“No Time to Die” is the latest installment of the James Bond franchise, and the last one featuring Daniel Craig in the title role. Bond comes out of retirement (mirroring Craigโs own decision with the franchise) to help an old friend, only to uncover a sinister plot that threatens all Bond holds
dear.
Pro โ In Her Majestyโs Service
“No Time to Die” is Daniel Craigโs fifth and final outing as the iconic British Spy: 007. Craig first appeared in 2006โs “Casino Royale,” which shared itโs name with creator Ian Flemmingโs first novel featuring James Bond in 1953 and a Bond parody movie in 1967.
It was evident from the start that Craig would bring a fresh and different vibe the character. The opening scene of “Casino Royale” features Bond โearningโ his โ00โ status in a gritty bathroom fight-to-the-death. Shortly after, the audience is treated to one of the most exciting Bond scenes of all time; a parkour chase through a construction site in Madagascar that signaled that this was not your motherโs Bond.
Throughout the last 15 years, Craig has brought a grittiness and physicality to the character that has been a welcome breath of fresh air, even at the expense of some other Bond-esque qualities. Craig was an inspired choice and has been a pleasure to watch him in the title role.
Pro โ Very Bond
If “No Time to Die” is a celebratory swan song for Craig, itโs also a love letter to the James Bond franchise. The whole movie feels very, very Bond. From amazing locations (Italy, Jamaica, Cuba) to cool spy gadgets, itโs all there. The Bond girls also show up, though in 2021 they are of course more than just a pretty face. It includes the mandatory maniacal villain who, not to be upstaged by his predecessors, has an island fortress replete with an excessively dangerous poison plant garden. The action is fast and furious, the locations look amazing, and the clothing is impeccable. This is a movie that benefits from being on the big screen.
Con โ Donโt you seeโฆMr. Bond
One other innovation that Craigโs run as James Bond has introduced is to really try to connect all five films into a running narrative arc. While there certainly has been some continuity between previous films, itโs been nothing on this level. It has achieved this with mixed success.
โNo Time to Die” has call backs and plot points from all the previous films, and while that can be cool, in practice it was often confusing. The movies are so far apart from one another (averaging three years) that even at an incredibly long run time, it felt like “No Time to Die” was pulling so many threads together it was hard to follow.
Even the plot it introduces internally within the film is hard to follow and motivations often murky and confusing. Itโs an enjoyable ride, but also very forgettable because it feels so pieced together.
โNo Time to Die” is a fun and exciting Bond film. Bond-lovers will enjoy this love song to the franchise, and itโs a fitting way to send off Craig after five films in Her Majestyโs Service. Itโs long and certainly jumbled at times, but at face value itโs a great night out at the movies. Fire up the Aston Martin and head over to the Fridley Palms Theater to check it out.
