Ah, my dear fellow…so we meet again. “Spectre”, the 24th James Bond film, is released in Britain today and is expected to draw even more fans to the newly revitalised franchise. The previous instalment, “Skyfall” (2012), was the most successful Bond film to date, surpassing “Thunderball” (1965). Much has stayed the same over the years, from bow ties and baccarat to Aston Martins and the Walther PPK—and, of course, those martinis. But latterday Bonds have prospered by swapping conquests for kills and toning down the sexism of earlier films. Daniel Craig, the sixth on-screen 007, has been the most successful: his films have taken an average of $835m at the box office (though the first three Bond movies grossed more than 30 times their production costs, compared with just four times for the three most recent). Mr Bond, it’s good to see you again—we’ve been expecting you.