Boring and by the numbers

Rating: 4/10 (8 August 2016)

Spectre, the highly anticipated follow up to the great "Skyfall" all but disappointed in the end.
This is less of a bond film and more like an instruction video on how to make one.
We start off with our pre opening credits scene, filled with action, none of it interesting in the slightest, and some pretty terrible CGI just destroys all immersion.
Of course, our opening credits, with what is without a doubt, the blandest most forgettable bond song of them all, sitting through 3 minutes of Sam Smiths whiny vocals on this generic ballad was the second sign that this was going to be a chore to watch.
After that, to be honest I can't really remember what happened for the first 20 - 30 minutes, the story has no real context, just a series of random events dragged along by mundane action scenes and Daniel Craig trying so hard to be broody.
The issue with this film, for me mostly falls on Craig, he lacks the suaveness of Connery, the charm of Moore, the emotional depth of Dalton and the charisma of Brosnon, we're forever having it rammed down our throat "This Bond is emotionally damaged, he's vulnerable and hurts inside" yet we are never shown it, Craig simply doesn't pull it off, his Bond is just a walking tank designed to kill things and punch people, I enjoyed Craigs other bond films but he has the emotional depth of a cactus.
Putting Craig aside, the story just is not interesting at all, Christoph Waltz is one of my favourite actors of recent years, he was fantastic in Inglorious Basterds and Django Unchained, but even he can't save this film, he just seems so... bored and disinterested, Dave Bautista too, who was incredibly entertaining in Guardians of the Galaxy, like Craig is nothing more than a one man army who has no personality.
I really would not bother watching this film unless you are a completionist, I thought Die Another Die was the worst Bond film but at least it was fun to watch, I just stopped caring about this bland mess less than half way through, the best thing they can do is have a new Bond, and drop this daft arc they have tried to carry through Craigs films, if you're looking for a gritty bond that is still interesting, stick with Living Daylights or License to Kill, if you're looking to be entertained, for the love of god just put something on that is not this film, despite all the hate it received, even QoS is superior to this snooze fest.
D