The TOP 3 highlights (scenes) of "SPECTRE" (spoilers allowed)

Personally, I think "SPECTRE" was with certain elements quite similar to "Skyfall" and "Casino Royale". And again, I think the slower, more 'deadlier' moments of "SPECTRE" were actually the highlights. This is my TOP 3:


01. "The Dentist Drill Torture":

If someone has read a bit about Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Ian Fleming's novels "Thunderball", "On Her Majesty's Secret Service" and "You Only Live Twice", then you know that he is much more psychotic than, let's say, Silva and Le Chiffre. Those villains more or less were brandmarked by their pasts, but were also acting out of pure desperation and hate. So that sets this particular torture sequence apart from, for instance, the Rope Torture Sequence in "Casino Royale".

Having said all this, I just loved the newly re-imagined way of Blofeld not directly fighting Bond, but using machinery and buttons instead. The sequence felt like the more lush, luxury version of the rope torture sequence from "CR" or the Boat Dragging Torture from "For Your Eyes Only". And for me it was especially cruel and psychotic when he detailedly describes the killing of the previous SPECTRE-head. I liked it when he was fascinated by the fact that he tried to kill the soul earlier than the actual body. Slightly gory, but so was "Skyfall". And those tiny little droplets of blood attached to these miniature dentist drills. Won-der-ful. Highlight of the film! Brings me to the 2nd highlight....




02. "The S.P.E.C.T.R.E. Board Meeting + Killing A Member":

I was glad that the board meeting worked so well. Together with the cinematography, the lighting and all the shadows the scene reminded me a bit of Kubrick's "Eyes Wide Shut" and several of David Fincher's films. It started off rather 'ordinary', like another of those top secret Bilderberg meetings (which this S.P.E.C.T.R.E. is slightly modelled after). Dr Vogel does off course the German introduction and talks about all the successes of the pharmacy acquisition (possible biological warfare plot for the future?).

When then the Spanish S.P.E.C.T.R.E.-head is being challenged by one hell of a big man: Hinx. Perhaps the nicest introduction ever of a henchman. What follows next is the prelogue to the killing of the Spanish member. Hinx has a signature weapon....his steel thumb nails. And then it happens: Hinx grabs the poor man, pushes out / destroys the man's eyeballs. Leaving a lot of blood. You feel the soul leaving his body. And then, in an instant, Hinx kills the man entirely by snapping his neck. Won-der-ful-ly re-imagined S.P.E.C.T.R.E.-meeting and not as cheesy as Austin Powers feeding a man to the sharks.




03. "The Train Fight Sequence":

Off course this scene pays tribute to past Bond films. But what especially worked for me was the fact that I haven't seen Bond so...vulnerable. Finally he's not someone's equal physically, and he has to use other methods than his bare fists. The fight is as elegant -or not as elegant- as the stairwell fight sequence from "Casino Royale". And you see him suffering, even hearing him moan as Hinx tries to use his thumbs again.

But the fight sequence particularly works because it's set in two parts. During the 2nd part Madeleine joins and Thomas Newman's track 'Hinx' (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oup3E5xfG5Q) kicks in. It works deliciously. The strangling makes Madeleine suffer and moan too. And as this fight sequence is quite long, it therefore really never feels long. The final scene is very funny then, when Bond manages to make Hinx say one final word: *beep* Lovely :-).




Other highlights of this film for me were the comedy in the Remy Jullienne-esque car chase through the streets of Rome. When I first saw it, I was delighted by Bond pushing that little blue Fiat 500 :-P. The cinema audience here (during my first viewing) was rolling in laughter :-): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LEmN04IR6tc.

The snow chase in Austria was OK, but IMO not the nicest action sequence. I think a real ski chase / paraski sequence would have worked better here....perhaps with GoPro camera equipment.

I also liked the PTS a lot, but I slightly prefer the "Skyfall" pre-credits sequence more.

So, please tell me what your favourite TOP 3 highlights were of "SPECTRE" :-).