Since debuting in 1962, James Bond has remained one of the most iconic and popular characters in cinematic history. The character has been brought to life by Sean Connery, George Lazenby, Roger Moore, Timothy Dalton, and Pierce Brosnan. Following Brosnan’s departure after Die Another Day, relative newcomer Daniel Craig was announced as his replacement in 2005. Daniel Craig’s debut in 2006’s Casino Royale was a massive critical and commercial success despite some initial controversy. Over the next few years, Craig continued rising to superstardom thanks to the follow-ups Quantum of Solace, Skyfall, and Spectre. After the release of Spectre, rumors were floating around that Craig would not be returning to play Bond anymore. Thankfully, that changed when Craig confirmed he’d be returning for an installment scheduled for a 2020 release. Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, Craig’s final outing as Bond, No Time to Die, wouldn’t be released until October 2021.
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Synopsis
After the events of Spectre, James Bond (Daniel Craig) is living in retirement with his love Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux). Unfortunately, some Spectre assassins try to kill Bond and Swann, and while they escape, Bond suspects Swann betrayed him. Years later, Bond lives in Jamaica when his CIA contact Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) offers him a job. He asks Bond to help him rescue Valdo Obruchev (David Dencik), a scientist who a mysterious group kidnaped. Bond is initially disinterested until he learns that Obruchev was working on a secret MI6 bioweapon called “Project Heracles.” Bond manages to capture Obruchev thanks to Agent Paloma (Ana de Armas), only for Obruchev to slip his grasp. It turns out the mysterious group’s leader is Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), who plans on using the bioweapon for revenge. Now teaming up with his old flame Madeleine, Bond must save the world one last time.
Review
Daniel Craig has established himself as the James Bond of a new generation, whether you love him or hate him. He’s been able to give this long-established character so much humanity and vulnerability that it’s made him more identifiable. Of course, he still has the quips and the charm we’ve come to expect, but it feels more natural. Craig gives it 110% and delivers another excellent performance, with No Time to Die being his swan song. Rami Malek does an excellent job as the Bond villain, even though he’s not given much material. He lacks the intensity and nuance of Mads Mikkelsen from Casino Royale and Javier Bardem from Skyfall. Christoph Waltz returns to play Blofeld from Spectre, and his scene is excellent, but his screen time is limited. Also, Ana de Armas has a very memorable action scene, but she disappears soon after.
Admittedly, David Dencik started to drag the movie down as the comic relief, basically playing the Yakov Smirnoff role. While he’s only in the film sporadically, he’ll ruin otherwise heavy scenes with a dumb one-liner. There’s been some talk about Lashana Lynch playing the new 007, but thankfully, it doesn’t feel like she’s replacing Craig. Instead, it feels more like they’re working together, even if they compete with one another early on. As is tradition with Bond movies, the action sequences are impressive, from the opening chase to a jungle assault. The filmmakers also incorporate some one-take shots that amp up the tension and make it more thrilling. The film’s nearly three-hour runtime might put viewers off, but thankfully, there’s never a dull moment in this action-packed spectacular. Overall, No Time to Die might not be the best Bond movie, but it’s a fitting end to Craig’s run.
See No Time to Die in theaters now: https://fandan.co/3iIc9ZD.
