Spectre – A Bond for the die hard.

SPOILER ALERT. You’ve been warned.

I’m going to start this quick opinion of the latest Bond series by stating that i’m not a fan of the classic Bond series. I love Craig’s interpretation from Casino Royale and beyond. If you’re a fan of the classic ones, I’m sure you’ll disagree with me.

Spectre is a 148 minutes movie, and for people like me, or just a fan of deeper character exploration or story telling like the ones found in Casino Royale and Skyfall (Quantum Of Solace is a bit forgettable for me), it can be quiet repulsive. There are worse way to spend those hours though(*). You could be stuck on a Cipulir traffic jam, in a Toyota Agya, with its absurd new car smell, while needing to pee badly, or stuck watching the Kardashian’s on marathon with some girl that you’re trying hard to appeal to (**).

The character and plot exploration is as deep as an Aston Martin’s wading depth. Since I don’t believe that such lazy exercise of story telling is accidental, I assume that this Bond is truly designed for the real Bond fan in mind. Those who love seeing sensual women being seduced flamboyantly, high speed car chase action that involves flame thrower or machine guns, and expensive watches that can blow up, will be thrilled to see Spectre.

Even the enemy, Bloveld, is exactly the typical classic take on the Bond villain aside from his loafers. Predictable, having the most awkward reason out there to rule the world, and living inside some kind of crater. He doesn’t have the charisma as Raoul Silva, or Le Chiffre’s slither. I won’t blame Christopher Waltz cause I’m sure he’s an excellent actor, but more on the script that tells him to do so.

An unpretentious classic Bond

This is the classic Bond that die hard fans had been missing ever since Craig had taken the helm. Hence there are some discrepancies. Craig feels out of place in pulling this version of Bond. He’s simply not a flamboyant figure. Spectre is a fit for a Roger Moore or Pierce Brosnan, but not Craig. I can see why he’s glad to be out of it, and so am I.

I almost feel bad for Monica Bellucci. Her role was minor and only act as a sexy side dish. In my opinion, she deserves more. But then again, this is one of those Bond movie, and she knows what she was getting into. Don’t get me started on Sam Smith. Just don’t.

Overall, it’s still better than watching any Transformer franchise or Adam Sandler’s movie though. 5 out of 10.

(*) My highlight was actually the event itself. It’s sponsored by Heineken, and trust me, you don’t want it to be sponsored by anything else. Free flow of beer, great music by Dipha Barus & some Bond scene reenactment.

(**) No girl is worth going through a Kardashian marathon.