Sam Mendes really directs great live theater. He also has an Oscar for Best Director of “American Beauty.” But somehow he’s become the go-to director of James Bond movies. First it was “Skyfall” and now it’s “Spectre.”

SPOILERS ABOUND “Spectre” first of all ends with the warning: “James Bond will be back.” And you bet Mendes and Daniel Craig will, too. Nothing succeeds like success and Barbara Broccoli and Michael Wilson are not going to fool around. Two hits, and a third has to be coming in two or three years. Bank on it.

And you want theatre? The opening sequence in Mexico City looks like something Julie Taymor would have dreamt up for Mendes. Outstanding.

“Spectre” is missing Judi Dench, but she makes an appearance, and her M is key to the story. Ralph Fiennes is now M, and he’s fine. We just miss Dame Judi. Ben Whishaw is an expanded Q, loyal to James and ever inventive. Naomie Harris is back as Moneypenny, too.

They are all joined by the purring Monica Bellucci as the Italian wife of Bond’s victim, and one of his many conquests. Bellucci is radiant, sexy and age appropriate. Go back and see “Malena” from 2000– she is a modern Sophia Loren.

Leah Seydoux is James’s real Bond girl here. She plays the daughter of Mr. White, James’s foe from “Quantum of Solace” (Jesper Christensen reprises his role). As Monica, Mr. White’s daughter, Seydoux holds her own with Bond. She’s a knockout, and she can act. Seydoux is an excellent match for Daniel Craig.

Mr. White is not the only Bond throwback. “Spectre” stands for Special Executive for Counterintelligience, Terrorism, Revenge, and Extortion. The nefarious organization appeared in several Ian Fleming novels and in the movies “Dr. No.” “From Russia With Love.” “Thunderball.” “You Only Live Twice,” “On Her Majesty’s Secret Service”, and “Diamonds Are Forever.”

SPECTRE was the invention of Ernst Blofeld, aka Number 1, a great Bond villain. Now Christoph Waltz is playing Blofeld’s presumed dead son, who goes by a new name. Waltz, of course, is a delicious villain who takes responsibility for all the bad things that have happened in Bond’s life. Some of his connection is explained, but not all, which is a bit frustrating. But the new Blofeld looks like he may be sticking around for a sequel. I hope so.

Daniel Craig is better than ever, I think. He’s really made Bond his own character. He’s made the movies less about his body and more about Bond’s mind. I don’t blame him when he says he doesn’t want to make more of these– the whole thing looks physically punishing. But one more seems right to wrap it all up. You only live twice, you know!

Kudos for nice references to “Skyfall,” which obviously is on the mind of younger audiences. But the Sam Smith song is really all wrong, I suspect the producers are well aware of that by now. It’s so dull you think about your taxes and ironing while it’s playing. Too bad. For such an action-centric movie, the song has no propulsion.

So no one liked Sam Smith’s theme song. But everyone likes Sam Mendes’s movie. “James Bond– Spectre” is an international hit, already breaking records everywhere before its US opening this weekend.

So don’t worry– Daniel Craig will be back for one more. Mendes will probably, too. All they needed to see were the numbers. And they’re huge.

Here’s the info suppliede by the company:
In total in the six released territories, the film has taken in $80.4 million, including $67.7 million from SPRI territories and $12.7 million from territories in which MGM is distributing.

SPECTRE has also set a new IMAX record, recording the highest per-location average in IMAX history as the first film ever to top a $100,000 per-location average, with $105,000 in 47 IMAX locations.

The Oscar race is in motion. And like a city marathon, some runners are dropping out unexpectedly.

Both “Steve Jobs” and “Truth” were thought to be Oscar players this year. Michael Fassbender as Jobs and Cate Blanchett as Mary Mapes, respectively, seemed to be hot on the Oscar trail. They received great reviews. Alas, audiences have rejected these films. They are each more or less DOA no matter how much media (including me) loved them.

Fassbender will still go on to a nomination, I think. But Blanchett will now transfer her loyalties to Todd Haynes’s “Carol.” The failure of “Truth” boosts “Carol,” ironically. Still, I hope Robert Redford gets a nod in Best Supporting Actor for playing Dan Rather. But if history is a lesson, Redford– who didn’t help himself much with “All is Lost”– will probably not do much this time either.

Fassbender was the leader in everyone’s Best Actor races until “Steve Jobs” tanked. He gives a brilliant performance. But without box office or staying power, the movie is going to do him in. That gives a new life to the Best Actor race.

And of course Leonardo DiCaprio, the Susan Lucci of the Oscars, is ready to step in. In “The Revenant” he runs around in bear skins. He’s already said in an interview that he slept in a dead animal carcass. (He may have nodded off, but he’s not being held to Brian Williams-like standards of veracity.) Can Leo finally win Best Actor in what looks like a cold, gray outdoors adventure film light on dialogue? Could be, if nothing else materializes.

So far, Leo has a good shot. There’s Tom Hanks in “Bridge of Spies,” Michael Caine in “Youth,” each very good. I still count Fassbender in. The question marks are Samuel L. Jackson in “The Hateful Eight”– Jackson has tremendous support if the role works out. Michael B. Jordan in “Creed”? He came close in “Fruitvale Station.” Will Smith in “Concussion”?

There’a always Matt Damon in “The Martian,” another terrific performance that can easily be embraced for lots of texture and nuance. I might vote for Mark Ruffalo in “Spotlight,” but so far all the actors from that movie want to be in supporting. We’ll see if Ruffalo can’t be convinced to change his mind.

And Leo? Looking better and better.

The weekend box office is awash in almosts and also rans, indies pretending to be studio films, studio films pretending to be indies, and subjects that are of limited interest despite the quality of the work.

Somewhere the editorial eye went astray.

Sandra Bullock in “Our Brand is Crisis” earned just $1.1 million on Friday night. A $3 million weekend would be the worst of her career. Critics weren’t crazy about the film, and then Warner Bros. cut out the press altogether. David Gordon Green, who makes small movies with limited appeal, was the director. This was based on a highly regarded documentary. But the doc is one thing. It’s another to have a stressed out Sandy trying to get a miserable guy elected in South America. Interesting but not a mainstream takeaway. George Clooney produced, and this reminds me of “The Ides of March,” another movie I really liked but who was it for?

“Burnt” with Bradley Cooper did $1.8 million last night. Hope for a $6 mil weekend although maybe a little less. Great acting, great looking, interesting idea again with no third act and no device to make it likable. “Big Night” was a chef movie that was funny and crazy, “Chef” last year had a full three act plot and a kid and a main character who wanted to be better. Cooper’s character gets beat up, puts a plastic bag on his head, and fights to get a Michelin star. The audience has nothing to root for.

“Truth,” is so well made and acted that you want it do well. But the “Dan Rather movie” suffers from questions about its own truth, the importance of its subject in a global way, and CBS doing everything to quash it.

“Steve Jobs” — you should hear insiders telling me what’s wrong with it now that the box office is bad. When they first saw it, they loved it. Rats desert a sinking ship fast. It’s a very good movie.