Spectre’s plot is simple enough, and largely follows the same beats as Skyfall: a sinister figure from Bond’s past, interfering bureaucrats, parts of London being blown up.

This isn’t necessarily a bad thing; it is welcoming to see an ongoing plot across multiple films. It allows Craig’s Bond to get some proper character development; he ends this film an entirely different person to who he was in Casino Royale.

Christoph Waltz is of course superb, and there is strong support from a mesmerising Léa Seydoux, as well as the rest of the supporting cast.

Still, a shame about that song.

If this really is Craig’s final James Bond, then what a swansong. Action-packed and witty: a classic British spy caper as good as, if not better than, Skyfall.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Daniel Craig, Christoph Waltz, Léa Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomi Harris, Ralph Fiennes

DIRECTOR: Sam Mendes

WRITERS: John Logan and Neal Purvis & Robert Wade and Jez Butterworth

SYNOPSIS: Bond (Craig) must face his past to discover the truth behind the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE. Back in London, M (Fiennes) is having to deal with political forces hell bent on bringing down the Secret Service and consigning the dinosaurs of  the 00-branch to history.