Spectre of Bond – you’ll either love it or hate it

THE HYPE around the new James Bond movie, Spectre, reached fever pitch on Monday at Durban’s first screening hosted by the Aryan Benevolent Home – 11 days before its official release, on November 27. The charity event was held at SterKinekor at the Gateway Theatre of Shopping and drew big support.

Socialites, celebrities and businessmen came in their droves.

Some put on their best suits and glamorous attire to compliment the Bond theme.

South African film director, Anant Singh spoke highly of the movie, saying he had seen it in London when it opened a few weeks ago. He said it was “a treat and a roller-coaster ride”.

Singh praised actress Naomi Harris, who has worked on two South African movies with Singh, Long Walk to Freedom and The First Grader. He also told of how he had been arrested in 1973 for showing Live and Let Die, which at the time was only for white people.

“We’ve come a long way and this gives us a little history about South Africa under apartheid.”

Meanwhile, other fans who attended had mixed reactions to the movie.

Ryan Ramdass said it didn’t have enough Bond elements. “It was an anticlimax. It missed a few gripping Bond elements like the gambling, etcetera. Also, the villain wasn’t a strong character. There was no grand finale and this was disappointing.”

eThekwini speaker Logie Naidoo said he thoroughly enjoyed it. “Just my kind of movie. I have watched every Bond film and it has all the elements – action and good entertainment from start to finish. Bond movies have no real message, it’s purely entertainment.”

And as for the women fans, many agreed that Daniel Craig, the modern Bond, was most women’s dream.

“I loved the movie because of Daniel Craig. I think that he’s a phenomenal actor and his deep blue eyes are enough to have women’s eyes fixed to the screen. Overall, it was a great movie,” said Shivara Moodley.