Daniel Craig is back assassinating, seducing women and making jokes about alcohol in the 24th James Bond film, Spectre.
Craig is the sixth actor to play Bond and has been doing so for quite some time. Having already played Bond in four movies including Spectre, Craig’s time as Bond seems to be coming to a close. Still, it can be expected that he will be around for at least one more movie.
The film appropriately starts off in Mexico City where Bond kills two men plotting to blow up a stadium. This happens during the holiday of Dia de los Muertos, the day of the dead.
Death is a constant theme throughout the movie. After receiving a message to attend a funeral, Bond learns of a secret meeting of a group named Spectre that he takes down later in the film.
Although the movie is an intimidating two and a half hours long, there is never a dull moment when watching as it is filled with mostly action but also romance and humor. The combination of action preceded by suspense adds to the excitement felt throughout the film.
Skyfall, being the highest grossing Bond film of all time, set high expectations for the next film in the series. Spectre attempts to be in touch with its roots by revealing details such as referencing older villains and Bond’s backstory.
It brings back characters like Franz Oberhauser, now named Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), and Mr. White (Jesper Christensen). Blofeld is portrayed through his white persian cat which was his signature in his first appearance in From Russia with Love.
In the movie, it is often mentioned that Bond was orphaned which helps new viewers understand Bond’s personality. The references allow new Bond viewers to understand the plot and not be lost throughout the movie.
Bond’s humor is highlighted through conversations with Dr Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux), the damsel in distress, and Q (Ben Whishaw), the gadget geek.
Being a first time viewer of the Bond franchise, I expected to see high tech gadgets similar to those used in the Mission Impossible series. Spectre failed to meet my expectations as the best gadget Bond used was a watch that exploded when its alarm went off.
All things considered, I give this movie 005 out of 007.