Review: No Time to Die might just be my favourite Bond film
Daniel Craig’s final 007 film is worth the wait
★★★★½
Long before No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s last outing as James Bond, the actor said he’d rather ‘slash his wrists’ than play Bond again. That comment wasn’t meant to be taken too seriously, of course. But, as he said it just after 2015’s Spectre, it does indicate how exhausting and demanding the role is. Only after some rest did he thankfully decide to come back to Bond for a fifth and final time, completing the story of his 007 with a thrilling spy adventure that is packed with action, intrigue and emotion. As I’ve mentioned every time I’ve reviewed a Bond tale, I’m no aficionado and have barely seen many of the older movies. But I’ve seen all of Craig’s films and think this one, as the conclusion of a well-executed serialised arc, may just be my favourite.
Bond is back
From my brief research of the final films of other Bond actors, it’s not unusual for the actor to play the character into their ’50s. Sean Connery finished up when was 52, Roger Moore when he was was 57, and Craig was 51 during the filming of No Time to Die. One of the things this film does well is how it explores a world-weary James Bond, and looks at him as a man who has grown beyond the life of a spy. Here, a retired Bond is pulled back into the story by his old friend CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), sent out to hunt for a mysterious bioweapon and an even more mysterious villain known as Safin (Rami Malek).
Soon enough, he runs into an MI6 agent named Nomi (Lashana Lynch) and realisations that the web of secrets connects to the global criminal organisation Spectre and Bond’s own past and relationship with Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux). To say much more risks giving away a lot of the juiciest plot points, but there’s a lot of exciting material here, and every member of this ensemble cast is excellent throughout.
Subverting Bond tropes
There’s a lot to love about this film and how it takes its place as a final adventure seriously, and it’s worth noting just how understated it is and how carefully structured it is. This isn’t just piles upon piles of mega-blockbuster bombast, it’s a layered exploration of the character that both relies on the previous instalments and is accessible enough for a first-timer. This Bond has grown up and learned along the way. While No Time to Die still ticks all the Bond boxes, it also finds ways to subvert those typical clichés. He’s no longer a womaniser, yet there’s still romance here.
There’s a car chase and flashy gadgets too, yet the film weaves these into the story with success. It even subverts the whole notion of Bond girls with several well-drawn women who play key driving roles in the story. As Seydoux has argued, it’s well past time that we retire the “Bond girl” phrase in its entirety, as the franchise has moved beyond his bikini-clad accomplices. Perhaps the most important thing the film does, though, is do away with the idea of Bond as emotionless, stoic and unfazed. This time, we feel Bond’s emotions more and see that he has a complex journey in which his character has developed and matured.
A fitting farewell
True Detective and Maniac’s Cary Fukunaga brings some serious style and distinctive flair to the Bond series too, infusing this film with sinister horror touches and energetic action. There are some breathless one-take combat scenes, creepy forest-set fights and intimate and suspenseful moments throughout. Veteran composer Hans Zimmer’s score is effective and subtly includes Bond’s theme throughout, while feeling both grand enough for this finale and nuanced enough for the film’s character-driven themes. As for the downsides, there are only a handful of things I wouldn’t praise about No Time to Die — and they’re all to do with its paper-thin villain Safin and the lack of clarity around his evil scheme. Beyond that, I found the film excellent throughout.
Without giving away exactly what happens, it’s fair to say that the end is going to be a little divisive. However, even detractors can’t argue it isn’t a definitive conclusion to this phase. At this point, it’s unknown what the future of the franchise will be. It may be that it spins off the some of several of its promising and compelling characters into new films or shows (I’d absolutely watch a new series about Ben Whishaw’s Q, or Nomi and Ana de Armas’ Paloma). Or Bond could just recast its lead and start all over again, which is probably what we should expect. Either way, Craig has left his stamp on Bond at a pivotal time, leaving the character and series forever changed for the better.
Verdict
Daniel’s Craig’s farewell is epic, moving and full of action. I like how emotional it is, and it’s probably my favourite Bond film.
James Bond has left active service. His peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter, an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. (IMDb)
Running time: 2 hours and 43 minutes
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Writers: Scott Z Burns, Robert Wade, Neal Purvis, Cary Joji Fukunaga, Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Stars: Daniel Craig, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Rami Malek, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz, Billy Magnussen, Ana de Armas
Where to watch
This one’s just in cinemas. It’ll come to streaming services eventually, but if you’re keen to avoid spoilers, there’s only one place you can watch it.
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