Directed by Sam Mendes (American Beauty, Revolutionary Road, Skyfall, Road to Perdition) and starring Daniel Craig (Skyfall, Casino Royale, The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Quantum of Solace, The Golden Compass), Ralph Fiennes (The English Patient, Schindler's List, The Grand Budapest Hotel), Naomie Harris (Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom, Skyfall) and Christoph Waltz (Django Unchained, Inglourious Basterds, Water for Elephants).

Spectre (action spy thriller, 148 mins, 12+);

The opening sequence in this latest Bond adventure sets the tone for the two-and-a-half-hour-long film, with an amazing single shot taking James Bond (Daniel Craig) from walking through the streets of Mexico City during the Festival of the Dead, up through a building and then out along the rooftops. Here he spies on someone he has been tailing before a gunfight erupts and an explosion causes the building to collapse, setting in motion the first near-fatal scenario in which Bond finds himself and from which he miraculously escapes, albeit with scratches and abrasions to his face. But this opening sequence also includes a gripping scene in a helicopter over a square and streets full of revellers. Oh, and Bond survives this test too...

The fast-paced opening, like in all Bond films, then fades to a moment of reflection; in Spectre it's all about a ring with a curious emblem engraved on it. Meanwhile, back in London, MI5 and MI6 are being merged and M (Ralph Fiennes) is far from happy with Bond's exploits, causing a diplomatic incident in Central America. But it's not just about the merger, the picture is bigger, with the amalgamation of security services from a number of countries in the process of being implemented.

The action then follows on to Tokyo, Austria and Morocco, with Bond linking a photograph and memories from his childhood to current events. The story behind him being able to ski, etc., are very cleverly entwined in the storyline to be utterly plausible and convincing.

Director Sam Mendes strikes gold again with Spectre; while arguably not quite up to the masterpiece of Skyfall, his mastery behind the camera and Daniel Craig's presence in front of it ensure that Spectre will delight audiences across the globe. The soundtrack, too, is magnificent, with the traditional Bond classical pieces adding to the tension and atmosphere. Talking about tension, there is one scene that is reminiscent of one in the 1976 classic Marathon Man in which Dustin Hoffmann is tortured in a dentist's chair; gripping, to say the least! But various scenes in Spectre also evokes memories of those in other Bond films; while clearly differentiating them, there is a certain continuity that is comforting to all Bond fans out there.

Bond here is much more rugged that suave, and his does order the obligatory martini, and he does get the girls too. Daniel Craig has now more than settled into the role of Britain's most successful and well-know spy created by Ian Fleming all those years ago, making the role and character his very own; it's going to be a very tough job to follow, whenever that day will be.

And what about Christoph Waltz, who plays Oberhauser, the head of a sinister organisation after which the film is named. He does so with a calm madness that is eerily evil, particularly so in the torture scene referred to above. And Naomie Harris as Moneypenny should be given more screen time in the next outing of Bond (Bond 25) which will again have Sam Mendes and Daniel Craig teaming up. We're already holding our breath in anticipation...