‘Spectre’ not so ‘Spectacular’

As with most Bond fans, I was looking forward to the release of the new 007 flick Spectre, which hit theatres last Friday. I was disappointed with the results. The movie did not live up to expectations and was, in fact, a poor follow up to Skyfall – probably one of the best Bond movies in recent history. The plot was tired, the actors looked like they didn’t want to be there and the villain was hardly scary enough to take on the ghosts of the past. Sam Mendes, who directed the past few Bond films with Daniel Craig, is usually up to the challenge. But this time round, it felt like he too, was running out of steam. The last straw was the unimpressive portrayal of ‘M’ by Ralph Fiennes – whom I have loved since his Schindler’s List days. But there was no quick wit; no sarcasm to match Bond’s; it was a flat performance and one I hope will be rectified with the next instalment. It is unsure yet, as to whether Craig will return in his 5th turn as the super secret service agent, but if he does, let’s hope he can bring back the lustre in the lacklustre performances this time round.