SPECTRE - Press reviews and personal reviews (BEWARE! Spoiler reviews allowed)

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  • I just saw "SPECTRE" :-O
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    I just saw "SPECTRE" :-O

    I'm glad and congratulations!
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    I just saw "SPECTRE" :-O
    I'm excited for your review. :)
  • MansfieldMansfield Where the hell have you been?
    Posts: 1,263
    Over/under on the number of times @Gustav_Graves uses the word quadrilogy?
  • Posts: 4,622
    I am still in awe of what a brilliant performance Craig put in as Bond.
    It might be the closest we have seen to Fleming on screen ever and that's saying a lot,as others have certainly had their moments too, but Craig kind of carries it from start to finish.
    If I bump into Craig anywhere, I am going to corral him into the nearest pub, insist on buying him a couple of whatever he wants (premium draft, Heineken, dirty martini, whatever) and spend 30 minutes telling him what a stellar job he did as Bond in SP, and then send him on his way.
    I will also tell him that he must continue as Bond indefinitely. At least three more films, maybe 4.
    He could take this into his late 50's no problem, as Rog did.
    Detailed glowing review of complete film coming soon. There is so much that is excellent about this film. Only quibbles, and they are broadly based in nature, are the score - too operatic maybe. Could have been much better, and film could have used a brighter colour palette. Adjust these two elements and I think we've got a near perfect Bond film. And I do say simply adjust.
    Neither less than perfect element hurts the film.
    I just can't give perfect marks here as I can for virtually every other element of the film

    Congratulations! Eon has made one of the great all-time Bond films.
    Dare I say it, this Bond rivals the best of the Connery era.

  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    @timmer

    Dare to say it!

    For me it beats FRWL, OHMSS, GE and CR (those 4 are my Top 4) so you can calculate where that leaves SP in my ranking.
  • TripAcesTripAces Universal Exports
    Posts: 4,582
    In regards to GB in SF: Mendes wanted the GB in the beginning...then realized the opening shot was of Bond pointing his weapon, and so Mendes moved the GB to the end.
  • Posts: 1,068
    So I can count on there being more than half a dozen contributors on a S P E C T R E appreciation thread sharing the praise for such a superb Bond film? :)
  • All I can say this at the moment. If there was nothing......no Bond at all....before the Daniel Craig-era of Bond films? If "Casino Royale" was the very first Bond film, and "SPECTRE" the 4th Bond film? If on top of that no SonyLeaks would have occurred? And if that man Idris Elba didn't show up?

    Then "SPECTRE" would have been one of Daniel's best Bond films. And Daniel Craig's performance in especially this film would have been hailed as...very different as compared to his previous three films. Press would have said "A more self-assured Bond, with his emotions way better in check, and therefore he gives us a Bond that enjoys life more, thus being more humourous".

    Yes, this film has some flaws. The action could have been a bit more inventive......camera-wise especially (longer lasting shots, more longer one takes). The villain's scheme, especially the one executed by "C", could have But even then this movie doesn't deserve a 6.3 on RottenTomatoes. That rating should be seen in the light of the SonyLeaks. Always.

    And to all those reviewers who gave "SPECTRE" a rotten-review? I respect your opinion. But do ask yourself what YOU expect from a Bond movie then....especially after three emotionally deep films ("CR", "QOS", "SF"). It's a question that hasn't been answered.

    Anyway, I will write a larger review tomorrow or Sunday :-).
  • Mansfield wrote: »
    Over/under on the number of times @Gustav_Graves uses the word quadrilogy?

    Well, if you want it or not. If you prefer to use the word tetralogy, although with movies quadrilogy is used more frequently. Then the four Craig-films have at least become a tetralogy/quadrilogy. Similar to the four "Hunger Games" films.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    @birdleson

    One of my criticism of Craig concerned his acting abilities. After QOS I was sure he is one-dimensional and not capable of anything than running, jumping, looking hurt or angry or grim, because that's what he did for the most part in CR, QOS.
    In SF his "emotional" scenes didn't convince me either. Especially that tear-jerker scene at the end when M dies.

    In Spectre, Craig finally was allowed to show what great comedic talents he has. There are so many moments when he totally shines doing the Moore or Brosnan.
    He moves with ease and coolness through Spectre as did Moore and Brosnan in their heyday.

    The couch scene, when he greets Hinx in the plane chase, his reactions to the various buttons in the car chase in rome. All great subtle comedic acting.

    Craig's facial expressions in funny moments are priceless. Maybe Craig had it in him all along or maybe he just needed time to become a complete actor.

    I think you need to pay more attention to that when you re-watch Spectre.

    Furthermore the romance between him and Swann was in the air the second they talked in her office. The air sizzled with tension, especially when Swann asked about his profession. The chemistry between them is great.
    I find it very much alike to the Vesper/Bond story. First they were like cat and dog, then they suddenly realised they were made for each other.

    The acting and dialogue at the dinner table in the train also was top-notch and a great build up to the "falling madly in love" situation later.

    After the gruesome fight on the train, both were so pumped with adrenaline that they couldn't help but fall all over each other.

    Later when Bond got tortured, Swann went to Bond trying to comfort him in his darkest hour and whispering "I love you" and probably realising at that very moment that she actually meant it.

    For me the Swann/Bond relationship is one of the best ever in the whole series. Also thanks to the incredible acting of Seydoux.

    The Scooby Gang was a great addition. Ralph Fiennes is already the best M ever (sorry Bernard Lee) and he puts Judi Dench's M to shame. I wish they already had gotten him for CR, then we would have been spared that soap opera SF story.
    Money penny finally is more than just a secretary behind the desk.
    And Q, well as much as I despised him in SF where he was depicted as an imbecile, in Spectre he almost steals every scene he is in. He gets a lot of screen time and he totally shines. I admit, having been unfair to Whishaw, he is a great actor.
    Even Rory Kinnear got something decent to do in SP, when in the previous movies he really was useless.

    Go and watch it a second time and try to be open-minded to it. Accept it as what it is, a proper Bond movie that combines the best of all worlds, the Connery, Lazenby, Moore, Dalton and Brosnan world with the CR-QOS-SF world.

    They had to go in this direction. A simple copy and paste job to produce another Skyfall would probably have backfired in a big way, I'm pretty sure Mendes knew that. He already paved the way for this in the last scene of Skyfall, so it shouldn't have come as a surprise.
  • Posts: 4,622
    andmcit wrote: »
    So I can count on there being more than half a dozen contributors on a S P E C T R E appreciation thread sharing the praise for such a superb Bond film? :)

    Yes. I've only got one viewing under belt but after about 5-6 more, I am prepared to sing the praises of this film for ever more, much as I have for the complete Connery/Lazenby oeuvre, all these years.
    Man was I happy when I saw white cat for first time. Perfect likeness from past films too. I could just see Ernst feeding it Siamese fighting fish.
    And when Ernst turnes up with scar too.
    It really doesn't get any better than this.
    I trust Ernst left cat in safe place while be was out and about rigging old Mi6 building to blow
    Cat is huge Blofeld bonus, as it wasn't included in leaked Dec draft. In fact the whole reveal scene was very much reworked from leaked script.
    I like to think Eon took notice of leaks commentary which wondered about whereabouts of cat, and adjusted script accordingly. :)
  • Mansfield wrote: »
    Over/under on the number of times @Gustav_Graves uses the word quadrilogy?

    Well, if you want it or not. If you prefer to use the word tetralogy, although with movies quadrilogy is used more frequently. Then the four Craig-films have at least become a tetralogy/quadrilogy. Similar to the four "Hunger Games" films.

    HG is just trilogy if MJ doesn't split into 2.

  • jake24jake24 Sitting at your desk, kissing your lover, eating supper with your familyModerator
    Posts: 10,591
    I simply cannot fathom why this film gets a 63% on RT; a lower rating than Quantum of Solace.
    @timmer glad to know you liked it. Any chance you warmed up to the song as well?
  • MansfieldMansfield Where the hell have you been?
    Posts: 1,263
    Birdleson wrote: »
    It was a weak film.
    The third act was weak, but I thought it maintained a narrative flow up through the explosion in the desert. After that, I got the impression they weren't sure what they wanted to do and did a little bit of everything to form a conclusion that leaves plenty of questions.

  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    Posts: 4,116
    Mansfield wrote: »
    Birdleson wrote: »
    It was a weak film.
    The third act was weak, but I thought it maintained a narrative flow up through the explosion in the desert. After that, I got the impression they weren't sure what they wanted to do and did a little bit of everything to form a conclusion that leaves plenty of questions.

    My opinion is just the opposite... the ending to me was tense ..yes simple but just the right length and to the point. Rarely am I satisfied with Bond evening to that degree.

    SF got too sentimental with its ending and I don't mean the death if M.
  • Posts: 4,622
    jake24 wrote: »
    I simply cannot fathom why this film gets a 63% on RT; a lower rating than Quantum of Solace.
    @timmer glad to know you liked it. Any chance you warmed up to the song as well?
    Actually I barely noticed the song.The Imax audio mix, seemed to push the instrumental parts so heavily that the vocals were kind of just part of the broader mix, thus not terribly distracting.
    The great Kleinman visuals also occupied much sensory attention as well.
  • MansfieldMansfield Where the hell have you been?
    Posts: 1,263
    Skyfall had a resolved conclusion. It's impossible to say that for Spectre. I liked the ending, but it left me with questions about Blofeld's captivity and Bond's future. It would have been better for me had those been addressed.
  • Posts: 5,745
    As I am now a member of the press, I shall offer my "review" of SPECTRE:

    http://jalopnik.com/spectre-the-classic-bond-movie-i-was-definitely-not-ex-1741078954

    The other reviewers in my network (Concourse blog and io9 entertainment blog) did not enjoy it nearly as much as I did.

    I spoke with them and we agreed that the element missing from their reviewers was the fan perspective, and the history of the franchise. This is very much a different Bond film than Craig's first three, and closer to what came before - for the better in my opinion.

    Anywho, read the review and tell me what you think.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Mansfield wrote: »
    Skyfall had a resolved conclusion. It's impossible to say that for Spectre. I liked the ending, but it left me with questions about Blofeld's captivity and Bond's future. It would have been better for me had those been addressed.

    What question. Bond didn't shoot Oberhauser, M walked towards Oberhauser and arrested him. What is unclear about that??
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    Posts: 4,116
    Mansfield wrote: »
    Skyfall had a resolved conclusion. It's impossible to say that for Spectre. I liked the ending, but it left me with questions about Blofeld's captivity and Bond's future. It would have been better for me had those been addressed.

    What question. Bond didn't shoot Oberhauser, M walked towards Oberhauser and arrested him. What is unclear about that??

    Yup I even understood that part :P
  • Posts: 4,603
    Is ESB the first Bond villain to be arrested?
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    patb wrote: »
    Is ESB the first Bond villain to be arrested?

    To be arrested and alive at the end, yes, he is.
  • MurdockMurdock The minus world
    Posts: 16,351
    Wasn't Koskov technically arrested? ;)
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    Posts: 4,116
    Murdock wrote: »
    Wasn't Koskov technically arrested? ;)

    Yup... implied he was later shot. But before that it was that lady in DN. Forgot her name.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    Murdock wrote: »
    Wasn't Koskov technically arrested? ;)

    Yes, but he was sent home in small packages according to General Pushkin.
    Of course we didn't see it, so if you take Pushkin's word Koskov doesn't count.
    If not, Koskov can be seen as being arrested in the end and being alive.
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    Posts: 4,116
    Hmmm both Koskov and ESB survived crashes then arrested.
  • BondJasonBond006BondJasonBond006 on fb and ajb
    Posts: 9,020
    mcdonbb wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    Wasn't Koskov technically arrested? ;)

    Yup... implied he was later shot. But before that it was that lady in DN. Forgot her name.

    I guess the question only concerns the main villains otherwise you are correct and there would be others.
  • MansfieldMansfield Where the hell have you been?
    Posts: 1,263
    What question. Bond didn't shoot Oberhauser, M walked towards Oberhauser and arrested him. What is unclear about that??
    Bond resigns and elopes and Blofeld lives the rest of his life in prison. That's the ending if you take the narrative literally. Naturally, this is not what I take from the ending. That means it is not clearly resolved.

    I'd like to hear other members weigh in on this.
  • mcdonbbmcdonbb deep in the Heart of Texas
    edited November 2015 Posts: 4,116
    mcdonbb wrote: »
    Murdock wrote: »
    Wasn't Koskov technically arrested? ;)

    Yup... implied he was later shot. But before that it was that lady in DN. Forgot her name.

    I guess the question only concerns the main villains otherwise you are correct and there would be others.

    Yes you're right main villains ...but I kinda forgot about the other lady.
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