Daniel Craig's 4th time out as 007 boasts probably the best beginning of the bunch; armed and hanging out in Mexico City during the Dia de los Muertos parade, he spots his target and makes a move. Unfortunately, he's spotted. So he gets shot at, runs, avoids explosions, jumps some rooftops, avoids some rooftop collapses, launches himself onto the foot of a helicopter, wrestles the man he was after, 'copter spins around wildly over Mexico City. Visually stunning, super badass.
The man he takes out in Mexico City leads him to Rome and to infiltrating the criminal organization SPECTRE, led by a shadowed man named Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz) and his henchman Hinx (Dave Batista). They are looking to take out the "Pale King", who, thanks to some research from Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), ends up being someone from Bond's past. Cue wild car chase through Rome, recon trip to the Austrian Alps, Cape Town crater hideouts, gunfire, more explosions, seduction, gadgets. The usual.
The campy vibe of all the old Bond flicks? Gone. Spectre continues treading the path of new-era Bond--utterly serious, reflective, lonely and way too long (3 of the 4 Craig movies are 2.5 hours). That doesn't necessarily make it bad, just different. Sam Mendes, back for round 2 after Skyfall, had previously worked with Craig on Road to Perdition, and it seems there is a mutual trust and a desire to take the endearing protagonist to his darkest parts. It plodded to the end, but the first two-thirds were hyper-engaging, thanks also in part to the supporting cast. Monica Belucci still has it at age 50 as the dangerous, perplexing Italian Widow. Léa Seydoux (Blue is the Warmest Color) brings depth and intellect to go along with the good looks we've come to expect in a Bond girl. And Ralph Fiennes is exceptional as always, this time as the new M, who's left to constantly explain to his superiors why Mr. Bond has decided to blow various tourist destinations and/or national landmarks to rubble.
#21 Spy
"X Melissa McCarthy Vehicle" is usually not a filmic genre that appeals to me, nor characteristically has it been a critically viable one. Identity Thief. The Heat. Tammy. I'm cringing as I type this.
Something about this one looked better, though. My first inclination was that it had to do with McCarthy's re-teaming with Paul Feig (Bridesmaids). Even though he is the same Paul Feig who directed The Heat, he actually wrote this one. Once the positive acclaim began to roll in, I was sold.
Good thing, too, because Spy was a gut-buster throughout. McCarthy is Susan Cooper, a CIA desk jockey who is the voice in Bradley Fine (Jude Law)'s earpiece. When Fine is tragically capped by Rayna Boyanov (Rose Byrne), Cooper, once a promising recruit, volunteers herself for field work to get revenge on Boyanov and her business associate De Luca (Byrne's real-life beau Bobby Cannavale). She and her ridiculous costumes are partnered up with Rick Fine (Jason Statham, who has never been funnier), much to his chagrin. Right around halfway through the movie, McCarthy's character lets loose, dropping F-bombs and other wildly inappropriate insults at anyone who gets in her way. And it's awesome.
This, friends, is a Melissa McCarthy vehicle worth seeing.
See you tomorrow!
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