Get ready Bond fans, the new Spectre trailer is here. Returning from their collaboration on Skyfall, director Sam Mendes and lead actor Daniel Craig look to build upon the new order that was established in the previous film. This marks Craig’s fourth film as Britain’s greatest secret agent, as well as the twenty-fourth film in the entire 007 franchise.
I will be honest, the first time I watched the trailer I was a little underwhelmed. But with each re-watch, I’m continually rediscovering new nuggets of information that could lead to some very intriguing plot possibilities. With that said, watch the trailer yourself below and read through the ten best things I noticed.
Warning: this article contains spoilers from the last James Bond film, Skyfall.
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vBnGxAkdh_k&w=560&h=315]
- Ralph Fiennes as M: When I walked out of my first screening of Skyfall back in 2012, I was blown away by the choice to kill off M (Dame Judi Dench). And while I was initially disappointed at the idea of not seeing her continue the great portrayal of that character, I was more intrigued and excited by the choice to have Ralph Fiennes replace her. My excitement appears to be well placed, as Fiennes, in only a few examples of dialogue, is able to establish himself as the man in charge. He is direct and curt with James Bond, and with the franchise moving in a new direction, the relationship that this new M has with Bond needs to be established quickly and firmly.
- Day of the Dead: We don’t know what it will be, and we also don’t know what it can be, but the released production videos of the filming in Mexico City have hyped the scene that will begin this new film to outrageous levels. Can it match or even exceed the excellent beginning of Skyfall? I guess we shall see.
- Returning Characters: I already mentioned the new M, but Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and Q (Ben Whishaw) are new as well. While I thought Q had the best debut in Skyfall, this new iteration of Moneypenny is proving successful as well. There were some that thought Harris and Craig shared no chemistry in their scenes together, but I beg to differ. The two challenge each other, both as characters and as actors. This has a lot to do with the strength of the script, but I like how the two actors choose to play off of each other. In regards to Q, Ben Whishaw can do no wrong. The filmmaking team behind the Bond legacy have decided to bring the franchise to a more realistic and grounded reality, which means no more quirky gadgets, but that does not eliminate Q’s usefulness. This of course leads me to…
- The Aston Martin DB10: Perhaps the most identifiable trait of a Bond film is an Aston Martin vehicle. We saw the classic design in Skyfall, but I’d be forced to question your integrity if you said the DB10 didn’t at least look cool. An interesting factoid, Aston Martin designed this model specifically for the film, which only goes to show the legacy that these two entities share together.
- Bond Is Going Solo: Okay, this is a relative statement, but Bond usually finds himself in situations where he only has himself to rely on, but also usually, MI6 is waiting for the call to action, should Bond have the time to radio in. This time out, though, 007 looks like he wants to avoid the attention of high-ranking MI6 officials. Bond striking out on his own makes this particular mission a personal one.
- White: The return of Mr. White brings about some interesting questions. The last time we saw him was at a concert event in Quantum of Solace. What is he up to now? He looks particularly isolated and kinda scruffy looking, so what part does he still have to play? What information is he still hiding from Bond? Could there be a connection between him and the titular group of Spectre?
- Lea Seydoux: We have no knowledge of who her character is or what her motivations are, but regardless of that, it looks like she knows something about this new secret organization. One thing we do know is that she is important enough for Dave Bautista’s Mr. Hinx to have her as a prisoner. She certainly needs some assistance but appears reluctant to accept that assistance from 007. Curious, simply curious.
- Train Scene: At the mid-point of Casino Royale we see Vesper Lynd (Eva Green) introduced, and what follows is a sort of dialogue duel between male and female lead. This seems to be happening again in Spectre, except with Lea Seydoux taking Green’s place. There are two reasons I bring attention to this: the first is because Seydoux looks a little like Vesper Lynd, and it could just be my mind playing tricks on me, but I can’t help but see some parallels, and there is a reason for that too. The second reason is that Seydoux’s character looks to be challenging Bond as a person, rather than as the closed off agent. Normally this wouldn’t seem so spectacular, but Bond seems to be responding, and the last time that happened was with Vesper Lynd in Casino Royale. And we all know how that ended.
- Christoph Waltz as Franz Oberhauser: Okay, I’ll admit, I desperately want this character name to be a lie and the actual character to be Blofeld. Regardless of that being the truth, Waltz looks absolutely suited to the task of Bond villain. Watching him sit in his seat at the head of the table, and then casually and confidently look up at where Bond is standing was a chilling moment for me. I particularly love the dialogue read by Waltz here: “You came across me so many times, yet you never saw me.” And then followed a little later with “It was me, James. The author of all your pain.” Wow. Just wow. Allow me to speculate for a moment. If Waltz is playing a man that has orchestrated and planned all of the mishaps of Craig’s Bond, does that mean he is behind Mr. White? Does that mean he sent Vesper to get close to James back in Casino Royale? Was her death Oberhauser’s doing as well? Could he be responsible for getting Silva out of prison, thus resulting in the events that lead to Judi Dench’s M’s death in Skyfall? There are so many questions, so many plot point possibilities that I haven’t even really begun to contemplate them all.
- Self-Contained Continuity: This is a conditional point, and it rests mostly on my speculations about how involved Christoph Waltz’s character is going be in the end, both in the past and the present. But with the return of Mr. White as I mentioned, there is something linking these four movies (From Casino Royale to Spectre), and it could be the character himself. The only time this series has dabbled with continuity has been with Quantum of Solace and that didn’t turn out the way many had hoped. Does that make me nervous about how this film could work out? A little, but I am confident in the film-making team behind this movie.
I could go on forever. Watching this trailer multiple times, as I mentioned before, has only revealed more information to discuss. I was peeling the layers of this trailer, and little by little it let me in on some secrets. That level of intrigue and espionage is exactly the kind of stuff that gets me pumped for another James Bond film. Can it be November already?
Spectre is released in theatres November 6, 2015.
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