It may have been the 23rd James Bond film, but for all intents and purposes, it’s easy to proclaim that Skyfall was the pinnacle of the franchise up to that point. After all, the film — directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sam Mendes (American Beauty) — was the first in the series to rein in more than $1 billion worldwide and proved to be a widespread critical hit, bridging the gap between Daniel Craig’s gruff take on Bond and the traditional elements of the character and his world. With the level of pop cultural impact that Skyfall achieved, the success of Spectre seemed to be a foregone conclusion, as it reunites much of the cast and crew of its predecessor. Why then is the latest 007 adventure such a huge letdown?
Spectre continues Bond’s journey soon after the death of M (Judi Dench) as he goes rogue to finish one last assignment for her. Ultimately, his investigation leads him straight into the den of Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) and the discovery that this enigmatic man and the terrorist organization SPECTRE have been behind all of his troubles to date. Therein lies the biggest problem with the film.
Rather than intricately laying the groundwork necessary to tie all of Craig’s Bond films together, the story of Spectre offers no explanation for the connection between them. Instead, the film is content with unsubstantiated claims that the sinister group — making its first appearance in an official 007 film since 1971 — was somehow involved in the plots perpetrated by Le Chiffre (Mads Mikkelsen), Dominic Greene (Mathieu Amalric) and Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem). No logic is given as to how that was possible or why someone as anti-establishment as Silva would work with SPECTRE in the first place.
Moreover, the motive that Oberhauser reveals for his obsession with Bond is the clear product of lazy screenwriting at best and a laughable “twist” at worst. In fact, some fans may note that Spectre appears to now be taking cues from the Austin Powers films, bringing the obvious ties between the two franchises full circle at last. Waltz is capable in the role, but he’s given a severely underwritten character that comes across so one-note that the two-time Oscar winner has no chance to take full advantage of the opportunity to play an outrageous Bond villain.
Rising star Léa Seydoux does what she can in the thankless role of the requisite “Bond girl”, but the romance between her Madeline Swann and Craig lacks the verve and believability of his connection to Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) in Casino Royale. Other supporting players like Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy), Naomie Harris and Monica Belluccci are given even less chance to shine, as their talents are squandered in favor of serving Craig’s sleepier-than-usual Bond.
As it stands, the sequel to Skyfall is the very definition of a disappointment, and its ambitious aim to unify the previous films falls remarkably flat. Perhaps that the reason the franchise has shied away from heavy continuity is that such a “shared universe” approach (though in style at the moment) doesn’t befit the globe-trotting missions of a super-spy (see also: the Mission: Impossible series).
Spectre might not be a complete mess — and, in fact, does have some thrilling sequences and memorable dialogue amidst the lunacy — but it is only marginally better than Craig’s Quantum of Solace and leagues behind both Casino Royale and Skyfall. Reports claim that the actor is contracted for one more Bond film; let’s hope he turns in another winner before fans (hopefully) get to see Idris Elba suit up.
Rating: 2.5 out of 5
Spectre stars Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Rory Kinnear, Jesper Christensen, Andrew Scott and Monica Bellucci. It is directed by Sam Mendes.Follow Robert Yaniz Jr. on Twitter @CrookedTable! Click here for more Crooked Table reviews!