James Bond's "Spectre" reviews: What critics are saying

James Bond is back in theaters -- with Sam Mendes as director and Daniel Craig returning in the lead role.

In the latest edition, a "cryptic message from Bond's past sends him on a trail to uncover a sinister organization."

"I think we have everything in there. I think we've tried to bring as much of the old Bond back and I think we've tried to do it but keep it within the storyline," Craig told CBS News about the new installment.

"Spectre" -- which stands for Special Executive for Counterintelligence, Terrorism, Revenge and Extortion -- marks Craig's fourth time as secret agent 007. The question remains though: Will Craig sign on for another installment? In recent interviews, he's been dodgy about future plans as Bond.

"You know I still love working. I still get a kick out of acting and that's, for me is the deepest pleasure, one of the deepest pleasures in my life. And I love working with the people on this film. I play James Bond, but when I go home I don't think about it," he said.

"Spectre" also stars Monica Bellucci, Ralph Fiennes, Christoph Waltz, Ben Whishaw and Stephanie Sigman. Grammy winner Sam Smith does the theme song, "Writing's On The Wall."

The film has plenty of ingredients that when put together, make a great recipe. Still, reviews are mixed. Some critics love it. Others? Not so much.

Check out a sampling of critics' reviews below:

"[Daniel] Craig's expression is so unchanging it might as well be chiseled out of stone, and his emotionally uninvolved performance is similarly lacking in nuance." - Kenneth Turan, Los Angeles Times

"If there is such a thing as "James Bond's Greatest Hits," then "Spectre" is it. The 25th movie about the British MI6 agent with a license to kill is party time for Bond fans, a fierce, funny, gorgeously produced valentine to the longest-running franchise in movies. Bond freaks will be orgasmic playing spot-the-reference to the series that began in 1962 with Dr. No." -- Peter Travers, Rolling Stone

"In pure action adventure terms, Spectre delivers the goods, with plenty of revved-up supercar porn and several kinetic high-speed chase sequences on road, river and snowy mountain slope." -- Stephen Dalton, Hollywood Reporter

"We don't expect a James Bond film to be deep, but at least we should be dazzled by the seductive gloss of its surfaces. Aside from that stunning opening sequence, this installment feels overcompensating and dutiful." -- Ann Hornaday, Washington Post

"Like all of Craig's turns in the tux, 'Spectre' is a blast of bespoke escapism, full of globetrotting action and thousand-thread-count opulence." -- Chris Nashawaty, Entertainment Weekly

"In the end, Spectre is just too much of a good thing. Though each scene is carefully wrought, there's little grace, majesty, or romance in the way the pieces are connected. The whole is bumpy and inelegant -- entertaining for sure, but hard to love. It's easy to see how all this aggressive splendor could fall flat: Both Mendes and Craig have said in interviews that they were nervous about being able to top the over-the-topness of 2012's rich, resonant 'Skyfall,' Mendes's first film in the franchise." -- Stephanie Zacharek, Village Voice