SPECTRE REVIEW

*MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS*

One of the most anticipated films this year, Daniel Craig returns as the iconic spy, James Bond, in this action-packed film. There have been mixed reviews about this film but, I have to say, I really enjoyed this film and think that it is one of the best in the entire franchise.

I remember when Skyfall was released in 2012 and it was the first Bond film I'd seen in the cinema and I loved it, it became one of my favourite films of that year. However, the more I watched it, the more I got bored of it as I knew what was going to happen. This is why I was really excited for Spectre. I have to say it did not disappoint. 

I loved the opening sequence which is crucial in any Bond film because it draws the audience in and prepares them for the upcoming action in the film. The sequence is set in Mexico and has Bond chasing Marco Sciarra, who works for the villain. Sciarra is seen wearing a ring with a mysterious symbol on it, Bond believes that this will lead him to the main villain and chases Sciarra into a helicopter where they begin to fight. The opening sequence contains one of the best stunts the film as it shows Bond hanging out of the helicopter. Fortunately, the sequence ends with him taking the ring and throwing Sicarra out of the helicopter before flying back to London. While this opening sequence is amazing, I don't think it compared to the opening sequence in Skyfall which had (SPOILER ALERT) Bond being shot at by Miss Moneypenny. Although, it was only a minor injury, it left the audience in suspense wondering if he was alive. 

I was really amazed by the plot. (SPOILER ALERT) Since M's death in Skyfall, MI6 has been going downhill with the new head of the Centre of National Security wanting to get rid of the 00 programme which makes Bond's mission his hardest yet. He is taken off field duty by the new M (Ralph Fiennes) but it isn't long until he steals a car and goes out onto the field anyway. This is the first time where Bond really is on his own. There are no cool gadgets and he ends up driving the only car he has into a river during an intense car chase. Meanwhile, back in London, Q (Ben Whishaw) and Miss Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) are doing everything possible to keep their jobs and protecting Bond from M. In Skyfall, we didn't see much of their characters, however, in Spectre, we see how much they want Bond to succeed even if it means losing their jobs. 

With every Bond film, there's a 'Bond girl/woman'. In Spectre, there's two. Lucia (Monica Bellucci) is the first woman we see but there isn't much to her character. She's only in the film for a total of 10-15 minutes and is only there to give Bond crucial information. I think this was one of Spectre's flaws, if I'm honest, as Bellucci does have the potential to be more than a 'Bond woman'. However, we soon forget about Lucia when we meet Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux), who has more personality than any of the Bond girls put together. I would say she's up there with Vesper (from Casino Royale, played by Eva Green) as one of the best Bond girls. She's brave and doesn't even like Bond, at first. After the two work together, they fall in love. Most of the Bond girls are just there for Bond to sleep with and have no personality and aren't even likable so this was refreshing to see.

And, of course, we have the Bond villain. In Skyfall, it was Raoul Silva (Javier Bardem) who was a great villain, very creepy and sadistic, so I was wondering how he could be topped in this film. Fortunately, Christoph Waltz manages to play Oberhauser brilliantly. When we first see him in a secret meeting that Bond attends, we don't really get to see his how evil he is. However, later on, when Bond meets with him in a facility in the desert. It is soon revealed that all of the previous Bond villains (Silva, Le Chiffre from Casino Royale and Dominic Greene from Quantum of Solace) were all part of the same organization: Spectre. This means that Oberhauser has been secretly watching Bond, knowing his every move and has been waiting for the right moment to kill him. This was really interesting and a great twist because I would never have guessed that all the Bond villains had been working together to try and defeat Bond. This makes Oberhauser a lot more scarier as we never know what his next move is. There's even a scene where Oberhauser tortures Bond for information, however it's not as gruesome as the torture scene in Casino Royale which shocked audiences for its brutality. 

I have to say that I did enjoy watching this film and I would have to say that it's up there with Casino Royale and Skyfall as one of the best Bond films. If you compare it to the very first Bond films, you can definitely agree with me when I say that they have matured since then. If you're looking for a good action film, I'd recommend Spectre.

7/10