Bond is Back in "Daniel Craig 4: Spectre"!!

"That was amazing! Bond is like, my spirit animal!"

- Random guy in theater behind 
me after screening "Spectre"

   I remember the first time I saw a James Bond movie. I was ten and my dad took me to see "GoldenEye", the first to star Pierce Brosnan. I was elated! The action, the charisma, the gadgets, the spectacular feats this British spy was able to do blew me away. I mean, when Bond busts out of a building in a tank and proceeds to give chase to the bad guys, crushing cars and firing cannon fire, I was grinning from ear to ear. That's what the James Bond franchise is known for: slick, stylized action with more suave and swagger one can handle; iconic villains, beautiful women, and entertaining spy stories that transport us each and every time. The Bond franchise is amazing, majestic, iconic. He's the spy everyone loves and wants to be. There's a reason they've made 24 of these movies and it's because the guy is just plain awesome. With that said, the franchise is also generational. For my dad, no other Bond comes close to Sean Connery's Bond. I grew up in the era of Pierce Brosnan. It wasn't until about the time that "The World is Not Enough" came out that I had seen most of Connery's films as well as Roger Moore's. I've loved every Bond movie I've seen, but the Brosnan ones will always hold a special place in my heart. Bond has been around for over 50 years and although the movies are awesome, they really hearken to the generations that grew up with them.

   Today's generation is getting a really different style of Bond with Daniel Craig. Pierce Brosnan, as awesome as he was, seemed to draw from the previous contenders in his portrayal. Up to "Casino Royale" these movies all felt fairly the same in how they portrayed themselves. With these last few movies we've really seen a drastic change to the character and it's been awesome. I've loved the way the franchise has gone, and the Daniel Craig films are not only awesome Bond movies, but great films all together. From the gritty "Casino Royale" to this weekend's newest film "Spectre", Craig has solidified himself in both Bond and film histories respectively. And he's not done yet. Supposedly, Craig is signed on to do one more film, surpassing Brosnan with four appearances. With the way this franchise has been going, and noting that the next film will be the 25th installment, we should expect great things to come. Now, enough about that. Let's talk about SPECTRE!!

   One of my favorite, if not THE favorite thing I love about the Craig Bonds is that unlike the previous 20 films that stand on their own, these four (Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and now Spectre) are all connected to each other, weaving a narrative thread that pulls the story lines together in an intriguing and fun way. Spectre is kind of a culmination of sorts in that respect. Without spoiling anything, I'll just say that there are references from each of the past films in this movie and you learn how they're all connected. Not long after the events of Skyfall, this film finds the U.K.'s most swaggerific spy in the midst of a daunting investigation. A cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization. While M battles political forces to keep the secret service alive, Bond peels back the layers of deceit to reveal the terrible truth behind this organization, aptly named SPECTRE.

   Let me just get this out of the way. Skyfall was and is the best Daniel Craig Bond film to date. That movie is downright amazing. From Adele's haunting opening number to the high-octane finish, it's a tough film to follow and Spectre does a decent job at doing so. This film is a tad bit slower, but for good reason. The story is so dense that the movie takes its time to really delve into the meat of things. I loved that. The action sequences came at just the right moments and as always they didn't disappoint. Every Bond movie always has an adrenaline-pumping opening sequence and this movie's opening is definitely one for the record books! The intrigue doesn't stop there. As the story unfolds, as we learn about SPECTRE and Bond's connection to it (something that was eluded to in the trailer, so no spoiler fowl there), we get to learn so much more about Bond as a person. That's been the biggest highlight of these last few films.

   All the Bond staples are present. There are gadgets, cool car chases, awesome fight scenes, and fantastic villains. Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained) plays the head of SPECTRE and is truly a force to be reckoned with. Dave Bautista (Guardians of the Galaxy) plays Hinx, a dialogue-less baddie that hearkens back to the classic Bond villains like Oddjob and Jaws. He's by far one of the most physically challenging opponents Bond has faced. Their fight scenes are so jarring and exciting! Lea Seydoux (Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol) plays Madeleine Swann, one of the "Bond girls" of the film, and she brings a level of charm all her own as she braves the tempest that always seems to follow our favorite British spy.

   Sam Mendes helms the director's chair once again. After his fantastic job on Skyfall, it seemed like a no-brainer to bring him back on. He has a way with the camera that almost seems Jason Bourne-esque, but cleaner. His style is really in-your-face when it comes to the action, and yet so beautiful and open when it's not so violent. He seems to understand the balance between what makes a good story, a good Bond film; giving us as an audience something worthy of both the franchise and our dollar. It's heavily rumored (possibly even announced by now) that he will return to direct Bond 25 with Craig once more, which will more than likely be his last.

   I really enjoyed this film. It brings back the spy-feel of some of the older films, while continuing with the newer, grittier style. Though I think the previous film Skyfall was the best of Craig's outings, this film is a close second. Not quite sure if it edges out Casino Royale though. But regardless, it's a fantastic Bond movie with everything you'd ever want from a Bond movie. It's well acted, well directed, balanced with all the charm, action and awesomeness that we've come to love and expect from this epic franchise.