This was the website that launched after it was first announced that Craig would play the famous spy. In 2005, Craig seemed to be an unlikely choice due to his blonde hair and blue eyes, leading to a great deal of controversy among Bond fans. However, that controversy quickly faded after the release of "Casino Royale" in 2006. A movie that would shatter box office records and mark Craig's place among the best Bond actors of all time. Nearly a decade later and after three movies, Craig is back stronger than ever as Bond in the new movie "Spectre."
"Spectre" is the 24th installment of the 50 year old franchise, with Sam Mendes returning to direct (Mendes previously directed the movie’s predecessor Skyfall).
The cast and crew of #SPECTRE at the ‘Premiere of the Americas’ in Mexico City yesterday. pic.twitter.com/EPAIMpZW87
— James Bond (@007) November 3, 2015
A strong point in this film is definitely the cast that Mendes brought to the table. Christoph Waltz plays the iconic supervillain Ernst Stavro Blofeld. While Blofeld has been the villain in nearly ten previous Bond films, Waltz is truly able to make the role his own due to his versatile acting ability. After all, Waltz won two Academy Awards for best supporting actor; one as a bounty hunter in "Django Unchained" and the other as an SS officer in "Inglorious Bastards".
What sets this villain apart from others is his relation to Bond himself. After Bond’s parents were killed, Blofeld looked after him, which makes for interesting reactions between Waltz and Craig. Another high point was the replacement of Judi Dench as M and the recasting of Ralph Fiennes in the role, as established by "Skyfall." Fiennes does an outstanding job of not only making the role his own like Waltz but still living up to expectations of the iconic character. It also, was refreshing to see someone else's take on this character after Dench played M six times.
However, the Bond girls in this movie were probably the most disappointing in all of Craig’s Bond films. The main Bond girl in the movie, Eve Moneypenny played by Naomie Harris, saw a regression back to the old passive Bond girls of the '60s era rather than the strong heroines we are so accustomed to seeing now in movies (example: Katniss from Hunger Games).
This is one of the most expensive Bond movies to date, having been filmed in London, Mexico City, Rome and Solden, Austria. In terms of living up the Bond image it does just that with the iconic cocktail parties, lengthy fight scenes and of course, car chases. There are countless movies with car chases in it, but one thing you can always count on a Bond movie to do is deliver an exceptional automobile pursuit. Probably the most exciting scene in this movie is Bond’s car chase in Rome.
When "Skyfall," the movie's predecessor, was first released back in 2012, it was not only well-received but also considered box office gold. It would go on to gross $1.09 billion worldwide at the box office becoming the highest grossing Bond movie to date. The film was a true rebound from the lackluster “Quantum of Solace”, setting the bar high for any future Bond film—a bar "Spectre" could not quite reach.
While the movie features great action sequences and a well-rounded cast, it often times becomes unmemorable. With Craig’s humorless and sometimes even cold-hearted take on Bond, it becomes visible that maybe Craig is growing weary of playing the role. It is something that he has expressed numerous amounts of times.
When asked if he was going to play Bond again in an interview for the Time Out website , Craig said
"I'd rather break this glass and slit my wrists," followed by "No, not at the moment. Not at all. That's fine. I'm over it at the moment. All I want to do is move on,"
With a franchise whose greatest strength has always been being able to reinvent itself, in that same interview, Craig gives hint to the possibility of the franchise running out of ways to do that.
"Every idea I’ve had for a Bond movie, I’ve stuck into this one. It’s gone in. The Bond bank is dry. If you’re asking me what would I do with another Bond movie? I haven’t a clue. Go into space? Let’s do it! They already did it. Let’s do it again.".
Bond (Daniel Craig) takes aim in #SPECTRE. pic.twitter.com/Ul7kqGrJyE
— James Bond (@007) November 6, 2015
All things considered, things are looking good for the Bond franchise financially, as the film is set to debut at an $80 million weekend gross, proving the steam is not lost for 007.
Reach the reporter at obie.dieke@asu.edu, or follow @20crowndancer14 on Twitter.
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