A new Spectre video blog has gone online, and it has director Sam Mendes providing some interesting details about the plot.  As we previously reported, the film’s logline is:

A cryptic message from Bond’s past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

In the video blog, Mendes says that Spectre will involve a second crucial part of Bond’s childhood, which has me a bit nervous.  I was fine with Skyfall delving into Bond’s personal past, but that’s part of what the movie is about—looking at the history of the James Bond franchise and figuring out how to move forwards—but I’m concerned that they might be going to the well one too many times.  Too much exposition can kill the character’s mystique.

However, it could work if it hits to the center of the character’s history.  Keep in mind that when it comes to the Bond franchise, the SPECTRE organization is arguably 007’s most notorious foe.  Mendes mentions that the core of the story is “whether Bond will pursue the life he’s always pursued, and why he’s continuing on in that way.”

What if the “crucial event” from his childhood was the chance to join SPECTRE, and he turned away from it, but now SPECTRE is trying to lure him back?  If political forces are trying to shut down the secret service, perhaps Bond is rethinking his decision to help people who don’t want him around.  I’m definitely excited by the notion of a Bond movie that wonders why Bond chose to be a good guy in the first place.

Mendes also points out that the movie won’t just focus on developing Bond, but also the new iterations of M (Ralph Fiennes), Moneypenny (Naomie Harris), and Q (Ben Whishaw).  He also notes that Bond has more experience than all of them, which should lead to a fresh dynamic among all the characters.

Check out the video blog below.  Spectre opens November 6th, and also stars Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Dave Bautista, Rory Kinnear, Andrew Scott, and Monica Bellucci.