Glamour, Glitz, Cliché and Grit!

Rating: Null/10 (28 October 2015)

The success of the franchise speaks for itself; and 53 years longevity is, by any account, a magnificent triumph in the fickle world of film. Seven 'Bonds', (and yes, we must include David Niven), have brought excitement, joy and awe in equal measures as each new generation finds delight in this form of personal escapism. What separates this particular patent, against other mammoths, such as 'Star Wars' and 'Indiana Jones' et al, is a more coherent association with the protagonist, regardless of your sex. Bond is an iconoclast, first and foremost, yet with a dispassionate approach to his work. Yes, there are traces of personal ambition, notably when the physical objects of his desire are compromised, but the sense of justice to 'King and Country' are constantly to the fore, and 'personal gain' has no place in his agenda. This 'remoteness' is what feeds the public's imagination, and consequently, the enigma. Comparisons with previous incarnations are, on the face of it, quite unfair. You can't tell a contemporary 20-year-old, prejudicially, that Connery was the better, just because when you were 20, to you,he was. Each new cohort, (God, I hate that word), finds solace in their own heroes. I've just returned from viewing 'Spectre', and, like the previous three Craig films, was entertained, wonderfully. My ancient frame has seen nearly all of the previous renditions in the cinema, and yes, I look upon the visual effects from the earlier outings, now, as being somewhat twee, however, at the time, they were cutting-edge and totally innovative. Two days ago I saw 'Crimson Peak', a tour- de-force in CGI artistic presentation, from a master of the genre with all the tell-tale signatures of the director. Something that audiences will eventually, I hope, come to ignore, in favour of 'realism' in movies. Time will tell. In 'Spectre', the only overt CGI that interfered with me was the...well, I'd better not say, because it's a spoiler - but if you are yet to see it, you'll know what I mean. Connery had just turned 31 in his first Bond film, and finished at 40; Craig was 37 in his inaugural, and 48, now. Both had ten good years at the job. Having said that, Moore was 58 when he made 'A View to a Kill', so there's hope for all of us!