Rating – ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
After 15 years, Daniel Craig ends his tenure as James Bond, and I can confidently say that not only does he buck the trend of an actor’s last Bond film being underwhelming, but he delivers his best performance to date.
No Time To Die is a mix between two of Daniel Craig’s best films, with a story as gripping and glamorous as Casino Royale coupled with the intellectual thriller of Skyfall. That is to say the film, even with its release being delayed by a year and a half, is well worth the wait. The director Cary Joji Fukunaga brings Bond into the modern age, making you feel that such a hero could truly exist in the world today. Paired with impressive global locations from Jamaica and Italy to Japan, and a wide array of supporting cast, the film immerses you in the Bond universe.
While the returning cast is as excellent as ever, and remind us that they are indeed an integral part of this franchise, newcomers Lashana Lynch and Ana de Armas are welcome additions. Lashana Lynch as the new 007 has some friendly rivalry with the retired Bond – which makes for some great one-liners – with the film as a whole being surprisingly comedic, giving Craig some of his best lines so far. Ana de Armas, whilst having little screentime, is one of the most memorable characters of the film encapsulating everything expected of a ‘Bond girl’. The representation of women as a whole in the film is something to be admired, and is no doubt helped by Phoebe Waller-Bridge’s edits to the script. Daniel Craig of course offers a dynamic performance, ranging from humorous, charming, and emotional as he plays Bond for the last time, and it’s still very much his film despite the ensemble of supporting characters.
At points it felt that the film was checking boxes to fulfil classic Bond tropes and clichés, which ultimately slightly brought it down. One such trope is embodied by Rami Malek, who plays a bland, boring Bond villain with the standard goal of destroying the world without a convincing motive. In fact, the weapon being used by Malek’s character felt much more ominous and threatening than the villain himself.
This is however made up for entirely by the excellent action sequences in the film – Fukunaga manages to keep the action snappy and fast-paced while still delivering some of the most impressive and unique visuals of the franchise. From set piece to set piece, the pace of the film rarely slows down, making the 2 hour 45 minute runtime feel a lot shorter than expected. However, due to the six-year gap since the previous film, the emotional scenes failed to deliver; the film relies on the fact that the audience is invested in the relationship between Craig’s Bond and Léa Seydoux’s Madeline, something I could barely remember.
No Time To Die is currently playing in cinemas and I would highly recommend that you make time to see it. In the age of digital media and streaming, it reminds us why some films have to be seen and experienced on the big screen. Daniel Craig is by far my favourite interpretation of Ian Fleming’s iconic character, and this film is a showcase of why he is Bond (… James Bond).