Spectre movie review

The penultimate Bond!

Dave's review: To start with, Spectre is a great name for a film. Bringing back Ernst Stavro Blofeld was a stroke of genius. I wouldn't be a fan of the franchise recycling other iconic villains but in Blofeld's case, it was fun to see him being played by a top notch actor like Christoph Waltz. The first 30 minutes of the film were incredibly suspenseful as Bond goes off the grid to follow through on M's last wishes. I love the way all the Craig films both tie in to past films somehow and feature a personal stake for Bond. Monica Bellucci was alluring in her role and it was refreshing to see an older woman play a "Bond girl." The real star of this movie though was Lea Seydoux, who brings a fire that has been missing in most of 007's love interests. She and Craig have outstanding chemistry. And the ending, reminiscent of the end of Dr. No when Bond and Honey Ryder are guests at Dr. No's liar is both eerie and thrilling. The end of Spectre leaves you curious and excited for what comes next, which is in many ways the ultimate compliment bestowed on a film. 

TT's review: I watched Spectre over Christmas and thought it was meh. But I rewatched it last weekend (to jog my memory for this review) and ended up really liking it! It was by no means a cinematic masterpiece, but it was thoroughly entertaining. 

The casting of Lea Seydoux was inspired. Tying Blofeld's past with Bond's was fun, if a bit forced. The Mexico City scene really captured the essence of the city and Dia de los Muertos. The nods to the past-- the original Aston Martin, the Alpine clinic, Tangier-- were sentimental and made me realize Craig wasn't going to be around forever.

The only thing I didn't like was the whiny intro song by Sam Smith.

Dave's grade: A

TT's grade: A

Dave's reaction: It's a completely unmemorable Bond theme song. 

TT's reaction: Perhaps we agree that Seydoux is the best Bond love interest!

Rate Spectre.

— Tamerlane's Thoughts (@TamerlaneBlog) November 25, 2021