Spectre

It's the name that every James Bond fan whispers in their best Sean Connery impression. Spectre. You just tried to say it that way, right? Naturally, this Spectre organization is a bit different than the one we are familiar with. Much in the same way that Craig's Bond is a different Bond. 

Daniel Craig's James Bond has been an invigorating shot into the franchise. No disrespect to Pierce Brosnan or Timothy Dalton (we all forget about him, don't we?) intended. I know much has been said about how long Craig might stay Bond. I think even he said that Spectre would be his last, but I hope he doesn't trade in his suit and gun just yet. Same for Sam Mendes. They've been a helluva team for two movies. Although I fear that one or the other or both will hang it up for good now. 

Skyfall was fantastic and I consider it to be the best Bond movie ever made. Spectre did not better it although it certainly tried. This movie, I fear, will be considered somewhat of a failure. The reviews have been a bit lukewarm when not completely negative. Many say the same thing over and over again: It's not Skyfall. It's understandable. I just said it, too. 

But that isn't a bad thing. Skyfall was fantastic, but Spectre is still pretty damn good. It shouldn't be considered a slight. 

It's a worthy successor to Craig's previous films. Many of us just need time to accept this new Spectre and the new face of Spectre. Hell, some people are still trying to accept Craig as Bond. I think that's really what it is. This movie is a masterpiece in the Bond catalog. It's just not as good as a select few other masterpieces. 

The song sucks completely, but that's all that is really bad about the movie. I mean, whoever made the decision for Sam Smith to sing this is on drugs. It should be illegal for dudes to sing in falsetto on a Bond theme song. Illegal. I cringed the entire time. 

The opening credits montage was also somewhat in bad taste. Naked women, James Bond, and tentacles... I didn't know if I was watching a Bond movie or a live action hentai. 

Now onto the good things:

Christoph Waltz is the face of Spectre in this film. And yes, even though he's called Oberhauser, he really is the arch enemy of Bond we've all been waiting for. You know his real name. Waltz isn't quite the terrifying villain he was in Inglourious Basterds (many of us -myself included- will probably make or have made mental comparisons for some strange reason so I figured I'd just go ahead and say it... at no point does he put on a nazy uniform), but Waltz does offer the psychotic energy that seems to be required by all Bond villains just fine. Especially since the leader of Spectre is the ideal Bond villain. 

Daniel Craig is great, as always. His fights with Dave Bautista (whose character is close to what Jaws was in the Moore movies) were especially entertaining. 

Again, it'd be a shame to see Craig leave the role. 

I think there could be one more Bond movie to really draw the end of this rebooted Bond arc. Spectre, in some respects, feels just like part one of the end to me. As the end of this new Bond, this movie just doesn't quite hit all the notes. It ties up the previous Craig movies (although maybe too conveniently at times) and brings Bond to what seems to be the logical conclusion for his character to this point, but... Spectre seems too big of a deal to be one and done. Spectre can't be the end for this new Bond. 

Craig may or may not come back. Sam Mendes might not either. (I'm certainly more hopeful for Craig than Mendes.)

But Blofeld and Spectre seem like they are just getting warmed up. There's no way it can end here. Not this easy. 

We need Bond Vs. Blofeld one more time and it needs to have Craig and Waltz back for the rematch.