When a franchise like the James Bond series reaches a certain age, your hits are bound to be met in fair measure by your flops. Ask any James Bond fan who their favorite Bond was, and they’ll most certainly tell you who their least favorite was in the same breath. Thankfully, Sam Mendes didn’t incur such wrath with his 50th anniversary spectacular known as Skyfall, and judging by the remarks of his Spectre collaborator Christoph Waltz, he won’t be lying down on the job any time soon.
This month’s British edition of GQ has a particularly awesome spread with the two-time Academy Award winner, and latest Bond villain, as Waltz talks about his own misgivings about taking the role of Franz Oberhaeuser in Spectre. Like any good actor, he was obviously nervous, but ultimately the quality of the product inspired him to say yes, as he displays in his vote of confidence below.
The thing about Spectre is that it is not the work of hack writers. It does not have a hack director. The actors are not hams. The action sequences in Mexico are extravagant to say the least. The scenes in Austria are traditional Bond action in the snow. These films with Daniel Craig have shifted the tone. They don't depend on a set formula that forces actors simply to go through the motions.
Now, while Christoph Waltz doesn’t name names when it comes to his scathing critique of the lesser entries of the Bond series, there’s obviously one particular era that these comments could only belong to. While he might be a philanthropic gentleman and a raconteur of a high degree, it looks like Roger Moore just got called out by the man who could be Blofeld. But again, no specific names were named, so there’s a good chance that Waltz might not have enjoyed the Connery or Brosnan eras of Bond – because calling Timothy Dalton a ham is like calling Leonardo DiCaprio a repertory theater groupie.
Still, it’s nice to hear that Waltz, much like the rest of us looking forward to Spectre, is a true Bond fan at heart. Having his knowledge of the franchise’s history knows the man realizes the fine line between chilling villain and silly baddie. It’s a line that Sam Mendes and his crack team of actors, writers, and crew members seem to be ever mindful of, and it’s proved to only be a good thing when it comes to the future of the James Bond universe. Whoever Christoph Waltz is playing, and whatever Spectre truly is about, at the very least you can be assured that it’s being tackled with the conviction and worksmanship of true professionals. That, and you won’t be seeing Daniel Craig’s stunt double hanging off of a fire truck anytime soon.
Spectre takes its first shot on November 6.
