A Bond movie that stoically makes a milieu out of the Bond character, something which the series failed to do for quite some time. And it does so, even if the geekiness which it is regularly subjected to is rather unnecessary. Otherwise, this is well-timed and highlighted by some effective action and henchwoman Onatop's steamy scenes. Under the circumstances which demand a politically correct Bond, Brosnan delivers a smooth and refined performance without ever aspiring to counteract Connery's virtues. The film's masterstroke, however, is that it gleefully recycles Bond shenanigans with irony obliquely suggesting the character's past sell-by-date status, and yet it manages to glorify him as a timeless hero; and this can surely be defined as nothing else but a confident display of sophistication.
