A cryptic message from the past sends James Bond on a rogue mission to Mexico City and eventually Rome, where he meets Lucia, the beautiful and forbidden widow of an infamous criminal. Bond infiltrates a secret meeting and uncovers the existence of the sinister organisation known as SPECTRE. Meanwhile back in London, Max Denbigh, the new head of the Centre of National Security, questions Bond's actions and challenges the relevance of MI6 led by M. Bond covertly enlists Moneypenny and Q to help him seek out Madeleine Swann, the daughter of his old nemesis Mr White, who may hold the clue to untangling the web of SPECTRE. As the daughter of the assassin, she understands Bond in a way most others cannot. As Bond ventures towards the heart of SPECTRE, he learns a chilling connection between himself and the enemy he seeks.

I am of an age which means that I have seen every single James Bond film at the cinema as it was released. ""Spectre" is the 24th movie in the most successful franchise in cinema history and the fourth to star sucker-cool Daniel Craig as 007 and the second to be directed by the British Sam Mendes (following "Skyfall" which was the biggest money-spinner of them all). This time, I was at the Odeon cinema in London's Leicester Square on a Sunday morning before the film's general release next day for a cast and crew screening. Mendes briefly introduced the film, explaining that five effects houses had been at work until the last moment in a tight post-production schedule. The audience applauded him and applauded again at both her conclusion of the movie and the end of the extensive main credits.

Like ""Skyfall", the film opens with a terrific pre-credit sequence. Indeed this visit to Mexico City's Day of the Dead festivities is so exciting, nothing that follows quite matches it. But, not to worry, the rest of the movie is classic Bond and immensely enjoyable. All the successful ingredients are there.

We have exotic locations: Rome, Tangiers, Austria, and my home city of London including the Thames, City Hall, Westminster Bridge and even a scene in "Rules", the oldest restaurant in the city and somewhere I have eaten several times. We have Bond girls: the age-appropriate Italian actress Monica Bellucci (still gorgeous at 50) and the age-inappropriate French actress Léa Seydoux (wearing more clothes that in "Blue Is The Warmest Colour"). We have Bond villains: Christoph Waltz, who has come so far since he was introduced to English-speaking audiences in "Inglourious Basterds", and the weighty Dave Bautista, who channels Oddjob from "Goldfinger". Of course, we have compelling music