No Time To Die

Nearly six years since the release of Spectre in 2015 and almost two years since its first planned release date, before numerous delays due to a change in director and the pandemic, No Time To Die is gradually releasing around the world and, it will be for many, the most anticipated film of 2021. The James Bond series in 1960s offered fans almost a film for each year and the subsequent decades in the 20th century were almost as equally generous but during Daniel Craig's tenure as 007, the rate of these films gradually eased which left many a fan hungry for the agent's next adventure. So much so that now each film is a huge event in its own right and with No Time To Die, it will hopefully save cinemas after a difficult time. 

And it has been a long six years since Spectre came and went leaving many fans somewhat unsatisfied as the film had gradually fallen out of favour amongst the Bond community and general audiences alike. It was fun in places but failed to match the heights of Casino Royale and Skyfall which has made the long break feel all the more testing as fans eagerly awaited Craig's announced final film in the franchise. No other Bond, besides maybe Connery, has had the luxury of knowing which film would truly be their last so hopefully this would be a satisfying conclusion, and worth the wait.

Without spoilers, Bond and Madeleine (Léa Seydoux) are enjoying an early retirement in sunny Italy following his departure from the service. Discussions over one another's past are toyed with before the couple are attacked by a mysterious enemy and Bond is lured back into the service by Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) to learn of a dangerous new technology that has fallen into the hands of Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek). 

Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, No Time To Die runs over 160 minutes and is appropriately Craig's longest film in what can be best described as a riveting, action-packed experience that aims high and delivers an enjoyable adventure. Whereas the action in Spectre felt light and devoid of really any tension and Quantum of Solace suffered from the shaky-cam style of the time, NTTD is engaging, meaty and oh so stylish it really felt like Bond is back. The same credit can go to the rest of the visuals, Hans Zimmer's score and editing, along with Fukunaga's directing, that kept the story moving. 

Craig himself is also far more relaxed and enjoys a stronger screenplay that allows for the more classical touches of humour that were missing in his earlier films giving the basis for one of his best performances yet. He is also supported by a strong supporting cast with the likes of Lashana Lynch's new agent, Ralph Fiennes, Naomi Harris, Ben Whishaw, Wright and a much more developed role with Seydoux. The chemistry between the cast is fantastic and all benefit from the extended running-time. But the real highlight is Ana de Amas' Cuban CIA agent who is a wonderful breath of fresh air in a hugely entertaining sequence midway through which sees the film at its highest point.

If the film could have maintained the course from the first two hours then it could have ranked as Craig's best Bond film, yet unfortunately it weakens towards the end and takes several directions that will polarise fans of the series. Rami Malek's performance is generally good as the villain but he needed more screen-time and development to establish his motives that remained vague while the film tries to raise the stakes when we needed to learn more about him. The result hinders what could have been a memorable villain and alas, through no fault of his own, the absence of a strong villain is no good for a Bond film when they should be the cornerstone of the experience. Christoph Waltz's return was better than his role last time as the blasé version of Blofeld but I felt he was also mishandled in way that could have also been better. 

No Time To Die has some of the best moments from Craig's tenure as Bond but a divisive third act will most likely place this film behind Casino Royale and Skyfall when it comes to ranking the films for many viewers. Those two both had fantastic final scenes that give the audience a buzz of excitement but the way this ends left me with mixed feelings. Regardless, I'm glad Daniel Craig came back for one more film after Spectre and it was a lot of fun to see him in a more fleshed-out performance for the last time as 007. "James Bond will return" appeared at the end of the credits but how long will we have to wait? 

2nd Viewing Thoughts:

Maybe I was more relaxed but I enjoyed this film even more on my second viewing and had no issues this time with the third act. I do hope after this film we can do away with the overarching stories in Bond as it doesn't work as well if the story isn't planned out from the beginning, and also with multiple directors. Nonetheless, I had a great time and look forward to watching it again in the future.