Released: October 2021
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Rated PG-13
Run Time: 163 Minutes
Distributor: Universal/MGM Studios
Genre: Action/Thriller
Cast:
Daniel Craig: James Bond
Rami Malik: Lyutsifer Safin
Lea Seydoux: Dr. Madeleine Swann
Ana de Armas: Paloma
Jeffrey Wright: Felix Leiter
Ralph Fiennes: M
Lashana Lynch: Nomi
Christoph Waltz: Blofeld
15 years. It’s really hard to believe that it’s been 15 years since actor Daniel Craig took on the role of the legendary James Bond. That makes Daniel Craig the longest-running James Bond in the franchise, which is amazing because the James Bond franchise is the longest-running franchise in cinema history. We’re coming up on 60 years worth of James Bond. I don’t know about you, but it’s incredible that a single character has survived this long in pop culture. Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, Pierce Brosnan, and now Daniel Craig have all had the distinct honor of playing the infamous 007. With the release of No Time To Die, we have 25 official movies in the enduring franchise. 25 movies. That’s quite a number to wrap your head around considering every movie is centered around a specific character. I’m not counting the original Casino Royale film from 1967 or Sean Connery’s Never Say Never Again from 1983, as those are not considered part of EON’s franchise. While the quality of the James Bond movies have been hit-and-miss over the years, Daniel Craig’s represented a significant change in direction for the character. I’ll go into the reasons for that in a little bit. But now, it’s time to focus on Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond. Is it a proper send-off, or does 007 go out with a whimper?
James Bond has retired from active service with his code-name of 007 passing on to someone else. He’s seemed to have found some happiness in the arms of Madeleine Swann, the woman he saved from Ernst Stavro Blofeld and his evil organization, SPECTRE. While visiting the grave of his long-dead love Vesper Lynd, he’s attacked by a group of SPECTRE assassins. Realizing that he may have been betrayed by Madeleine, he sends her off on a train. 5 years later, he gets a call from CIA agent Felix Leiter urging Bond to take on one last mission. Initially refusing, he’s visited by the newest 007, Nomi, and is warned to stay out of her way. Learning that a mysterious new enemy by the name of Safin has gotten his hands on a new biological weapon, James Bond is forced out of retirement. Never before in the history of James Bond have we seen a story and character arc cover 5 movies. Every other Bond movie has been stand-alone, which means that you didn’t need to see any of the previous ones to understand what was going on. Daniel Craig’s version of the character changes that, covering his induction into MI:6 as a double-O agent to his retirement. While I can’t say that No Time To Die is perfect when it comes to the narrative, it feels far more personal for Bond than any movie that came before. While the previous movies were about James Bond fighting for Queen and Country, this latest film has him fighting for something far more personal than anything, and that makes for a more emotional and impactful film. I’m not going to spoil it for people, but I really like the payoff here. Not everybody’s going to see it that way though.
When Daniel Craig was initially cast as James Bond, people around the world were up in arms about having a blonde and blue-eyed James Bond. Yet, when Casino Royale was released, most of those naysayers shut up pretty quickly, because Mr. Craig not only had the physicality required for the role, but he also the character a more striking appearance and emotional depth. We got to learn what made Bond tick, but Craig also made the character human. This version of James Bond made mistakes, he got hurt, betrayed, and thrown around at every possible opportunity. The character has evolved over the course of 5 movies to what he is now, and Daniel Craig knocks it out of the park, as usual. We’ve got some pretty interesting characters this time around. Ana de Armas plays Paloma, a plucky new CIA agent who kicks some serious ass. I would love to see more of this character in other movies. Lashana Lynch was brought in to play the new 007, and this is where a lot of people got pissed. They assumed that she was going to be the new James Bond, when it is clearly not the case. What this showed was that while the agent retires, their code-name doesn’t necessarily have to, and that’s what happened in this movie, so I think fans should relax. Honestly, I love the way James Bond and Nomi jab each other throughout the entire movie. Those two are a lot of fun together. Rami Malik plays Lyutsifer Safin, the film’s main villain, and this is one of the film’s weakest points. Don’t get me wrong, Rami is a fantastic actor, but his character isn’t really given a whole lot to other than posturing and giving speeches. In the pantheon of Bond villains, Safin is going to be forgotten pretty quickly. Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, and Ben Whishaw return for their roles of M, Moneypenny, and Q, respectively. They’re still as good as they were in the previous films. Lea Seydoux’s character is improved quite a bit as Bond’s love interest.
If there’s one thing that the James Bond movies has delivered, it’s the action. Most of the movies in this franchise have outstanding action sequences, although, there are a couple of movies here and there that aren’t that hot(I’m looking at YOU, Quantum of Solace). For the most part, the action in No Time To Die is pretty good. The real big issue I have with the action is that there really isn’t anything here that could be considered as iconic as say the construction chase sequence from Casino Royale or the opening dam sequence from Goldeneye. That being said, the film-makers did a good job shooting the action as we can clearly see what’s taking place, which is a far cry from Quantum of Solace, which took its hyper-editing and shaky-cam crap from the Bourne movies. The cinematography in this film is second-to-none. There are shots around the world that are incredibly stunning, whether it’s wide aerial shots or in the gritty streets. It’s one of the most beautiful movies to watch.
These Daniel Craig movies have taken a lot of risks over the last 15 years, but No Time To Die takes the most risks. I won’t mention some of them because of spoilers, but these were some really bold decisions. Did all of them work? Not all of them, but I think enough risks did payoff enough to make this a satisfying entry into the franchise. Giving Bond something personal to fight for was definitely unexpected, but I think it really gave the film a much-needed sense of urgency and pathos. That’s not to say that everything about the movie worked, because there are some issues. For one, and this is one that’s been brought up by critics all across the board: The movie is too long. At 2 hours and 43 minutes, there’s definitely some filler material in here. You could’ve excised the sequences with the imprisoned Blofeld entirely, and the movie wouldn’t have lost a step. And again, some characters are not as fleshed out as well as they could be, especially the villains. They’re pretty standard and not overly memorable. At least, not in the same way that Le Chifre was from Casino Royale or Silva from Skyfall. Ultimately, though, these issues don’t overly detract from the movie.
While I think the overall film is excellent, not everybody’s going to feel that way, especially with the way film ended. I’m not going to spoil it, but it IS going to divide audiences around the globe. You’ve got people like me that feel that it’s a logical and honest conclusion to a character that we’ve known for 5 movies, but others are going to be pissed that the film didn’t end the way they hoped it would. I understand the sense of ownership with the character. People have invested a lot of time in this character for decades, so the conclusion to Daniel Craig’s tenure is going to rub some people the wrong way. That also begs the question: Where do we go from here? Who is the next actor to take up the role and what kind of movies will they be. Understand this: There WILL be another James Bond film. The franchise is too popular and too stubborn to disappear. While opinions on No Time To Die will vary, one thing is clear: James Bond needs to really shake things up if he’s going to remain relevant in today’s world. With all the Mission Impossibles and Bournes out there, the new James Bond needs to do something really radical and different to stand out from the pack, and it’s getting harder for the franchise to do that. So, do I think that No Time To Die is a solid send-off for Daniel Craig’s Bond? Yes. I do. Honestly, I think it’s the best send-off the character has ever gotten, and yes, I do recommend it. Get out there and see it in theaters. This one is meant to be seen on the big screen…and have a vodka martini. Shaken, not stirred.