SPECTRE (D+)

Clocking in at around 2 hours and 30 minutes, Daniel Craig’s latest turn as the spy with a license to kill is the longest movie of his tenure with, by far, the least amount to say…  And aside from a terrific opening sequence, lush cinematography and a few welcomed Bond bon mots, we’re left with little more than a lazily substance-free, double uh-oh downer.  Somehow, the director of the far superior SKYFALL (Sam Mendes) manages to mangle and meander our hero through a thoroughly consistent maze of missed opportunities.  The premise is silly, the action is uninspired, the villain is…well, the villain is Christoph Waltz playing Christoph Waltz (yawn) - and the movie as a whole is one bloated, yet easy to look at, misfire.  SPECTRE blandly, and quite shamelessly, attempts to tether together Craig’s previous three-film run as if this film were the action/reaction culmination of the lives he’s lost and his do-gooder deeds that went villainously unpunished.  Watching this greatest ‘hits’ party play out though is like watching someone attempt to knit a patchwork quilt with a single blade of grass.  It’s not shaken, it’s not stirred, it’s not fun.  Many may easily dismiss the unfocused, chemistry-free nature of QUANTUM OF SOLACE (a leaner, more energetic adventure by comparison + Craig seemed he was still having fun…as much as I imagine Craig can), but this is the lesser of the last four Bond flicks – easily.  If Grammy-winning singer Sam Smith’s solemnly snooze-inducing, post-opening sequence theme song doesn’t completely shut down your senses, you may find a few jewels here to (briefly) admire.  As it stands, however, this is one flat and moody spy movie that goes off way more than a little half-cocked.

Starring: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Lea Seydoux, Naomie Harris, Ben Wishaw, David Batista, Monica Bellucci, Andrew Scott and Ralph Fiennes

Directed by: Sam Mendes (SKYFALL, JARHEAD, ROAD TO PERDITION and AMERICAN BEAUTY)

Rated: PG-13

Running time: 2hr. 30min.

Story: A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind SPECTRE.

Website: www.007.com