“Spectre” reminds the audience of the ghosts of past James Bond movies but refreshes the experience with a great deal of action and excitement.
The movie begins in Mexico, with Bond, played by Daniel Craig, working his way from Central America to Europe and eventually to North Africa and the Middle East in pursuit of a dangerous group of criminals. From a beautiful scene filled with the Day of the Dead celebrations to fighting on a helicopter to fight scenes on snowy mountains and in railcars, “Spectre” is filled with allusions to Bond movies from the past.
“Spectre” provides audiences with a plethora of fine movie making. The camera work, especially in the opening Day of the Dead scene, is impeccable. As far as the plot goes, “Spectre” uses current issues like mass data gathering and almost shows the audience the dangers of a future where the government can see and hear everything.
Though the characters did not make much progress, they were far more interesting than those in previous Bond films. As Craig’s potentially last Bond film, “Spectre” not only tied together the stories of his previous endeavors but also provided the audience with an action-packed-thrill-ride of a sendoff. Almost every action scene in the film was a nod to those of previous films, for example the ejection seat from “Goldeneye.” As a Bond fan from the beginning of my life and having seen every single Bond film up to this point, I am glad to see that the franchise is beginning to modernize a little more while maintaining the old flavor.
Though the movie as a whole was fantastic, I will say one thing that struck me as negative. For anyone who has not seen a film in the series before, the nods to the Bonds of the past will be lost on you, and the whole thing may seem a little goofy. In that sense, someone watching “Spectre” with no prior knowledge of the Bond films could see the film as oddly ritualistic and too focused on tying the previous Craig films together.
Craig made a great James Bond, and I will be sad to see him leave the franchise. But, we all know Sean Connery is still the king of Bond films, and hopefully Craig’s successor will be of the Connery quality. Don’t get me wrong; Craig’s performance was great starting in “Casino Royale,” and his ending in “Spectre” was magnificent, but it is the end of an era, and I am ready for the next Bond man.
Whether you are a Bond fan already, or haven’t seen any Bond films yet, I encourage you to watch a few. Although Craig’s other Bond films may have been tied together in “Spectre,” you don’t necessarily have to have seen them before watching this movie. I would recommend this movie to anyone, Bond fan or not, because it is the freshest rendition of a timeless series and a well made film.