In fact, my level of ambivalence was so great, that during the screening and in its immediate aftermath, I was left going through the list of exactly what is it that I really like about the Bond franchise as a whole (still pondering this one). But I guess this particular discussion is best left for another day and time, that way I can focus on what worked and (mostly) didn 't work for me in this latest installment.
First let me put it out there - I had very high hopes coming off my enjoyment of 2012 's Skyfall. We had …show more content…
It looked to take the very personal story of Bond told to better effect in Skyfall and expand upon it. Great idea since I kind of like the idea of understanding James Bond 's backstory. And I got a taste of that, but on the whole I felt like it (the script) was a bit aimless.
Blink and you might have missed it - In what I can only describe as a cameo and not featured performance, we have the lovely Monica Bellucci in the role of quickie paramour/plot propellant. Can she even be categorized as a "Bond Girl" is my question. Side note: "Bond Girl" is a problematic term in its own right, but I digress.
Speaking of love ... - I get it, Bond always gets the girl, but in this case, the romantic element seemed kind of forced. The "damsel in distress" (played by Léa Seydoux) could hold her own for the most part and upon her introduction did not come off as someone who would necessarily fall under the spell of Mr. Bond.
A bit of a waste, really - On paper when you think "perfect Bond villain" Christoph Waltz would seem to fit the bill. While I commend his ability to ham it up in this role, his motivation seemed a little incongruous for the acts he is responsible for