Bond (Daniel Craig) following Marco Sciarra through the Day of the Dead procession in “Spectre” (Photo Credit: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios Inc./Danjaq, LLC/Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc.).
Big Brother vs. Big Bond
M (Judi Dench) from “Skyfall” left one last wish to James Bond (Daniel Craig) in “Spectre.”
Find Marco Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona) and kill him and then attend his funeral.
However, when Bond arrives in Mexico during the Day of the Dead celebrations, he uncovers a more sinister plot being cooked up by the evil organization he is monitoring per M’s request.
His instincts are to get to the root of this sinister organization and stop their nefarious plot before disaster and chaos strike throughout the globe.
The organization has a plan to bomb a Mexican athletic stadium but for what reason remains a mystery for Bond and his organization MI6.
“Spectre” is a slick adrenaline rush with elegant camera shots and sleek angles.
Craig is his usual smooth self as 007 in “Spectre” but his style may be a little old school in a world filled with new school technological advancements.
His new boss C (Andrew Scott) is championing computer technology instead of old school espionage and intelligence gathering.
With his new “big brother” style technology, intelligence agencies around the world like MI6 will be able to monitor suspected terrorist organizations like the group in Mexico without having to physically infiltrate their confines.
Unfortunately, technology took jobs away from grocery store cashiers, music store retailers and now spies like Bond, as his days working for the 00 program appear numbered.
Furthermore, the fiasco in Mexico does not endear him to his superiors in London who fit him with smart blood, which is injected into his bloodstream and acts like a tracking device so people like Q (Ben Whishaw) can track his every movement.
They want him to remain in London.
Nevertheless, rules have never stymied 007’s efforts in the past, so “Spectre” does not get to rewrite the rules for Bond either.
His goal is to get to the bottom of the planned bombing in Mexico and to stop the organization behind it from causing any more havoc in the world.
“Spectre,” and all of the Bond films for the matter, does an excellent job of blending the old school with the new school.
Bond’s classic introduction is still there.
The classic theme song is there.
The intensity is there.
The edge-of-your seat suspense is there.
And 21st century technological possibilities are there and those possibilities are truly fascinating.
The ability of a big brother typed surveillance program run by government officials has been hinted at since George Orwell’s classic novel “1984.”
That ability did not exist (as far as we know) by the calendar year 1984, but 31 years later are we getting closer to that dreaded reality?
“Spectre” explores the danger of that becoming a reality and does it in a satisfying way.
Bond films can be predictable in a way, but that does not stop fans from flocking to see them in theaters and does not prevent “Spectre” from still reaching the requisite level of suspense.
The film also might stretch out a little too long, but moviegoers will not complain too much.
Their only wish is to be thrilled with suspense from the 007 franchise, and filmmaker Sam Mendes’ “Spectre” will answer that request much like 007 answered M’s last request.
REGAL RATINGS
FOUR CROWNS=EXCELLENT
THREE CROWNS=GOOD
TWO CROWNS=AVERAGE
ONE CROWN=POOR
