Spectre, the latest James Bond film,
begins with a blistering opening scene, the kind of action sequence that, when
you stumble across the movie on TV years from now, you’ll stop what you’re
doing and watch, even if you don’t stick around for the rest. Set in Mexico
City during a massive Day of the Dead celebration, the international man of
mystery tracks a target through the crowd of skull-mask clad revelers. Visually
striking, intricately staged, and beginning with a soaring, uninterrupted take,
it starts the movie out on a high note (though there’s a missed opportunity for
a singularly James Bond moment at the end). The ensuing film, however, never
quite measures up to this opening.
