No Time To Die (2021) - A Bold Yet Divisive End To Daniel Craig's Time As Bond! (SPOILER FREE)

To say Daniel Craig's time as James Bond has been inconsistent is... an understatement. It's never been an issue with Craig as an actor, but more the fact that those running the show have not being hugely consistent with how they've handled the character's journey. Thankfully, Craig's tenure has had some thrilling highlights such as 2006's Casino Royale, and 2012's Skyfall. However, it's also stuck with the seizure inducing Quantum Of Solace, and the drab and dull Spectre. So it's safe to say that there is a lot riding on Bond's latest outing to end Craig's time with the character on a high note. As with many films from the last 18 months, the 2020 pandemic has not helped, meaning this nearly 3 hour long film requires a lot of ticket sales just to break even. But the question still stands, will this be another win for Craig's bond?

I think many of those who have seen this film will agree with me that No Time To Die is bold with many of it's story beats. Many decisions you see here will be very divisive among fans of this 007 agent. For me, I was overall really satisfied with this film. It gives Craig's bond a very thrilling and fitting end to his interpretation of the character. The highs are really high, some even leaving your heart gut wrenched, thanks to the connections that have been made over the films. This is by far Craig's standout performance as Bond, and he leaves the franchise on a very high note. Fans alike will also be impressed by the many callbacks to not just the past Craig films, but to many points in the franchise's cinematic history.

I was also really impressed by the inclusion of Léa Seydoux as Madeleine Swann. Having not been a huge fan of her last appearance in Spectre, I was impressed by how much I was sold on the chemistry between her character and Bond. The relationship really helps sell the human emotion in this last story, and is ultimately the catalyst for the final outcome. One way or another, the onscreen relationship between Craig and Seydoux is the driving force of this narrative. I will admit a surprise inclusion surrounding these two was something I struggled to accept on first viewing, but as the narrative unfolded, it was sold in a way, that I could easily accept it.

I will admit though, that there are two actors who do give brilliant performances, but aren't given enough time to shine in the script. The film hugely wastes the talents of Rami Malek and Ana de Armas, who's characters aren't badly written, but could've been utilised a lot more. Malek is terrifying and creepy in his villainous role, and his two main scenes with Bond are the most tense parts of the story. However, he doesn't really play a huge part in the drama. He just makes a brief appearance at the start, then suddenly appears out of nowhere. It doesn't feel like he has had a hand in crafting the drama and destruction prior to his introduction to the main plot. That's the key issue with the story, it feels clutter with how many people it's showing to have alterior motives. It gets to the point that there are so many double crosses, that it's hard to remember that there is meant to be one person behind all of this.

As for Ana de Armas, she continues to be a powerhouse actor, giving an incredible performance, and showing that she and Craig continue to have incredible on-screen connections after their last appearance together in Rian Johnson's Knives Out. Armas also gets to be a lot more of a badass character here than in the prior, but as with Malek, she doesn't get the time to really shine, the character written for her would've been a far more fitting character for Bond to bounce off throughout the story. This is evident in the case of Lashana Lynch who is the new 00 agent in this film. While I enjoy her far more than other critics have, I do still prefer how Armas' character was written. That character had more charisma, while Lynch's character was written to essentially be another agent for Bond to work alongside. She's not badly written, but could've had more flare in the way she was written. Thankfully Lynch was still a charming performer, and gives many people an idea of what a female 00 agent would be like.

This film's visual style is just as meticulously crafted as any other Bond instalment. The set design, props and costumes are second to none as ever. It was really nice to see some light and colour come back to the Bond franchise, after the bland and ugly colour pallet that took up most of the screen time in Spectre. This is helped by the fact that 35mm film was used for shooting, rather than modern digital cameras. There is a level of colour and quality that you get with using film stocks, that even the best digital cinematographers and colour graders cannot achieve. The exotic filming locations were a sight to behold, and the stunt work as ever kept my eyes glued to the screen. I wasn't too excited by the inclusion of Hans Zimmer and Billie Eilish taking up the music in this film. I was surprised by the song that Eilish provided for this film, and while it doesn't hold a candle to Adele's incredible song for Skyfall, it is still a nice song nonetheless. I was also impressed by Zimmer's thrilling music score, which did provide an extra level of excitement, tension and emotional dread. However, it still appears that Zimmer cannot get away from his copy and paste approach to music composing. There is many times where you can't tell if this music is from a Bond movie, or any of Zimmer's other copy and paste soundtracks.

Overall, whether you will be satisfied by No Time To Die will entirely depend on what you enjoy in a Bond film. For me, it provides the thrilling action, some gut wrenching emotional turmoil, and some of the best acting since Judi Dench left the franchise. While I still feel Skyfall was the peak of Craig's tenure as this famous agent, I'm happy to say that No Time To Die is the same level of high quality as it and Casino Royale. And thankfully, I can find it easy to look past my issues with this film, and enjoy it for the thrilling piece of cinema that it is. What will happen for 007 is unknown to the general public, but all we can hope for is that they will continue to honour such a long lasting part of cinematic history.

SCORES

Story - 4/5

Characters - 4/5

Production - 5/5

Acting - 5/5

Music - 3.5/5

TOTAL - 8.6/10