Generally Enjoyable

Rating: 6/10 (17 August 2016)

First, I really appreciated that rather fantastic cinematography and the striking visuals as is customary for Craig line of Bond films.
Unfortunately, as with the two previous films Quantum of Solace and Skyfall, Spectre falls short in some key areas of plot. Characters do things and make decisions that are at times logically dubious at best. The villain, supposedly the grand mastermind doesn't seem all that brilliant (though I thought Waltz did a great job for the relatively short amount of screen time that he had) and his personal vendetta against Bond felt glossed over and weak. This is the guy that has been behind every bad guy and every bad thing that has ever happened to Bond? Really? Because his dad liked him?
Additionally the romance seemed contrived to me. How is Swann really any different from all of the other Bond girls? I just didn't see enough to suspend my disbelief that Bond would leave behind his entire identity as a 00 or the emotional brokenness of his past for this woman with whom he's just met and had a moderate amount of chemistry with.
However, overall, the Bond we see in Spectre is likable and the movie as a whole is generally enjoyable albeit formulaic.