No Time to Die
Composite Score: 82.33
Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ralph Fiennes, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear, Jeffrey Wright, Billy Magnussen, and Christoph Waltz
Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga
Writers: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Cary Joji Fukunaga, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge
Genres: Action, Adventure, Thriller, Espionage, Romance
MPAA Rating: PG-13 for sequences of violence and action, some disturbing images, brief strong language, and some suggestive material
Box Office: $774.15 million worldwide
Why should you Watch This Film?
No Time to Die is the culmination of Daniel Craig’s five-film run as James Bond that started in 2006 with Casino Royale. Though it might not be the best of Craig’s Bond films, it certainly isn’t the worst and provides a satisfactory send-off for this particular iteration of 007. This film picks up where Spectre left off but with arguably better storytelling, as James and Madeleine are trying to create a life together outside of espionage work. Naturally, things do not go according to plan, and James is once again thrust into the life of an action hero. The film explores very heavily the nature of James Bond as a character and the ways that he associates with the other people in his world. Ultimately, the end of this cycle of Bond films delivers an imperfect product, but one that should satisfy most movie watchers.
Why shouldn’t you Watch This Film?
Without going into too much spoiler-y details, the ending that they give to Craig’s Bond might leave some fans (my wife, for instance) less than happy. Ending sagas is hard, and inevitably, not all fans will be satisfied with any ending, but this one, in particular, feels potentially controversial. I was not one of those disappointed with the ending, as it felt fairly inevitable given the four other films and even the story of No Time to Die, but considering the often-excessive nature of Bond storylines, a different ending is not outside of the realm of imagination for most viewers. I think the writers did a commendable job of sending off Craig’s bond and recognize that not everyone will agree with that sentiment.
To go along with the film’s potentially controversial ending, No Time to Die has an almost excessive run-time of 2 hours and 43 minutes. I love films and going to see them in theaters and watching them at home, and I would personally watch 2.5-hour or longer cuts of most films. That being said, most audiences need special cases to watch a film with such a high run-time, and the end of Craig’s run as Bond might not cut it for many viewers. If you are not heavily invested already in the story of this version of 007, the film’s length will undoubtedly be a dissuading factor for you.
So wait, why should you Watch This Film?
Besides Casino Royale, this is probably the most emotionally invested that we see Daniel Craig as James Bond. He delivers a strong performance as an action hero, romantic lead, espionage friend, and even father-figure at times. All of his work as Bond is brought to fruition in Not Time to Die, with a script that allows him and his co-stars to put on a show of character development and depth previously unheard of in the Bond franchise. The film again succeeds in making the stakes feel personal for James while also presenting a global threat. Overall, the film’s story allows Daniel Craig to play more than just an action hero, and that is well worth watching, in my opinion.
As Bond villains go, Rami Malek certainly looks the part with his facial deformity (shout-out to the film’s makeup department) and sounds the part with his quietly menacing voice. He even acts the part most of the time, delivering a truly chilling performance, close to on par with fellow acting powerhouses Mads Mikkelsen and Javier Bardem. Unfortunately, his character’s connection to Bond is less than satisfactory, so he falls short of the other two in terms of iconic nature, but he far outshines many other Bond villains in his portrayal and ultimate accomplishments.
No Time to Die provides a satisfying send-off to Daniel Craig’s Bond, allowing him to showcase his acting chops as he faces off against a relatively iconic villain with a plot that is both personal and global. The film will probably come down in the middle of most people’s rankings of the Craig Bond films, and it falls behind two others that are higher up on this blog’s list. Part of the reason for that is the film’s excessive run-time and borderline far-fetched conclusion to the franchise. At the same time, the film belongs among the Greats for its strong cast, compelling plot, and quality action sequences. This film is available to stream now on Amazon Prime Video if you haven’t seen it yet; I recommend you check it out.
