Spectre - C+

Daniel Craig as James Bond

Rated PG-13, 150 minutes

If you go into the overlong but modestly entertaining new James Bond thriller "Spectre" expecting the energy of the most recent dazzling Bond effort, "Skyfall," you'll be greatly disappointed. Directed by Sam Mendes, who helmed that previous effort, "Spectre" will still satisfy Bond fans, but it's also the weakest Bond film of the Daniel Craig era and overall a lackluster entry in the Bond film series. A cryptic message from the past leads 007/ James Bond (Craig) to Mexico City and Rome, where he infiltrates a secret meeting, uncovering the existence of the sinister organization SPECTRE. Needing the help of the daughter of an old nemesis (Lea Seydoux), he embarks on a mission to find her. As Bond ventures toward the heart of SPECTRE, he discovers a chilling connection between himself and the enemy (Christoph Waltz, underused) he seeks. Serviceably peppered with a few decent gadgets and familiar action set pieces but bogged down by an uninteresting plot, "Spectre" has enough - barely - to stand on its own merits, though it's still not as fun or chilling as the most recent outing, going on much too long in the last act, which has not one, but two climaxes, the first of which is largely unnecessary. Other than the fact it's about 20 minutes too long and has one of the clunkiest endings of recent Bond movies (not to mention an extra, unnecessary climax), "Spectre's" biggest flaw is its disappointing villain: Waltz's criminal mastermind is one of the most milquetoast Bond villains and given such minimal footage he brings few chills and thrills to the movie. There are a handful of good sequences, including a nice car chase between the sleek Aston Martin DB-10 and sleeker Jaguar CX75, and the opening sequence set in Mexico City, though a few, such as on the ski slopes or on a train, seem all too familiar. All the gang, including Ralph Fiennes as M, Ben Whishaw as Q and Naomie Harris as Moneypenny, all ably support the still dashing Craig, though lovely French actress Seydoux is a vacuous Bond girl. Featuring the drab song "Writing's On The Wall" from pop star Sam Smith, the blandly entertaining "Spectre" isn't Bond in top form, and certainly not enough to shake or stir you.