Where to watch No Time to Die
3 Stars
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
No Time to Die marks the conclusion of Daniel Craig’s era as James Bond. His portrayal of the iconic secret agent has been both a financial and critical success for the nearly 60-year-old franchise. However, it has also stripped the series of much of its fun. This latest installment, the 25th in the series, is a mixed bag, offering some undeniably great moments alongside an emotional ending. Unfortunately, it feels overly long, and the villain falls short of the memorability established by recent antagonists like Christoph Waltz and Javier Bardem. Additionally, it seems to undo much of what we’ve learned over the past five films.
On the positive side, the film is beautifully shot, particularly a fantastic shootout during the final act. Ana de Armas shines in her role as a ‘classic Bond Girl’ and her performance, alongside her appearance, is spot-on; the filmmakers could have utilized her character more. Craig remains the most talented actor to have taken on this role.
On the downside, the decision to give Bond a family raises questions. There are too many characters, which includes a duplicitous CIA agent and a Russian scientist. Rami Malek’s choice to underplay his role as Bond’s adversary is also puzzling.
It will be interesting to see how the writers approach the new incarnation of the series. I hope for a future James Bond film where being Bond isn’t portrayed as a burden. For decades, the franchise produced films that captured the essence of the character, and I hope we can move away from the current trend of Christopher Nolan-inspired deconstruction of Bond. While No Time to Die isn’t the farewell to Craig I had imagined, it still serves as a proper send-off.
Written by: Neal Purvis, Robert Wade, Cary Joji Fukunaga
Starring: Daniel Craig, Ana de Armas, Rami Malek
Directed by: Cary Joji Fukunaga