I joined a group of BME graduate students to watch Spectre on its opening night a couple weeks ago! Sponsored by VGSA, we went to LA Live to watch the movie. It was a fun experience and I give the movie a B+.
I have done my best to write this without any spoilers so read on without apprehension.
To me, Spectre was a transitional Bond movie. It incorporated pieces of Bond’s history but also showed how the world was changing from what Bond is used to. The use of information technology was emphasized as were the (intentionally?) younger actors playing the roles of those in power, such as the new M. The movie marks a personal transition for Bond, the character, and might be a way of signaling the end of the Daniel Craig era, although there is some debate surrounding that since Craig, the actor who plays James Bond, is contractually obligated to do one more Bond movie.
The movie certainly had the usual Bond elements – suspenseful title song, great cinematography, action, romance, and cool gadgets.
What I liked –
The plot was well defined and easy to follow, which was unusual for a Bond movie and a pleasant surprise. This movie excelled in the tracking shot of Bond on the balcony of a Mexican building during the opening scenes. The scenery, in Mexico City, Rome, and Austria, was breathtaking and the car chases were as exciting as ever.
While his first “romance” with the oldest Bond girl aka Bond woman, actress Monica Belluci, was swift, strange and out-of-the-blue, his second romance with Lea Seydoux’s character had a more complete story arc that showed long-term promise.
I liked the biotracker implanted in Bond’s bloodstream; it is a novel spy technology and not so far-fetched in reality.
What I didn’t like –
Overall, I felt let down by the action sequences – they lacked the usual oomph. My heart was torn about one of them where the leading lady aka the Bond girl actually saves Bond from a villain. The move certainly strengthened the character of Bond’s girlfriend but took a step backward for Bond’s ability to fight off his foe.
The introduction of the new M lacked the dramatic aura I was hoping for such a strong character. That lack of drama and suspense permeated through the film but overall, it was worth watching.