It doesn't match Skyfall but Spectre is still an entertaining and thoroughly watchable entry

Rating: 7/10 (30 October 2015)

It was always going to be difficult for this to match the hype. Not only does it follow the greatest Bond movie ever, Skyfall, it also features the return of Spectre after all these decades. So, how did Spectre do? It's a mixed bag but overall you won't be too disappointed. Bond, following a clue left behind by his late boss M, comes up against Spectre for the first time. This is an action spectacle that hops from set piece to set piece with a breather in between each one but basically Bond is either chasing someone or being chased throughout most of this. There's a very enjoyable car chase through Rome where Bond's fast and gadget ridden car blasts through the streets like a missile. That basically sums up the movie. The action in Spectre is tense, grand scale and epic with a fight scene on a train being a particular highlight. The opening sequence, which starts with a brilliant Touch of Evil style tracking crane shot, is excellent as well. Although the snow based action scene is less successful, overall this succeeds admirably as an action thriller.
I do have several problems with Spectre. As the villains, both Christoph Waltz and Dave Bautista are underused. By the way, yes Waltz is Blofeld but he doesn't make as much of an impact as he could have done thanks to limited screen time. Lea Seydoux is a passive Bond Girl who is only there to be kidnapped while Monica Belluci is barely in it at all. The song is fairly weak while the title sequence is just strange. It lacks the emotional depth of Daniel Craig's other Bond movies and simply rehashes themes from Skyfall except with far less depth. Still, at least it finally features gadgets and a bit of humour. Mr White's reappearance is well handled and Sam Mendes proves a strong director once again. Spectre is a tense and entertaining blockbuster that's certainly not one of the more memorable or important Bond outings but as the still excellent Daniel Craig seems to be wanting to move on, this is a good final Bond film for him. Better than Quantum of Solace but worse than Casino Royale and Skyfall.
7/10