No Time To Die Movie Review

They've pulled out all the stops to make a quintessential Bond movie, including the cast of classic characters ' Q, Felix, Moneypenny and M ' together for the first time since Licence to Kill (1989) and blowing up every model of Aston Martin you can think of. They're even sticking with the old gadget watch and tyre spikes.

However, it does bend the Bond rules, giving this 007 one of the strongest character arcs of the series. It's a simple premise. Bond is retired. The end ' but wait, he's drawn back into espionage when an old mate needs him to save the world.

It's easy to see why this is the most expensive Bond movie yet, with breathtaking action scenes that push the limits of feasibility but still manage to keep you grounded in reality. This was also the movie's only minor flaw. All the action, excitement and character building are packed so tightly into the beginning and end of the movie that it makes the middle fall a bit flat by comparison, although to be honest¦ you may welcome the respite.

In Daniel Craig's fifth and final Bond, you can clearly see how much this journey has meant to him, acting his chops off, giving more range than previous iterations. It's a credit to director Cary Joji Fukunaga, who has removed some of the more tongue-in-cheek deliveries we've come to expect (don't worry, there are still cheesy one-liners).

Craig handpicked Ana de Armas and although she's given shockingly little screen time, she owns the role. Ralph Fiennes' M is grittier than before. Léa Seydoux is the Bond girl with a proper backstory and Lashana Lynch gives Bond a run for his money. Unfortunately, like most of the recent Bond villains, Rami Malek's character doesn't deliver, offering a convoluted evil master plan through whispered mutterings.

This is one of my favourite modern Bond movies to date, feeling like a return to the classic style, while still modernising the series for a new generation. It's all wrapped beautifully in a Hans Zimmer score to give moviegoers an even more theatrical experience that must be seen on the big screen.