New release: MGM and 20th Century Fox have announced they will release a Blu-ray edition of Spectre on February 9th. The 24th James Bond film hit theaters last fall. Although the project saw the return of most of the dream-team who created Skyfall, an artistic height for the series, Spectre seemed to come and go without any weight or memorable elements. After the screening I found I had little to say about the film, other than the story seemed uneven and the style inconsistent. There was a kind of return to the happy ending days of Bond-past, but the ending seemed unearned and clumsily tacked on. An awkward balm to Skyfall's weighty emotions? If I could re-edit the movie, I would certainly sow seeds early in the story that 007 longs for a break from his path so that his final actions have emotional pay-off (ala pre-wedding On Her Majesty's Secret Service). With all of the depth and thematic richness masterfully woven into Skyfall, it was astonishing to see the missed opportunities in Spectre. If I could keep revising, I'd also nix that theme song, which seemed filled with an odd longing that wasn't present in the actual film. I did enjoy the fashion and set design, which tended toward urban elegance throughout. There was also some interesting comparisons between Bond and White as assassins, but again, the weight of that comparison was not fully explored. Despite my criticisms, I do look forward to seeing Spectre again- if only because I often enjoy movies more the second time around. I'm hoping this one will grow on me. The Blu-ray edition will include video blogs about the director, female stars, cars, action sequences, music, as well as an image gallery. Perhaps a later edition will include additional features. Let's all check it out and see if it gets better with age! Available for pre-order from Amazon and AmazonUK. UK Steelbook edition here. Spy Vibers can re-visit my review of Skyfallhere.
