‘Bond’ film greets theaters with underwhelming plot

Spectre tells the story of James Bond (Daniel Craig) searching for a secret organization bent on total world destruction. This organization ‘Spectre’ is lead by a man from Bond’s past, known as Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). In exchange for secrets about this organization, Bond promises his dying foe, Mr. White (Jesper Christenen), protection for his daughter Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux), who is rigorously being hunted by Spectre operatives.

Meanwhile, M (Ralph Fiennes) works to keep the 00 secret agent program alive, while a new surveillance company, lead by C (Andrew Scott), has started with the goal of taking the place of the 00 secret agent program.

This is Daniel Craig’s fourth portrayal as James Bond, and he delivers, showing the audience the typical secret agent searching for justice, and not resting until he finds it. The villain in this flick deserves praise as well, as Waltz’s gives the audience the typical evil and corruption a criminal should have. Ralph Fiennes also gives a notable performance presenting a man whose world is falling apart around him.

The chemistry between Bond and Blofeld makes the film entertaining, showing the past history between them, and the current hatred they possess for each other, making the duo clash back and forth continuously throughout the film.

One major problem with this film is the plot. There were many plot holes, and an insubstantial story lead to an overly long movie playing time. The amount of mini plots inside of the main plot is where this latest version of James Bond struggles the most.

The action sequences in this James Bond flick are phenomenal. The film’s humongous opening shows the viewer how much eye candy this movie has to offer. Scenes of total destruction in locations throughout the world make the movie worthwhile and demonstrate the huge budget spent to entertain the audience.

The many different settings in Spectre provide amazing scenery for the viewer to enjoy. Mexico City, Rome, London and Austria all take up significant time in this film. With the wonderful camera work, the scenes are a real joy to watch.

One major problem with this film is the plot. There were many plot holes, and an insubstantial story lead to an overly long movie playing time. The amount of mini plots inside of the main plot is where this latest version of James Bond struggles the most. There are too many things going on at once, which leads to constant questioning and confusion.

This flick also struggles with pacing at times. Spectre’s run time of 2 hours and 30 minutes had me checking my watch continuously. There are many scenes with characters rambling on, which left me anticipating the next action sequence. I felt as though this overly long run time should have been addressed in the editing room and would have made the movie more enjoyable had the editors carved it down a bit.

The film opened to $70 million at the box office, and has grossed $302 million worldwide. However, Spectre received mediocre reviews earning a 60 on Metacritic, and a 65 on Rotten Tomatoes.

Overall if you’re looking for a film with eye popping visuals, and a flimsy plot does not deter you, then look no more, as Spectre is the film for you. If this flick is watched for nothing but the action, then the movie is phenomenal. But if you want more bang for your buck, and prefer a quality story, then I suggest you skip this movie.

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