By Adam Ray Palmer Well Mr Bond, we have been expecting you*… *For over 18 months actually and it’s been an absolute slog waiting for the title sequence, the prologue, the theme tune, the gadgets, and the quips. But finally, Bond is back. On his delayed return, Daniel Craig’s James Bond is back to help save the world again… literally. As COVID-19 sweeps the globe over the past year and a half, No Time To Die has a very fitting narrative too. 007 has left active service but his peace is short-lived when Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright), an old friend from the CIA, turns up asking for help. The support needed is colossal, as the Spectre plot comes to a head leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain (Rami Malek) armed with dangerous new technology called Heracles. The tech is made up of DNA-hijacking nanobots that, if in the wrong hands, could wipe out Earth as we know it. So once the archenemy of the hand sanitizer is stolen from a secret London lab, Bond must don his Tom Ford suit once again. I just want to cut to the chase now… No Time To Die is simply sensational, from start to finish. From the outset, and it is a long outset (the franchise’s longest prologue by far at 23 minutes), you’re hooked on so many different plot lines. Who is Lyutsifer Safin (Malek)? What is Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) hiding? How is Spectre still going? And where does Q get his knitwear from? All the big questions! No Time To Die is in keeping with the emotion of 2012’s Skyfall whilst continuing the high stakes of 2015’s Spectre; and this makes for the perfect send off for the outgoing Daniel Craig. It has the stunts you come to expect, the sentiment you now resonate with the broken spy, and performances to rival any of the previous Bond films combined. Craig is on top form here, and you can really feel his passion and eagerness to give the performance of his agent lifetime one final time. The supporting cast, largely Malek, Seydoux, Lashana Lynch (the new 007) and Ralph Fiennes (M), really make the film tick. It feels like they absolutely brought ‘it’ to give Craig his last hurrah. In particular, Lea and Rami are matchless in their scenes together. The counselling session between the two feels extremely uncomfortable yet also poignant – immense screenwriting from Neal Purvis, Robert Wade and Cary Joji Fukunaga. Speaking of Fukunaga, his direction throughout the hefty run time (2hrs 43 mins) is nothing short of a marvel. It’s so on point - switching between the intense action pieces and the tender pace-making sequences like an expert filmmaker on top of his game. I would love to see Cary given the reigns again. Everything in No Time To Die just seemed to work for me. Hans Zimmer’s moving and at times perilous score compliments Linus Sandgren’s cinematography so well, it’s like a match made in La La Land. The stunts and set pieces don't slow down in this outing either as we see Bond jump off bridges, fly planes and of course partake in some dangerous driving – all that we love the British legend for. The thing that hit me though, from the first roar of Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s lion, is just how emotive No Time To Die is. Knowing this is Daniel Craig’s last Bond film played on my mind, and it made me appreciate his 007 back catalogue when the credits rolled. What a Bond Daniel Craig has been. Three out of the five Bond movies he stars in are easily in my top 10 of all-time. It’s been a brilliant 15 years for the spy, and a welcomed entrant to the fictional world of James Bond for Craig. His charismatic, tortured, and vulnerable Bond has elevated this franchise to new heights, and such a towering pinnacle that the next person to drink the shaken vodka martini has a big act to follow. Farewell to the Blonde Bond; thank you for your service, Mr Craig. Cineroom’s rating: 5 stars No Time To Die is out now worldwide – certificate 12A Leave a Reply. |
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4/10/2021
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