Let me preface this by saying I’ve never seen a Bond film. I paradoxically went into “Spectre” not knowing what to expect, and left with exactly what I expected.
Looking at “Spectre” from a technical standpoint, I can confidently say that this film is incredible, with amazing cinematography, a beautiful score, and excellently casted characters. The biggest drawback the film suffers from, however, is the disappointingly simple story.
Sam Mendes’ newest Bond lm (his previous being “Skyfall”) recently released in the theaters on Nov. 6.
Visually, “Spectre” is stunning. The cinematography throughout was captivating, with the opening sequence of a tracking shot following Bond across the rooftops of a crowded Mexican street during the Day of the Dead festival.
We follow Bond as he tracks a target for assassination: Signor Sciarra. A er destroying the building Sciarra is in (the film’s first explosive set piece), Bond chases him down to the city’s square. An intense fight in an airborne helicopter ensues, and offers one of the most impressive sequences the film has to offer.
Sequences like this are not few and far between in “Spectre,” however. One might think that action sequence a er action sequence would get old pretty quickly, but that’s not the case in “Spectre.” Every scene like these left me excited to see how James would survive and how the villain in question would not.
While “Spectre” is certainly an exciting film, it’s definitely not the most intricate. Every scene was enjoyable and every actor gave a good performance, but the plot itself was predictable. One could figure out the entire plot before the halfway mark.
The film’s antagonists are unique, but one-dimensional, with their motives (ulterior or otherwise) clearly laid out for the audience, but is for some reason incredibly diffcult for Bond and his allies to uncover.
“Spectre” is presented as a big puzzle for James to solve, with more pieces being thrown his way at intervals in the fill, but for the audience it’s quite a simple puzzle.
For someone who wants to watch an action packed, sexy spy flick, “Spectre” is definitely a good choice for them. For someone interested in a more intricately laid out story, this might be a disappointment.
Reaching the film’s climax, we’re officially introduced to the film’s main antagonist, played by Christoph Waltz.
Waltz does a phenomenal job as the leading villain in “Spectre,” but he isn’t prominent enough in the movie. For a character given over an hour and a half of buildup, only being present for the last third is a big letdown.
What I don’t like about Waltz’s character is his motivation. It seems quite childish, honestly. See the movie to understand what I mean, but it almost takes away from his character.
Story wise, “Spectre” was decent, but predictable. A positive is that there are no loose ends. All in all, I actually really enjoyed this movie, however simple and clichéd it was. I commend Mendes’ directing, and give “Spectre” an 8/10. Go see it.
