So much potential, yet Spectre sadly falls short.

Rating: 6/10 (30 April 2016)

2015 saw Daniel Craig reprise his role as the renowned and beloved James Bond, but this time around we weren't left with the level of satisfaction that fans had become accustomed to from recent years. Both Casino Royale and Skyfall, with the exclusion of Quantum of Solace, were prominent additions to the 007 franchise, yet Spectre was nothing more than mediocre.
That being said, it doesn't mean that Spectre didn't have its moments. At the very beginning of the movie audiences were treated to an intriguing and suspense-building opening sequence that was seemingly shot in only one take (although, admittedly, it wasn't), which would have set the movie up perfectly if had it only continued in the same tone. Unfortunately, that was not the case.
Christoph Waltz starred as the primary antagonist in the movie – the terrifying, evil and sinister leader of 'Spectre'; an organisation responsible for numerous terrorist attacks across the globe. Waltz' performance as Ernst Stavro Blofeld ticked all the boxes you needed for a successful villain: a menacing agenda, creepy mannerisms and a keen eye for your opponent's weaknesses. The only problem I had with Waltz was that we didn't see enough of him, and I can't help but point out how much more I would have enjoyed the film if he had more screen time. I did, however, thoroughly enjoy and respect how Spectre connected the remaining dots in what has been an interesting tetralogy so far, by linking together the organisation's involvement in the story lines of Quantum of Solace, Casino Royale and Skyfall; reinforcing a real sense of sinisterness about the organisation's agenda.
However, this is where the real problems started to arise. Without the presence of Blofeld, we were left with the uninteresting sub-plot and characters that we simply did not care about. Yes, I'm talking about the battle of control between the newly-appointed M, with the help of Q, and C; a leader of a high-tech institution eager to eradicate the '00' program. (It's all a battle of letters, at this point). This tug-of-war for control just wasn't interesting in the slightest, and at times, came across as tacky and tedious.
The ending of the movie, although I won't spoil it for you, epitomised the entire tone of the movie: bitter disappointment. It was an anti-climax for the Daniel Craig Bond movies, which should have ended on such a dramatic note that we would have left our cinemas in 2015 with our heads held high, but instead, we left with a sense of defeat.
Spectre, in the end, wasted the potential of being a fantastic Bond movie. Although I wouldn't say it's entirely a bad movie, it certainly wasn't anything special, either. Yes, there were moments I enjoyed from the film, but in overall it was nothing short of unsatisfactory. When I should have been enjoying the kick-assery (is that even a word?) of a traditional James Bond movie, I couldn't help but feel that Spectre had eyes for a more romantic conclusion,rather than a dramatic one.