Spectre

The tension between Bond's relentless need for resources and his continued spiral into obsolescence continues in this entry from 2015. This tension is as critical for the success of a Bond film as the accompanying charm that must infuse the interplay. And to charm I might add the shear fantasy of three-suits-a-day, evening gowns in remote villages, 5-star service at every turn, easy access to top-notch transportation, easy-access canoodling and the like.

Let us not forget the villain: equal parts brilliant, mad, egotistical, visionary, thrilling, sadistic, beautiful. Waltz, if anything, plays too small a role in this film, with his stand-in (the massive, voiceless MMA fighter) offering little beyond his literal muscles to.

And so, Spectre pulls of the Bond trick nicely, blending the narrative elements of the previous films just enough to spark interest, overplaying where it was fun and keeping things relatively light. Please to enjoy!