Title: Spectre
MPAA Rating: PG-13
Director: Sam Mendes
Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux
Runtime: 2 hr 28 mins

What It Is: James Bond (Craig) is back and this time he’s taken on a special mission of finding an assassin. This leads him to the Dias de Los Muertos celebration in Mexico. Here he finds that assassin and clues as to what he’s up to and who he is affiliated with. It turns out to be a shadow network called Spectre, and its lead an even shadowy figure. Meanwhile, MI6 is fighting for its existence against its own government.

What We Think: There is a lot to like about Spectre, unfortunately, all of it stems from old hat. It is all Bond doing Bond things, except that all of it is stuff we have seen him do before. Christoph Waltz is wasted as the film’s “main” villain. Dave Bautista was really good as a throwback Bond villain lackey. He’s a man of few words with a unique accessory, sound familiar Jaws. He too isn’t in the film enough, but he is a part of the film’s best sequence. Craig once again does his thing as James Bond, except that here he is hazily sleeping through a lot of it.

Our Grade: C, I am completely disappointed with this film. It’s first two acts crumble under the weight of the awful last third. Motivations, logic, and story all get thrown from a glass plated window for the sake of “wrapping” this whole quadrilogy up. I am going to recommend this new Bond film (which will probably be Craig’s last), but ever so slightly. If you’re going into this film expecting Skyfall you are doing this film a disservice, likewise you’re setting yourself up for disappointment. Watch it on its own merits. I think you’ll find it does enough to sabotage itself without your expectations getting in the way. I mentioned it earlier and I hope it is true that this is Daniel Craig’s swansong as 007, he just does not care about the character anymore. He made that more than evident in this one.