A return to high form

Rating: 7/10 (5 September 2014)

(69%) This really is Bond going back to basics. The stupid sci-fi gadgets, the over-the-top and all too apparent CGI riddled action set-pieces, comedy side characters and strait from a children's cartoon bad guys of "Die another day" and many like it are all absent. And from the beginning this takes itself very seriously, although maybe a bit too seriously, but I guess the main aim was to remove itself from the last couple of Brosnan movies as much as possible and start over again. There's certainly romantic plot elements lifted from "The spy who loved me" and "On her majesty's secret service", which is a fine asset to have. And Eva Green is a perfect inclusion to the Bond universe, while the action is hard hitting and has real weight behind it as Bond gets badly hurt more in this than any other entry. If this just had a touch of humour, which is an important element to any Bond flick, then this would be one of my favourites, but it's still very good.