Spectre


release year: 2015
genre: action/adventure
viewing setting: home Bluray 2/10/19 and 4/23/17 and 2/11/16

synopsis: As his organization and command structure are being shaken up, agent 007 pursues past vendettas and discovers the existence of a massive, secret criminal organization.

impressions: Just like the last few, this one was well-made, moved along briskly, and had plenty of action. I just have to accept that a Bond movie now isn't going to be the same as a Bond movie from the 1970s or 1980s. Apples and oranges. Anyhow, this one had a fight in a rolling, often out-of-control helicopter...a really good fight with a big, mean, dangerous bad guy aboard a moving train...and perhaps most importantly it introduced the criminal organization SPECTRE for a new generation (and in a modern way, using modern technology.)

acting: Daniel Craig is serious, intense, violent, and efficient. Ralph Fiennes is his superior, who's tired of his antics but is also being phased out by the government. Christoph Waltz is a main bad guy who's as polite as he is ruthless. Lea Seydoux is Bond's reluctant lady friend and ally. Dave Bautista is a hulking assassin. Ben Whishaw is the young genius quartermaster Q (who at one point must deal with some assassins in the real world.)

chases: foot chase through Mexico City, car chase through Rome, plane/car chase on the icy roads and slopes of Austria

neat gadgets: smart blood, Aston Martin DB10

confirmed Bond kills: I made an attempt to count this time, and came up with a minimum of 20 (plus others in cars and helicopters that he caused to crash)

confirmed Bond seductions: 2

obnoxious female name: none

defining Bond moments: 

quotable: 

Q: “Oh, yes. That whole thing is taking quite a bit of time. Mind you, there wasn’t much left to work on. Only a steering wheel. I believe I said, bring it back in one piece, not, bring back one piece.”

clerk: "I see you left this final question blank. What is your occupation?"
Bond: "Well, that’s not the sort of thing that looks good on a form."
clerk: "And why is that?"
Bond: "I kill people."

Moneypenny: "Sir, we can’t just desert Bond."
M: "We have to. We only make him weaker."

Swann: "You shouldn’t stare."
Bond: "Well, you shouldn’t look like that."

Swann: "Why, given every other possible option, does a man choose the life of a paid assassin?"
Bond: "Well, it was that or the priesthood."
Swann: "I'm serious. Is this really what you want? Living in the shadows? Hunting? Being hunted? Always looking behind you? Always alone?"
Bond: "But I'm not alone."
Swann: "Answer the question."
Bond: "I'm not sure I ever had a choice. Anyway, I don't stop to think about it."
Swann: "What would happen if you did?"
Bond: "Stop?"
Swann: "Yes."
Bond: "I don't know."

Bond: (handing over his gun) "You be careful with that. It’s loaded."

final word: One of the better modern Bond movies, with a great sinister plot.

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