The Pointer UW-Stevens Point Student Newspaper
The safest thing to do is to always just stick with the original.
As far as James Bond is concerned, it’s easiest to say that Sean Connery has played the role better than anyone, so let’s just do that. Despite the lack of nuance or humor from Connery that you can find from later actors, you can never go wrong erring on the side of nostalgia, right? Who needs substance when you can mug for the camera and talk with a cool accent?
If you are one of those crazy people who needs someone to do more than simply be the first to do something, you probably prefer Daniel Craig. Craig is that rare kind of monster who has the nerve to not only be a better actor than his predecessor but to also do it with a different hair color.
The newest Bond film, “Spectre” is reportedly the last for the blond menace. Craig leaves in his horrific golden-haired wake a series of well-reviewed films with record-breaking box office for the series. “Spectre” follows in this unfortunate tradition of Craig’s by being an exciting, multifaceted film where Bond is portrayed as more than a stylish sex-maniac with a gun. What a train wreck.
Does Daniel Craig deserve to be considered the best James Bond ever? Statistical reasoning and good taste would say “yes,” but in certain other regards, “Spectre” is just another confirmation that Craig still is not the first person to arbitrarily play the role, and thus, he is still a failure before the undying light of Sean Connery. Praise be his name.
“Spectre” also offers genuine things to criticize like its overly long running time and its under utilization of an amazing actor like Christoph Waltz, but since those pale in comparison to the fact that this film dares to be the 24th Bond film instead of the first one, they should be disregarded as nonsense.
“Spectre” earns 8 “sharks with laser-beams attached to their heads” out of 10.
Brady Simenson
Contributor
bsime172@uwsp.edu
