Spectre

**Spoiler Alert**

Director: Sam Mendes/Starring: Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Christoph Waltz, Ralph Fiennes, Monica Bellucci, Ben Whishaw, Naomi Harris, Dave Bautista and Andrew Scott

What would the world do without 007? We would have suffered a great many disasters as a species if Mr. Shaken, Not Stirred weren't on the job. And where would movie audiences be without Bond movies to liven up multiplexes every few years? I suppose the world will never tire of James Bond, nor will I. No matter the cast, I can always find time to see the world's greatest spy onscreen. Director Sam Mendes has found himself a comfortable niche as a Bond-director and has done quite well. His latest is fun and very faithful to the series.

Spectre looks and feels like a Bond film and has terrific action sequences, so what more does one need? Do we need a director to reinvent the series; tinker with a formula Bond fans have come to expect and cherish? No. What do we ask of any Bond movie but action, cool cars, cooler gadgets, psychotic baddies, beautiful women and romantic locales? You get all that in the latest film and a fun villain in Oberhauser (the always entertaining Christoph Waltz) and some choice babes in Lucia (luscious Monica Bellucci) and Madeleine Swann (sexy Lea Seydoux). The latest film also attempts to tie all the Daniel Craig/Bond Films together in a story that links the various villains in a way Bond films never have.

Bond finds himself in hot water with M (Ralph Fiennes) and British intelligence after conducting a mission in Mexico without his superiors' consent or oversight. Grounded from duty, Bond learns the double-0 program may be scrapped by another intelligence agency run by a man referred to as C (Andrew Scott). Said agency's objective is to link with other intelligence-gathering organizations from around the world, thereby creating the ultimate surveillance network. Of course we know that anytime 007 is told the world no longer needs his kind, he is going to prove otherwise. Though M intends to keep Bond under watch and tethered to London, 007 has other plans.

Not long after, Bond finds himself in Austria visiting the shadowy personality known as Mr. White (Jesper Christensen); who we've seen in previous Bond films. Mr. White's link to various international crime syndicates includes one called Spectre, who Bond learns of after Q (Ben Whishaw) identifies a symbol found on a ring in White's possession. Bond manages to infiltrate a Spectre meeting in Rome; a secret society-like affair run by a man named Oberhauser. Well aware of 007's presence, Oberhauser's thugs set upon Bond, who manages to escape with the help of a sleek Aston Martin sports car, which was previously "borrowed" from Q's lab. The Aston Martin is naturally loaded with all manner of gadgets and weaponry, which Bond employs in a thrilling car-chase through the streets of Rome.

Bond also learns the various high profile criminals he's encountered in his past are all linked to Spectre. Hoping to locate the headquarters, Bond searches for Mr. White's daughter; Madeleine Swann, who may have information about the organization. Like all Bond girls, Swann is beautiful and seductive and knows more than she is willing to divulge. The two manage to elude more of Spectre's thugs, including a muscle-bound menace known as Hinx (Dave Bautista). Bond and Swann's investigation leads them to Tangiers, where a secret room in Mr. White's apartment provides useful information about Spectre's whereabouts.

After locating the headquarters in a enormous crater in the desert, Bond and Swann gain access to the complex, only to be captured by Oberhauser's men. The requisite torture scene follows--a staple in all Bond films--which in turn follows another Bond movie mainstay; the disclosure of the villains' grand plan. Spectre's (and Oberhauser) scheme involves the control of a world-wide surveillance system; a counter to 9 Eyes ; a vast surveillance system to be monitored and controlled by the nine most powerful governments of the world. Bond discovers C is in fact an operative of Spectre who intends to implement Oberhauser's plan. But another fact comes to light; one that links Bond and Oberhauser in a surprising way.

As stated previously, we look for and expect Bond films to follow a formula, which Spectre achieves with happy fidelity. The beautiful aerial shots of Austria, Rome, London, Mexico City and the deserty landscape of Morocco are intoxicating visual tics for which the series is known.

Lea Seydoux makes an excellent love-interest; her beautiful blue eyes and French accent compliment Craig's own.

Bond's victory at the end seems to come a little too quick and easy but that's a very minor criticism for a movie I enjoyed.

The question that kept nagging me as I watched the film was: will Craig return again? I've heard he is to do one more but given the ending of his latest, it is hard to say whether that's true. Of all the actors who have played 007, I must say Craig is the Bond I like most after Connery. He brings ruggedness as well as gravity to the role. His version is very physical.

If Spectre is his last, I'll be sorry to see him go but am pleased he performed the role in earnest. If he has one last film left in him, so much the better. If not, I'll always be excited to see the latest James Bond movie. It's nice to know we can expect to see him every couple of years. Hope to see him again.