James Bond : SPECTRE
A couple of weeks back I went to see Spectre the 24th James Bond film in the series, and as a series spanning 50 years or more it's gone through a few peaks and troughs of popularity.
It's been largely due to the most recent actors portrayal and what's commonly known as a 'reboot' that the last three have been released which much anticipation.
On a personal note (and I'm probably not the only one) James Bond films were with me from my childhood, before Sky or Netflix Christmas would be a time for the latest installment to be aired exclusively on 'normal' telly. As well as that there would be repeated (and welcome) showings on a Sunday afternoon (or at least it seemed like it was always on a Sunday) or during any other holiday season.
So they were ingrained into you, and vague memories would merge as to whether it was on the TV or at the cinema as to where you'd watched a certain one. My Dad was a big Bond fan so he always comes to mind with the latest release and though the early films would have definitely been watched at home, by the time Roger Moore was Bond it would have meant a trip to the cinema and I can vividly remember the pre-credits sequence of the Spy Who Loved Me as Bond skied off the cliff to his apparent doom before a Union Jack parachute unfurled to save his certain fate.
The last trip to the cinema for a Bond film with Dad would have been A View To a Kill, but even after the no smoking in cinemas policy came in (which ended our joint trips to watch films there) he still kept up with them and the latest Bond film out on video would be a safe bet for him for any Birthday or Christmas present. So this way he'd have seen first Timothy Dalton and then Peirce Brosnon's take on the part.
My Dad passed away in 2006 and among the many many many many many things I miss about him would be his love of action films and there were times not long after he gone that I'd still look along the DVD shelves in HMV picking out ones I know he'd enjoy watching even though he was no longer around to see them. So the latest Bond films would definitely have been among those with him in mind, and I think he would have liked these new installments with their new Bond.
With Daniel Craig Bond has become a more human Bond, a man who happens to be an international spy but with failings, shortcomings and vulnerability, not superhuman but wiling to put himself and his body on the line for the sake of his job. In all of his outings he's been battered and bruised both physically and emotionally, it's a realistic portrayal that's arguably been missing from all of the other incarnations.
It's difficult to review the film without giving too much away to those who haven't seen it, but for me it completes the story arc first started in Casino Royale. It starts with Bond discovering a cryptic message from Judi Dench's M which sends him on a mission that uncovers a secret organisation that has held power over him throughout the last three films. Needless to say, there are car chases, fist fights, exotic locations, gadgets and beautiful women. And with the name of the film itself it's no big surprise as to what's it called or who the main protagonist is.
As far as Daniel Craig's Bond films go, for me it's on par with Casino Royale as his second best outing.
4 Phil's out of 5
On a personal note (and I'm probably not the only one) James Bond films were with me from my childhood, before Sky or Netflix Christmas would be a time for the latest installment to be aired exclusively on 'normal' telly. As well as that there would be repeated (and welcome) showings on a Sunday afternoon (or at least it seemed like it was always on a Sunday) or during any other holiday season.
So they were ingrained into you, and vague memories would merge as to whether it was on the TV or at the cinema as to where you'd watched a certain one. My Dad was a big Bond fan so he always comes to mind with the latest release and though the early films would have definitely been watched at home, by the time Roger Moore was Bond it would have meant a trip to the cinema and I can vividly remember the pre-credits sequence of the Spy Who Loved Me as Bond skied off the cliff to his apparent doom before a Union Jack parachute unfurled to save his certain fate.
The last trip to the cinema for a Bond film with Dad would have been A View To a Kill, but even after the no smoking in cinemas policy came in (which ended our joint trips to watch films there) he still kept up with them and the latest Bond film out on video would be a safe bet for him for any Birthday or Christmas present. So this way he'd have seen first Timothy Dalton and then Peirce Brosnon's take on the part.
My Dad passed away in 2006 and among the many many many many many things I miss about him would be his love of action films and there were times not long after he gone that I'd still look along the DVD shelves in HMV picking out ones I know he'd enjoy watching even though he was no longer around to see them. So the latest Bond films would definitely have been among those with him in mind, and I think he would have liked these new installments with their new Bond.
With Daniel Craig Bond has become a more human Bond, a man who happens to be an international spy but with failings, shortcomings and vulnerability, not superhuman but wiling to put himself and his body on the line for the sake of his job. In all of his outings he's been battered and bruised both physically and emotionally, it's a realistic portrayal that's arguably been missing from all of the other incarnations.
It's difficult to review the film without giving too much away to those who haven't seen it, but for me it completes the story arc first started in Casino Royale. It starts with Bond discovering a cryptic message from Judi Dench's M which sends him on a mission that uncovers a secret organisation that has held power over him throughout the last three films. Needless to say, there are car chases, fist fights, exotic locations, gadgets and beautiful women. And with the name of the film itself it's no big surprise as to what's it called or who the main protagonist is.
As far as Daniel Craig's Bond films go, for me it's on par with Casino Royale as his second best outing.
4 Phil's out of 5
