By Will Van Gelder ’16

While “Spectre” isn’t a great movie, it sure is fun. The 24th film about the British M16 spy is a ferocious, funny, gorgeously produced love letter to the longest-running franchise in film. Bond fanatics will be ecstatic to see all of the references to early movies in the series that began in 1962 with “Dr. No.”

Daniel Craig, who should be considered the best Bond, is electrifying in “Spectre.” He’s a blunt instrument filled with danger and swagger. This is Craig’s fourth time as 007. With “Casino Royale,” Craig’s first try, he reinvented Bond for the 21st century. After that came the disappointing “Quantum of Solace,” which he then followed with “Skyfall.”

“Spectre,” which cost approximately $250 million to make, carries on Craig’s reinvention of Bond by managing to stay personal. “Skyfall” director Sam Mendes is back at the helm and, like that previous Bond film, is a 2 and ½ hour movie filled with many beautiful sequences.

The series has never had a more stunning opener than this one, which is set in Mexico City on the Day of the Dead. With Bond leaping across rooftops to

take out the evil Sciarra (Alessandro Cremona) and winding up in a dizzying helicopter battle over the crowds, the scene adds to the resume of acclaimed cinematographer Hoyte van Hoytema of “Interstellar” and “Her.”

Then Bond is off to Rome, chasing bad guys in an Aston Martin DB10 and seducing Sciarra’s widow (Monica Bellucci). The widow is Bond’s intro to Spectre, a secret society of terrorists led by Franz Oberhauser (Christoph Waltz), a mystery man from Bond’s past.

Back at MI6, Bond and the new M (Ralph Fiennes) face Max Denbigh, (Andrew Scott), a bureaucrat who wants to bring British Intelligence into the digital era, which would include the end of the 00 program. So it’s Bond, M, M’s assistant Moneypenny (Naomie Harris) and gadget-master Q (Ben Whisaw) against the government on one side, Spectre on the other.

Craig puts heart into “Spectre,” but it seems he’s taken Bond as far he can. An exhausted Craig has said he’d rather “slash my wrists” than play Bond again. There’s still one more film in his contract, but to quote Sam Smith’s Bond song, “The writing’s on the wall.” If so, “Spectre” is a stirring ending. Craig does himself proud.