It’s been a very long wait, but at last NO TIME TO DIE has arrived at cinemas (at least, in the UK). I’m not going to spoil any plot details, but in short – this is the best Daniel Craig Bond since Casino Royale, and a fitting swansong for his tenure as 007.
After the mostly dull, meandering disappointment that was SPECTRE, I feared the worst – and went in with seriously lowered expectations. But I’m delighted to say that in the hands of director Cary Joji Fukunaga (True Detective) and with additional – and quite noticeable – script assistance from Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag) we experience a thrilling, propulsive, witty and surprisingly emotive chapter in the Bond franchise.
The runtime is a mammoth 2 hours 43 minutes, yet it rarely drags – with a zippy sense of energy as we jump to setpiece after setpiece. Daniel Craig gives a fantastically committed performance and there’s no sense that the antagonism he might have held towards the role filtered through to this final film. He’s ably supported by a solid supporting cast. Lea Seydoux has so much more to work with here than she did in Spectre, and while I can’t quite buy her as a “Bond girl” she works brilliantly as an emotional counterweight to Daniel Craig’s weary and battered Bond. Ana de Armas has a brief but incredibly memorable role and her section was an absolute joy. Haha – it really did almost feel like “Fleabag does Bond”
The action is spectacular with some jaw-dropping stunts and gritty bone-crunching fights. Joji Fukunaga keeps the onscreen action visceral and raw, with a real sense of impact to every bullet hit and explosion. It’s helped by the use of tight over-the-shoulder camera framing in the most intense moments, really making you feel a part of the scene. Watch it in a cinema with Dolby Atmos or IMAX and you’ll be blown away.
So… what didn’t I like? Well, the title song by Billie Eilish is somehow even worse than the Sam Smith song used for Spectre. I literally can’t even remember it now if someone asked me to describe it. It was feeble and bland. But hey, it’s better than “Die Another Day” at least. More seriously, the motivations and goals of the main villain in this film are more than a little woolly. Rami Malek is an interesting actor and can work brilliantly in some roles, but I’m not sure this was one of them.
So, now the dust has settled and all the chips are down – what next for Bond? I sense a big change in direction. There’s a sense of finality to this film that reminds me of the end of the Nolan Batman trilogy. Whatever comes next, it’s going to be very much its own thing. And that’s a good thing. Like Doctor Who, The James Bond franchise has regenerated itself many times. And you know what? Even when it doesn’t quite work – and everyone has their own views of who was the best Bond – it’s always worth the price of admission. And I can’t wait to see where it goes next.
