With the 24th instalment of Ian Fleming’s James Bond film series hitting our screens, you know what to expect: it’s big, brassy, sexy and fun, spanning the globe and more than one woman. The story is formulaic but it delivers as only Bond can.
Director Sam Mendes delivers a slick production from the seductive opening titles with Sam Smith Writing’s on the Wall, to the final explosion in the heart of London. Charismatic Daniel Craig returns for his fourth outing as the superspy known as 007, this time going against authority to finish what his boss “M” had started before her death.
Assuming the handle of “M” is a suave Ralph Fiennes with a political battle of his own to save the 007 spy program. Ben Whishaw returns to offer a number of lighter moments as gadget man “Q” and Naomie Harris takes over as secretary Moneypenny.
One of Bond’s greatest nemeses, Blofeld/Oberhauser, is back for this adventure in the guise of Christoph Waltz, who is deliciously evil. His torture of Bond is guaranteed to make you squirm.
Blofeld is one of several nods to Bond’s former incarnations, which range from the Aston Martin car to the name of the enemy organisation which first appeared in the film series more than 50 years ago. Fans will enjoy spotting these homages, while newcomers to the franchise should just enjoy the adventure. The action is plentiful but never drawn out long enough to overstay its welcome. As one would expect, the stunts are as spectacular as the scenery, in particular, the helicopter sequence early in the film above a Day of the Dead celebration in Mexico (two more nods to previous films in that sentence alone!).
The screenplay by John Logan, Jez Butterworth, Neal Purvis and Robert Wade is engaging but surprisingly unoriginal for a writing team of four. It plays like a high-budget Spooks episode and if memory serves correct, there was a – spookily – similar internal political struggle in that television series.
When it comes to Mr Bond however, the twists and turns generally do take a familiar path which is part of the high-octane fun and global catastrophe that awaits if he doesn’t save the day. Expect car chases and fights, aero-stunts and explosions, all done with tongue firmly in cheek and a healthy dose of British class.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Twitter: @StrtegicRetweet
Rating out of 10: 007
Sceptre (Bond24) opens in cinemas on 12 November 2015.
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