This film is the 24th film in the James Bond 007 saga. As is traditional in the Bond films there were numerous exotic locations and characters. In particular Rome looked nice. The cinematography was visually pleasing with lots of clever, often shadowy, lighting.The espionage thriller with Daniel Craig as Bond and French actress Lea Seydoux as primary Bond Girl, psychologist Dr. Madeleine Swann, is a typical cocktail of adventure, action stunts, explosions and fighting. There are also cosy scenes such as those between Bond and Swann on a train in Morocco.So much for the pros of the film. What about the cons? It is long at well over 2 hours, hence the advantage of watching it at home if possible. There is a fair amount of gratuitous violence with nasty scenes where Bond suffers at the hands of the main villain Blofeld (alias Franz Oberhauser) played by Christoph Waltz. Unpleasant to say the least.

This is a sequel to SKYFALL. Bond battles "the author of all his pain" as his secret past is revealed. An international organization plans on uniting all the top intelligence agencies in order to combat terrorism. However their goals are not benign nor are their methods honorable. Bond has his hands tied by his own agency as he operates in a semi-rogue fashion.The film gives us plenty of over the top action, Bond girls, Bond lines, Bond car and the Bond drink. I don't recall the casino. It shows the evolution of a man. It also shows us why men like Bond are obsolete in the modern world of intelligence gathering and drones....or does it?Perhaps it is me, but the film seems to changed to have more action than drama.

As a long time bond fan, as many of us are, I find this film paid a good homage to the earlier works and adds good quality lore to the story line of the whole series. This had good psychological elements to the story which underscores to be a spy one needs to not only be deadly but brilliant. The film fits well into what makes for a good bond film, tongue in cheek humor, colorful and insidious villains, high tech gadgets, and masterful action scenes among other things.

I watched Spectre Jan 11, 2018. Avoided it because of the bad reviews.Finally said, what the heck, it's on Amazon Prime, how much could it really suck? It's a BOND film for Gosh Sakes, and well, how much could it suck?As a fan of the books, having read all of them at least 3 times, and having seen all Bond films going back to seeing the first in the theater as a young boy, with my parents, I LOVED the Homage paid to past Bond films, in particular, the opening sequence, calling to mind Live and Let Die, Thunderball, and Dr. No, not to mention the fact that Ian Fleming wrote lovingly about the Caribbean Culture which surrounded his Jamaican home Goldeneye.The action was a good and gritty as any Bond film ever, the sets exquisite, the videography often stunning (opening sequencing decidedly Orwellian). The ending, was most satisfying. The Villains creepy. Believable in Bond world land.Favorite Scene? When Bond creatively dispatches the two hit men sent to dispatch the widow of the assassin he had dispatched. Convoluted? Only in my writing. In the movie, it's Bond at his stylish killing best.I could go on and on, but why bother. Movies are subjective. Maybe I liked this Bond so much, because I expected to hate it. I am so glad, I didn't. If you have avoided it, because you have the same expectations, avoid it no longer. Watch it. Enjoy it. Screw all the bad reviews. But don't let my 5 Thumbs up rating set you up, for a letdown. Forget what I said when you watch. Tell yourself in advance, "I've heard this movie sucks, how bad can it be, it's a Freaking Bond Film!"