Review of Spectre (2015) by Mikewoodardjr — 19 Nov 2015

'Spectre' may be the most disappointing Bond film in a long time. It fails to match the drama and intensity of 'Skyfall' with horribly slow pacing, and entertaining, but ultimately useless, time-filling action sequences.

The first two-thirds of the movie give you no clear indication of what threat the SPECTRE organization actually is, beyond being a secret organization, and by the time the audience is filled in, it feels too little too late.

Bond's interactions with his cohorts, and attempts at humor, fall flat almost every time. Christolph Waltz is a wasted talent as the villain, almost like how Venom was jammed into the ending of Spider-Man 3.

There are too many times that the movie breaks suspension of disbelief, with many characters surviving what should be clear deaths, and the plot twists near the end of the film can be seen coming a mile away.

While the last act of the film had some engaging moments and interesting ideas, their value is undercut by the plodding pace of the first hour and half/two hours. It's just a shame that 'Skyfall' set such a high bar to reach, as 'Spectre' may have been a fine sequel to 'Casino Royale,' (definitely better than 'Quantum') but unfortunately the film crashes the Bond series back down to Earth.

There's enough popcorn entertainment for those just sitting back to enjoy the ride, but not enough substance for those looking for real good value out of their high ticket prices.