Mixed reviews...

From a comment elsewhere:

The thing about Spectre (which I enjoyed, and I will explain why) is that it was a Bond movie whose plot followed the classic Connery-era Bond movie formula as rigidly as though it were kabuki. The things that made it perhaps jarring were that the classic Bond movie stepped from formulaic scene to formulaic scene without all the long, lush establishing shots afforded by huge budgets and modern cinematographic tastes; this one does not. The result is as confusing and discordant as putting long, Clapton-esque guitar solos between the verses of a Ramones song. Plus, the movie is full of visual in-jokes and call-backs to previous Bond movies almost back to Dr. No.

Ultimately, this film as much as any other lives up to Eleanor Ringel's comment in her review of View to a Kill: "Going to a James Bond movie is like going to the zoo. Either you're happy to see the giraffes again, or you're not." Despite the occasionally tedious cinematic insertions between car chases, gunfire, and explosions, I was happy to see the giraffes again.


ETA: Great (but long) essay revolving around the movie, and James Bond in general, and the decline of Great Britain, and lots of other things may be found here. Recommend. *caution: uses big words*
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