by Matt Sernaker, Managing Editor

007 returns for further spy adventures with the latest thriller Spectre. Directed by Sam Mendes (Skyfall), Spectre features Bond’s attempt to locate and stop a nefarious organization from gaining access to a new global data resource. Should they succeed with their plot, Spectre’s evil would spread across the planet unchallenged. With help from Moneypenny, Q, and the new M, Bond must race to save the day (and the girl), and finally get answers about his past. With the success of Skyfall, fans of the franchise have been wondering if the newest installment would rise to the challenge and meet (or exceed) the quality of the previous film. Now that Spectre is here, we finally have an answer.

Spectre is a very “by the numbers” installment in the Bond series. All of the elements of a typical Bond movie have been included: pretty girls, cool cars, gadgets, action set pieces, stunning backdrops. While the pieces are in place, there is one big element that is distinctly missing: the fun! Spectre feels like a film by committee, where a group of people sat in a room, threw out some ideas of what was needed for a film, and tried to find a creative way to have it work in a manageable narrative format. There are definitely some great ties back to the previous films from Daniel Craig’s run, and the writers even managed to try and justify the existence of Quantum of Solace (one of the most hated Bond films). Even with the connective tissue in place, no one seemed to be enjoying themselves during this film. Bond’s usual flare was virtually non-existent, and Daniel Craig (while physically present) seemed to phone in his performance. It felt like he did this movie as a favor, and was just trying to get it done so he could move on to other projects.

While Bond was not his typical engaging self, the cast of Spectre did help to entertain throughout the rest of the film. Ben Whishaw (Cloud Atlas) returned as Q, and got to play a larger role in this latest installment. I was hoping that we would finally see more gadgets in this installment, but we only were given a cool car and a watch (I won’t spoil what it does). Naomie Harris (Pirates of the Caribbean) and Ralph Fiennes (Harry Potter series) also return as Moneypenny and M, and the two got to play a more active role in the adventure at hand. I also hope we get to see more of these three in future installments, because they really do provide a fantastic supporting cast for 007. Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) played the menacing Mr. Hinx, who acted as a menacing threat to Bond. Hinx was one of my favorite additions to this release, acting in a similar role to Jaws and Oddjob from the classic films. Andrew Scott (Sherlock) joined Spectre as “C”, the man behind the global data initiative and the end of the “00 Program”. Knowing Scott’s acting history, it was easy to predict his part in the grand scheme of the story, but his presence was also very welcomed. Lea Seydoux (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) portrayed Dr. Madeleine Swann, who comes under the protection of our hero. Seydoux proved to not only be capable of handling herself during the action sequences, but also added a nice foil for Bond. Finally we get to the antagonist of the picture: Christoph Waltz (Inglorious Bastards). Waltz portrays Oberhauser, a man with a dark past and a hidden connection to Bond himself. Waltz succeeds at being more formidable than the previous Craig Era villains, and will definitely thrill audiences with his villainous demeanor.

Story elements aside, the cinematography and visual set pieces for Spectre were phenomenal. Sam Mendes definitely has a flare for creating memorable visual moments, and this can be noted throughout the film. His landscape shots are some of the best elements of the film, and helped to clearly establish the locations at hand.

Overall

Spectre manages to be a good Bond film, but not a great one. There really isn’t anything memorable in the story, and Craig’s performance felt lacking. After seeing this film, I am even more excited to see the next actor step into the title role. I think audiences will still enjoy the film, but it is extremely hard not to compare this adventure to the thrill-ride and excitement that came with seeing Skyfall.

Rating:
ComicsOnline gives Spectre 3 out of 5 times we could have used more gadgets.

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