Perfectly serviceable despite moving back a step or two

Rating: 7/10 (28 February 2016)

To be perfectly honest, I'm not the biggest Bond fan and, as such, haven't seen anyone but Daniel Craig in the role yet (I do own the box set, but haven't delved into it yet). QUANTUM OF SOLACE was a dud, while CASINO ROYALE and SKYFALL were really good, in my opinion. SPECTRE doesn't quite live up to the standard of those last two, but is a perfectly serviceable film that continues the trek closer to what I understand to be the classic Bond formula. Although the tone was about as serious as the Craig's previous three, I did notice significantly more humor, even if it was of the dry type. There was also more use of gadgets and the like. In general, all of the elements that make a Bond film a Bond film were there and I didn't mind at all. What didn't exactly work was the alternately slack and workmanlike pacing and some truly ridiculous and unnecessary third act plot twists that I will not spoil for those who may have not seen the film yet. Let's just say that some rumors about Christoph Waltz's character proved to be true, as was the case with Benedict Cumberbatch in STAR TREK INTO DARKNESS. So, what did I like? Well, the opening action sequence was pretty outstanding, despite not quite living up to the one in SKYFALL. In general, the action was well-executed and an intimate fight scene between Bond and Hinx ranks as one of the best action set-pieces in Craig's tenure as the character. I also liked the idea of connecting the events of the previous films in a manner that is unprecedented in the series. Still, the threads could have been connected in a better fashion by laying the seeds earlier rather than retconning them in a slapdash manner. I also liked the Bond girls, although Monica Bellucci barely had any screen time. Lea Seydoux's Madelyn Swann was no Vesper Lynd(?), but she was able to hold her own. What I didn't like as much was the rehashed plot elements, e.g., Bond being put off-duty for disobeying orders, being left on his own, etc., the lack of character development compared to previous (Daniel Craig) entries, and the intangible but noticeable feeling that the people making this were going through the motions. SPECTRE is beautifully helmed, but surprisingly emotionless at times, opting for spectacle and style over substance more often than not. When it comes down to it, SPECTRE is sufficiently entertaining but suffers in comparison to CASINO ROYALE and SKYFALL. Long-time fans will probably get a kick out of it regardless, but it may prove slightly disappointing for those accustomed to this current cycle of Bond films.