Spectre

     Haven't reviewed for a while or rather I haven't posted one to the old blog for a while.  This evening I was lucky enough to see Spectre.  As the film is less than a day old I will avoid spoilers.  This one will definitely go down as one of the top five Bond films of all time.  Daniel Craig is certainly at his best here as is the rest of the cast.  Joining the adventure for this round are Christoph Waltz, Andrew Scott, Dave Bautista, and Lea Seydoux. 
     We open with a black screen and the ominous words "The Dead...Are Alive".  Now I'm hooked and they haven't even shown me anything yet.  The picture comes up and shows us a day of the dead celebration in progress on the streets of Mexico City.  What follows is a fantastic chase and some incredible helicopter acrobatics leading into the main titles.  
     The title sequence takes us on a journey through Bond's recent past. Reminding us of what has come before.  Sam Smith's theme is an alright song and fits the movie.  That said, it' doesn't feel like a Bond theme to me.  Hardcore Bond geeks will understand what I mean.
     Parts of Spectre are predictable if you have ever seen a James Bond movie.  Especially a recent one.  Bond gets in trouble for his methods.  They reprimand him and threaten his job security.  Bond does as he pleases and winds up saving the day.  We have seen these things before.  That doesn't mean we don't love seeing them.  It is the Bond formula and it clearly works.  The how's and why's of these events will be discovered when you see the film yourself. 
     Spectre, while telling a very modern day story, is all about taking us into our hero's past.  Who is James Bond?  What made him the man that he is.  In doing this, Spectre has very strong ties to it's predecessor Skyfall.  This is a first for the franchise.  While many of the Bond films have referenced past events or had recurring characters, Spectre is the first to feel like a direct sequel to the film before. 
     In addition to it's Skyfall connection, Spectre drops several easter eggs for classic bond fans as well.  The biggest and most obvious of these is Dave Bautista's character of Hinx.  The silent, nearly unstoppable henchman is clearly modeled on Robert Shaw's Red Grant character in From Russia with Love.  I will leave the rest of the easter eggs for you to hunt yourselves. 
     As always, Bond has a woman along for the ride.  Lea Seydoux's character feels unnecessary to me.  She does provide some vital plot information, however, i feel Bond could have come upon these facts in another way.  More could have been done with the character rather than letting her act as window dressing or to be put in danger for Bond to daringly rescue.
     As the villain of the piece, Christoph Waltz is incredible.  I always enjoy his work but here is at the top of his game.  One of the best Bond villains to grace the screen.  The scenes between Waltz and Craig are filled with so much beautiful tension. 
     Amazing locales, great performances, direct ties to previous films, a twist/reveal that will have you in shock until well after you leave the theater.  This is the best way to sum up Spectre.  If they would only stop using the "Bond is Back" tag line every time a new film comes out.