Not that complicated...

Rating: 8/10 (28 November 2015)

After all the complaints about this movie being a "mess", I really don't see what's so hard to follow. I'm in the minority, surely, having found Skyfall astonishingly overrated and never wanting to re-watch it, as it remains my least favourite of the Craig era Bond films. So much so I didn't deem it worth reviewing (if I had, it'd just be a list of all the things I hated about it). So when it was announced Sam Mendes would be directing Spectre, suffice to say I was not enthused. Martin Campbell remains my favourite Bond film director (he not only gave us two of the best introduction films to new Bonds, Brosnan and Craig, in Goldeneye and Casino Royale, but two of the best Bond films, period) and I maintain that he should be brought back, as he's able to direct action in both thrilling and coherent ways.
Casino Royale did a beyond excellent job of rebooting the franchise and introducing Daniel Craig as a much 'grittier' Bond, but not without a sense of humour. This was lost somewhat in the follow-up, Quantum of Solace (though, given what he was going through at the time, it was understandable). With Skyfall, I found it turned into a nasty piece of work when Bond callously quipped about the "waste of good scotch" after Severine's death (when he was supposed to *help* her). Thankfully, there's none of that nastiness here, I'm able to LIKE Bond again as a character, and more surprisingly, it's the first instance of both Bond girls *living* in a Craig film - maybe because he puts some actual effort into saving them. It's been said Craig looks "tired/bored" of the role in this film, but I imagine if we hadn't known beforehand that he wanted out, there'd be no such thoughts. I found he showed more humanity here than in Skyfall, but his first film is still him at his most likable.
Léa Seydoux's Dr. Madeleine Swann, meanwhile, might not be quite up to the same high standard for Bond girls set by Eva Green's Vesper Lynd (but then, who could be? I appreciated her getting a mention, appearing in the opening credits sequence and seeing her photo. She may be gone, but never forgotten), but she has attitude, is respectable, stands up to James and shows him she's not clueless when it comes to fighting/firing a gun. Nothing will ever surpass the chemistry Green had with Craig, but Seydoux gives it an admirable effort. They share some good scenes together and I was happy with where she and Bond wound up in the film's closing moments (even if it ended with a sense of foreboding). The only real misstep was her walking away from him, what felt like out of nowhere, simply so she could be captured towards the end.
Speaking of, while people have been badmouthing the 'pointlessly elaborate sadistic death trap' she was placed in by the film's villain, I'm willing to bet some are the same people who'd found the first Craig films "too serious" and not feeling like "old school Bond" – well, this film works to rectify that for better or worse, with the introduction of Christoph Waltz's Blofeld. Try as the movie might to have kept this a secret, there really was no need. There's more than enough hints early on, before we even get to the more obvious ones (like the fluffy white cat). Unfortunately, what should be the most memorable villain yet has a rather sub-par introduction. The first scene with him should've been tension-filled, but instead fell flat and needlessly drawn-out (which is a large part of the film's problem, but I felt the same way with Skyfall – which needed a good editor). The reveal of his connection to James also feels rather pointless, though it's obviously intended to give him some deep emotional connection/motivation. He only really feels close to the Blofeld we used to know by the end, with the torture of Bond, aforementioned extravagant trap set for him and the climax. Sadly, his fate doesn't play out as it should (what was Bond thinking?!) simply so he can come back to haunt James later on. I'm fearing for Madeleine already.
For all the fuss made about Monica Bellucci playing the "oldest" Bond girl, she's not in the film for very long...which is a shame. Unlike most, I can't say I'm loving this new younger Q. He's alright, but I'd have preferred his expanded role be reduced in favour of devoting more time towards Bond and Swann's developing relationship. Those complaining about Moneypenny being "wasted"...what do you expect? She's Moneypenny - who usually just sits behind a desk, acting flirty with Bond, but has gotten to do way more already than the character ever did previously. Our new M is sufficient, though can't hold a candle to Judi Dench's M. I've noticed Dave Bautista described as "great"...but saw no evidence of such here. He stands around being big/brawny, poking people's eyes out and uttering one single curse word, that's it. A forgettable henchman like so many are.
This second outing for Mendes at least looked nice. The Day of the Dead opening gave us something different visually, though the seemingly never-ending "one-shot" take/"oner" seemed more showing off than anything. The movie has two close-quarters fight scenes, one at the start with Bond in a helicopter and later on a train. They're both quite well done, giving us something different than we're used to. The car chase in between might not be the most thrilling one ever, but the music elevates it, as does an injection of humour. The tone/quality of Casino Royale has yet to be beaten, as does its opening montage/theme song (writhing inky octopus ladies? Not gonna cut it). Unlike most, I came to appreciate Quantum of Solace after getting some distance from it/upon re-watch. As for Spectre...at least I liked it WAY more than Skyfall.