Pierce Brosnan returns as James Bond in this latest 007 installment. After being captured and tortured in North Korea, Bond is released in a trade for Zao, an enemy agent. After being chastised for his mistakes and being relieved of his spy duties, Bond escapes (interesting that the Koreans can keep him prisoner, but he escapes from MI6 almost immediately) and pursues Zao.

Contrary to what the reviewer of XXX would have you believe, Bond is NOT past it. In fact, in Die Another Day, Bond proves that he can keep up with XXX and his extreme sports by not only surfing but also utilising parasurfing (did I just make that up?) in an exciting escape.

As with most Bond films nowadays, the scenes are elaborate and amazing, the action is plentiful and explosion-ridden, and the one-liners are corny and cheesy (Mmm... corn and cheese...). Apart from the more preposterous gadgetry, Die Another Day is precisely what the 007 doctor ordered.

Frank Martin (Statham) has a lovely lifestyle. He has a pretty home by the sea in France, nice suits, and a flash BMW that he uses to deliver parcels, no questions asked. He lives by his rules and stays out of trouble, even if he's assisting murderous criminals.

Until, that is, one fateful day in which he opens the parcel. It happens to be a woman, Lai Kwai (Qi Shu), who turns his orderly life upside down (in an almost Hepburnesque way!) and begs for his help to stop some people smugglers, including her father. The third act is one extended chase-and-fight sequence, and if the good guys triumph in the end, that's not a bad thing, surely?

It's the action sequences that are the point of the movie, and they're impressive (Yuen, the co-director, was the martial arts choreographer for The One, Kiss of the Dragon, and Romeo Must Die). The fight in a garage, where Martin is covered in oil, is a particular standout. Still, it's a shame that the movie chooses not to get deeper into its characters, since Statham oozes charisma, with shirt on or (frequently) off.