Polished exterior can't hide step back to hammy Bond

Rating: 6/10 (6 November 2015)

Marking the fourth entry in the Daniel Craig-Sam Mendes rebooted 007 series, Spectre comes nearly a decade after Casino Royale reinvented cinema's favorite spy franchise. However, where Casino traded shaken martinis for a more lifelike Bond that was perfectly suited for Craig's gruff portrayal, this latest installment feels like the farthest step backwards into the very tropes the series has thrived by avoiding. Quantum and Skyfall were both equally guilty, but on much more subtle levels—Skyfall specifically overshadowed its regression by enlisting Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, and Naomie Harris as MI6 regulars. Thankfully, Spectre reaps the rewards of the ensemble investment, most notably so from Whishaw's scene-stealing gadgeteer, adding to the film's extremely polished exterior with the cinematography aid of Hoyte Van Hoytema (Her, Interstellar) and returning Skyfall composer, Thomas Newman. Unfortunately, for as environmentally playful and seductively recurring as the duo's contributions are, the tacky script just can't lay low.
FULL REVIEW HERE: indieadam.com/2015/11/06/spectre-2015-review-indie-adam/