Starring Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Rami Malek, Lashana Lynch

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga

Universal, out now

A retired James Bond is asked for a favour by Felix Leiter…

Before I go any further, do not under any circumstances check out the Wikipedia entry for the film if you want to go in unspoilered – and you really do not want to know the twists and turns. It’s worth rewatching Spectre (holding your nose if necessary) as this film links to that in much the same way that Quantum of Solace continued Casino Royale.

There’s a lot of plot, a lot of action and a surprisingly high amount of emotional content to fit into the 163 minute running time, and the franchise’s first official American director gives us everything that we want from a Bond movie in terms of eye candy. There  are some great firsts in terms of locations for the series and he throws us into the middle of the action sequences. It still seems to surprise people that Daniel Craig can handle the emotional scenes as well as the action – there are a couple of key moments, one at the start, one at the end, where you see the turmoil that Bond is in. (And for those who say that’s not Fleming’s creation, go back and reread the original books!)

Léa Seydoux and Lashana Lynch get plenty to do, as do the supporting cast at MI6, but it’s fair to say that of all the characters, Rami Malek’s Safin is the least developed. As Malek wanted, there’s no use of his racial heritage as part of his villainy, but I kept hoping for something more than the rather one-note we get. There are plenty of nods both to the past of the franchise (and in those, have we a hint of its future?) and to Fleming’s originals, portions of which are used for the first time in a Bond movie. Bond fans will also note a discarded plotline from decades ago finally coming into play. Hans Zimmer’s score feels like a return to form for the franchise, particularly after the anaemic Spectre outing, and there are plenty of musical nods pretty much from the start of the movie through to the end credits.

There’s much more to be said once the film has rolled out worldwide, but suffice it to say that it’s worth seeing on an IMAX screen if you can (and I wonder what the 3D version looks like – as with so many films recently, it’s been prepped for 3D but isn’t being shown in the UK in that format).

Verdict: We’ve waited nearly 18 months for this; it doesn’t disappoint. 9/10

Paul Simpson