SPECTRE (2015)

11/8/2015 - Spectre (2015) - 4+/10

An unfortunate return to the Bond of yore; to the time of Moore and Brosnan. Perhaps it wouldn't have been so lackluster if we hadn't been treated to the new status quo of 007, one that has its share of ridiculousness and flash but is rooted in a sense of the real and grit. There is character/pathos driving the actions and more grounded arching plot elements. Most of this disappears in this new film.

We return to the over-the-top gadgets and asinine female relationships. Back to the verbose and murky villains, with their over-complicated death plans and unbelievable master plots. We are back to what I, and many, thought brought the franchise into ruin.

Was it bad? No. Just wholly disappointing. The story was contrived and predictable. The action was dumb more than it had any right to be.

It did have enjoyable bits. The beginning was fun. Batista was a decent foe. It looked pretty. But the choices for the franchise going forward and the rest: meh. Worse than Quantum? Maybe. Maybe not. Certainly more cartoony.

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Spoilers: That god damned gauge! Who puts a single random gauge on a pipe that if shot, destroys an entire secret base in a ball of fire? What the actual f***?