In this long-anticipated adaptation of Ian Flemming’s 007, “Spectre” stars Daniel Craig as the famous MI6 agent, James Bond, as he goes head-to-head with the titular criminal organization, Spectre.

Created by Flemming in his original Bond novels, Spectre hasn’t been seen on film for almost 45 years.

The 24th film in the Bond series marks Craig’s fourth portrayal of the British secret serviceman 007, following 2006’s “Casino Royale,” 2008’s “Quantum of Solace,” and 2012’s “Skyfall,” with “Skyfall” director Sam Mendes returning to the director’s chair for “Spectre.”

In the aftermath of the events in “Skyfall,” a seasoned and determined Bond must cope with a crumbling MI6 and the mysterious organization known as Spectre, which may have ties to the his past.

“Spectre” features recurring characters from previous Bond films, including Ralph Fiennes as M, Ben Winshaw as Q, Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny, Rory Kinnear as Bill Tanner, and Jesper Christensen as Mr. White.

In addition, “Spectre” introduces a new cast of characters including two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds,” “Django Unchained”) as the film’s villain, the notorious Ernst Stavro Blofeld, Léa Seydoux (“Blue is the Warmest Colour”) as Dr. Madeleine Swann, Dave Bautista (“Guardians of the Galaxy”) as Mr. Hinx, Monica Bellucci (“The Matrix: Reloaded”) as Lucia Sciarra, and Andrew Scott (“Sherlock”) as C.

The organization known as SPECTRE (Special Executive for Counter-Intelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion) was last seen back in Sean Connery’s Bond days in 1971’s “Diamonds Are Forever,” the seventh film in the series.

SPECTRE is arguably the most iconic Bond villain, with its equally villainous and iconic leader, Ernst Stavro Blofeld, considered throughout the 007 lore to be Bond’s archenemy.

For those unfamiliar with Blofeld, take a look at the “Austin Powers” film series, which is a parody of the Bond series with Mike Myers playing an exaggerated and comedic version of the British agent. The films include many elements of the Bond series, tweaked a bit for comedic purposes.

The villain of the Austin Powers series, Dr. Evil, also played by Mike Myers, has become widely popular among audiences and is a ridiculous and satirical version of Bond’s nemesis, Blofeld.

First, the good.

Spectre was extremely well shot. The scenes show tremendous cinematographic skill and the action sequences were excellent, fast-paced and exciting, yet consistent and not confusing.

The opening shot in Mexico City is particularly good.

Craig’s performance as 007 was, as always, perfect. His gritty and realistic portrayal of the MI6 agent continues to evolve in accordance with the story and is seen to be more focused and determined in “Spectre.”

The supporting cast is also very good, with Seydoux’s Swann standing out among past Bond girls. Waltz was, without a doubt, great and gave a chilling and intriguing performance that only he can give.

The film displayed fantastic performances by the cast and even better cinematography, stuntwork, and action sequences.

Now, comes the bad.

Following the success of “Casino Royale” and the massive box office hit that was “Skyfall,” audiences had set high expectations for “Spectre.” Unfortunately, “Spectre” didn’t entirety live up to that hype.

This was due, in part, to the film’s writing.

Bond’s journey to discovering Spectre felt anticlimactic, lacking the thrill and mystery that was promised in the trailer.

Bond films are traditionally long, that is a known fact, so it would make sense to build up to Spectre’s reveal, having an organization like that hide in the shadows for a time to create that suspense and eerie feeling. This was done to an extent, but in the end it fell a bit short of what it could’ve been.

The writing of the villain was another issue, as he felt underused. Despite a solid performance by Waltz, the villain of “Spectre” fell second to villains in earlier installments, such as Skyfall’s Raoul Silva, because of the small amount of screentime the character was given.

The first few scenes featuring Waltz’s character are amazing, so naturally, audiences wait in anticipation for that second dose of cinematic malice. It comes, but it’s not as good as that first encounter. In addition, some of the villain’s motivations are rather unrealistic, again due to the writing.

Fortunately, the film’s ending leaves the door open for this particular villain to return in the future.

With strong performances and spectacular scenes, “Spectre” is somewhat disappointing but nonetheless a good entry in the “007” series. It might not be as good as “Casino Royale” and “Skyfall,” but it’s surely a whole lot better than “Quantum of Solace.” For Bond fans, it’s definitely worth watching, but if you haven’t seen the previous three films with Craig, you might want to hold off on “Spectre” until you’re up to speed.

I give “Spectre” a rating of 007 and a half vodka martinis, shaken not stirred, out of ten.