Daniel Craig has given the world a beloved version of James Bond. From 2006 to today, fans were gifted a 007 series competently presented in modern-day, epic proportions. On the journey, a few mistakes were made, most notably the second outing “Quantum of Solace.”

Craig mentioned that the Writers’ Strike of 2007 ruined “Solace” and it became clear that he was not a fan of playing Bond.

Even if director Sam Mendes saved the franchise with the glorious sequel “Skyfall,” perhaps the third outing was too good, leaving Craig having to shuffle along.

“Skyfall” had a well-balanced script, a prominent villain and maintained a focus on Bond’s motivation. The cream of the crop was the cinematography and the editing.

There is no doubt that “Spectre” re-delivers the attributes of a well-made Bond film. Opening shot to closing shot, “Spectre” is a dazzling picture. Look past the great direction, though, and loud hiccups can be heard.

“Spectre” possesses the classic, albeit tired, James Bond formula: Chase scenes, Bond girls, tailored suits, interesting gadgets made by Q, played by Ben Wishaw, detective work and an attempt to save the world from rival intelligence agents.

All the pieces are there, but delivering the story is the major issue. Christoph Waltz is sadly underused as a villain. He heads a copy-cat organization attempting to replace the newly-formed global intelligence union.

“Spectre” ultimately has the exact same story as “Mission Impossible: Rogue Nation.” This time around, though, the villain is not given enough room to play.

It is an unoriginal plot strung by a shadowy villain. But too much of a shadow is casted. Waltz does not make an impact until the second half of the film, and even then he continuously speaks of things he did in the past, leaving very little time to show the audience anything new.

Where “Skyfall” gave us scenes of Bond questioning his role in the British Intelligence, “Spectre” does not continue that concept. The film takes a step back, to the point that James Bond is now “British Spy Guy,” stagnant and stiff.

Reflecting on the previous three Bond films is welcomed, but that is all “Spectre” does.

“Skyfall” and “Casino Royale” presented exactly what a Bond film should be, from tone to image. When “Spectre” came around, expectations were high based on those masterpieces.

As a stand-alone film “Spectre” would have been regarded as a great effort, but with the series being what it is, the new film fell short.

There are a few new things explored, like Q and Moneypenny, played by Naomie Harris, contributing more to Bond’s mission, but that only goes so far. “Spectre” has everything going for it, but it does not go anywhere.

Negatives aside, “Spectre” is an enjoyable sight. There is plenty of action and suspense. But, boil “Spectre” down and it is just a simple Bond mission; nothing more.

Craig is contracted for the final Bond film of the series, currently titled “Bond 25.” Whether he fulfills that obligation remains a mystery.

This series has seen incredibly difficult productions. “Quantum of Solace” faced numerous rewrites and “Skyfall” was delayed because of budgeting. “Spectre” upheld the tradition with multiple writers and actors doing re-takes only weeks before release.

Knowing this, fans are wondering if Craig would be willing to put himself through the physical demands for “Bond 25.”

It is important to note that Craig and the rest of the crew always showed up on the day to give their best effort. Audiences received a series of Bond films that transformed the formula to respectable pieces of cinema.

Maintaining that effort across the board, however, is crucial.

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