No Time to Die
Director: Cary Fukunaga
Writer: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Cary Fukunaga, Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Ian Fleming (original author)
Starring: Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Rami Malek, Ralph Fiennes, Lashana Lynch, Naomie Harris, Ana de Armas, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright, Christoph Waltz
Reason for watching: New James Bond and one last time for Daniel Craig (who had very good reasons to come back)
Number of times I’ve watched it: first time viewing
***
You know a franchise star might be in a bad position with the franchise when he “I would rather break (glass) and slit my wrists” than player an iconic movie star role again. That is exactly what Daniel Craig said about six years ago when Spectre came out in theaters. AND HE HAD GOOD REASON TO SAY THAT BECAUSE THAT MOVIE IS BAAAAAAD! But when a studio like MGM throws a lot of money at you and they put a qualified director like Cary Fukunaga behind the wheel (seriously guys you gotta watch True Detective), you can attract that star to come back for one last ride. No Time to Die did all of those things, and it made for a strong sendoff for Mr. Craig.
No Time to Die picks up right where its predecessor left off. Bond (Craig) and Dr. Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux) are happily living in Jamaica avoiding a return to England where Bond would surely be drawn back into the fray of the spy underworld. But after an ambush from Bond’s old enemies from Spectre (the organization not the movie…I know it’s dumb and confusing), Bond decides he can’t trust Madeline anymore and leaves her. Years later, Bond has remained retired but is drawn back after his old friend Felix (Jeffrey Wright) informs Bond that Spectre has reared its ugly head with a virus that can target any person’s DNA. Bond comes back and works with new allies like the new 007 (Lashana Lynch) and Paloma (Ana De Armis), both of whom are worthy replacements for him. On top of this as Bond learns more and more of this virus’ origins, he has to confront some of the mistakes his old boss M (Ralph Fiennes) has made, figure out how to take down his elusive new enemy Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), and reconcile his relationship with Madeline as she may hold the key to stopping Safin and ending Bond’s spying career once and for all.
*whew*
That’s a lot of plot. It’s no wonder this is almost as long as Avengers: Endgame. Well, technically it’s the endgame for Daniel Craig as bond so there’s a lot to pack in. I have to give the script credit for not feeling like a 160-minute movie. The pacing is strong and the right amount of jokes are thrown in to keep this from getting too serious. While some Craig’s previous works as Bond such as Skyfall and Casino Royale were celebrated for their grittier tone, I think some levity is needed. We know Craig is capable of getting a chuckle out of an audience, and his comedic chops are used in just the right amount here. Craig doesn’t get nearly as many moments of levity as his prior entries in the Bond franchise, but he still can deliver in the action areas and that steely-blue-eyed gaze can capture the intensity he brings to the character.
What Fukunaga brings as a director is the quality of the fight sequences. He manages to keep the attention of the camera focused on the action while being able to grasp the stakes of the fight as a whole if there is more than one combatant. The long takes and the wider focus of the used camera lenses allows for an audience to be able to clearly focus on what is happening in a conflict.
Where the movie loses points from me is the manufactured tension and the uninteresting villain. Without going into spoilers, Bond’s reunion with Madeline brings him an extra reason to stay in the fight, and I think this twist strains too far from the character we have always known Bond. While he is not above forming strong connections, this change in Bond really is not given room to breathe in a proper amount of time. If this plot development (which I am certain you can guess) had been introduced with another movie to spare, I think we could have had a lot of welcome character development for Bond. But it’s crammed into the third act of Craig’s last movie as the character. There is not enough for it to bake in the oven.
On a much smaller note, the entire motivation and demeanor of Malik’s villainous performance can be described as boring. I know this is an Oscar-winning actor, but man you cannot keep doing the same detached performance over and over again. Because counting this movie, Mr. Robot, and Bohemian Rhapsody Malik has done the same thing three times in a row. Bond is a charming and cunning hero, someone needs to be able to match wits with him or it cuts down on our interest levels.
No one wants to say goodbye to childhood heroes. And considering I was not even ten years old when Craig first order a shaken martini, it feels like an end of an era for me. But this entry in the Bond franchise was a good one to go out on, and I’m excited to see which actor can fill Craig’s shoes.
7/10
Until I see another one
The worst news of this final chapter for Craig was me finding out that Idris Elba won’t be replacing him. Oh well. I’ll just keep watching re-runs of Luther.