By the time this movie was released the Bond franchise had become steeped in self-parody, aided hugely by the smirking frivolity of Roger Moore, and it was down to Sean Connery, returning to the role after 12 years, to balance the comic hysteria with action-man authenticity. Connery, ever-aware that he's at the centre of a big, expensive joke, still makes you believe that he's heroic to the core. His well-groomed presence holds the screen with ease and he's flanked here by three charismatic ne'er-do-wells, Klaus Maria Brandauer, Max von Sydow and Barbara Carrera. The plot, which owes much to Thunderball, lurches badly at times, but the wild action set pieces, decked out in gals (Kim Basinger among them), gadgets and glib lines, are there to be cherished. Listen out for Q's smart remark about gratuitous sex and violence.

James Bond returns as the secret agent 007 one more time to battle the evil organization SPECTRE. Bond must defeat Largo, who has stolen two atomic warheads for nuclear blackmail. But Bond has an ally in Largo's girlfriend, the willowy Domino, who falls for Bond and seeks revenge. This is the last time for Sean Connery as Her Majesty's Secret Agent 007. Made outside of the traditional Broccoli production environment due to separate rights having been obtained for this specific Ian Fleming story.