Spectre

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  • Spectre

    I just watched the first local showing of SPECTRE. I believe this is Daniel Craig's last appearance as Bond.

    I really enjoyed this movie, but admittedly it is typical Bond fare. Wild and crazy chases, getaways, escapes, exotic locales, and the usual Bond girl. The sex was downplayed more than usual.

    The plot involves several of aspects of the Bond legends, but twisted a bit from the original. Mild spoiler <<<<< Another Blofeld? >>>>>

    If you are a Bond fanatic you will love the film, but otherwise nothing much is new. There might be a mild plot hole or two for the self proclaimed critics, like "Where the heck did he get that airplane?" but nothing that upsets the story. He IS James Bond, after all.
    We're making a movie here, not a film! - Kit Ramsey

  • #2
    Re: Spectre

    Recent interviews suggest Craig is on the fence playing Bond again. Though I've enjoyed his interpretation, best he jump ship now. No sense humiliating himself the way Roger Moore did in A VIEW TO A KILL.
    "There is no greater agony than bearing an untold story inside you."
    -Maya Angelou

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    • #3
      Re: Spectre

      I felt the first half dragged on. It was great after that. What's missing still is that non-stupidity feel of Casino Royale. I also find it hard to connect with a lot of the secondary characters. Pegg is like 5x more likable than the Q actor. And Moneypenny is an obvious hot minority cast choice. I'm actually surprised / stunned how I liked MI5 better.
      I'm never wrong. Reality is just stubborn.

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      • #4
        Re: Spectre

        Felt it was pretty disappointing. If you liked the direction they took it with Skyfall you'll probably enjoy it.

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        • #5
          Re: Spectre

          I thought it was fun. The opening action set piece at the Day of the Dead in Mexico was incredible. I'd love to read that script for that alone, to see what the helicopter ride looked like on paper.

          The scenery in Austria -- gorgeously shot.

          Monica Bellucci -- at 50 -- as a (brief) love interest was a great choice. They don't all have to be twenty years Bond's junior. Too bad it was so brief. Both Bond girls missed what Eva Green brought out in him in Casino Royale -- true caring and vulnerability.

          The villain wasn't villainous, imo. Didn't care about him. Also -- highlight to reveal spoiler... why did Bond fail to deliver a kill shot TWICE -- once with the minor villain in Austria after the car wrecked and he was sprawled on the hood of the jeep, presumed dead, and once again to the main villain when he was torturing Bond in the desert? Seemed sloppy on Bonds part and like a big cheat... oops, he didn't die, he's back...

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          • #6
            Re: Spectre

            I loved the look of that opening scene, wow. The rest didn't quite get there for me but I applaud the effort. It was a gorgeous looking movie and I love Christoph Waltz, but would have liked more development with his character (and less coincidence).

            I'm not sure where you go with a character like Bond from here. Story elements in the latest Mission Impossible were very similar to me.

            Bond seems tough to crack now, to feel fresh. I think they really redefined the character with Craig's introduction and the grounded Bond. It could be time to reset the tone, try something new again.

            Great efforts by the filmmakers though. Still thinking about the look of that opening.

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            • #7
              Re: Spectre

              Thought it was alright. Visually it was pretty good. The opening was cool but seemed unnecessary for what it was... a teaser to the main story. All I could think of when watching it was man this was an expensive scene, so many extras lol.

              A lot of major problems with it.

              SPOILERS BELOW:

              He walks into a trap TWICE. The first time in Italy I get, he thinks he's undiscovered and there's a nice twist where he realizes he's exposed.

              But then he goes to the bad guy's lair BY HIMSELF? With a little pistol? He doesn't even have a plan. It makes no sense. They keep his relationship with Blofeld a secret for so long that you don't get that there's any real connection between the two.
              Later we find out sort of offhand that Blofeld is such a sociopath basically.

              Bond's love interest didn't hit for me. When she said "I love you..." I was like what? You met him two days ago, played hard to get, then had sex with him just because you had a near death experience, and then you just found out he was complicit in your father's suicide?

              Blofield's Brain Drill. This didn't pay off the set up at all. He says that it will cause problems with hearing, coordination, etc. and then he says that he won't remember faces but nothing happens.

              After a bomb goes off, his shackles which are electronically tied to the computer unhook and he just walks out into the open, firing at what I assume are storm troopers in training since everyone's standing up and aiming but no one's hitting anything.

              I liked what they were going for, Blofeld was the author of all Bond's troubles from the Casino Royale on, but it felt like a retcon, woulda been nice if they sprinkled it into earlier films.

              The villain self prosesses that the theme of the series has been him stripping away women from Bond's life. Vesper, M, and now the new girl, but it just didn't connect. Would have been poetic if his final act was to make sure Bond couldn't be with the woman he loved again, a la Casino Royale, but then you'd have to make me believe he actually cared for her.

              The fight scene in the train was great. Brutal as hell, and the only time Bond seemed to be in real danger the entire movie.

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              • #8
                Re: Spectre

                Yep. The romance felt shoehorned, they could have done more with remembering Vesper (other than glancing at a video tape) -- didn't seem like there *was* much pain, really, and the drill thing was definitely a WTF moment. By contrast, I enjoyed the opening the most. Everything else seemed cobbled together with clunky transitions.

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                • #9
                  Re: Spectre

                  I just don't like Bond as a character. He's not likable, he's not somebody i envy in any way. He's just some thug, like Darth Vader. A serial killing near psychopath with no real personality. There's something creepy about him. Casino Royale was good, but the rest of them are awful. The joke's on me because I keep paying to see them.

                  The last two movies have problems with tone(i have not seen quantum of solace). Spectre is silly in many ways, like the unrealistic action sequences, the over the top villain and the occasional tongue in cheek lines. But then there's this dreary seriousness penetrating everything else. It's not intelligent fun like it should be. the seriousness ruins that and you can't really mix silly and serious like that.
                  For some reason I felt depressed and like I needed a shower after watching Spectre.
                  Last edited by Bananos; 11-09-2015, 10:36 AM.

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                  • #10
                    Re: Spectre

                    I really disliked this movie. In a word: lazy.

                    Big spoilers below:

                    What did the bad guys want? Just to have access to information? If they are this super underground organization that controls all crime, do they really determine their leaders on who can kill each other in a fight?

                    And that car chase. That had to be the least exciting action sequence of all time.

                    James Bond destroyed the entire secret base with one bullet? Then basically did the same thing to the bad guy's helicopter?

                    Why did the bad guy have to have a personal connection to James Bond? What difference did that have to any of the plot?

                    And James Bond just seduces every woman by walking up to her and kissing her. Lame.

                    It felt like no one really wanted to do this movie.

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                    • #11
                      Re: Spectre

                      Originally posted by UnequalProductions View Post
                      I really disliked this movie. In a word: lazy.

                      Big spoilers below:

                      What did the bad guys want? Just to have access to information? If they are this super underground organization that controls all crime, do they really determine their leaders on who can kill each other in a fight?

                      And that car chase. That had to be the least exciting action sequence of all time.

                      James Bond destroyed the entire secret base with one bullet? Then basically did the same thing to the bad guy's helicopter?

                      Why did the bad guy have to have a personal connection to James Bond? What difference did that have to any of the plot?

                      And James Bond just seduces every woman by walking up to her and kissing her. Lame.

                      It felt like no one really wanted to do this movie.
                      +1

                      Except for the opening set piece in Mexico which was imaginative and colorful, the rest of it dragged for me.

                      **SPOILERS**

                      When did Bond films stop being fun? The drill bit sequence couldn't compare to the witty groin laser scene in Goldfinger. There were so many plot holes I lost count. I looked at my watch at least twice in act two. The scenes in London at the end got darker and murkier -- like it was reflecting Daniel Craig's aversion to the material.

                      Time for a reboot. Hire a new Bond and a new vision for his character.

                      Late Night Writer

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                      • #12
                        Re: Spectre

                        Originally posted by LateNightWriter View Post
                        Time for a reboot. Hire a new Bond and a new vision for his character.
                        I think the Bond franchise is too big for anyone to ever bother with a great plot, story or character. No matter how shitty these films are, people will still come in droves like zombies. I call it "The Transformers Effect."

                        Casino Royale HAD to be good because Bond was teetering on the brink at the time. Keep expecting subpar stories for the next decade.
                        I'm never wrong. Reality is just stubborn.

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                        • #13
                          Re: Spectre

                          Originally posted by FoxHound View Post
                          I think the Bond franchise is too big for anyone to ever bother with a great plot, story or character. No matter how shitty these films are, people will still come in droves like zombies. I call it "The Transformers Effect."

                          Casino Royale HAD to be good because Bond was teetering on the brink at the time. Keep expecting subpar stories for the next decade.
                          Agreed. It's like Saturday Night Live, The Simpsons or any other institution. No matter how bad it is people will still watch because the fanbase is so dang strong.
                          "I ask every producer I meet if they need TV specs they say yeah. They all want a 40 inch display that's 1080p and 120Hz. So, I quit my job at the West Hollywood Best Buy."
                          - Screenwriting Friend

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                          • #14
                            Re: Spectre

                            Originally posted by FoxHound View Post
                            I think the Bond franchise is too big for anyone to ever bother with a great plot, story or character. No matter how shitty these films are, people will still come in droves like zombies.
                            I went in expecting nothing, so I guess I wasn't as disappointed like some of you were, but I think it's a gross miscalculation to think no one cares.

                            Did anyone read the emails from the Sony leak about the movie? Those are mindful emails from execs that do seem to care a lot and are trying to put into words how things can be fixed. It ain't that easy, as we all know.

                            http://defamer.gawker.com/new-bond-s...-en-1670479885

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                            • #15
                              Re: Spectre

                              Those emails are fascinating, Figment. Except for the elimination of the very stale and dated lesbian character (cribbed from From Russia With Love and destroyed comically by Austin Powers) and the decision to keep Blofeld alive, none of the problems in the third act were fixed. A $300 million budget? Wow. Sad.

                              And they couldn't even buy a good theme song.

                              Late Night Writer

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