[REVIEW] ‘Spectre’

James Bond films is a lot like pizza: even when it’s bad, it’s still good. The newest addition to the James Bond cannon, Spectre, is far from bad, but it just doesn’t raise the bar.

Spectre takes us on a worldwide espionage escapade as our hero James Bond (Daniel Craig) seeks to discover the identity of an illusive criminal operation. His adventure starts in Mexico City on Dia de lots Muertos, where his much-needed vacation quickly turns into an unofficial assassination mission. After his mission blows up (literally, Bond causes a building to collapse ) and makes headline news, the new M (Ralph Fiennes) decides to put Bond on leave. The 00 program also has a new chief, C (Andrew Scott) who thinks the 00 program is outdated and has outlived its usefulness, instead wanting to turn to a multi-national information sharing network as the answer.

Bond subverts these orders to stay put and convinces Q (Ben Whisaw) and Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) to give him some gear and cover for him as he journeys to Rome. Upon arriving, he sneaks into a top-secret meeting of the world’s biggest criminal operation know as Spectre. However, his cover doesn’t last long, leading to an action-packed high-speed chase across the streets of Italy.

Eventually comes in contact with a former Spectre member’s daughter, Madeleine Swan (Lea Seydoux). She has been in hiding and, at first, pretends to know nothing of Spectre. But when members of Spectre take her hostage, it’s up to Bond to save the day and ultimately uproot this well-established organization and its leader for good before they take over the world.

Spectre has everything you want in a Bond movie: a country-hopping adventure, lots of action, an attractive Bond girl, and plenty of James Bond. However, while Spectre is an enjoyable romp in the moment, after it’s over, you realize that it lacks any real depth. While Daniel Craig as the eponymous Bond and the rest of the cast are stellar, as usual, the franchise seems so formulaic now that this chapter is hardly stimulating.

The visuals and special effects are top-notch, especially the opening scene as the camera follows Bond through a colorful and outlandish Mexico City during the Dia de los Muertos celebration in a single shot

Spectre, while not a bad film by any stretch, is nothing spectacular either. It’s a fun ride while you’re on it, but after you leave feeling as if you’ve ridden this ride a thousand times before.