Refreshing change of pace from the last two Bond suckfests

Rating: 8/10 (18 November 2015)

I consider myself a Bond aficionado, and I truly enjoyed this movie. It started off a little rocky, as I had a problem with some of the video-game physics that you see in the movie.
First, the helo (helicopter, whatever you want to call it) doing barrel rolls is just ... dumb. Anyone who has been in or around helos knows that they just can't operate inverted. It simply would have crashed, and weed whacked the crowd on it's way down. However, my date didn't notice this, as she has never been in or around a helo. So, maybe only horribly bad to a limited portion of the population.
Second, the Jaguar going down flights of stairs bothered me as well. I'm guessing that vehicle has a ground clearance of about 20mm (I can't find any specific specs on that car, but that is standard for supercars, and it definitely didn't look lifted or modified), and that just ain't going to work down a flight of stairs. I can accept the Aston-Martin, because it was modified for an agent, and they are filled with all sorts of tricks and goodies, but I would have expected to see a broken in half Jaguar after that little excursion around Rome. Again, not a deal-breaker, but it made me scoff at the screen during that part.
Third, the restraints opening up because of the watch-bomb. ... Why? If they were previously locked, and the controlling terminal is now offline, in what possible situation should they disengage? I know it was crucial for the plot, but it doesn't make a lot of sense.
Fourth, and finally, then unloaded handgun. This always bothers the hell out of me, and I demonstrated it on my date after we left the theater. I handed her my gun, and told her to notice the weight of a loaded gun. Then I cleared the chamber and removed the magazine and gave it back to her. Again, I told her to notice the weight, and I asked if she'd be able to instantly tell the difference. I carry a Glock 17, and 18 9mm rounds are notably HEAVY. Unmistakably so. There is absolutely NO way that a person can pick up their own weapon, and not be able to tell if there are bullets in it, or not. MAYBE, the one round in the pipe, but the weight of the stick balances out the weight of the weapon. They become very VERY front heavy with no ammunition. However, again, this is probably not something that is obvious to people who do not handle firearms, as I had to demonstrate it to her when we got to the car. But, to someone who HAS, and frequently handles firearms, it is painfully moronic when movies or television take that route.
Now, the good. I like that Bond "got" the proper amount of girls. One is absolutely not enough. Three is just right. I like that he "got" a Bond car, especially a prototype one. I am starting to feel a lack of gadgets over the past few movies, but I am willing to overlook that one more time. I got used to that quick tour around Q's office where you got to see gadgets in development. Yes, it was usually comic relief, but it was part of the Bond ritual. Hopefully, we'll get back to toys and tricks in the next one.
I was over-the-top impressed with the white cat, and immediately following that, Ernesto Blofeld revealing his name. I liked how they made SPECTRE feel like the sinister organization that we all remember it to be. I feel that the efforts done by M and 007 should have legitimized the double-0 program, and would ideally make MI-5 and MI-6 separate entities again. (Although, being an American, I have no idea if those two agencies cooperate better or worse than our FBI and CIA elements.)
I liked it. I thought the story was good, the plot moved at an appropriate pace, and the characters were who and what they should be. Possibly a bit much of Moneypenny, but it was integral to the plot. The scenery was gorgeous (Austria ... I'm talking about you.), and the action was engaging and not too cartoonish. (Although, 007 hitting a helo engine from an unstable, moving platform ... at night, was a bit much. At least it took him several shots, but ... .32 cal is not usually considered an effective or efficient way to take down aircraft.)
Well done. It was a great connection of the old and the new, with the final exclamation point being Bond driving off into the sunset in yet another beautiful car.
tl;dr - I found it campy at times, but I saw Moonraker in the theater, so I could handle it. I thought it stayed true to the legend of Agent 007, and I will absolutely go see the next one.