No Time to Die, after being delayed for one and a half years, has finally arrived in theaters. Did it live up to the anticipation of closing out Craig’s Bond journey in a satisfactory way? Mostly, yes. It’s not a perfect film by any means, but it’s an entertaining, well-directed spy thriller which has an electric first half (and a slightly predictable second half).
In the past, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) arrives at a remote cabin in the winter to kill Mr. White, a high ranking Spectre assassin who killed his family. He murders Mr. White’s wife, but when his daughter, Madeline runs out onto the ice and falls down into the water, Safin has a change of heart and saves her.
In the present, Madeline (Léa Seydoux) is traveling to a scenic Italian town with James Bond (Daniel Craig) as they pursue their happily-ever-after. However, after they get ambushed, Bond believes that Madeline betrayed him and leaves her at a train station. Five years later, Bond is living a secluded life in Jamaica. He is approached by old friend Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) to apprehend a rogue scientist, Obruchev (David Dencik) and the deadly biological weapon he is carrying, currently in possession of Spectre.
Director Cary Joji Fukunaga has created one of the most beautiful Bond films in recent years, falling only short to Skyfall.
He brings the different locations, from the winter cabin and the ancient Italian city to a foggy Norwegian forest, to life in spectacular fashion. The gorgeous cinematography is supported by pulse-pounding kinetic action. There are flourishes of classic Bond actions, such as retreating to a bar in the middle of a firefight to prepare a drink. There’s even a one-shot action scene where Bond climbs a tower and fights through Safin’s goons.
Daniel Craig also goes all-in with his final performance as Bond.
Though he has expressed frustration about the filming experience, he fully commits to the role and portrays a Bond who is still hurting from past betrayals and unexpectedly finds a new purpose in life.
Unfortunately, he has little chemistry with Sedoux, which hurts the second half of the film. Rami Malek’s Safin is also underdeveloped, although he tries his best to deliver an amalgam of different menacing Bond villain performances over the years. It’s not quite clear why he wants to commit genocide. Perhaps some of his scenes were cut out. The main threat of the film is uncomfortably similar to the pandemic that has ravaged the world for almost two years, which explains why it was pushed so far back.
The other two Bond girls, Paloma (Ana De Armas) and Nomi/007 (Lashana Lynch) have better dynamics with Bond. In particular, Paloma is a breath of fresh air, despite only appearing for around ten minutes. Other critics have noted how she might have been added by Phoebe Waller-Bridge in a rewrite. 007 is an interesting foil to Bond, cold and aggressive, though she doesn’t get to do much on her own. Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris and Ralph Fiennes as Q, Moneypenny and M respectively get smaller roles, but they make the best of what they get, especially Fiennes.
No Time to Die makes a bold choice with the ending, sparking many questions about the future of the franchise.
This is definitely the end of an era, and the way Craig’s Bond bows out will probably trigger mixed reactions from viewers and fans.
It will be interesting to see where the franchise goes afterwards. For the time being, No Time to Die should satisfy moviegoers’ cravings for an enjoyable Bond adventure, and some of them may even come back for seconds.