Spectre Is Decent 007

In 2006’s Casino Royale, Daniel Craig helped redefine James Bond for the modern era, eschewing the increasingly silly elements of previous Bond films for a more visceral, vulnerable interpretation of the character. Spectre, Craig’s fourth outing as the British superspy (and 24th film in the franchise overall), hews closer to the 007 formula of old, and critics say it’s mostly effective, even if it suffers from comparison to its predecessor. This time out, Bond squares off with a shadowy criminal organization with ties to his past, all while he and M (Ralph Fiennes) push back against the imminent cancellation of the double-0 program. The pundits say that Spectre abounds in glorious action and affectionate callbacks to the franchise’s earlier films, but it also lacks the heart that made the last entry so compelling.

It’s been 65 years since Charles Schulz published the first Peanuts strip, and 35 years since the gang’s last big screen appearance with 1980’s Bon Voyage, Charlie Brown (and Don’t Come Back!). That latter fact is being rectified with the release of The Peanuts Movie, and critics say this warm, deeply-felt feature will appeal to longtime fans and a new audience that wasn’t even alive the last time a new Peanuts strip was published. In this movie, lovable loser Charlie Brown goes into panic mode when The Little Red-Haired Girl, his perennial crush, moves in across the street, setting off an adventure that crosses paths with all the classic characters: Lucy, Linus, Peppermint Patty, Schroeder, Snoopy, and many more. The pundits say The Peanuts Movie ‘s subtle charms and absurdist turns of imagination will engage people of all ages and offer a gentle reminder that our tenacity and hope prove there’s a little Charlie Brown in all of us.

Exceptionally executed with charm, humor, and heart, Master of None is a refreshingly offbeat take on a familiar premise.

After a long wait, The Returned is back with more of the chilling, deliberate, and masterful storytelling that made season one a spooky success.

“Here’s Not Here” is a stand-out installment of The Walking Dead, using Morgan’s backstory as a powerful reminder of what it means to be human.

With “The Zygon Invasion,” Doctor Who delivers a thrilling episode that pays special attention to character development and the consequences of time travel.

While “Better Call Saul” contains its fair share of ridiculous moments, the end pays off with the reunion of Homeland‘s most important characters.

Even though it dwells too long on Bruce’s teenage drama, “Mommy’s Little Villain” is mostly an action-packed episode of Gotham with new developments for many of the major characters.