Spectre

Although bad (however nicely subversive) Bond movie, but a nice watch. And it could have been much better. However, the screenplay would have to back a way to long footage without particular reason, the tension between the 007, bond girl and the bad guy would have to work better, and the whole thing would have to be at least a little more spectre-style like the opening scene. Anyway, thanks to the open end, I would like to see another Bond movie with Daniel Craig. And even with the same team. (11/05/2015)

An essential Bond film. I could have plenty of reservations about it (everything people hate is objectively true), but here, reason loses out on points because when all the important proprieties slowly begin to emerge from the shadows in that rambling style, and you enthusiastically tick them off, it carves itself out in the end into a full-blown epilogue of one acting decade that has reached a complexity beyond most other things. (11/15/2015)

An orgasmic opening and pleasantly lavish set designs, supported by bold footage, which did not bother me – on the contrary, it gave the film a large-scale, sweeping reach (Hoytema and Mendes turned out to be a good team). I was pleased with the connection with Craig’s other Bond films, action scenes and little things like the brutal surprise on the train and waiting at a desert station (a reference to Hitchcock’s North by Northwest). Thanks to these things, I forgive the film even the use of a likeable comedian in the role of a wannabe alpha villain (WTF?!), the climax lazily borrowed from The Dark Knight (as if there wasn’t enough inspiration from Nolan), and Bond’s fling with a wrinkled MILF (while he left the only really beautiful woman of the movie in the opening, lying fully dressed on the bed). (12/03/2015)

You are empty, Mr. Bond, and you live in a world full of ruins. I think this was heard somewhere, and Mendes filmed it. Spectre is lethargic in its pace, muffled by Hoyte Van Hoytema's darkened visuals. Only Newman tends to push it forward dramatically. A Bond film wrapped in squid and drenched in the ink of ruin. In many ways naive, superficial, but it kept my attention reliably for 150 minutes. Objectively, the film does not deserve to be under full fire, because in a similar rank this year, a thematically similar MI V reigns uncompromisingly. But this stumbling walk through depopulated areas before demolition concludes in a dignified way the four-part psychotherapy of the most tired Bond, who doesn't really want to be who he is. But he doesn’t know how to be anyone else... If this is the end of the series, I'm happy. Btw. props for the hidden message that Heineken is only good enough for watering mouse holes. (11/05/2015)

Different than Skyfall, perhaps slightly weaker, but still very, very good. Spectre reminded me most of Connery's From Russia with Love, which also doesn't have many action scenes, but has an interesting plot that is a joy to watch. Once again, everything flows beautifully, the film is lovely to watch and although there is a lot of talking, it is never wasted and the characters always have something to say. When it comes to action, it's typical Bond (plus the train fight is a reference to From Russia again), when it comes to women, it's typical Bond... The quiet, eerily calm atmosphere is atypical - but atypical certainly doesn't mean bad. I have to especially praise all the scenes with Blofeld, during which I almost didn’t even breathe, and I couldn't help but be pleased with the reasonable use of references to older Bond films (Connery's white tuxedo from Goldfinger, Bond's disguise as the villain from Live and Let Die, the Aston Martin DB5, the Thunderball-like funeral...). The only thing I could criticize is Thomas Newman's woefully unimaginative music (which is mostly apparent when listening to the soundtrack on its own); otherwise, I'm surprised at all the low ratings and bad reviews.___P.S. It's set up nicely for a sequel, which could easily be some sort of sly remake of On Her Majesty's Secret Service. (11/06/2015)