SPECTRE Review Thread

[dvdmike]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

...apart from Sony.

They need to sort things out, but them going back to the franchises may not be it

[Lionclaw]

I thought the movie was better than Quantum but worse than Skyfall and of course Casino Royale. The movie's pacing was off with a lot of the non action scenes feeling a bit dull. The cinematography was amazing and that Batista fight was the best Bond fight since the one with Sean Bean in my opinion. I don't know what they were thinking with that dull finale though and not to mention the under use of Waltz. To end on a positive note, I loved that Bond theme and intro and I don't know why people are hating on it. Any reasons why that Sam Smith song doesn't meet expectations?

[NYorker]

Originally Posted by Dreamliner330

While I tend to agree with you, he really hasn't done much noteworthy outside of Bond...and has pushed a handful of stinkers out...

Didn't he make The Mask of Zorro? that was pretty good - and successful.

Anyway...saw Specter a couple nights ago. Unfortunately I saw too close to the screen so that put a damper on the whole thing

As for the film itself, I thought it was a notch or two below Skyfall, which also had, I thought, a better villain. Also, this one was LONG.

That said, I do hope Craig comes back.

[Elbie]

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

Any reasons why that Sam Smith song doesn't meet expectations?

That is a bad song to me. It doesn't move me and it's incredibly boring. I'm not an Adele fan but I thought her song was outstanding. Same for Alicia Keys.

[The Debts]

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

To end on a positive note, I loved that Bond theme and intro and I don't know why people are hating on it. Any reasons why that Sam Smith song doesn't meet expectations?

I'm mixed on it myself. I loved the melody and animation and the lyrics were pretty good. But Smith's voice was grating. In my eyes, when Bond themes are on, you better make sure you have a singer who can hit those high notes. You could have taken the same song but give it to someone else and I think it wouldn't have been maligned as much as it has been.

[dallywhitty]

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

To end on a positive note, I loved that Bond theme and intro and I don't know why people are hating on it. Any reasons why that Sam Smith song doesn't meet expectations?

I think a lot of the hate comes down to Sam Smith's vocal style. I'm not normally a fan and I wasn't exactly overjoyed when he was announced as the writer/performer of the theme, but the song's grown on me considerably and I actually think the falsetto works really well. It's a fairly tender, vulnerable love song and his voice captures that.

[imsounoriginal]

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

To end on a positive note, I loved that Bond theme and intro and I don't know why people are hating on it. Any reasons why that Sam Smith song doesn't meet expectations?

The song is good, it's grown on me a lot since the first time I heard it. My only problem with it is that some of the lyrics are too touchy-feely for Bond. I'll get some shit for saying this, but if it was sung by a female artist with the same lyrics, it would be perfect. But since it's a man's voice it implies that the song is essentially what Bond is thinking/feeling (about Vesper or Swann, I dunno), and those lines about feeling afraid and wanting to feel love in his blood just seem off. But overall still a nice song; it didn't meet most expectations cuz it's following Skyfall.

[L-Rouge]

Originally Posted by Lionclaw

I thought the movie was better than Quantum but worse than Skyfall and of course Casino Royale. The movie's pacing was off with a lot of the non action scenes feeling a bit dull. The cinematography was amazing and that Batista fight was the best Bond fight since the one with Sean Bean in my opinion. I don't know what they were thinking with that dull finale though and not to mention the under use of Waltz. To end on a positive note, I loved that Bond theme and intro and I don't know why people are hating on it. Any reasons why that Sam Smith song doesn't meet expectations?

Personally, I found most of it very good, I would critique length, a little long and I wasn't comfortable with his viocal range. his higher notes were a little off-putting for myself. i.e jarring.

[dvdmike]

It's not a bad song but the delivery lacks punch, it needed the build and punch something like garbage delivered

[BluLobsta]

Saw this on Friday at a theater in Charleston and loved it! Classic Bond in every sense. Great cast and story. Relentless tension. Léa Seydoux is my favorite Bond girl so far. She was a bit young for Craig but is that really a criticism So hot. Cmon Christoph Waltz as Blofeld. Perfect. Good stuff.

[StingingVelvet]

Music is so subjective I find the idea of X title song being bad or Y title song being good pretty laughable. Goldfinger is probably the quintessential Bond song but I kind of hate it, it's just not my thing. Everyone has their own music ear. I really liked Spectre's title song, personally. The only Craig one I don't like is Casino Royale's.

[Geoff D]

Finally seen this. Still don't like the title song, it's much too warbly and like Adele's song I can't understand what they're saying half the time because they mangle the words so much. Meh, or as Sam Smith would say: 'Meewwwaaahhehhwwhaaaaaaaeh'.

As for the film itself, dat opening shot is a stunner, as is the whole pre-credit sequence, and I thought the entire thing looked gorgeous, these complaints about a 'yellow filter' are way off base (as usual). You can instantly tell when it switches to the Alexa 65, the sharpness and depth of field change dramatically from the anamorphic stuff, although I'm very glad that nuBond has FINALLY gone back to anamorphic, it's so classy and they really play around with how shallow the DOF is on longer lenses.

As others have said, the film is a stodgy hybrid of old and new and I enjoyed it more than Skyfall but boy is it overlong; someone behind me started snoring during the 'board meeting' in Roma, that scene goes on foreeeeeeeeeever. Craig is assured as ever, nailing the Bond swagger (as well as the usual assortment of ladies) and the action is thrillingly staged. Loved seeing Mr White again, and I'm glad I stayed away from the spoilers as I had no idea that

[Show spoiler]Lea was his daughter

.

It starts to lose its way big time in the final act though, as Christoper Waltz is just playing Christopher Waltz (as always) and has none of the menace that's required, even Greene in QoS was meaner than him. And the

[Show spoiler]torture machine felt ridiculously convoluted and completely out of place in this nuBond series, it's such a change of gears and it doesn't fit at all. Once we start getting baddies living in hollowed out volcanoes who hold the world to ransom then bring stuff like that back because it fits, but it felt so very, very wrong here.

Loved the final shot though, and when

[Show spoiler]Bond went back to Q for that last bit I knew exactly what he was after: the old DB5. As others have also said, it would be a perfect swansong for Craig if that is indeed where he's gonna leave it. Oh, and I felt very smug for getting the 'Hildebrand Rarity' in-joke. *Pats self on back*

[Markgway]

Sam Smith? Humbug!

This is a Bond song.

'Tomorrow Never Dies' rescored title sequence (Surrender - K.D Lang) - YouTube

[The Debts]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Sam Smith? Humbug!

This is a Bond song.

'Tomorrow Never Dies' rescored title sequence (Surrender - K.D Lang) - YouTube

[Geoff D]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Sam Smith? Humbug!

This is a Bond song.

'Tomorrow Never Dies' rescored title sequence (Surrender - K.D Lang) - YouTube

I love how David Arnold wove the main tune from Surrender throughout the score for TND. He may have been miffed that it wasn't the main title track but he still snuck it in there and it was also playing over the end credits so he did as much as he could, short of having it be the main song!

[dvdmike]

Rumour was "If you asked me to" was a similar story

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

I love how David Arnold wove the main tune from Surrender throughout the score for TND. He may have been miffed that it wasn't the main title track but he still snuck it in there and it was also playing over the end credits so he did as much as he could, short of having it be the main song!

Was that the case though? Or was it simply that he had already built his score around that being the title song by the time of the switch? Much like Kiss Kiss Bang Bang on Thunderball.

[Geoff D]

Sure, whichever way it happened it still worked out alright for him was my point, no matter how much he doth protest.

[baheidstu]

Originally Posted by Geoff D

Sure, whichever way it happened it still worked out alright for him was my point, no matter how much he doth protest.

Yeah, it's good that they still kept the song in the film over the end credits, it allows fans to compare and see which one they like best. People seem to prefer the k.d. lang song though I could take or leave either to be honest.

[Infernal King]

Originally Posted by Markgway

Sam Smith? Humbug!

This is a Bond song.

'Tomorrow Never Dies' rescored title sequence (Surrender - K.D Lang) - YouTube

Dear god I love this movie. I'm one of those rare people who like either song, it just depends on which one I'm in the mood to hear. 'Surrender' works great incorporated into David Arnold's score.