The Cold
War, for all its multifaceted awfulness, lined the pockets of many a writer,
particularly those in the espionage genre. After all, there was a readily
identifiable, ripped-from-the-headlines antagonist: the nefarious Soviet Union
and its proxies. Fighting global Communism gave Western secret agents not only
the license to kill, but licenses to seduce, betray, assault, abuse, and cause
untold millions of dollars in property damage. Even on occasions when Soviet
and Western operatives teamed up to face a bigger threat, there were tensions
and cross-cultural misunderstandings to be exploited. Of course, it’s always
easy to critique decades after the fact, and for many, the nostalgia filter is
as sturdy as the Berlin Wall used to be. Love them or hate them, the Cold War
years gave birth to undeniably impactful spy franchises, James Bond and
Mission: Impossible among them. Half a century of wars, seismic geopolitical
shifts, and franchise reboots later, and both series are still very much alive.
Not only that, but in an introspective (sort of) feat that wouldn’t have been
possible years ago, both find themselves grappling with their very reasons for
existing in this day and age. Paradoxically, rather than using that as an
opportunity to break new ground, both have instead delved into their respective
pasts, with decidedly mixed results.
Both 2015
releases have a remarkably similar plot, to the extent that plagiarism
accusations abounded post-release. In both films, the venerable spy agency (MI6
and IMF, respectively) is called to account for its excess and questionable
methods and put under the watchful eye of a skeptical bureaucrat (Andrew Scott
and Alec Baldwin, respectively). Despite this added scrutiny, the protagonists
(Daniel Craig’s James Bond and Tom Cruise’s Ethan Hunt) push the envelope to
take down a nefarious global organization (SPECTRE and The Syndicate).
For fans
of these series, the nostalgia factor is high. Not only does Spectre bring back the eponymous organization,
but there are homages galore to prior entries. Snowy mountain chases, deadly fisticuffs
aboard trains, and love interests with criminal parents all make an appearance
here, as does criminal mastermind Blofeld (Christoph Waltz, who plays the
character under an alias for a good chunk of the film) and his white cat. Those
who objected to previous Daniel Craig entries being too Bourne-like will have
enough here to conceivably tilt their criticism the other way. For its part, Rogue Nation embraces disguises,
gadgets, and teamwork, all features of the original television series that were
sometimes absent in previous cinematic outings.
Both
films, however, offer more than just reference and in-jokes. Directors Sam
Mendes and Christopher McQuarrie keep a brisk pace and provide plenty of thrilling
action set pieces. By now, Craig and Cruise have had plenty of time to grow
into these roles and play them with competence and confidence. They are matched
by amusing comic-relief tech support (Ben Whishaw as a dry-witted Q and Simon
Pegg doing Simon Pegg things as Benji Dunn), leading ladies who defy
expectations (Leya Sedoux’s Dr. Swann initially regards Bond as a crazed thug
while Rebecca Ferguson’s Ilsa Faust leavers viewers guessing as to her true
allegiance), and chillingly cold villains (Waltz and Sean Harris).
The
biggest distinction here lies in the writing. Rogue Nation incorporates plenty of twists and strains credibility
at times, but it avoids biting off more than it can chew. Positioning its
antagonists as former spies gone rogue, it shows what might happen if IMF lost
its way. Spectre, on the other hand,
suffers from overreach. It’s attempt to position SPECTRE as the driving force
behind events of the previous three films comes across as an awkward retcon
while giving Blofeld a more personal connection to Bond and a revenge-based
motivation arguably cheapens the character. Moreover, while Rogue Nation is in some ways an
improvement over its back-to-basics predecessor, the previous Bond film, Skyfall, was easily the best Bond film
in 20 years and thus gave Spectre too
high a bar to reach.
Looking
ahead, it is unlikely that either franchise will come to a crashing halt any
time soon, but both will need to adapt to survive. The search is already on for
Craig’s replacement, and the 53-year-old Cruise cannot run and jump forever.
Last year, these franchises showed us the allure of classic espionage. Here’s
hoping they can find a way to look forward as well as back.
Spectre:
7.25/10
Rogue
Nation: 7.75/10
