As a long-time fan of James Bond and someone who has seen every single film in the series, I must say that the release of Spectre was a bitter disappointment for me. After the critically acclaimed Skyfall, I had high hopes for this installment, but it fell short in so many ways.
Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond was truly unforgettable, spanning a remarkable 15 years from 2006 to 2021. Although he appeared in just five films due to production delays, his performances solidified him as the longest-serving 007. Interestingly, it’s the odd numbered films in Craig’s era that are often considered the best. The franchise was rebooted successfully with 2006’s Casino Royale, which marked a triumphant start. The 50th anniversary of the franchise was celebrated grandly in Skyfall in 2012, and No Time to Die in 2021 served as a fitting farewell for Craig’s portrayal of Bond. However, Quantum of Solace from 2008 and Spectre from 2015 are generally viewed as the weakest films not only in Craig’s era but across the entire James Bond franchise.
Among the James Bond films featuring Daniel Craig, “Quantum of Solace” is frequently viewed as less favorable for several reasons. Firstly, since it was filmed during the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, the script’s flaws become more apparent. Secondly, following the phenomenal relaunch of “Casino Royale,” “Quantum of Solace” was seen as a major letdown and seemed to halt the Bond franchise until 2012’s “Skyfall” revitalized it. By the time “Spectre” was released, “Quantum of Solace” had been labeled as the worst film in the Craig era for seven years. However, over time, “Spectre” has proven to be the weakest entry in Daniel Craig’s Bond films compared to “Quantum of Solace.” Here’s why I believe “Quantum of Solace” is a better movie than “Spectre.
Spectre Attempts to Build a Bond Universe
In essence, although all Bond films share the same continuity, most can be enjoyed independently without watching the preceding ones. For instance, Skyfall serves well as a standalone sequel to Casino Royale, and one could theoretically transition from Casino Royale directly into it without missing anything significant. On the other hand, Quantum of Solace follows immediately after Casino Royale, while Spectre’s main plot is heavily influenced by the events of Skyfall. Notably, Spectre connects the previous three Daniel Craig Bond films more closely, making an effort to interlink them in a manner reminiscent of Marvel-style worldbuilding.
As a movie enthusiast, I must admit that the introduction of Spectre in the Bond series left quite an impression, altering, reshaping, and, to some extent, diminishing the impact of its predecessors. The bombshell reveal that Spectre, more specifically Bond’s adopted brother Franz Oberhauser/Ernst Stavro Blofeld (Christoph Waltz), was orchestrating the events in Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, and Skyfall casts doubt on many movie plot twists. It feels as if the filmmakers retroactively linked Spectre to Casino Royale by revealing that Quantum, which we saw in Quantum of Solace, is actually a subsidiary of Spectre. This feels like an attempt to rectify the fact that Spectre was intended to be the villainous organization behind Casino Royale, but the filmmakers didn’t have the rights at the time, so they cleverly disguised it as Quantum in Quantum of Solace.
In the movie Skyfall, it’s unveiled that Raoul Silva (played by Javier Bardem) wasn’t acting alone but was backed by Spectre. This twist transforms an intriguing villain into one controlled by another villain, a plot device that feels like a manipulation of the original story. The revelation that this villain, who caused much distress for M (Judi Dench) and Bond, was merely acting on behalf of a higher power, effectively turns him into a mere pawn, undermining the personal conflict at the heart of the film.
Quantum of Solace Is a Better Continuation of Casino Royale
In essence, “Quantum of Solace” picks up where “Casino Royale” ended, serving as a continuation that further develops Daniel Craig’s portrayal of James Bond by depicting how he is affected emotionally after Vesper’s betrayal, thereby completing his origin story and showing his evolution from the raw agent introduced in “Casino Royale”.
In this story, his drive appears to be fulfilling a sense of duty disguised as revenge. Yet, he eventually understands that vengeance won’t bring him tranquility, and he must detach from his work to transform into the licensed killer known as James Bond. The movie’s climax, a reenactment of the signature gun barrel scene that usually starts a Bond film, connects Casino Royale and Quantum of Solace, essentially establishing an extended “origin” for 007. By the end, he has evolved into the James Bond that fans have been familiar with for decades.
In essence, Skyfall stood out as an exceptional Bond film due to its independence from the two preceding movies that delved into origin stories. However, Spectre somewhat contradicts this by suggesting a continuity between them all. This perspective seems to misunderstand the essence of James Bond. His appeal doesn’t stem from having a personal connection with the villains; instead, it lies in his mission to travel to various destinations and encounter an array of intriguing adversaries.
In “Quantum of Solace,” we see how Bond’s personal life might hinder his professional duties. On the other hand, in “Spectre,” it becomes clear that Bond’s personal and professional lives are intertwined, making him more than just an agent. He is a chosen figure with ties to significant events, rather than simply being there for work, which adds depth to his character and makes the universe feel more intimate and impactful.
Quantum of Solace Feels Like an Update of Bond…
One aspect often overlooked in the film “Quantum of Solace” is its success in further developing the efforts initiated by “Casino Royale” to modernize Bond’s traditions for today’s audience. Conversely, “Spectre” leans heavily on classic franchise elements that were absent in other Craig films, giving off a vibe more akin to gratuitous fan service.
Previously stated, the film “Quantum of Solace” makes a change by placing the iconic gun barrel sequence at the film’s end instead of the start. This is done to establish a connection between this movie and its predecessor, “Casino Royale“. Additionally, “Quantum of Solacé” is unique among Bond films as it does not include the traditional introduction by Bond with his famous line “Bond, James Bond.
In this film, the antagonist, Dominic Greene (played by Mathieu Amalric), stands out as a modernized version of a traditional Bond villain. Unlike his predecessors in the franchise who often had physical deformities, Greene does not conform to this stereotype. Even the critically acclaimed Craig films like “Casino Royale,” “Skyfall,” and “No Time to Die” still rely on this trope. Greene’s scheme is also unique – he aims to contaminate Bolivia’s fresh water supply to establish a monopoly, then extort the newly appointed dictator (appointed by Quantum) into signing a contract for purchasing water at an inflated price.
Throughout the movie, the character and the audience assume that all the pipelines being purchased and interest in desert land have to be for oil, with lines like “the most precious resources” playing off people’s expectations of how much oil costs. Yet the revelation that it is water is both a clever subversion and highlights that the truly valuable resource is one vital to human life, and the villains are the ones that control these resources and charge high prices, knowing people will have to pay for it.
…While Spectre Falls Back on Fan-Service
Regrettably, Spectre lacks the intellectual depth that one might expect. The idea of Spectre seizing control over the worldwide surveillance program Nine Eyes seemed unimaginative, given that only a year prior to Captain America: The Winter Soldier, HYDRA attempted a similar power grab. However, all the classic Bond elements are present once more. While Skyfall reintroduced well-known characters such as Moneypenny, Q, and Ralph Fiennes as the traditional office M, Spectre aims to deliver a grand, contemporary update of the whimsical Roger Moore Bond films while maintaining its serious, realistic atmosphere. This duality results in gadget-laden vehicles, a feature that the past three Craig Bond films had avoided, appearing incongruous within this interpretation of James Bond.
In the end, the filmmakers decided to reintroduce a well-known adversary instead of creating a fresh antagonist for Spectre. They not only turned the organization into an evil conglomerate but also brought in the iconic Bond villain, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, whom they chose to give a more intricate and sinister backstory.
In the film, one of the most disappointing plot twists occurs when the main antagonist, Franz Oberhauser, is unmasked as none other than Ernst Stavro Blofeld. Given the marketing team’s efforts to keep this a secret, it seems redundant and contrived since any Bond aficionado knows that Spectre’s leader is Blofeld. This twist, when he dramatically discloses his identity, holds no significance for the character of Bond but is intended solely to surprise and engage the audience who are well-versed in the lore of Bond’s most iconic adversary.
Incredibly strange, the movie unveils that Blofeld and Bond were actually brought up as siblings. This twist is all the more absurd since it mirrors a plot point from “Austin Powers and Goldmember,” where it was disclosed that Austin Powers and Dr. Evil are long-lost brothers. Interestingly, Dr. Evil’s appearance is modeled after the original Ernst Blofeld, so using this plot device in the contemporary Bond series that appears to be borrowing from an Austin Powers spoof of classic Bond is puzzling, almost as if roles have been reversed – now it’s James Bond learning from Austin Powers instead.
The Same Team Made Skyfall and Spectre… What Went Wrong?
Despite the fact that many of the same creative minds behind the highly praised film Skyfall returned for Spectre, it still proved to be a challenging production. Although the writing teams of Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, along with Paul Haggis, were involved in Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale, Marc Forster was brought on board as director after Martin Campbell directed Casino Royale. They faced difficulties due to the 2007-2008 Writers Guild of America strike, which required them to expedite the script’s development, and filming had to accommodate this situation. Given these obstacles, it is remarkable that Spectre turned out as well as it did. Compared to other films produced during this same time period due to the strike, such as Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen and X-Men Origins: Wolverine, Spectre holds up quite well.
Despite not encountering the hurdles faced by other films in its genre, Spectre had a three-year gap since Skyfall’s release. Sam Mendes, who received critical acclaim for directing Skyfall, returned to the director’s chair. The writing team for Skyfall and Spectre included Purvis and Wade, John Logan (three-time Academy Award nominee), and Jez Butterworth, a critically acclaimed playwright. With a budget ranging from $250 to $300 million and a runtime of about two and a half hours, the producers spared no expense on Spectre. Unfortunately, despite all these advantages, Spectre fell short in every aspect where Skyfall excelled. It’s possible that they aimed for a bigger and better Skyfall, but the end product left many fans disappointed. Quantum of Solace has its flaws, but it is generally considered a better Bond film than Spectre.
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2024-11-11 02:34