IntroSPECTRE

The best Bond ever?

Take Diamonds Are Forever off the table and I might agree with you.

Hey, whatever the title, it’s James Bond, the gentleman spy extraordinaire, played to the 21^st century hilt with steely-eyed panache by the best actor to play our hero since Sean Connery. Light on plot, heavy on action, sardonic dialogue peppered with witticisms, it’s a guaranteed win no matter how hi-tech the projector.

SPECTRE in IMAX would have had me vomiting from motion sickness before the opening credits (which I think rank among the best in the entire series. Sam Smith did a super job with the theme, too!), so the gods be thanked that the film also opened in the old-fashioned regular format to accommodate vintage era fans. Ter and I were planning to wait a few weeks, but couldn’t stand it once we discovered it wasn’t exclusive to the hi-def, 3-D, über-size, holographic, king’s-ransom-admission theatre at the local Cineplex when it was released. We got our tickets online and happily ate popcorn and chocolate for lunch.

As plots go, this one continues from Skyfall and referenced both Quantum of Solace and Casino Royale, threading together the most recent four in the 007 series quite nicely. There were a few “Really??” moments, as are customary in a Bond movie, and the girl fell in love a little too quickly after  insisting that he stay-the-hell-away from her—but that’s picking nits. Overall, it’s a cool continuation of the franchise that got a potent shot in the butt when Daniel Craig signed on in 2006. Less a spy than an assassin, he owns the role simply by standing still. Put him in the field and watch him save the world without employing alien superpowers or stripping down to a blue Spandex onesie.

I do wish he’d quit destroying those Aston Martins, though. I can sit unmoved through a bloody brawl or a screaming torture scene, but I want to weep when the car meets its inevitable demise.

RIP DB10