Why I’m really looking forward to seeing the new James Bond film

I am inexorably drawn to 007 and I have seen every one of the films in the franchise, writes Katy Brand

‘No Time To Die’ is Daniel Craig’s last 007 film (EPA)

I have not yet seen the new James Bond, No Time To Die, but I will. I am inexorably drawn to Bond and I have seen every one of the films in the franchise. When I was a child, Boxing Day and Bank Holidays were James Bond days. They always put a classic one on the telly and my Dad was a great fan. So it was a holiday staple.

Roger Moore was my favourite (don’t @ me). I liked the slight campness, the raised eyebrow of course, the safari suits, the permanently bemused air. I also fancied him more than Sean Connery (again, don’t @ me) because I could imagine having a better time in bed with Moore’s Bond. Connery might be the tough guy, but Moore would be the one that made you laugh and come back for more.

I even liked the Bond girls (please, I’m serious about not @-ing me). I know I am not supposed to now, as a feminist, but I remember thinking they were cool as hell. They drove and fought and dressed as well as him. They were glamourous and exciting and often strong. I do understand the undertones of male entitlement, implied sexual assault and gender imbalance. But to my untrained eye, I rather liked the idea that casual sex could be enjoyed by both parties. The best Bond girls did as they pleased, just like Bond, and I took that in.

There was what I call a "bit of wobble" in the 1990s and 2000s, where apparently Bond girls had to be tortured to death half-naked, or cry when he left, or eat homemade quiche with him, or (perish the thought) actually appear to be in love with him. But I was glad to see a return to the s***-kicking Bond girls of yore in the more recent films. And if the reviews are right, it seems this latest Bond has taken us back to the era I remember fondly.

The involvement of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who said she was also a life-long fan and had dreamed of writing a Bond film, has no doubt introduced the kind of mischievous envelope pushing style that has become her trademark. I am looking forward to it immensely – the best Bond is a fun Bond.