Steve Tothill’s review published on Letterboxd:
Despite having all the elements for an excellent Bond movie - exotic locations, completely mental villain, plenty of action scenes, James looking dapper while dropping one-liners, henchmen and women's undies - it left me a little flat. Not really a franchise that deserves to be over analysed, but I found the clash of old and new confused the character. In Casino Royale we we're treated to a more human, emotional and rounded Bond, a side to his personality that is ultimately buired with the woman he loved. Skyall attempts to coax it back out, but I didn't find it rang true this time and the iconic figure he has now become didn't really allow for it anyway. I guess I've always seen Bond as this one dimensional, womanising, super agent constantly put in tight spots but never losing his cool. Perfectly captured as he rips the back off a train with a digger and leaps into the carriage, pausing for the breifest moment to adjust his cufflinks. The film then tries show Bond having a crisis of faith yet he's character is never allowed to stretch beyond the icon weakening this dramatic and rather key element of the story. There is never any doubt that Bond will do what Bond does best, so the time spent getting hammered at a beach BBQ or being seduced by the deliciously messed up Silva feel a bit pointless. With a bit more room to breath we could have gotten another fantastic character driven installment of the new Bond saga, instead this was as thrilling as ticking off the items from your shopping list - albeit one at Harrods...