Writer: Naseem Randhawa

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Watch this if you liked: "James Bond" series , "Mission: Impossible" series

The Good, the Bad, and the Writing's on the Wall:

From the theme song itself, "Spectre" feels a few notches below reaching the great heights that was "Skyfall" in terms of its story, villains and Bond girls. However, the latest Bond instalment doesn't disappoint (much) and offers another great story latching onto the most serious Bond to date.

Daniel Craig returns for his fourth outing as 007, James Bond, but this time shots of him to wow in his tailored suits can't hide all of the belligerence he has faced through his past missions, as this time Bond appears hardened and troubled by all that's haunting him, finally ready to give it his all to end things once and for all.

That being said, the action sequences of "Spectre" are expectedly exhilarating. There are many of them fitted in between the intense dialogue driven scenes that are so beautifully shot, including the one at the very start of the film. Daniel Craig is seen running from rooftops and snaking past the sugar skull painted crowds of Mexico City to stalk a deadly assassin during the colourful Dia de los Muertos (Day of the Dead festival).

Like all Bond movies, "Spectre" is no short of a high speed car chase, and the highlight of the chase this time around is the Aston-Martin DB10 and a Jaguar C-X75, which are so sleek and expensive-looking like the filmed chase scene that was so meticulously planned and choreographed to perfection.

The baddies in "Spectre" are disappointingly lacking in the evil department and they can hardly outshine the cyanide cynicism of Javier Bardem from "Skyfall" which he so cunningly yet cleverly delivered. Christoph Waltz as the head villain seems to be channeling a more demure version of his Nazi Colonel from "Inglourious Basterds" and Dave Bautista ("The Guardians of the Galaxy") has been reduced to nothing more than a hulking goon that wants to fight Craig's Bond.

The Bond girls also seem to be lacking. We hoped to see smart and strong female characters as seen through Rebecca Ferguson's character in "Mission: Impossible - Rogue Nation", but what we got was a stubborn damsel in distress played by Lea Seydoux and Monica Bellucci; the latter who might've given more weight to the Bond girl aspect this time around if only she was given more screen time for her role to actually carry some significant weight.

It's no "Skyfall", but "Spectre" still delivers the amazing thrills, action and story we've become addicted to following one of cinema's most iconic spy of all-time.

Cinema Online, 03 November 2015