somewhat failing to take down Spectre, and the result is a rather liberating watch.
  
  More than anything though, 'Spectre,' is really a film to enjoy for its atmosphere and visual splendor than anything else.
  
  WHAT I DIDN'T LIKE: It really isn't as clever or as interesting as Skyfall, and all the overt thematic stuff about the impossibility of taking down the elite actually feels very clumsy indeed. That can really nag at you whilst watching when the narrative is all about that because it makes it hard to really engage with Bond's mission. His personal connection to the whole thing is also horribly contrived, and as a result, whilst you'll be left enjoying the look of the piece and Bond's freedom within it, there's not much to get you hooked on. That's emphasised too by the fact that the action is directed more to marvel at than to get excited about, as everything looks very slow-paced indeed.
  
  VERDICT: Daniel Craig's Bond is liberated for the first time in an atmospheric and often satisfying follow-up to Skyfall, it's just a shame 'Spectre's story is so clumsy and that the action is so dull.

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