"Spectre" is impressive on every level, from its cutting-edge plot and whiplash-fast pacing to a plethora of amazing action sequences that would each serve well as the climax for most any other film. With two-time Oscar winner Waltz aboard as the villain, following Javier Bardem's bizarre turn as the bad guy in "Skyfall," the movie also gives Bond a charismatic counterpoint to match his every move.
But what really makes "Spectre" shine is its sense of fun, a quality that has been missing in Craig's prior Bond movies as he attempted to ground the character in some reality. Here, Craig finally cuts loose with such absurd moments as falling several stories in a collapsing building only to land on a couch, or gleefully smirking as he deploys a series of top-notch technology in the new super-car he steals from his MI6 spy headquarters.
As far as moral issues go, if you're not aware of Bond's illicit propensities towards one night stands and short-term affairs, then you likely haven't ever seen one of these movies. In this one, Bond almost immediately engages in a casual one-nighter with the widow of Sciarra right after his funeral, a situation that is not only immoral but illogical – the one logic weak spot in the movie.
Viewers will see the widow (who despised her criminal husband, but that of course still doesn't justify promiscuity) with her bare back exposed after her dress slips off, but the scene fades out with passionate kisses. Bond's other liaison with another woman, which actually manages to last through the few days of the film's escapades, also is shown through passionate kissing that fades out.
There is very little foul language – just a couple of S words – and of course there's plenty of violence, most of which is the non-bloody, over-the-top ridiculous style that could never be taken seriously and provides undeniable thrills. There is one gruesome moment in which a vicious bad guy proves his skills to the Spectre meeting by gouging a man's eyes out and snapping his neck, but again, this is really too ludicrous to be offensive. For teens and adults, it's a fine film as long as teens are grounded in the reality that promiscuity is a serious moral offense.
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Otherwise, it's a great time at the movies, and a great start to a holiday season that still offers epic fun with the new Quentin Tarantino film "The Hateful Eight" and the rebirth of the "Star Wars" series. With Bond in peak form at the top of November, there will be a lot more than 12 days of Christmas for movie buffs this year.
