A Moderately Entertaining James Bond Flick That Disappoints As A Sequel To Skyfall

Rating: Null/10 (28 November 2015)

What made Casino Royale work on so many levels was the fact that it offered an incredibly refreshing take on the iconic character of James Bond and was a welcome departure from the conventions of previous instalments of this long-running franchise. It marked the dawn of a new era of Bond films that was free from the crushing weight of its predecessors and had an opportunity to take the eponymous 007 agent into uncharted realms. And it did.
But Quantum of Solace failed to capitalise on the solid platform that was provided to it yet even in its failure, it didn't entirely give in to the established 007 formula. Skyfall was a bit of both; a continuing sequel that added more wings to this reinvented 007 figure while also celebrating the commemoration by homaging the films belonging to the bygone era. It was excusable for taking Bond to his previous roots, considering its timing, but Spectre is not!
The 24th instalment in the James Bond film franchise and the 4th to feature Daniel Craig in the iconic role, Spectre is a direct sequel to Skyfall that picks the story right from where the previous chapter signed off. The plot follows Bond who goes rogue to carry out an off-the- books mission in Mexico City, the trail of which leads him to Rome where 007 infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of a global criminal organisation called Spectre.
Directed by Sam Mendes, Spectre marks his second stint with a Bond film after Skyfall and whatever little issues that previous film had, is only magnified in this latest entry. The movie begins with an explosive action scene followed by a rather unimpressive theme song & from there on, it's all downhill. It does up the ante in the action segments but the whole absurdity of it that was prevalent in the pre-Craig Bond flicks makes its return while the plot is further marred by its lack of originality, slow pace & overlong story.
The technical aspects are finely carried out but it doesn't match the standard set by Skyfall. Set pieces are meticulously designed, wonderfully detailed & visually arresting. The camera is handled by Hoyte van Hoytema who instantly makes his mark with a single unbroken shot that sets up an expertly staged & precisely paced sequence but the shadowy colour palette only turns those images dull & murky. Pacing is a definite issue, VFX & stunts are admirable while Thomas Newman's score contributes with a darker & fitting score.
Coming to the acting department, the cast of Daniel Craig, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris & Ralph Fiennes reprise their given roles while the new addition includes Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Monica Bellucci & Dave Bautista and everyone's work is all over the place. Craig does exhibit some signs of fatigue yet he does better than most, Waltz plays the villain but is totally wasted in the role, Seydoux does well with what she's given, Bellucci isn't around for long, Whishaw & Harris have got nothing to add, Fiennes' M is yet to adopt that figure of authority and Bautista is physically intimidating at times.
On an overall scale, Spectre works as a moderately entertaining Bond flick, disappoints as a sequel to Skyfall, fails to live up to the hype & expectations despite beginning on such a promising note, and is a very frustrating entry that sticks with the obsolete protocols of the franchise by pointlessly referencing to those previous chapters instead of taking the series & its signature character into unexplored realms. It does have a few positive aspects such as its consistent delivery of action & thrills, those amazing set pieces & a splendid score but the negatives outweighs the positives and thanks to that, Spectre is a forgettable entry that doesn't have much to offer.