Film review: 'Spectre'

The new 007 film, "Spectre," is an action-packed globetrotter. But it doesn't possess the edginess and depth of character that propelled Daniel Craig's three prior Bond movies to greatness. 

It opens with the franchise's signature adrenaline-pumping, pulse-pounding chase scene. The locale is Mexico City during the Day of the Dead parade. James Bond (Daniel Craig) is unrecognizable in a skull mask, weaving in and out amongst the skeleton-clad revelers. He and a lady friend zip into a hotel for some action. But it's not the type she's expecting. Suddenly, shots are fired, explosions are erupting and hand-to-hand combat is playing out in a spiraling helicopter. 

Back home, Bond is grounded by M (Ralph Fiennes) for what went down in Mexico. To make matters worse, the new MI5 boss (Andrew Scott) is leaning toward shutting down the 00 program. Bond disregards his orders and heads to Rome, where he sneaks into a secret meeting presided over by Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz). Some shady global honchos in attendance witness a colleague having his eyes poked out by a brute wearing metal thumbnails. No one bats an eye.

Eventually, Bond hooks up with Madeliene Swann (Lea Seydoux), the daughter of a former nemesis, whom he has promised to protect. She leads him to Oberhauser's headquarters (Spectre), where he's designing a worldwide surveillance system.

It's a slippery script, rife with homage to previous Bond films. Some soar, others crash and burn. Director Sam Mendes makes "Spectre" look good, but it's vapid on the inside. It loses focus by throwing in tidbits of backstory that seem like silly after thoughts.

Christoph Waltz's gift for sophisticated villiany ("Inglorious Basterds") is barely utilized. The camera spends so little time with him that we feel cheated. Even Daniel Craig seems less engaged in his character than in "Casino Royale," "Quantum of Solace" and "Skyfall." When asked if he could imagine doing another Bond movie, his reply was, "I'd rather break this glass and slash my wrists."

Really?

A soaring score and stunning cinematography elevate "Spectre" to worth-a-watch status. But sometimes, great expectations set the bar so high that disappointment is inevitable.

Nevertheless, disappointment can translate into millions at the box office, and thus another Bond film on the horizon.