“Spectre,” released Nov. 6, is the latest film in the “James Bond” series. It is emotionally deep in its story.
Daniel Craig returns as 007, who is on an unofficial mission in Mexico City. After a fiasco there hits headlines worldwide, he is grounded by MI6. Bond’s visit to Rome leads to a collision course with the Spectre organization and an encounter with the enigmatic Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz).
Right from the start, “Spectre” was engaging. Besides the usual “Bond” fare, including interesting fistfights, aerial battles, and high-speed chases, “Spectre” adds modern technology and politics to the mix, all leading to an interesting plot and a more-lethal villain. This time, it’s Oberhauser, rather than Bond, who has the leading edge in technology. As the story continues, we get an interesting plot that intertwines the “James Bond” moves from “Casino Royale” to “Skyfall” in an interconnecting and complex narrative.
“Spectre” focuses more on building Bond’s character than past movies. In this movie, Craig’s performance as Bond was more convincing than other movies like “Quantum of Solace” and “Casino Royale.” “Spectre” is also the first “Bond” movie that delves deeper into Bond’s childhood and reveals a connection with Oberhauser.
Compared with other “Bond” movies, “Spectre” downplays the romance and violence. This makes the movie more appealing to the younger audience. However, the downplaying of romance and violence means the loss of the elements that made the “Bond” series interesting in the first place: mainly, Bond’s romance with the main female lead and his physical battles with the villains. While they were commonplace in past “Bond” films, the action sequences are reduced to small quantities in “Spectre.”
Overall, the movie was brilliant in its action sequences, acting, and characterization. It met the expectations of a “007” movie and was an excellent addition to the series.
The film is rated PG-13 for intense action sequences, some disturbing images, sensuality, language, and violence.
[star rating=”4.8″]
