Classic Bond

Rating: 9/10 (6 November 2015)

Listen, folks. I know we all have to try to get along as human beings, and sometimes we disagree. But people who hate Spectre are literally the worst people in the history of mankind.
OK, that's not exactly true. But for Bond fans--actual *Bond* fans, not people who have only seen Skyfall--this is absolutely everything you want in a James Bond movie. You've got Bond getting a verbal thrashing back in M's good ol' quilted-door office. You've got an honest-to- god Q scene, complete with gadgets and cars. You've got the classic banter between Bond and Moneypenny. You've got the best henchman since possibly Odd Job. You've got...well, Spectre, and all that entails.
But more than anything, you've got fun. This is the most outright fun movie of the Craig era. Genuine, Roger Moore-esque fun, but in a context that makes sense in the Craig-bond universe. The fact that it's also gorgeously photographed, incredibly well-acted and features a great score is just icing on the cake.
The one flaw is the MI6 B-story. It's unnecessary, and a retread of Skyfall's "This agency is outdated!" thread. If you take it out, you'd actually have the same movie.
Does the villain's plan make sense? Of course not, it's a James Bond movie. Are there shoehorned references to previous movies? Not as much as Skyfall, but yes, because it's a James Bond movie. Is it all very silly, pulpy stuff? Is it too long? Is the plot basically just an excuse to have set-pieces? Yes, yes and yes, because it's a James Bond movie. Is it fun, though? Yes, because it's a James Bond movie.