Movie Review: Bond with not quite the best

Although it has all the ingredients of a Bond film, Spectre might leave audiences a bit disappointed

The latest in the James Bond franchise, Spectre, opens in classic style with Bond (Daniel Craig) precariously walking on rooftops in Mexico, overlooking the famous Day of the Dead parade, spying on a Mexican gangster, blowing up buildings, chasing goons and ultimately saving the day. However, it fails to bring the “oohs and aahs” from the audience since the action seems a bit jaded. And this is the general feeling one might walk out of the movie with.

The 26th film in the franchise, and the fourth with Craig as the spy with the licence to kill, has all the trappings of a Bond flick. However, after the success that was Skyfall, viewers might feel a tad shortchanged by the latest offering. Although Sam Mendes has done a good job of bringing the script together, the story, in itself, seems done and dusted in parts.

After Bond’s escapades in Mexico, he is, as usual, pulled up by M, played by Ralph Fiennes, who replaced Dame Judi Dench after Skyfall — nothing out of the ordinary there. However, M is fighting a tough battle with a particularly upstart Max Denbigh, who Bond promptly nicknames C (played by Andrew Scott and bearing an uncanny resemblance to his character on BBC’s Sherlock).

At this point, one gets a distinct Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation déjà vu, but only for a short while. Intelligence and politics aside, the narrative takes Bond and his accomplice, Madeleine Swann (played by Lea Seydoux), across continents. The film effortlessly trapezes countries and continents — from the snowy landscapes of Austria to the vast barrenness of Northern Africa and then to the London skyline. Nothing is felt wanting in terms of photography and cinematography.

A hallmark of the Bond franchise has been its title songs, and, more important, the montage. Anyone who sees the montage is forewarned of references to previous movies featuring Craig as 007. The montage here lives up to what audiences have come to expect of the franchise by now. Halfway through the first half, references to Skyfall crop up and, in the second half, the narrative revolves heavily around Bond’s backstory. It may not hamper the viewing experience, but some part of the narration might be lost on those not familiar with the previous installments.

Even as Craig carries off Bond with his usual restraint and adds a dash of dry humour, Scott is menacing and irritating — and quite true to the character. Monica Bellucci is good, but might not have been missed.

Lea Seydoux does her bit well, while Christopher Waltz, the mastermind villain of Spectre, is captivating. And he may not have a physique to inspire terror, but his mannerisms and body language exude eccentricity and the kind of mania that lurks right under the surface.

Ralph Fiennes has some very big shoes to fill in as M, head of MI5, and tries his best to get it right. While one might find nothing lacking in his portrayal of the under-stress M, one cannot help but miss the chemistry that Dench shared with her co-stars. Ben Whishaw, as Q, the timid quartermaster of MI5, is convincing.

Die-hard Bond fans might be a bit disappointed with the film, but, as spy films go, this one is as good as any.