The name is Bond, James Bond.
Bravo Daniel Craig. Daniel Craig has been playing James Bond for 4,147 days. Craig’s tenure as Bond is the second longest behind Roger Moore.
The question remains- does Craig’s last Bond film deliver a satisfying conclusion to his tenure as the worlds’ greatest spy? “No Time to Die” is a true celebration of all things James Bond.
Craig’s last film makes sure that his Bond goes out on a high note after the slight misstep of 2015’s “Spectre”. Stepping behind the camera this time is director Cary Joji Fukunaga of “True Detective” fame. For his first big blockbuster, he does an excellent job of bring Craig’s last adventure as Bond to a close.
Combining stunning visuals with intense action, he delivers the perfect action movie experience and finds the best possible balance of nostalgia and topical themes which make sure 007 feels relevant in today’s world. Most impressive, however, is how the screenplay manages to make sense of the convoluted plot in “Spectre.”
Craig is back at his best to deliver what feels like a definitive take on the Ian Fleming creation. It will be tricky for anyone to follow the actor, and beyond just being one of the most formidable big screen action heroes, this Bond is a layered, fascinatingly complex character to spend time with.
Rami Malek, meanwhile, is likely to be divisive as “No Time to Die’s” big bad, Safin. There’s not a lot for him to work with, and like Blofeld and Dominic Greene in “Spectre” and “Quantum of Solace”, it’s hard to imagine the villain will be remembered for long. Malek makes the most of what we see from him, but this never really feels like a Bond movie built around its villain and a few more scenes could have made all the difference.
That could be why so many supporting characters shine, with Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, and Jeffrey Wright all on top form. Léa Seydoux is similarly superb, and Lashana Lynch is certainly an exciting new addition to the franchise. It would be a shame not to see more of what the actress can do with the role.
Another character deserving of the spotlight is Ana de Armas’ Paloma; she’s a breath of fresh air for a film like “No Time to Die”, and it’s a shame she doesn’t get more screentime as every second we do get to spend with her is an absolute joy.
Every in this film is top tier Bond, from the beautiful locations, Hans Zimmer’s rousing score and Cary Joji Fukunaga’s excellent direction.
“Casino Royale”, and “Skyfall” are still my favorite Craig Bond films, but you can’t take away from this film effort to tie up his tenure in a meaningful way and on Craig’s terms.
“No Time to Die” is an epic, emotional and satisfying conclusion to my favorite Bond. I will miss him as James Bond, but boy did he give it his all in his last film.
3 and half stars out of 4.
‘No Time to Die” is currently playing in theaters everywhere.