I Wouldn't Make A Good Film Critic, But This Is My Honest Opinion

Rating: 10/10 (8 November 2015)

Let me first explain the reasoning behind the title of this review. It is hard for me to find the negatives in movies, if I enjoy a movie, then I enjoy a movie. Plain and simple. I am also not a very picky. I have only seen this film once, but everything is mostly still in my head. Personal bias (hopefully) aside, let's begin. (SPOILER FREE)
I'd like to start with the few minor disappointments I had with Spectre:

"Writing's On The Wall" by Sam Smith. Each theme for every Bond movie is just as crucial to the film as everything else, and in Spectre's case, I found it rather unfitting. The visuals, I thought, were beautiful during the opening theme featuring animations of Octopi, but the song itself just seemed off. Maybe it was the lyrics, or the melody itself, I just found it slightly distracting. Minor, minor disappointment here.

More 007 Bond Theme??? Another minor disappointment here. The James Bond theme, as iconic as it is, was not featured as much as I'd normally like. Not to say the score was bad, because it was, in fact, fantastic. The Bond theme was present in the beginning of the film, and at the end as well, but I would have liked to see it used more in the various action scenes throughout the film. Not necessarily in every one, but enough to where it is not overplayed. The James Bond theme music, honestly, can be synced with any seen, and could have been utilized more in Spectre.

Formal Element Breakdown & Scores:

ACTING: I have never had a problem with acting when it comes to Bond films, and Spectra does not fall short. At all. Daniel Craig continues to deliver a masterful performance as James Bond that viewers have grown to love. It was surely a treat as well to see Christoph Waltz as a Bond villain. I loved the fact that for half the film, he was kept in the shadows. Very fitting of his character. Although we missed seeing Judi Dench play M in the film, Ralph Fiennes filled the shoes quite nicely. A more personal side of both Moneypenny and Q are evident in the film as well, both getting more screen time! Mr. Hinx, played by Dave Bautista was a nice touch as well. So what he doesn't talk much, would you? The return of Jesper Christensen as Mr. White was stellar. And finally, Lea Seydoux as the Bond girl. Her acting was fantastic as well. I enjoyed the differently styled approach to her character as well. At first, she does not seem like a Bond girl, which adds a unique quality to her character. SCORE: 10/10

CINEMATOGRAPHY/LIGHTING: Cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema has quite the resume of films he's shot, as he was DoP for Interstellar and Her, to name a few. Spectra continues the trend of Skyfall being shot so beautifully. One of my favorite sequences of images is the opening scene, which plays out with no cuts. It's a master shot, and is simply brilliant in its execution of opening the film. It provides a sense of excitement as viewers are taken on a ride through crowds of people and buildings. I'd love to cover everything scene by scene, but I will focus on my favorites. Scenes showing off landscape, for example, when Bond is traveling to Mr. White's house in the mountains, are stunning. The aerial shots of the train, stunning. Cityscape, stunning. The film is lit so well, creating the much needed demand for dramatic light for Bond films. The perfect combination of light and shadows are used, whether its concealing the identity of Oberhauser, or setting the mood for each scene. Action sequences are also done very well, creating suspense with the fast paced actions and cuts. Even the dark scenes, with minimal lighting look simply fantastic. SCORE: 10/10

EDITING/SOUND: The editing itself was great. Nothing special, but an accomplished job nonetheless. The special effects were super cool! So many nifty explosions from buildings to cars, some of which are a first time use in a Bond Film. Sound Design is great, as it always is for a Bond Film. Tracks are mixed nicely, dialogue is clean. Any sign of ADR is not noticed at all. The music and sound effects add so much to the film, as they do for every film ever.., but do a great job at adding emotion/feeling to the film. I already noted my minor problems in this category above as a reminder. SCORE: 9.5/10

STORY: Spectre surprisingly found a way to tie all of Daniel Craig's Bond films together, and I thought this was amazing. Some people will disagree with me, but in today's world of cinema, tying films together has been an ongoing trend lately, especially with the Marvel Cinematic Universe/DC Comics, to name a few. The script offers some great one-liners for comedic relief, and provides viewers with hopes and fears for each character. Overall, I enjoyed the plot. It was familiar territory (You know, ties to past films), and I enjoyed the new take of the organization known as Spectre. The only problem I had with the plot was this: We know what Spectre is doing, but we don't really know why they're doing, or what will happen if they succeed. We know exactly what Bond is trying to accomplish, but not necessarily for Spectre. Nonetheless, I liked the story a lot, not as much as Skyfall or Casino Royale, but definitely up there! SCORE: 8.5/10

FINAL VERDICT: I'm not sure what some of the fuss is all about.... But I have seen them all, and love this one all the more, seeing it as another great step for the James Bond franchise, as well for Daniel Craig's career.

FINAL SCORE: 9.5/10 (Superior, Must See)
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