Lives in the shadow of 'Skyfall'.

Rating: 6/10 (14 November 2015)

Following up the brilliant Skyfall was always going to be tough. Much like Quantum of Solace failed to ignite in the wake of the awesome Casino Royale, Daniel Craig's fourth Bond outing struggles to emerge from its predecessor's shadow. Bringing back Sam Mendes as director was a major coo for MGM, but there's a faint sense that for his sophomore 007 effort he is merely going through the motions. Luckily for us Mendes' talent as a filmmaker is so high that his "second rate" is still pretty darn good. His skill is on full display in the outstanding pre-credits sequence – set amidst Mexico City's Day of the Dead festivities – where a long, continuous tracking shot opens up into an explosive showdown between our hero and a mysterious baddie. It is such an impressive introduction that the remainder of the movie can't compare; the action set pieces suffering from diminishing returns, culminating in a bland and uninspired London-set finale that M:I – Rogue Nation did much better. One thing that can't be faulted is the look of the film. Cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema's photography is all class, imbuing proceedings with a timelessness befitting 007 and proving the franchise lost nothing by the departure of industry legend Roger Deakins. Doubling down on the vintage feel that Skyfall returned to the series, this movie harks back to the Bond flicks of old with a playful tone and tongue-in-cheek humour, although the storyline is underwhelming and predictable, and Sam Smith's theme tune is a damp squib. As for the suave spy with a licence to kill, Craig is effortlessly cool and provides a beating heart for the film to hang its hat on when the other cast members dish up a mixed bag of performances. Christoph Waltz is always great and clearly relishes the opportunity to play malevolent arseholes, yet his big bad isn't the instant-classic Bond villain it could've been. And his mute henchman Mr. Hinx, played by man-machine Dave Bautista, lacks an interesting edge. As for the fairer sex, Lea Seydoux's femme fatale is a feisty, old school Bond girl that oozes both charm and danger but is bereft of chemistry with Craig, whilst Monica Bellucci is criminally underused as a grieving damsel in distress. Meanwhile in 007's corner, Ralph Fiennes is a commanding yet wry M, Naomie Harris is a disappointingly one-note Moneypenny and Ben Whishaw is a hilarious Q who is elevated from mere cameo character to critical supporting player in Bond's globe-trotting adventures. Back-to-back modern-Bond masterpieces remain elusive, however Spectre delivers just enough entertainment to keep fans sated until the next entry.