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 The James Bond films

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Donald McKinney
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PostSubject: Re: The James Bond films   The James Bond films - Page 2 EmptyFri Nov 27, 2015 8:51 pm

Spectre (2015): Bond's recurring nemesis returns...

In November 2013, something unexpected happened. Something that no James Bond fan saw coming. MGM and Bond's producers, Danjaq and Eon, settled a long running dispute with the estate of Kevin McClory. For years, McClory had claimed he'd created the organisation of SPECTRE and any characters associated with it. SPECTRE had been created for an abandoned screen version of Thunderball that never happened in the late 1950's. Ian Fleming made a novel of Thunderball instead, using SPECTRE. McClory sued for co-ownership when he got wind of it. He tried making Thunderball on his own, eventually letting Harry Saltzman and Albert R. Broccoli take the reigns on it in 1965. SPECTRE came and went with James Bond until Diamonds Are Forever (1971) whereby McClory got the rights back to the organisation and characters, the last hint audiences got of SPECTRE's leader Blofeld was a bald man in a wheelchair being thrown down a chimney pot at the beginning of For Your Eyes Only (1981). McClory died in 2006, and his estate settling the long running dispute means SPECTRE is now back in the official Bond universe. After Skyfall (2012) became the biggest ever Bond, the producers lured back director Sam Mendes to help reintroduce SPECTRE into the Bond universe. The result is a traditional Bond adventure, which has shades of the Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan Bonds about it. But, Spectre has some brilliant action sequences in it, the plot might be a little convulated, (not as complex as Quantum of Solace (2008) though), but it's got everything you'd want from a James Bond film. Action, adventure, girls, big set pieces, cars and gadgets.

Spectre begins during the Day of the Dead festival in Mexico City, where James Bond (Daniel Craig) prevents a terrorist bombing from occurring by killing it's ringleader  Marco Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona), but blowing up a city block in the process. Bond obtains a ring from Sciarra in the process, with an octopus symbol on it. Bond's actions have not gone unnoticed, and M (Ralph Fiennes) has Bond suspended from active duty because of what he did, M has enough on his plate as it is, having to deal with government minister Max Denbigh (Andrew Scott), who wants to replace MI6 with a Joint Intelligence Service. Bond has Q (Ben Whishaw) make him 'disappear', while Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) knows Bond is up to something, and Bond ends up in Rome, attending Sciarra's funeral, where he offers protection for Sciarra's widow Lucia (Monica Bellucci). While in Rome, Bond attends a meeting of a shadowy organisation whose chairman happens to be someone from Bond's past, Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), who was the son of Bond's adoptive father. Oberhauser had apparantly died years before. Bond finds old adversary Mr. White (Jesper Christensen) in Austria, who asks Bond to protect his daugher, Dr. Madeline Swann (Léa Seydoux) from Oberhauser and his men. Swann tells Bond the organisation is called Spectre, and it takes Bond and Swann to Morocco, and onward to a secret facility in the desert...

Where to begin with Spectre? It's a massive banquet of a Bond film, and it tries to throw everything and the kitchen sink in, giving everything the fans will want, along with cheeky nods and winks to previous Bond films, there's a fight on a train, there's a torture sequence, big explosions and a magnificent title sequence. Beginning with an impossible tracking shot which is a genius masterstroke, and then the action gets started, climaxing with a corkscrewing helicopter over Mexico City. The opening of the film after the gunbarrel, (making a return for the first time since Die Another Day (2002)), has the statement "The Dead Are Alive". This is followed by the magnificent Day of the Dead festival, but it has more than one meaning throughout this film, ghosts from Bond's past return in this film, including his former employer by way of a video testimonial. Even the title Spectre has more than one meaning, it relates to the evil organisation at the films core, but a Spectre is also a ghost, a term used in spying and espionage, which Bond does in this film, he disappears to find out what this organisation is, out of view and out of sight, with only Q and Moneypenny vaguely aware of what Bond's true agenda is.

Mendes has fun with this film. Skyfall was a more brooding, contained film that had a sparse climax at Bond's ancestral home in Scotland rather than an insanely designed villains lair. Here, this Bond is more traditional and old fashioned, with big set pieces and explosive action. The plot is a tiny bit complicated, and trying to have the villains from the previous Daniel Craig adventures connected to the organisation Spectre is a bit of a stretch, and it makes you wonder whether the makers should have done that at all. But, it's a film giving Bond fans what they want from a Bond film, and Mendes succeeds in doing that. It's a beautifully looking film as well, thanks to cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema (Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy (2011) and Interstellar (2014)), shooting on old fashioned 35mm film, it looks rich and sumptuous. The sets by Dennis Gassner, (his 3rd consecutive Bond film so far), is also traditional. There's a lair in the desert and also a new spy HQ in London designed with such bonkers gusto that Ken Adam would approve. There's also a rich, traditional score by Thomas Newman, who taps into creating some lovely music throughout. There's also a beautifully dark title sequence by Danny Kleinman, hinting at Bond's descent into the dark world of Spectre, featuring Octopus motives.

Craig returns for his 4th Bond film, and he's very confident in the role now, and while he's still very true to how Ian Fleming wrote James Bond, Craig is able to have fun with the role of Bond now. When we first meet Bond, he's wearing a skeleton mask and costume amid the Day of the Dead celebrations. You can tell it's him from the blue eyes under the mask. Craig has made Bond his own, creating a believable character, although here he channels a touch of Moore's Bond and Brosnan's Bond throughout, but Craig keeps Bond incredible grounded. Christoph Waltz makes for a good villain, his Franz Oberhauser is a quiet menace, but with a touch of eccentricity about him. To say more about Oberhauser, and who he is would be a spoiler, no more will be said, you'll have to see the film to see who Oberhauser really is. Léa Seydoux is a very different kind of Bond girl, her Madeleine Swann is tough and independent but also like Bond, without fear, and that's how a Bond girl should be. Ralph Fiennes is now officially M, and his M is given more to do than Bernard Lee or Robert Brown's M's ever did, this is an M who likes to be out there in the field and keep an eye on Bond, Fiennes makes for a good modern take on M, and a worthy successor to Judi Dench's M. Q is given a lot more to do, and Ben Whishaw adds a good touch of humour to proceedings, as the Q's of old used to do with their gadgets and their eventual destruction. Plus, Guardian of the Galaxy's Dave Bautista makes an impressionable presence as henchman Mr. Hinx who is a heavy molded from the likes of other non-talkative Bond henchmen like Oddjob and Jaws, and there's a good fight sequence or two.

The James Bond films - Page 2 S-7e77de3718581ba058ccaa1ae7ade7372cb37bff

Spectre gives Bond fans want they want in spades. Maybe a little too much. Then again, Die Another Day (2002) threw everything into a Bond film, and ended up making it even more unbelievable than Moonraker (1979) and causing the makers to well and truly reboot the whole franchise, wiping the slate clean with Casino Royale (2006). Daniel Craig's previous 3 Bond films have each had their levels of entertainment, and had brilliant moments of action and look beautiful. They were as grounded in reality as much as a Bond film will allow, with Spectre, the makers are having an ever so slight flight of fancy again, but not descending into invisible car territory. There's every possibility that the next Bond film will be more grounded in reality, or it might build on what Spectre has already established. Whether Craig will return or not, we'll have to wait and see. But, this Bond might have already established a new saga, like Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace were Part 1 and Part 2 of one story, Spectre is a continuation of what happened in Skyfall. This film ends with unfinished business, like Skyfall did. The end credits always state, James Bond will return, and by the looks of it, so will the organisation Spectre. The makers have got a lot to live up to by this one, don't miss it!!
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