We've been here before, haven't we?

Rating: 7/10 (30 November 2015)

I am a big Bond fan and was disappointed that I hadn't had a chance to see this installment (which looked great in the promos) until last weekend.
While I wouldn't call this a disappointment by any stretch I would characterize it as formulaic. In some ways the picture is so busy paying homage to the Bonds of days gone by (including every one of Daniel Craig's turns) that it comes off a bit plug and play. Even the fight scenes come off as overly choreographed. The sense is that something from a previous Bond movie is being re-enacted at almost every turn.
None of that is to say that this is not a hugely entertaining movie - it is. Daniel Craig does Bond better than just about anybody else whose tried aside from Sean Connery and he is in fine form here. Little things like the adjustment of his cuff links prior to pursuing and killing a target just ooze Bond style. If the scenes are familiar there is also a comfort in that. Bond as renegade outside the system is getting a little tired (see Quantum of Solace), though.
Gadgets (and gadget cars) make a comeback in this installment as well to great effect. That said car ultimately ends up at the bottom of the Tiber River is also classic Bond. Other familiar elements include a hulking villain and a train fight with said villain (hello From Russia with Love). There is even a cameo by the same model Rolls Royce that Goldfinger drove.
Christoph Waltz as the villain is quietly menacing which he does as well here as in Inglorious Basterds. However, his screen time is all too brief and Bond's foiling his Moroccan fortress comes all too easily and unbelievably. Lea Sedoux is great as an archetypical Bond girl. Monica Belucci's turn is surprisingly short given the buildup. Bond's comrades including Ralph Fiennes' M do a credible job but they, too, feel a bit set piece.
One of the things that does standout about this film is the cinematography. From Rome at night to snowy Alps to the Moroccan desert the scenery is gorgeous and well shot.
In short this is a good but not great and certainly not original Bond film. Worth the watch but keep your expectations in line.