REVIEW - No Time To Die

There was always a risk, that after so long, after numerous delays, that No Time To Die would be something of a let down. 

Once heralded as the saviour of cinema after the first lockdown, the weight of expectation was heavy on its shoulders. Arguably more so than any Bond film to come before it. The big question going in was whether it would be able to carry that weight.

The answer is an emphatic yes.

Billie Eilish’s terrific theme song, and the opening credits that accompany it, hint at things to come, managing to blend the old and new seamlessly, and this feeling of old and new continues throughout. 

In fact No Time To Die feels very much like a passing of the baton.

Eilish’s back catalogue is a stark contrast the that of Adele and Sam Smith who provided their voice for the previous two films, suggesting a more daring approach to hiring in the future.

In the writing team, series regulars Neal Purvis and Robert Wade are joined by Bond newcomer Phoebe Waller-Bridge, who adds her distinctive voice to a pool that was in danger of becoming stagnant.

In the directors chair, Cary Juji Fukunaga has an eclectic back catalogue - ranging from Jane Eyre to True Detective - and whilst it would have been interesting to see the Danny Boyle film that was originally slated, it again shows a willingness from producers to add new voices to the mix.

Where Daniel Craig’s debut Casino Royale, benefitted from its eschewing of the gadgets and silliness that plagued some of its predecessors, No Time To Die benefits from ever so slightly leaning into it. This is still very much Daniel Craig’s bond. It’s still brutal and no nonsense when it needs to be, but it is also an entry which finally seems comfortable acknowledging its heritage. 

The last five films have, whilst being a part of a larger franchise, been a smaller series of films in their own right. The character development from Casino Royale to now has given us a Bond that feels human. He is a Bond that feels pain, and who carries this pain with him long after the closing credits, and into his next performance.

It has also given us a James Bond Universe that feels self contained from everything that has come before, and anything that is likely to come in the future, which poses some interesting questions about the future of the series, and where it goes next - especially considering Amazon’s recent purchase of MGM.

Craig is fantastic here, and seems to be having the most fun he has ever had in the role. Whereas Roger Moore’s bond didn’t age with along with the actor, Craig’s portrayal embraces his ageing, weaves it into the plot, and, therefore, makes sense within the universe. That his time as Bond is bookended by two vert distinct performances, is a testament to what he has brought to the character. 

The rest of the cast are - mostly - on top form around him. Léa Seydoux returns as Madeleine Swann and gives a layered performance, which shows she can easily balance the drama and action required 

Despite being billed as a “bond girl” when initially cast in Spectre, Madeleine is a strong character in her own right. 

In fact, there is no Bond girl in No Time To Die. A move which further moves the franchise into the modern world.

Lashana Lynch is a newcomer to the series as a new “00 Agent” and immediately makes her presence felt. She is not differential to Bond, making him work to gain her trust, rather than other way around. 

She manages to portray the character as a different beast to Bond, without foregoing any of the toughness and brutality that comes with the role, and if they do move down the cinematic universe route that has been speculated, would make an excellent lead. 

Naomie Harris has transformed Moneypenny into a character with autonomy, instead of just a target for a lame double entendre, and I would have liked to see a little more from her.

The only real problem with No Time To Die is Rami Malek’s villain. In fact the only time I ever felt close to being disengaged was when he was on screen. In a film full of great performances, he feels strangely superfluous. His motivations are boring and his performance bland, especially compared to Christoph Waltz’s Blofeld, and left me feeling like the driving force behind the films threat could have been literally anyone.

Which is a huge shame, because the threat in No Time To Die does feel very real. Over Craig’s preceding entries we have become familiar with a cast of supporting characters that we have grown to care about, meaning the action sequences have genuine emotional heft. The prospect of losing one of these characters raises the stakes, and elevates the film above the standard Hollywood model, where a slight graze is the most damage one of the good guys tends to take.

I would have also liked to have seen more of Ana de Armas. She has an easy chemistry with Craig, which we have seen previously in Knives Out, and, though she made the most of her limited time on screen, it was shame that she wasn’t given more of a chance to shine

Overall though, No Time To Die is a film that manages to modernise a franchise that need to be reinvented, whilst holding onto the elements of its past that still work today.

It is a film with a run time pushing three hours, but which never feels bloated.

But most importantly of all, Craig has, over his five film tenure, done something that no one but George Lazenby has even dared attempt.

He has given James Bond a soul.