Spectre (2015)
At the end of every Bond film, somewhere in the credits comes the announcement - James Bond Will Return. Well, since the end of Die Another Day some four films back he doesn't actually seem to have made it back to our screens, although with Spectre it seems he might just be waiting at the bus stop to return.
Spectre is a well constructed action film (albeit, again 20 minutes too long) with a few Bond traits added. In fact more than a few. Pretty much every action set piece comes from an earlier Bond film. From the train fight (From Russia with Love / Live and Let Die) to the mountain pursuit (too many to mention) to the Thames river chase (The World is Not Enough) much seems recycled. Not that this is entirely a bad thing. Spectre it seems goes out of it's way to say that it's a Bond film. We have the mountain top clinic (OHMSS), the evil genius hiding out in the desert in a crater / base to the old Aston Martin DB5 at the end, and yet it still feels subdued.
I don't know if this is due to the yellowy tint the film seems to have or because Sam Mendes isn't the greatest action director but Spectre feels a gloomy film to watch rather than a celebratory spectacle like Bond of old.
We are getting there though!
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