"Spectre" (2015)

James Bond Double-O-Meh

Yeah, we get it, Daniel Craig is over it. I think Bond is very much like playing Batman, once you’re done, you’re way done. And as far as Craig is concern, this series ends with him. A bad way to go out, if you ask me. But, not completely wrong. Since it wraps up his tenure from “Casino Royale” to the end credits of this movie, we can safely walk away from him and be fine with it. Same as when Christian Bale walked from “Batman.”

This one is about the secrets behind an organization Bond’s been chasing for years, code named “Spectre.” The octopus arms squiggling about indicate that there are deeper meanings of the reach of  tentacle. All the tragedies of Bond come up to the top and he must face the realization of his own spy world collapsing under the weight of the new tech that makes field agents obsolete. We’ve visited this road before. But this is an interesting take. The new M (played by Ralph Fiennes) is now the relic of the old spy world. Clunky and grasping at the threads of the old world, he isn’t getting help from Bond’s inability to follow orders. We are introduced to the head of the new world, which is under the moniker of C. C is a company man. He is also the instigator of the new technology that will kill the spy program. Why not? MI-6 kills too many agents. I suppose the debate here is whether or not a handful of people should have all the information. Enter: Spectre. A group formed like a sinister Illuminati. Even their lighting is sinister. We’re also introduced to the big baddie played by Bautista, A burly henchmen who says nothing. A throwback character without any character. He was a waste. So was Monica Belucci, which they didn’t do her any favors by putting her in lingerie.

As far as the rest of the story goes…there’s the usual bad guy talk to antagonize the good guy. There’s damsels in distress. A lot of neat stunts, but underperforming spy stuff. They could’ve bumped up the gadgets. Q plays a cheeky character. Personally, he seems to be having the most fun. They try a weird tactic of trying to shoehorn Moneypenny into the action, which just seems off. And, well…the movie seems flat. Is it the worst Bond? No. I thought “Skyfall” was worse. I think when we look back on Daniel Craig’s Bond, we’re going to see a Bond that is sleek but somehow empty. A ton of style, attempting to fill in the gaps of previous Bond movies. Perhaps even buffering the next Bonds that will be much more digestible to the millenials.