Bond near the top of his game in 'Spectre'

Toward the end of the latest entry into the James Bond series, "Spectre," it becomes clear that the filmmakers have been speaking to the audience, and the film series’ critics, for at least the past two installments. Over these two films characters seemingly can’t wait to call both Bond and the Double-0 division outdated, deadweight in a technological world, walking dinosaurs that didn’t have the sense enough to roll over and die years ago. Here we are again, with prerelease buzz surrounding the film from critics only alternating between abysmally bad or a charitable, “Eh, it’s not that terrible.”

I have no idea what everyone is bellyaching about. "Spectre" is Bond near the top of his game, and if not at the very peak, one of the best Bond films in nearly twenty years. Director Sam Mendes has his pulse on what diehard fans want: a longwinded origin story; a beautiful opening sequence that may be the only thing from the film they remember a week later; and a death-defying stunt that ends with Bond bouncing off of something soft toward safety with a smirk and swagger.