It's a good Bond film

Rating: 7/10 (9 October 2017)

OK, the story is no more or less plausible than previous episodes in the series. Perhaps it has a harder edge, with a line of coffins draped in Union Jacks and faux news coverage of summary executions filmed on hand-held cameras mimicking all too familiar real life events. What is unfortunate is that the legacy of this series, injects softness where there should be none and implausibility where mere spectacle is no longer enough. The legacy demands that Bond is portrayed as a heroic figure, but coldly, there is little in this tale that is heroic. The dichotomy for the writers is delivering a convincing narrative about this secret agent, when little that drove the invention of the character and his "glamour" has any meaningful relevance to the job such an agent would need to do in today's world. We've know this for years of course, and the problem is perhaps the biggest challenge to face anyone who wants to continue the succession. There are few films in cinema history that are nicer to look at than this one, but if you want to get the most out of the film, don't bother trying to connect too many of the dots in the story. It's not Shawshank, The Godfather or Lawrence of Arabia, but it is a GOOD James Bond film!