Spectre

Tags

007, 2010's, Andrew Scott, Ben Whishaw, Christoph Waltz, Daniel Craig, Dave Bautista, James Bond, Jesper Christensen, Léa Seydoux, Monica Bellucci, Naomie Harris, Ralph Fiennes, Sam Mendes, Spectre, Spy

Film Title

Spectre

Director

Sam Mendes

Starring

• Daniel Craig as James Bond
• Christoph Waltz as Franz Oberhauser
• Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann
• Ben Whishaw as Q
• Naomie Harris as Miss Moneypenny
• Dave Bautista as Mr. Hinx
• Monica Bellucci as Lucia Sciarra
• Ralph Fiennes as M
• Andrew Scott as Max Denbigh
• Jesper Christensen as Mr. White

It was going to be a hard act to follow the phenomenal success and acclaim that Skyfall experienced, but I’m happy to report that Spectre, the 24th Bond movie is excellently done and hugely entertaining on almost every level. Bringing back some of the classic formula that makes the series so enjoyable in the first place, Spectre scores high points.

We begin in Mexico during the Day of the Dead, where Bond is on an unofficial mission as ordered by the former M before her death. He is tracking an international criminal named Marco Sciarra who is planning to blow up a prominent stadium. Before he can do this Bond intervenes in typically bombastic fashion and gives chase to the mafia boss, ending up with the two of them battling it out in a helicopter slowly spinning out of control. Bond overpowers him and manages to claim his ring, which bears a curious octopus symbol. Meanwhile, back in London, the current M is under pressure when Bond returns because his actions play into the hands of ambitious Security Chief Max Denbigh. The cocky upstart has plans to rid MI6 of the 00 section, seeing it as old and outdated. Though disciplined by M to stay and not doing anything rash, Bond, enlisting the covert services of loyal Moneypenny and gadget man Q, travels to Rome to uncover more about the syndicate the Sciarra was part of. Through contact with the forbidden Lucia, who is the widow of Sciarra, he finds the meeting place. It transpires that the organisation is the nefarious SPECTRE, who are behind worldwide acts of chaos and evil. Most alarming of all is the fact that the head of it is someone from Bond’s past known as Franz Oberhauser. Travelling to Austria, where he encounters former enemy Mr White, who is dying and in his last moments gives Bond precious information, Bond is set for a globetrotting adventure that also takes him to Tangier. He is further aided by Mr White’s intelligent daughter Dr Madeleine Swann, as he unearths the full nature of the crime group and confronts his own past in a mission that gets personal and very dangerous.

Sam Mendes successfully returns to the director seat again and works marvels with Spectre. Sprinkling proceedings with humour, action and dangerous elegance, he captures the world of Bond with excitement and panache. I enjoyed seeing Mendes tipping his hat to some of the older movies in the series, specifically From Russia with Love and On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. Style oozes from the frames of this movie and special mention must go to the dazzling opening sequence. The sweeping nature of the tracking shot that begins the film is stunning and it burns itself deep into the mind for its skill, as well as the rest of the action-packed sequence that begins things with one hell of a bang. And I must give credit to the lovely cinematography that gives each new location on Bond’s journey a sense of dangerous atmosphere and international intrigue. Whether it be the burned oranges of shadowy Rome to the exotic golden sheen of Morocco, Spectre never fails to engage on a visual level. For all the visual grandeur, at least Spectre has a good script and story to go along with too. I liked the reintroduction of humour again and the way it was balanced with suspense. There really are some cracking one liners in here that will raise a chuckle or so within the audience, but there is still a grittiness within that is typical of Craig’s tenure as 007. Spectre feels very much like a Bond movie of old in style and content, though mixed with up to date agendas and technology. Thomas Newman provides a stirring and sweeping score that acts as a an excellent accompaniment to the adventure on screen and is not afraid to break out the outrageous bombast of old. Though the Sam Smith song for the movie has caused an ambivalent response, the orchestra heavy ‘Writing’s On the Wall’ fits stunningly into an unusual title sequence of octopus tentacles crawling over lovely ladies, fiery elementals caressing Bond and flickers of the past in shattered glass.

In his fourth outing as 007, Daniel Craig is excellent and really looks comfortable with the part. He still brings a level of seriousness to the screen, but it’s fun to see him be quick-witted and ruthless with style. In other words, Craig brings a new lease of life to Bond by combining both of these qualities and emerging successful. Largely seen in the shadows for the first half but once unveiled a slimy presence, a superb Christoph Waltz imbues the villain Oberhauser with a sinister charm and quiet sense of being the one pulling a whole lot of strings. Portraying the primary Bond girl Madeleine Swann, Léa Seydoux is sultry, intuitive and well-rounded as we witness her being able to handle dangerous situations and be able to analyse Bond. There is something very layered about the character and through the talents of Seydoux, they shine through. Ben Whishaw is a hoot as Q, given more material and working wonders with some splendidly written scenes with Bond as he risks his job to help him on his mission. Naomie Harris shines as Moneypenny, who also risks her job to help Bond and has a natural sense of humour about her. The hulking and silent credentials of Dave Bautista make for a suitably menacing henchman who tangles with Bond on more than one occasion. In a small but well-played part, the lovely Monica Bellucci plays a mob widow with a sense of melancholy and sexiness to her, who gives Bond some very important information regarding the eponymous group. Ralph Fiennes is great as M, who is not backing down from battling the forces that want to take away what he has worked for all this time. As the slick and brash Denbigh who has big plans and is thoroughly smug and condescending, Andrew Scott does a good job at making him really unlikable. And making a pivotal cameo is Jesper Christensen as former enemy Mr White who while dying after betraying SPECTRE, confides in Bond.

A well-shot, stylish and exciting Bond adventure, Spectre provides thrills and action that will leave you astonished and engrossed. I think it’s fair to say Spectre is a more than worthy follow-up to the amazing Skyfall.

 

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Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Tags

2000's, Action, Adventure, Angelina Jolie, Christopher Barrie, Daniel Craig, Iain Glen, Jon Voight, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider, Noah Taylor, Simon West

Film Title

Lara Croft: Tomb Raider

Director

Simon West

Starring

• Angelina Jolie as Lara Croft
• Iain Glen as Manfred Powell
• Noah Taylor as Bryce
• Christopher Barrie as Hillary
• Daniel Craig as Alex West
• Jon Voight as Lord Croft

It isn’t going to go down as a work of cinematic high art, but Lara Croft: Tomb Raider is one of the better video game adaptations out there. If you can ignore the incoherence of the plot and some flimsy dialogue, it is a hugely enjoyable popcorn movie of the highest order with action in bulk and a feisty heroine.

Lara Croft is the thrill-seeking daughter of Lord Croft, who just like her late father is an explorer for ancient and fabled artifacts. She is the kind of girl who isn’t above getting herself into dangerous situations for the sake of recovering treasure of mythological renown as she can fight, has a wide knowledge of history and is skilled with an arsenal of weapons. She is aided in her ventures by cyber geek Bryce and loyal butler Hillary. The main plot of the film revolves around Lara’s discovery of a clock that her father hid away, which inside contains a unique key that can harness great power when it is placed in position during a planetary alignment. Once in position, the mythical two pieces of a triangle that has the power to manipulate time can be used. Yet both halves of the triangle are located vast distances apart which sets Lara off on an adventure, starting in Cambodia and ending up in Siberia  to make sure the triangle isn’t activated by the wrong person. Standing in her way is the slimy Manfred Powell, a member of a secret organisation wanting to use it for their own gain and Alex West, a former lover of Lara’s who is just in it for the money. Locked head to head in a quest to find it, Lara knows it will be dangerous. But when it comes to danger, Lara is more than adept at facing it and the challenges that come her way.

Director Simon West shoots the film with agile pacing that make the action sequences immensely good and help paper over the cracks in the story. This isn’t going to go down as the best action movie ever, but Lara Croft is sure as hell entertaining. It boasts some stunning locations and nifty special effects to show the mythological aspects at play in Lara’s quest to recover the triangle. There is a real sense of movement in the film that keeps it going at a lively pace till the end as Lara does battle with foes. The writing in this film is quite laughable and unconvincing as well as the plot that is pure hokum. Yet somehow this movie emerges as very entertaining and superbly awesome in the best way described as guilty pleasure viewing. A thundering kinetic score of techno beats and drums also lends a hand to the action of the film in a very effective way.

Angelina Jolie is ideally cast as the eponymous heroine and gives her all to the part. With feline eyes, lithe athleticism and witty retorts, Jolie is a marvel at portraying this woman of adventure who isn’t afraid to venture into the lion’s den to get her glory or thrills. As well as being physically perfect for the part, Jolie invests Lara with an independence, resourcefulness and an all round sense of fun. It’s safe to say she owns the part. Iain Glen does his best slimy villain act and does it very well indeed. Noah Taylor and Christopher Barrie are a hoot as two of Lara’s trusted helpers; their comic timing is very enjoyable because of the opposite nature of their personalities. Daniel Craig may not nail an American accent, but he plays the shifting loyalties of his character excellently. And in a small but pivotal role, Jon Voight portrays Lara’s father in flashbacks with authority. The casting here is very interesting because Voight is Jolie’s father in real life and some of that really enters their scenes together.

So while it’s not exactly an action masterpiece, Lara Croft: Tomb Raider delivers the goods and a sizzling turn from Angelina Jolie.

Quantum of Solace

Tags

007, 2000's, Daniel Craig, Gemma Arterton, Giancarlo Giannini, James Bond, Jeffrey Wright, Jesper Christensen, Judi Dench, Marc Forster, Mathieu Amalric, Olga Kurylenko, Quantum of Solace, Spy

Film Title

Quantum of Solace

Director

Marc Forster

Starring

• Daniel Craig as James Bond
• Olga Kurylenko as Camille Montes
• Mathieu Amalric as Dominic Greene
• Giancarlo Giannini as René Mathis
• Gemma Arterton as Agent Fields
• Judi Dench as M
• Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter
• Jesper Christensen as Mr White

Coming after the revamped success of Casino Royale, Quantum feels like a step down or two. I think that any film to follow a predecessor as good as Casino Royale would struggle, but whereas that film brought something new and exciting to the series, Quantum tries too hard to change parts of the formula that should be left alone.

With the death of Vesper and the full extent of her betrayal now known to Bond, he is a broken man, out purely for revenge at the death of her. The film opens with Bond, with Mr White in the boot of his car, being chased by the enemy along a mountain range of Italy. After successfully fending off the potential assassins, Bond brings the nefarious Mr White into custody, where M is waiting for him. White sneers at Bond and the secret service as he informs them that the organisation that he works for has people everywhere. Unfortunately, M’s bodyguard is actually a double agent and frees Mr White, before Bond chases him to his death. Enraged by the lack of knowledge of this organisation and at the end of her tether with Bond and his personal vendetta, M doesn’t know what to do to rectify this dangerous situation. Bond has different ideas and after hearing of a link to the organisation and motivated by revenge, he travels to Haiti. It is here that he meets Dominic Greene, a leading member of the Quantum organisation and environmentalist with evil ideas of power. Also in toe is Camille Montes, a vengeful young woman infiltrating Greene’s inner circle to come into contact with a corrupt Bolivian general. Camille wants revenge for her family’s murder and when she meets Bond, the two both realize that they are both on the same mission to avenge loved ones. The two of them travel from Austria to Bolivia in an attempt to bring Greene’s plan to seize the water supply of Bolivia to a stop. But with distrust at every corner and revenge on his mind, can Bond really get it together to pull through and stop the plan before it is too late?

What immediately gives Quantum of Solace an underwhelming quality is the kind of editing used. With quick cuts and shaky cam a plenty, it’s like the director thought that they should try to emulate the Bourne series. I’m all for some of the frenetic editing, but it truly becomes a drag on the film and detracts from many effective scenes. Marc Forster tries to bring more grit to this movie, but instead makes it uncomfortable and way too bleak. I get that the revenge arc is in play here, but it takes a backseat as the film jumps from place to place without any real certainty to speak of. The whole scheme of Greene stealing the water supply is supposed to bring in a sense of growing paranoia but quickly becomes a bore. And the locations of the Bond film are usually a highlight but because of the drab nature of the film, there is no glamour or stunning locales to admire. Thankfully, David Arnold brings a touch of the old style to the musical score and gives Quantum of Solace a much-needed sense of purpose and panache. The same can’t be said of the main song, ‘Another Way To Die’ sung by Jack White and Alicia Keys. Putting the two musically opposite stars together seemed like a good idea at the time, but the end result is a forgettable song that doesn’t impress at all.

Daniel Craig brings intensity and darkness to Bond, showcasing the breaking of his heart and the severing of his morals. It’s a shame the overall film isn’t that memorable, as Craig puts in a great second performance as this bruised 007. Olga Kurylenko gives wounded strength and deep vulnerability to the role of Camille, who sees Bond as something of a kindred spirit as they are both out for revenge. What is refreshing in Quantum of Solace and a rare bonus is that there isn’t a romantic tie between the two that gets in the way of their personal mission; they are both clearly on the same track down the path of vendetta to rid themselves of the emotional ghosts haunting them. Mathieu Amalric definitely hits the right notes with the slimy and reptilian nature he brings to Dominic Greene, but as a villain he isn’t really that great and his scheme isn’t one that will linger in the memory. Giancarlo Giannini reappears as old contact Mathis but is criminally underused, which in turn undermines his tragic fate in this movie. Gemma Arterton gives appropriately terse and businesslike assurance to her role as a consulate agent tasked with returning the avenging Bond to England who plays by the rules of her job description but is persuaded otherwise by Bond. Judi Dench brings stern authority and power to the part of M, who this time worries that Bond is purely motivated by revenge, and not thinking straight in his mission. Jeffrey Wright once again plays Felix Leiter, who this time helps Bond but is cynical about the business he is mixed up in. Jesper Christensen, although only seen sparingly, brings that sense of intelligent menace to his role as the sneaky Mr White.

Underwhelming and not really involving, Quantum of Solace is a Bond film in desperate need of that extra something to bring it to life.

Casino Royale

Tags

007, 2000's, Casino Royale, Caterina Murino, Daniel Craig, Eva Green, Giancarlo Giannini, James Bond, Jeffrey Wright, Jesper Christensen, Judi Dench, Mads Mikkelsen, Martin Campbell, Spy

Film Title

Casino Royale

Director

Martin Campbell

Starring

• Daniel Craig as James Bond
• Eva Green as Vesper Lynd
• Mads Mikkelsen as Le Chiffre
• Judi Dench as M
• Jeffrey Wright as Felix Leiter
• Giancarlo Giannini as René Mathis
• Caterina Murino as Solange
• Jesper Christensen as Mr White

With Pierce Brosnan retiring from the role of 007 in the disappointing Die Another Day, the Bond producers had to recast the role for Casino Royale, which served as something of a reboot to the series. Daniel Craig was chosen to play the part and he brought to it a gritty and more vulnerable quality for his debut as Bond. Casino Royale presents a return to classic espionage and intrigue, which makes it one of my favourite films in the 007 franchise.

For the first time in the series, Bond is shown before he acquires 00 status. This makes him more of an interesting character who can be hurt and does suffer from certain weaknesses. After quickly receiving his 00 status by killing two targets, Bond is assigned his first mission by his boss M. Travelling from the sweltering humidity of Madagascar to Miami, Bond is on the tail of an unseen terrorist organisation. The key to the organisation is one Le Chiffre, a financier who supplies them with what they need. Le Chiffre is merely the middle man, who is just as much under pressure as Bond is to discover the plan. Having thwarted a bomb attack on a Miami airport, Bond begins to unearth the nefarious scheme. The aversion of the attack has caused Le Chiffre to lose a lot of money and his superiors have him marked for death if he can’t recover the money. Desperate, Le Chiffre sets up a high stakes poker game at Casino Royale in Montenegro. Bond is assigned to watch him and play the game. Aiding him is Vesper Lynd, a British Treasury Agent with a tough exterior, the rogue informer René Mathis and CIA agent Felix Leiter . As the games go on and the limit is raised, loyalties begin to shift and the concept of trust begins to wither. Despite trying to keep a professional distance, Bond falls deeply in love with the beautiful Vesper, but with his dangerous job and distrust all around him, Bond learns that in this world no one can be trusted, not even those who you are closest to.

Casino Royale immediately grabs you with the classic feel to it, as the atmosphere of exotic mystery and deception take a hold of the characters. Having helped usher in Pierce Brosnan as Bond in GoldenEye, Martin Campbell successfully completes this with his stunning direction that breathes new life into the franchise and establishes Daniel Craig as a more brutal but damaged Bond. It is refreshing to see Bond as not invincible and how despite his strength, still has issues with trust and pain. There is a definite emotional undercurrent to Casino Royale, which is highlighted by the love between Bond and Vesper. We can see that Bond genuinely cares for this woman and would do anything for her, but how this is the relationship that breaks Bond and changes him into the character we know today. Suspense is kept in tact, especially during the poker sequences in which Bond and Le Chiffre lock horns and try to call each others bluff. While there is very much a dramatic and sensitive undercurrent to this Bond film, Casino Royale doesn’t shortchange the audience on action. From Bond chasing a skilled free runner enemy to a brutal staircase battle, Casino Royale delivers a harsher and bleaker sense of violence that had been missing from some of the predecessors and not seen since Timothy Dalton’s dark turn in Licence to Kill. David Arnold delivers some of his best work with a doom-laden, thrilling yet also tenderly romantic score that epitomizes the film down to the ground. Chris Cornell’s song “You Know My Name” is a successful revamping of a Bond title song, with rocking guitars and slashing strings adding both a classy and hard-edged sound.

Stepping into the shoes of Bond and putting his own stamp on the character, Daniel Craig certainly delivers. He brings a brooding, taciturn side to the character as well as a sense of deep vulnerability and wounded ego. Whatever questions people had about Craig in the role before, he proved them all wrong with his stellar performance. The gorgeous Eva Green makes a deep impression as Vesper Lynd, one of the best Bond girls in my opinion. Green gives passion, sadness and mystery to this ever-changing changing character and invests her with outer strength and inner pain. She truly stands out as an intelligent match for Bond and one of the only women to really get close to the more vulnerable side of Bond. Mads Mikkelsen gives slimy, cornered fear and withering menace to the character of Le Chiffre. Unusually for a villain, there are times when we feel for him as he is stuck in the middle of a dangerous situation and trying to break out. Judi Dench once again gives authoritative command and hardened strength to the role of M, who is often exasperated by Bond’s unorthodox methods but can’t hide the fact she trusts him with what he is doing. Jeffrey Wright makes for an opportunistic and charming new Felix Leiter, while Giancarlo Giannini is superb as the informer with shifting loyalties. Caterina Murino is suitably sexy but doomed as one of the ladies who gives Bond information but pays the price with her life. Jesper Christensen brings a creeping sense of danger as a man in the shadows on Le Chiffre’s track.

Intriguing and emotionally gripping, Casino Royale brings the Bond series back to life with a defiant and effective kick that restores the gold-plated status of the series.

And as I’m feeling generous today and I know that many ladies follow my blog, here’s a picture of Daniel Craig in those famous trunks. Please don’t fight over Daniel ladies as he is needed for the new movie in one piece.

Skyfall

Tags

007, 2010's, 50th Anniversary, Action, Adele, Adventure, Albert Finney, Ben Whishaw, Berenice Marlohe, Daniel Craig, James Bond, Javier Bardem, Judi Dench, Naomie Harris, Ola Rapace, Ralph Fiennes, Roger Deakins, Sam Mendes, Skyfall, Spy

Film Title

Skyfall

Director

Sam Mendes

Cast

• Daniel Craig as James Bond
• Javier Bardem as Raoul Silva
• Judi Dench as M
• Ralph Fiennes as Gareth Mallory
• Naomie Harris as Eve
• Berenice Marlohe as Severine
• Ben Whishaw as Q
• Ola Rapace as Patrice
• Albert Finney as Kincade

Skyfall is the 23rd entry into the James Bond series and this year celebrates the 50 years 007 has been on our screens. As many of my followers will know I’m a huge fan of the James Bond series, but I promise I’ll try to make this review as objective as possible. But even if you are not a fan, you can’t ignore the staggering success that the series has attained over it’s 50 year run. Over these years the films have showcased many exciting missions, amazingly beautiful women and maniacal villains, many of which have become a part of popular culture. If there was any doubt that the series couldn’t recover after the underwhelming Quantum Of Solace, then look no further than Skyfall that makes a spectacular return to form on the 50th Anniversary. Anyway, back to my review of the film.

The film starts with Bond and a sexy field agent named Eve, pursuing a mercenary in Istanbul who has a device that contains the identity of NATO agents. Right from the start, the atmosphere is thrilling and gripping, as the chase moves from cars to foot and eventually the top of a train. It is the perfect way to start the film. On the command of M, Eve armed with a sniper shoots intending to hit the target who is grappling with Bond. Instead she hits 007, who in turn falls into the river and is presumed dead. The scene is rounded of as Bond falls into an atmospheric title sequence accompanied by the sound of Adele’s title song, which harks back to the early Bond songs.

As a result of her judgment and command, M is pressured to resign by Government chairman Mallory. Then, MI6 is hacked and a bomb is set off at the headquarters, killing many of the workers. Meanwhile, Bond is “enjoying death” in some corner of the globe, a shadow of his old self. When he hears of the attack, he returns to duty to uncover the source of terror on M. It appears that M made an enemy of a former agent, Raoul Silva, who in turn wants personal and sadistic revenge on his former boss. What ensures is a thrilling, action packed and character driven film that firmly establishes Bond as a force that is here to stay.

What is great upon viewing the film is its neat balance of action and character development. Sam Mendes, best known for directing American Beauty, makes an assured entry into the Bond canon. All of the leading players involved in the film deserve some credit. Daniel Craig’s third movie features a great performance that shows both the vulnerable and tough sides to James Bond.As the flamboyant, sadistic and utterly menacing Silva, Javier Bardem is outstanding in a role that fits him like a glove. In my book, he is sure to go down as a memorable adversary for Bond. Judi Dench gives a commanding performance as M, as she is pivotal to the story and Dench rises to the challenge of having a larger role with ease. We finally get an insight into this commanding woman, both as a person and as the boss. No Bond film would be complete without the women. Naomie Harris provides a sexy presence as a field agent who playfully spars with Bond. Die hard fans should watch for a neat twist involving her character. The other girl, Berenice Marlohe has the smaller role but is equally as sexy and adds mystery to her character of Severine. My only quibble with her character is that it would have been better if her role had been expanded a little more. Sterling support is provided by Ralph Fiennes and Ben Whishaw, who makes an amusing and geeky young Q for this generation of fans. Albert Finney also appears as someone from Bond’s past and steals the scenes that he has.

The cinematography by Roger Deakins is exemplary in the way it captures the mood of the film and accentuates emotions with his use of colour. The locations and set pieces used are also amazing to the eye, such as the scene of Bond grappling with an enemy against a back drop of electric blue jellyfish and an exotic casino equipped with deadly Komodo dragons.

All that I have left to say is this, Skyfall is an exciting, gripping and action packed film with all the right ingredients and references to the early Bond movies. Even if you are not a fan of the series, see it as soon as you can as you won’t regret it.