Spectre

Director: Sam Mendes

Cast: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Léa Seydoux

Running Time: 148 minutes

Country: UK

Where to start with Spectre? The James Bond films are on what seems to be their seventeenth resurgence into the world of cool – Casino Royale made us forget about Die Another Day, of course, whereas Skyfall did more than simply best Quantum of Solace – it was, for many without rose-tinted glasses, declared to be the best Bond ever. Not only was Sam Mendes’ first effort beautifully shot, well-acted, and fantastically exciting, it also had a proper story, that gave Bond the most personality and depth he’s had in years.

This presents a bit of a problem with the follow-up. It’s the old sitcom problem – you’re always having to reset to square one by the end of the day, ready for the next adventure, so how do you incorporate genuine character development while still finding time for explody-runny-gunny-action that will rake in the big bucks?

Daniel Craig, too, is at the very height of his powers in this role. Still retaining his originality intensity, whilst having recently picked up a dry sense of humour, his Bond has become one of the best

Bringing back Mendes is a good start. He’s laid the foundations for a new era of Bond, so why not let him build on it? Daniel Craig, too, is at the very height of his powers in this role. Still retaining his originality intensity, whilst having recently picked up a dry sense of humour, his Bond has become one of the best: he commands the screen with a confidence that never spills over into cockiness, and the audience is quite prepared to follow him to the ends of the earth.

Image: Sony Pictures. Bond (Daniel Craig) in the Dia de los Muertos procession

There’s also the central theme of the film, made explicit in the opening title card: “The dead… are alive.” Not literally, of course. That would be ridiculous. But, mostly through grainy photographs and videotapes, Spectre tells us that the presence of those we have lost, be they friend or foe, will echo in how we think and act for eternity, or at least until we lose the very capacity to retain memories.

Which means that the opening scene of the film involves an explosive chase through a Día de los Muertos festival. Hey, I never said it was Shakespeare. But the incredible 4-minute-long Touch of Evil-style opening shot kicks things off on an impressive note, and for a while it doesn’t let up.

While MI6 faces the threat of being swallowed up by a drone-happy multinational corporation, faced by a sneering Andrew Scott (whose name is “C”, entendre intended), we once again see Bond go rogue, as he chases up on information regarding a mysterious organisation named “Spectre”.

Image: Sony Pictures/Columbia. ‘Oberhauser’, played by Christoph Waltz

He enlists the help of his old pals; brainy Q (Ben Whishaw), flirty Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), the newly-christened M (Ralph Fiennes); he also encounters new faces, some well-utilised, some not so much. The former consists of Léa Seydoux, a spiky French accomplice who dives head-first into the action sequences, even if she is treated as a damsel-in-distress; and Christoph Waltz, who may be an obvious choice for a villain, but he’s one that lights up the screen with his charisma and signature German drawl that simply says, “I’m an absolute bastard.” The latter includes Dave Bautista, basically a rehash of Jaws, and Monica Bellucci – who Bond shags in one scene and forgets about in the next, in the film’s most erroneous example of dinosaur logic.

Image: Sony/Columbia. Despite being often relegated to a damsel-in-distress, Leå Seydoux’s Elizabeth Swann makes an impact.

It’s certainly true that, compared to the grand departure of Skyfall, this is a return to more traditional action-adventure storytelling, one that seems partially geared to ticking off boxes of repetition in fanboys’ notebooks. See: a punch-up on a train, a chase between a biplane and a car, a showdown at the villain’s lair. But many of the individual ingredients are so well-realised that they’re almost destined to become classic Bond. Mid-way through there’s a brilliant, excruciating torture scene for the ages, one that, at the screening I went to, made the audience literally jump out of their seats. And that opening I mentioned earlier, replete with an upside-down helicopter sequence, is as pulse-quickening an action scene as they come.

…compared to the grand departure of Skyfall, this is a return to more traditional action-adventure storytelling

It’s deeply silly, it’s overlong, it’s perhaps a little rote. And it’s sorely lacking the heart that Judi Dench brought to the table. But it’s still one of the most fun things you can see at the cinema this year. Bond’s back, baby.