Craig continues to prosper as James Bond (in possibly his swan song turn as 007 if rumor has it) and does so with a bang

Rating: 9/10 (9 November 2015)

SPECTRE (2015) ***1/2 Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Dave Bautista, Andrew Scott, Jasper Christensen, Alessandro Cremona, Stephanie Sigman (cameo: Judi Densch) Craig continues to prosper as James Bond (in possibly his swan song turn as 007 if rumor has it) and does so with a bang: out to avenge the recently departed M as well as confront the nefarious leader of the titular conspiracy group hellbent on sabotaging international security at any cost. Waltz is slimily evil as the notorious Blofeld and a continuing supporting crew for Bond including aces-up-his-sleeve Fiennes as the new M, spunky and sexy Harris as Moneypenny and crafty Whishaw as Q. Bautista's near mute turn as a brute echoing Robert Shaw's blond Russian thug of "From Russia With Love" and Richard Kiel's Jaws from Roger Moore's pair of flicks is indeed formidable and chilling. While there is little believable chemistry between Craig and new Bond gal Seydoux there is the little-used but always welcome sultry Bellucci to spice things up. Director Sam Mendes returns to the franchise pulling out all the stops including a one-take non-cut opening salvo pre-credit trek thru Mexico City's Day of the Dead ceremony with Bond tracking an assassin that involves a crumbling hotel and one helluva vertigo inducing chopper sequence. Fast, fun and fierce and by all means make sure to see it in a big-screen/IMAX venue just to invision an 80 foot high Bellucci :D