Big. Bold. Bond.

​Spectre brings Daniel Craig's Bond full throttle and full circle. Shot on glorious 35mm film, Spectre delivers spectacular action and riveting Bond villains, but with formalic storytelling.

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Spectre is no Skyfall, nevertheless; it still is a worthy entry to the Bond canon. Now, that we got that behind our backs lets move forward with the review. Spectre is the 24th Bond film to hit theaters under Econ Productions as they continue to infuse our Bond-mania. 007 has been a cultural icon for more than 50 years. Created by Sir Ian Fleming in 1953, Bond has left his trademark from action spectacular, to vodka martini's ... "shaken not stirred" of course. Craig continues to show us a darker and more vulnerable Bond since taking on the role in 2006. Spectre marks Craig’s fourth time suiting up as the MI6 agent. While, Casino Royale and Skyfall have drawn away from the predictable 007 formula Spectre is admittedly reliant on it. Craig’s blunt force and sexual swagger sends 007’s reinvention soaring to new levels.

Director Sam Mendes (Skyfall, American Beauty) returns to the chair to finish what he started three years ago. Along side him are scriptwriters John Logan, Neal Purvis, and Robert Wade. And what better way to kick off a Bond film than in Mexico City? This Day of Dead opener is drop-dead gorgeous. Dutch camera whiz Hoyte van Hoytema (Interstellar, and Her) swings the camera from every angle. He begins the film with a three-minute continuous take and it is marvelous. The plot reveals a cryptic message from Bond's past that sends him on a trail (Mexico City, Rome, Austria, and Tangier) to uncover a sinister organization A.K.A SPECTRE. Meanwhile, M (Ralph Fiennes) battles political forces to keep the secret service alive in London. Along the way Bond meets Lucia Sciarra (the stunning Monica Bellucci) and Madeleine Swann (the wonderful Léa Seydoux). Bellucci's short appearance in the film is enough to staple her has the oldest Bond woman, 51, in the franchise; while Seydoux gives the audience a fresh new take on the Bond woman. She’s smart, strong, and empowering. Seydoux also becomes Craig’s new love interest throughout the film.

Naomie Harris and Ben Whishaw also reprise their roles as the enjoyable Moneypenney and Q and continuing to back 007 throughout the chaos. Christoph Waltz helms the villain role for the film as the evil Franz Oberhauser. He’s the head of SPECTRE and the mystery man from Bond's orphan past. Faithful Bond fans will already know his true identity has he purrs the line, "I'm the author of all your pain” to 007. The downside to Waltz’s role was that I wished we could have seen more of him throughout the 148 minutes. Like in Skyfall, Mendes throws a dash of Bond homage into the film like a From Russia with Love train fight scene with henchmen Mr. Hinx (Dave Bautista) or the historic Sean Connery white tux. Overall, Spectre isn’t better than Skyfall or Casino, and it gets bogged down with all of the Bond mythology after a while. But it has it's moments of worthy action spectacles and mysterious tones. Hopefully, this isn’t Craig’s last outing as 007.

Spectre is rated PG-13 (Parents Strongly Cautioned). For intense sequences of action and violence, some disturbing images, sensuality and language.