(Spoilers) I don't get the hate

Rating: 7/10 (22 February 2016)

This post contains spoilers.
I don't get the hate. I just don't. Specter seemed a great return to form of the classic Bond tropes. I'l start with the positives: the one-take Mexico shot at the beginning was nice, and the helicopter set piece was thrilling (if a bit CG-ish). I like how the 00-section seems like a working organization with the new M in charge (not that Dench's wasn't, but that had become too personal I felt). Money penny is played nicely, even if she doesn't have that much to do. And the evolution of Blowfeld was nice (and for those criticizing Waltz's performance as not being scary, have you seen Inglorious Basterds? He played a similar character there and his terrifying diabolical-ness is masked by a cheerful disposition—I felt he did a good job). Although we got another helicopter scene at the end, I thought that was thrilling as well and I kept thinking "are they going to kill the new Blowfeld his first movie out?" People thinking the music was terrible must not have seen many of the mid-Connery movies because this fit right in with a mid-run Bond film that's neither the beginning nor end of an actor's term.
The bad: action scenes were a bit cliché and the sudden transformation of the heroine from "I hate you" to "let's do it" actually had me saying "ugh.
But Spectre seemed right on par with Rogue Nation—classy, subdued, and very Bond. Was it as good as Casino Royale (my favorite Craig Bond film)? No. But nothing short of a soft reboot with a different actor will fix that. This felt like a perfect mid-run Bond film with a classic villain and a solid cast firing (and of course a few times mis-firing) on all cylinders. I wish IMDb could give half ratings because this felt more like a 7.4 or 7.5 to me.