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The Tufts Daily
Where you read it first | Thursday, March 28, 2024

'Spectre' pales against Craig's earlier Bond films

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Ben Whishaw and Daniel Craig in "Spectre."

How do you keep a franchise fresh after 52 years? That was the question facing the team behind  "Spectre," released Nov. 6, as it began production of the twenty fourth official film in the series. Everyone understood that following the critical and commercial success of “Skyfall” (2012) was never going to be easy. Possibly completing Daniel Craig’s arc as Agent 007, “Spectre” tries hard to build off the depth of Bond's character in recent films. But ultimately, it falls back into the established Bond formula, relying on tropes to do most of the legwork. It appears that the stakes had been raised so high -- both for the character and for the franchise -- that there was nowhere to go but down.

When asked byTimeOut whether he could imagine doing another Bond movie, Craig responded that he would “rather break this glass and slash [his] wrists.” If he were to do another, the actor says, “it would only be for the money.” Craig’s weariness and distaste for the character is apparent throughout “Spectre.” Although he has never been the most expressive Bond, "Spectre" represents a new low for Craig. He goes through the motions in his bespoke Tom Ford suits and armored Aston Martins, but any semblance of the vulnerability and personality that was once behind his steely blue eyes has disappeared. Craig delivers lines about imminent bombings and the fate of MI6 with the same urgency that he delivers pick-up lines to women and quips at superiors -- namely, not much. Bond might not be a franchise that relies on good press to sell tickets, but having the lead actor speaking candidly about his complete lack of interest does not bode well for a studio behind one of the most expensive films ever made.

Craig’s comments also speak volumes about the quality of the script and how poorly it engages the emotions of the actors and the audience. While “Skyfall” excelled at conveying the emotional stakes of 007’s redemption and his relationship with M through compelling writing, “Spectre” falls flat in this regard. Motivated by M's dying wishes, Bond becomes obsessed with understanding and destroying Spectre, the evil organization in this installment of the series. The audience is never given a sense of what is truly important to Bond and, as a result, no suspense or driving force pushes the movie forward. Seeing glimpses of characters like Vesper Lynd and others who have died during Bond’s life is simply not enough to make the hero's current struggle urgent, nor does it convey the effect that Ernest Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), Bond's adoptive brother and the film’s villain, has had on his life. Blofeld says that he has always been the “author of [Bond’s] pain,” but his character is not fully introduced until it is too late for his words to have much power.

Although Waltz is, predictably, excellent in the role of a vaguely-German evil mastermind, the film does not use his talents to their utmost value. He doesn’t get very much time on screen in the film’s 148-minute runtime, and much of his dialogue (including a painful “Cuckoo!” line) is challenging to deliver with a straight face. The final showdown between Bond and Blofeld lacks the urgency that would be expected of a battle between archenemies. Director Sam Mendes may argue that this shows an evolution in Bond’s character or a subversion of the usual tropes, but it comes off as a lack of understanding of the situation at hand.

Writing aside, “Spectre” deserves credit for its technical assets and other successful components, like its beautiful cinematography and stunning action scenes, which are on par with those in “Skyfall” and earlier Bond movies. Mendes plays with symmetry, light and color throughout the film in a way that enhances the action onscreen. Both new female leads, Monica Bellucci and Léa Seydoux, are well casted and assume their admittedly one-dimensional roles with ease. These films will never be applauded for their feminist statements, but the established trope of “every Bond girl must die” is, for once, not realized in “Spectre.” The costuming is extravagant but calculated, and the choice to have Seydoux’s character, Madeleine Swann, channel Marilyn Monroe in her fashion style is a clever, elegant nod to the era of the franchise’s origins.

“Spectre” delivers small successes and glimpses of the Bond audiences know and love, but ultimately fails to provide a story compelling enough to sustain the action. If “Casino Royale” (2006) was the love story, “Quantum of Solace” (2008) the revenge story and “Skyfall” the redemption story, then the role of “Spectre” in the contemporary Bond narrative remains unclear.

Summary “Spectre” delivers small successes and glimpses of the Bond audiences know and love, but ultimately fails to provide a story compelling enough to sustain the action.
2.5 Stars