A magnificent live orchestra elevates the most overlooked Bond of the Daniel Craig era.

Spectre has always felt like the middle child of the Daniel Craig era. Casino Royale reinvented the franchise. Skyfall is widely seen as the best Bond ever. No Time To Die sent Craig off with an emotional punch. We don’t talk about Quantum Of Solace. And then there’s Spectre, twiddling its thumbs at the dinner table and meekly reminding us that the Mexico City scene was done in one shot.

However, watching it a few years removed, this reputation feels unfair. It’s a good film. Yes, a bit long, a bit monologue-y, a bit serious, but all the key elements of what makes Bond so compelling are there. Excellent action scenes, great performances, Bond’s relationship with Lea Seydoux’s Swann is his most interesting in the whole franchise, and the debates over government surveillance and A.I. in combat have never been more relevant. This film is perhaps, dare I say, underrated. Its qualities are only enhanced by its score being played live alongside.

Anthony Gabriele (the most conductor-looking conductor ever) leads the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra through Thomas Newman’s score, as a part of a series of concerts at the Royal Albert Hall celebrating 60 years of Bond. Newman’s might not be as grand or operatic as other Bond scores, more skittish and ominous, but it brings a grittiness to the film that grounds what could easily float away into spectacle.

The orchestra is phenomenal. One thing that you don’t really notice when watching a film is how much of it is underscored, but these musicians barely put their instruments down once during the evening. It’s an astonishing feat of stamina and precision. If anything, it’s a bit too perfect, too well-integrated – the music blends with the film to a point where you can forget the 60-odd people plucking away below it.

The Royal Albert Hall is an enormous space and because of this the score can sometimes fade into the acoustic, but for the most part it coats every wall of the room in gorgeous sound. It’s a great experience, bringing Craig’s Bond to life as we salute possibly the most iconic portrayal of a character in film history. Stand down, 007 – job done.