When it comes to storytelling, a few things come in to play to make the story as perfect as possible. For one, the tale has to be compelling of course, and the characters need to pop off the screen or the page and face tests along the way. After all, if the character isn't being pushed to do something more, to be something more, then we will never find ourselves truly attached.

Thankfully there's an easy way to do that, give the character the greatest challenge that they will ever face by way of a powerful nemesis. Sometimes the nemesis may be a bit more philosophical in nature, say the roadblocks toward achieving their goals. But often times it comes in the form of a grand villain, a person who wants nothing more to see our hero suffer and falter and when it comes to the James Bond franchise, our dearest spy has been without a true nemesis for a long time but that all changed in Spectre.

Now for those of us who love the franchise, that name should bring joy, for after years of legal battles behind the scenes, the greatest challenge and most diabolical of organizations our intrepid spy ever faced returned to the franchise at last and let me tell you... their return was worth the wait. For this film as it turns out, is nothing short of fantastic, finally pitting Daniel Craig's Bond against the legendary and powerhouse organization that his predecessors once faced and the film handles this in incredible fashion.

Now, I will do my best to not totally lose myself in a fanboy moment, because this is a Bond film that I could fawn over for hours. But there are a couple of elements I need to fanboy about in this film, so you have been warned. So, the first thing I really loved about this film... is the fact that it manages to tie everything together when it comes to the Daniel Craig Bond films. I love the fact that the entire time we have been enjoying these films, S.P.E.C.T.R.E. has been with us all the way and that adds new depth and layers to the Craig era, meaning I'm going to have to go back and watch all of them again to appreciate all the nuances put on display in Spectre.

Speaking of this secret organization, one must also take a few minutes and appreciate their evil plan in this one. It's quite diabolical really and I appreciate the fact that this time around it didn't involve nuclear weapons or some wild and crazy scheme. This was a plan grounded in fear, grounded in control and one that allows for a dark cloud to hang over the film throughout its running time and perhaps the sweetest treat, and the part that I simply cannot hold back about... is the mastermind behind the whole thing. Because it is just amazing to see Ernst Starvo Blofeld return to the fold and do his thing and he is perfectly played by Christoph Waltz and is oddly… is even more evil in this film than in past ones.

I will also make a point of saying that some of the fans may be furious over the ending, and that's understandable given how it plays out and what it seems to imply for the story. But stay through the end credits to have your concerns addressed. But outside of that, this really is a fantastic Bond film through and through and after viewing this one again, my mind is battling over which Craig film I love more, this one or Skyfall and I guess a few extra viewings of Spectre will help me in deciding that. Either way, this is a wonderful entry in the franchise, one that finally brings back the finest villain Bond has ever faced.

Over the course of twenty-three films, we've ventured on some incredible journeys with James Bond. We've been to every corner of the world in fact, faced off with insane mad men and watched as James has managed to save the world and get the girl time and time again. But throughout all these adventures, there are still a couple of places we have not yet explored.

For one, we still know nothing of 007 himself. His life and what made him into the stone-cold killing machine he is today has always remained a mystery. At the same time, we've never really had a in depth understanding of the person he works for, M, as well since she is always barking commands at him and much to my delight that all changed when Skyfall arrived. 

This is a Bond film that remains one of my favorites for so many reasons, but primarily for the two concepts that I listed above. This is where we finally meet James Bond the man, not the spy and we finally saw M for who she really is and what she truly stands for, and the story even also took the time to explore the consequences that come with their line of work, and all of that, makes for one the best Bond pictures out there. ​

​The fact that we finally get 100% confirmation on the fact that Bond is an orphan, (something that was alluded to in Casino Royale by Vesper but really who could believe her with all the lies she told) is spectacular, and it gives us the complete picture of a man who has no attachment to the world and never will. He sees himself as lost and only finds purpose in the life he has now chosen for himself and this is handled in such masterful fashion that we don't need the film to fill in the blanks, we just know that James has always been an outcast and doing good deeds for the world and remaining anonymous in the process somehow gives his life meaning.

Plus, we see M as vulnerable for the first time in the series as her past decisions come back to haunt her. We finally understand that her job is ten times more difficult than Bond's and she carries with her burdens that we will never know. This is in part thanks to the fine work of Judi Dench in her final appearance as the character and her exit is one that is dignified, thankfully. Plus, we cannot talk about this film without discussing the madman that is Silva, played brilliantly by Javier Bardem. He is the dark side of the spy trade and war that is rarely discussed, the people left behind, and while this particular character is a little less on the super villain side, he is disturbing and terrifying none the less.

There is one last thing however we must discuss before we move on to the next-to-last review in this series, the fact that this particular Bond film is a feast for the eyes. Yes, the exotic locales are still there and as lovely as ever, but Director Sam Mendes injected some pure beauty into the film as well with his visuals, almost making the places we travel with Bond come to life and become characters of their own. In particular the visual that always comes to mind is the skyscraper battle, with the neon behind James and his opponent putting both of them into silhouette, allowing for the colors help convey the action. In the end, this is hands down a perfect Bond film, one for the ages and hopefully No Time to Die will be every bit as good as this one. 

​Over the past few weeks, we've all come together to reminisce about the wonder of the James Bond franchise and all the incredible stories that 007’s adventures have sent our way. In fact, in my review of Casino Royale I even pointed out that the Daniel Craig era has served host to some of the best stories in the history of the series.

It's important I make mention of that because one cannot have the good without the... not so good, and we would be lying to ourselves as fans if we said that every single Bond movie is perfect. After all, there were some pretty silly films that came out in the Moore era and even Timothy Dalton and Pierce Brosnan's stellar acting managed to be overshadowed by some goofy moments and despite Daniel Craig giving the franchise new life, he is not immune to an off the cuff Bond story, as was the case with Quantum of Solace.

In fact, after all these years, I'm still not sure how I feel about this particular Bond tale because it's such a mix of both the best and the worst of the franchise... so let's just get right down to it. Truth be told, the overall direction of the story is a bit of a mess. If there's one thing a Bond film always does well, it is that it is seamless in its storytelling and that's missing from this film. The giant graphics when we go from city to city, the pacing, all of it feels out of place here.

The other issue I had with the story is that it has no identity. A great example of this is the revenge story that is basically forgotten quickly. Bond has Mister White; the interrogation is underway and then suddenly there's the big reveal that Quantum is a thing, and we don't revisit Bond's need to deal with the man who corrupted and hurt his Vesper until the end of the flick. That just seemed odd. Not to mention, it's a shame that Quantum isn't better developed. It's obvious that they have deep pockets and big plans and well, the gravity of that is never quite addressed, they come, and they go without a hint of something more for the future and the only thing that redeems them is the twist injected into Spectre.

In the end, something is just missing from the film to make it special and to this day, I still don't know exactly what it is. On one hand we get all the Bond stuff we love, a kickass spy in James Bond thanks to another fine performance from Daniel Craig. We get exotic locales and plenty of action, in fact the awesome final fight in the burning hotel deserves a quick mention but the rest is forgettable. Quantum’s potential really is wasted, and Mister Green isn't that memorable a villain and perhaps that's the issue. In that, at its core, it's just a Bond flick that's tossed together to get us to the next one and thankfully, the next one would wipe away any of the bad memories this one managed to produce. 

The good news is, they pulled that challenge off without a hitch. For one staple of the franchise is incredible action sequences that take your breath away, and you'll find that here. Plus, one of the things we have always loved about this series, is the web of intrigue and deception that comes with the spy lifestyle, and you'll find that too with the strange set of circumstances that James is thrown into this go round. But two key things allow this film to truly stand out. One of them is the return of weird and mysterious villains that have their grand and evil plan, and while Le Chiffre may not be as creepy as say Blofeld, he is genuinely mysterious through and through and that makes for some fun scenes during poker.

But the man of the hour, the highlight of the entire motion picture, just so happens to be Daniel Craig. Because Craig's Bond is at last the perfect blend of all that came before him and it is a wonderful homage to the character that was created in print so long ago. For the Bond in the books is a cold-hearted killer, without remorse or care, just a duty to Queen and Country and the mission. You'll find that darkness in Daniel Craig's performance, but you'll also find a man in there as well. This Bond exhibits fear and love and an actual range of emotion but can switch all of that off for the mission on a moment's notice. 

While this film may feature perhaps one of the simplest Bond plots in years and the least amount of danger for the world, it's still incredibly effective and incredibly entertaining. You'll be hard pressed to find flaws in this one because each scene moves seamlessly from the other and the intrigue and tension builds minute by minute. Did Bond truly need a reboot? Probably not. But am I glad they, did it? Absolutely. Taking this risk and reinventing the franchise from the get-go was nothing short of a stroke of genius and this gem would serve as the gateway to some of the finest Bond films to ever grace the screen.

It is definitely safe to say that the end of a particular actor’s tenure as James Bond is handled with a great deal of scrutiny. Because fans and critics alike, expect a story to play out that gives this particular 007 a proper send-off. Largely due to the fact that more often than not, the actor playing the role is beloved by the fans and it is only right to provide them with a respectful and powerful exit. But this is also something we hope for, because that kind of finale… is quite rare within the framework of this franchise.

I say that because let's be honest, the finale films for many of the actors playing this iconic role are either quite sudden in nature or they bring forth mixed reviews and feelings from both critics and fans. Because everyone genuinely feels that something more could have been done for said finale, especially when so many lean into over-the-top moments or feel more like a rehash of other films and when it comes to Pierce Brosnan's final turn as James Bond, Die Another Day is a story that gets a bit of a bad rap in both categories. 

Now the over-the-top knock that this film receives, I fully understand, since this sucker is filled to the brim with gadgets that continue to amaze but overshadow the story and the characters. Was the car with the cloaking device cool? Damn right it was. Was the car chase with it equally as awesome? Yup. But at the same time, that car took front and center for way too long, because that car chase went on forever and well... it wasn't a bad thing when the car was destroyed. 

As for the film getting a bad rap about being filled with way too many homages to the other Bond films, I give it a free pass for one particular reason... it was an anniversary film. Released in 2002 the movie did pay its respects to forty years of the franchise, and I personally had no problem with all the little touches that came about to honor the wonderful actors that came before Brosnan and it was fun to take a long walk down memory lane. Especially in Q's underground garage where all the classic toys showed up and I personally liked the homage to Goldfinger with the laser beams that Jinx had to deal with.

But, there's a bigger reason as to why I staunchly defend this particular Bond film when few others will. Because once you look past the toys, the over-the-top car scenes and the kitschy winks to the audience... there's a solid Bond film underneath it all. For Gustav Graves is a villain of Blofeld’s caliber since he truly goes the extra mile to turn his homeland of North Korea into a superpower, all by using the world’s love of technology against it. It's a genuinely fresh idea to inject into a spy story and while he may be over-the-top, who cares... that's a Bond Villain thing as is. 

Either way, I think this was a fitting send off for Pierce Brosnan. He had the chance to once more play a Bond torn between his duty and his humanity, something that came into play often during his tenure in the role and it is handled admirably here. Especially when you consider that MI6 basically disavows him. But that just makes his quest to repair his relationship with M and make her proud of him all the more worthwhile. Regardless, EON Productions heard the criticism and made some major changes to the franchise for the better after this and that's why I have no issue with this flick. Because if it wasn't for the "mistakes" made in this film, we would never have the wonderful stories that awaited us next.

No, seriously, the 007 Bond theme will forever be stuck in my head. After all these movies, my brain is mush, and I can't even begin to process what is going on. All I know, is this is the last of my reviews of this series of films, and I'm filled with mixed emotions. On one hand, I'm excited because the new movie comes out soon! On the other, I hand the reigns back to John for the final run of the movies. With that, The World Is Not Enough came out the year my dad adopted me. 

It was a really special and important year for us as a family and I can remember everything that happened that year. Including this movie release. I suppose, for me, revisiting these movies over the past few days, has brough forth all kinds of personal nostalgia. I remember the feelings of awe and excitement over them. I remember how I wanted to be a spy. More importantly, they make me realize how old I am. Which is okay! I can tell my nephew that I watched some of these movies in theaters and he'll think I'm cool!

This last movie in my section heads back to major twisty plots, back stabs, a kidnapping, and terrorists. Which means we have to bring in former KGB agents turned into world dominating bad guys! Because those are the best bad guys. Also, Russian accents? Kind of awesome. Have you noticed we've dealt with a lot of Russians in these movies? Sir Robert King is a very rich man. He's made his money from oil and he's a friend of M's, which means Bond is tasked with retrieving some money for the man. Which he does, after killing some peoples and escaping with the money, only to witness King's brutal murder. This means Bond gets a chance at playing bodyguard to King's Daughter, Elektra. Renard is our KGB agent turned terrorist, and he has a history of kidnapping Elektra for ransom. He saves the woman from would be attackers. However, while Elektra may be beautiful and kind, she's definitely up to something. She just so happens to be working with Renard, and the two attempt to get rid of James and Christmas Jones. Who is Christmas? Well, she's a nuclear physicist they use to help steal plutonium. She gets saved by Bond, and thus a new romantic interest is born.

Renard plans to blow up a portion of an oil pipeline. As Bond explains to M that Elektra is probably working with the former KGB agent, they discover where the bomb is. Christmas and James hurry off to deactivate the bomb, but half of that stolen plutonium is missing. They're unable to stop the impending explosion, but James gets them free from death's grip one more time. Elektra has captured M. It seems M had advised King not to pay ransom, and Elektra and Renard started working together. She'd had her father killed out of spite. So, what's the plan? Blow up a rival pipeline using a submarine and the remaining plutonium. All so the pipelines Elektra is building will be more valuable. Basically, it would make the Russians poor, and make Elektra filthy rich. It's Christmas who stumbles upon this realization. Before they can form a plan however, they're captured by Elektra's men. Christmas is taken to the submarine and Bond is taken and tortured by Elektra. He's freed by Zulovsky, just before the man dies. Bond then kills Elektra and frees M before going after the submarine.

Renard is aboard the vessel, and the fight that ensues is epic. The submarine dives and suffers a hull rupture in the midst of the fight. 007 manages to kill Renard! Yay Bond! Before the reactor and detonate, James and Christmas escape, of course they do! It's a Bond Film! Which means, this romance isn't built to last.

I thought of writing out the James Bond Theme but didn't because that would be weird. So just hum it in your head and pretend it's awesome while I hum along, because this movie was my first Bond Movie in theaters. Everything else I ended up seeing on TV or rented VHS tapes. 

Yep, that is how old I am. Bond held a special place in my heart after this, he was the ultimate spy, and I finally got the impact of it. Every kid wanted to be a spy. It was cool! They were sexy, with nice cars, gadgets, and above all, hot lady friends. I was a weird kid.

This time Bond isn't facing the KGB! Instead, it's an American technological terrorist. The plot is simple, steal a GPS encoder and start a war between the U.K. and China. This shouldn't be too hard, because you know, wars between the U.K. and anyone just start at random. Well, maybe not, but when you have a device that literally reroutes and launches things, like a U.K. missile into Chinese waters... it makes war easier to start. 

It's always fun to mess with other countries! Not to mention, when you have an elaborate plan that involves doing so, with a British ship in Chinese waters, and you shoot down the plane that comes to investigate the whole mess... you're a master mind. Plus, you're an evil master mind when you own the broadcasting company that televises a story saying the Chinese are attacking the British. Because maybe you want to replace the government officials along the way. And maybe you need this "war" because you're insane and you might just benefit the best from all this.

If you're James Bond, however, you get to investigate these weird things. You also get to seduce the bad guy’s wife, who happens to be an ex-girlfriend. Man, it must be nice to be 007. Sadly, the wife is murdered shortly after James steals back the encoder and thankfully Bond meets Lin, a Chinese spy working the same case he is. The two are captured and escape together, making for the perfect romance story, and decide that solving the case is their best option. With their powers combined, the two master spies are able to do the impossible, save the world. They end up killing the bad guy, Bond saves Lin, and the two vanish without so much as a trace.