Spectre is a maddening mix of franchise pleasing and potent thematic showcasing. The former of the two is overstuffed, to say the least. The film takes inspiration from several Bond films of yore even when it means stretching the bounds of reality. The latter is surprising in its presentation of death. It pervades the film in a Bergman esque way as many characters are affected by it. Whether it was Mr White expecting it or Blofeld speaking about it in the past tense, the exploration of this concept was interesting territory for a James Bond film.