Playing in theaters.
Daniel Craig's time as Ian Flemming's beloved character, James Bond, has seen its share of ups and downs. Ranging from profound nuances in the spy genre to pretentious overstuffed messes. Through and through, Daniel Craig has succeeded in reaching the finish line with grace and pride in most cases. While he has proven himself as a worthy Bond, his expressed desire to step away from the role makes it clear that it's time to move on, and the incredibly well-crafted latest offering, No Time To Die, couldn't have been a better send-off. This may very well be the most thoughtful conclusion to Craig's run as 007.
Taking place after the events of Spectre, the story follows James Bond (Daniel Craig) enjoying his retirement from active duty on her majesty's secret service. Sadly, it's not too long before a terrible situation arises demanding 007's expert handling. It turns out a terrorist named Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek) has stolen a secret experimental biological weapon that has the potential to wipe out entire continents. Not only that, but his former girlfriend, Madeleine (Léa Seydoux), is somehow involved. Bond must now dig up his troubled past to save the future, and in doing so, come to terms with where his ultimate sense of duty may lead him.
The film is not perfect, but it's a genuine blast. It successfully maintains all of the best aspects of past Bond films with Craig while minimizing (if not ignoring) the issues with the less-than-stellar outings. It also does a decent job at something that I wish more Hollywood movies would do: subverting expectations.
A perfect example (minor spoilers) would be Paloma (Ana de Armas), a supporting character who seriously deserved much more screentime. While on a mission, Paloma is one of Bond's contacts, who initially comes off as dorky and naive. Immediately, you think to yourself, "Oh no, not another bumbling unfunny comic relief sidekick, please!" Then, as the scene progresses, when the time for action arrives, Paloma not only kicks all sorts of ass, she does so with agency and complete competence. All while wearing a rather revealing dress and high heels. Then you start thinking, "Yes, more of this, please!" only to be disappointed when you realize she only has, at most, five minutes of screentime. At the very least, there is plenty of room for expansion in the future.
Speaking of the action, it's probably some of the best I've seen. Avoiding tired and headache-inducing gimmicks like shaky-cam or rapid-fire editing, the action scenes are fluid and have weight: both physically and emotionally. The chase scenes are inventive, the fight scenes feel visceral, and they all make excellent use of space. This is one Bond film I would gladly put on par with the action scenes from Ronin, and I do not make that statement lightly.
The cast is quite remarkable all around, but special mention must go to Rami Malek as the villain. Malek has shown to be a capable and versatile actor on par with the likes of Oscar Issac and Leonardo DiCaprio. Apparently, he's stated that he wanted to make his character for the film as unsettling as possible, and he nailed it! Every second he's on-screen, you feel uneven with everything he says and does. The best part of his performance is his genuine conviction. Unlike other actors I could mention, he's not putting on a performance for attention outside of what is needed for the story.
I look forward to seeing what he does next.
My only gripe with the film is its runtime. There were times when I thought scenes could have been a little shorter, and maybe a few plot points could have been tightened or removed altogether. Even so, a movie should be as long as is needed to tell the story, and while I might have preferred it if it was a little shorter, I never felt like my time was wasted.
Also, not a fan of the theme song. Though it's still better than the one from Spectre.
No Time To Die is a delicious bottle of champagne that's just perfect for a glorious send-off. It's a fun experience of a film and an elegant farewell to Daniel Craig as 007. If you can do so safely, absolutely go see it.
Now, I wonder who might be up to the task of taking over the role? I might have a few ideas. Tune in next time, and I'll share my thoughts.
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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