Spectre (2015)

A cryptic message from 007's past sends him pitted against a mysterious terrorist organization called Spectre, and learns of its involvement in previous events of his most dangerous missions.

Director:

Sam Mendes

Writers:

John Logan (screenplay by), Neal Purvis (screenplay by)

Stars:

Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux

Won 1 Oscar. Another 7 wins & 32 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Daniel Craig	...	James Bond
Christoph Waltz	...	Blofeld
Léa Seydoux	...	Madeleine
Ralph Fiennes	...	M
Monica Bellucci	...	Lucia
Ben Whishaw	...	Q
Naomie Harris	...	Moneypenny
Dave Bautista	...	Hinx
Andrew Scott	...	C
Rory Kinnear	...	Tanner
Jesper Christensen	...	Mr. White
Alessandro Cremona	...	Marco Sciarra
Stephanie Sigman	...	Estrella
Tenoch Huerta	...	Mexican Man in Lift
Adriana Paz	...	Mexican Woman in Lift

Storyline

A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia, the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE. Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh, the new head of the Centre of National Security, questions Bond's actions and challenges the relevance of MI6 led by M. Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny and Q to help him seek out Madeleine Swann, the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White, who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of the assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot. As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks.

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Plot Keywords:

spy | espionage | sequel | bomb | terrorist | 

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Taglines:

The dead are alive

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Thriller

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG-13 for intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images, sensuality and language

Details

Official Sites:

007 [United States] Official Facebook

Country:

UK USA

Language:

English Spanish Italian German French

Release Date:

6 November 2015 (USA)

Also Known As:

Bond 24

Filming Locations:

Oujda, Morocco

Box Office

Budget:

$245,000,000 (estimated)

Opening Weekend USA:

$70,403,148, 8 November 2015, Wide Release

Gross USA:

$200,074,175

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$880,674,175

Company Credits

Production Co:

B24, Columbia Pictures Corporation, Danjaq

Technical Specs

Runtime:

148 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital 12-Track Digital Sound (IMAX 12 track) Datasat Dolby Surround 7.1 IMAX 6-Track Sonics-DDP Dolby Atmos SDDS

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

2.39 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Daniel Craig's favorite Bond film, is From Russia with Love (1963), and also Sir Sean Connery's favorite film. That movie contains an action scene involving a brutal train fight, where Bond fought against a powerful adversary. Similar to this, in this film, Bond engages in a brutal train fight with another powerful adversary.

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Goofs

Everyone pronounces "Marco Sciarra" as Skee-ara, it should be pronounced Shee-arra. In Italian the hard c sound would need a spelling of Schiarra. Although an English speaker might make this mistake it's repeated by others.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Estrella: Where are you going?
James Bond: I won't be long.

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Crazy Credits

The James Bond theme can be heard when the MGM and Columbia Pictures logos appear.

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Alternate Versions

In the German language version the character Dr. Vogel, who first reports at the SPECTRE meeting in Rome, speaks Hungarian, not German like in the original English version. The reasons for this significant change are unknown. But the organization SPECTRE now appears more 'foreign' to a German audience.

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Connections

Referenced in Sean Bradley Reviews: Logan Lucky (2017)

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Soundtracks

New York, New York
Written by John Kander & Fred Ebb
Performed by Ray Quinn
Courtesy of Marker & Marker

User Reviews

Not a masterpiece - but an entertaining love letter to the classic Bond films peppered with a healthy dose of irony

First off, let me get something out of the way here: I like to be entertained. Entertainment, as we all know, comes in different shapes and sizes; it can be smart, profound, intellectually stimulating and so forth – or it can just be escapist fun. Now what kind of entertainment you expect from a James Bond film is up to you; as for me, I go with fun. Regrettably, the last three 007 instalments fell a bit short in that department (at least for my taste), and since I expected this new film to be more of the same, I didn't exactly get my hopes up.

Well, I can only say I was pleasantly surprised (although judging from most reviews here, I seem to be in the minority). Instead of further exploring the somewhat dark, dramatic route the previous three films took - which, I must admit, worked very well in Casino Royale - Spectre unexpectedly goes in the exact opposite direction. Sam Mendes and John Logan apparently came to the conclusion that it was time to bring back one of the most crucial ingredients for Bond's success with audiences over the years: the fun.

Don't get me wrong; it's not suddenly ALL fun and games for Her Majesty's finest spy (and Craig still portrays him as a character driven by inner rage) - but the new film is a virtual celebration of the whole James Bond universe, from past to present, including the less grounded and over-the-top elements from the older films. In fact, after a stand-out intro sequence in classic fashion, the spy with a license to kill takes us on a ride which - tonally - feels like travelling back in time to the glory days of such classics as You Only Live Twice, Goldfinger or From Russia With Love (and it's a ride back in time in more senses than one).

This is supposed to be a spoiler-free review, so I won't go into any of the story details, but what unfolds after the introduction plays like a combination of the more grounded, serious Bond we've come to associate with Daniel Craig's films, and the more self-aware spy-romps of the Roger Moore era. It's a mix that doesn't always work and tone and pacing can be a bit uneven at times (especially during the third act), but Spectre largely succeeds in paying homage to many of the classic Bond films while still delivering the gritty action people come to expect from the newer instalments and staying true to the character Craig has so successfully made his own. And despite all the references and callbacks to classic 007 adventures, Spectre still manages to continue the storyline of the three previous films. So while his second entry in the world's longest living franchise is far from a perfect film, I believe Sam Mendes achieves exactly what he wants: he intentionally embraces the old Bond formula, but he also plays with it, twists it and introduces new story elements.

So my verdict: Spectre is a love letter to the classic Bond films, and while it might not be the masterpiece many people seem to have expected, there is a lot to enjoy here. It's a solid, almost classic Bond film with insane action, great set-pieces and a fantastic cast; upon first viewing, I'd rate it 7 stars out of 10.

Rare Film Gems For Cinephiles: http://www.imdb.com/list/ls070242495/