It may have been the 23rd James Bond film, but for all intents and purposes, it’s easy to proclaim that Skyfall was the pinnacle of the franchise up to that point. After all, the film — directed by Oscar-winning filmmaker Sam Mendes (American Beauty) — was the first in the series to rein in more than $1 billion worldwide and proved to be a widespread critical hit, bridging the gap between Daniel Craig’s gruff take on Bond and the traditional elements of the character and his world. With the level of pop cultural impact that Skyfall achieved, the success of Spectre seemed to be a foregone conclusion, as it reunites much of the cast and crew of its predecessor. Why then is the latest 007 adventure such a huge letdown?

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