09 Oct No Time To Die Review

NO TIME TO DIE

dir. Cary Joji Fukanaga, starring Daniel Craig, Lea Seydoux, Rami Malek, Ralph Finnes, et al

BOND IS BACK. James Bond, the suave secret agent with a license to kill, has been a mostly consistent staple in the action franchise dating back to 1962’s Dr. No. Now, Daniel Craig returns in his latest film mission as the weathered tool of Her Majesty’s Secret Service, complete with guns, gadgets, girls…and a healthy amount of exploration of the character as well. The final entry in the Craig era pulls out all the stops as Bond has to stop terrorist Lyutsifer Safin from spreading a molecular disease. Swept up in this plot is Bond’s love interest from Spectre Madeline Swann, Bond’s greatest enemy Ernst Stavro Blofeld, and Nomi, the 007 agent who’s replaced Bond in the British Ministry. Altogether, director Cary Fukunaga uses these disparate elements to create a bold story that manages to pay homage to Bond films prior while dishing out a few surprises along the way.

All the spectacle you would expect from a Bond movie is present: car chases, gunfights, exotic locales, beautiful women, and more. Yet, all this is slightly hindered by the overly long runtime and somewhat convoluted plot (which, let’s be honest here, is also a staple of Bond, so it really does have everything you want from a Bond movie!). There’s elements of the film that, while nice to see, are completely unnecessary, making the film’s middle act drag on far too long. Understandably, this marking the end of Craig’s service, Fukunaga wants to live in this world as long as possible. Unfortunately, this causes pacing issues with the film, adding an extra 15 or 20 minutes that if excised wouldn’t be missed.

Starring, for his fith time, Daniel Craig as our favorite spy, the story gives the veteran actor a well-earned sendoff with this stylish entry into the canon. In a surprisingly emotional turn from previous actors, Craig’s 007 spent the previous four films mining the development of the cold hearted assassin into a man of conflicting emotions and, at times, unfailing loyalty. In No Time to Die, that loyalty is immediately put to the test as Bond visits Vesper Lynd’s grave in an attempt to eschew the past to make room for Madeline Swann. While Skyfall remains Craig’s best acting in a Bond role, he’s not far off here, oscillating between the pain of betrayal, anger, determination, and love. While love has never been a theme or throughline in a Bond film outside of On Her Majesty’s Secret Service, here it’s one of the main motivators of the story. The fact that the musical cues fall back on that 1969 film starring one-time Bond actor George Lazenby is proof enough that emotions will be fully rung out of the audience by the third act’s explosive finale. Turning in is second best performance in the series is only a fitting end to the Craig era.

Also starring Lea Seydoux as Madeline Swann, Bond’s romantic interest first introduced in Spectre, Swann is the emotional anchor of the film. A happy existence with Bond gone awry, the film’s opening seeks to quickly reestablish the nature between the two before tearing them apart. Seydoux is magnificent in the role, reminiscent of Carrie Fisher’s Princess Leia as she plays the role of both damsel in distress and a character with her own agency. The backstory of Madeline Swann that was only briefly hinted at in Spectre is brought to the surface here, fleshing out the character and providing Seydoux with more than enough material to let her shine. The chemistry between Craig and Seydoux is there, even if the age difference is still disappointingly obvious.

Rami Malek, recent Best Actor winner for his portrayal of Freddie Mercury, is delightfully creepy in the film as Lyutsifer Safin, a terrorist leader who is both on a revenge mission against SPECTRE and on a path to weaponize the DNA of humans in order to target whom he sees fit. Malek’s disturbing, halted speech pattern combined with the excellent makeup design of the character immediately stamps him as a Bond villain that’s both a nod to previous villains and still a contemporary foe. Fiennes, Harris, and Wishaw all reprise their roles of M, Moneypenney, and Q, respectfully, once again giving the characters more to do than their standard fares of old. Notably, it’s Ralph Fiennes that stands out amongst the supporting cast as M, burdened by the second act revelation. As events progress, Fiennes seems to age years as the stressors of the job are taking their toll on him. Along with Q’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it reference to his sexuality (likely more to do with Ben Wishaw than anything else) and Moneypenny’s loyalty to Bond, this Scooby gang-like trio of characters are granted more screen time in No Time to Die than any other Bond film and the actors and actresses all embody their roles with the aplomb and heart necessary for a rousing finale.

Still, aside from Craig and Seydoux, the two standouts of the film are clearly Lashana Lynch as 007 and Ana De Armas as Paloma, a CIA agent who assists Bond in Cuba. While the focus of the film is clearly on Craig’s satisfying sendoff, Lynch and de Armas steal every scene they’re in. Lynch’s youthful confidence played off Craig’s aging weariness makes for fun back and forth between the two as the pair consistently wreak havoc on the other’s plans. Lynch’s entry into the world of Bond, sunglasses and all, makes for one of the best recent characters in the franchise’s almost 60 year history. Ana de Armas as wide-eyed, eager Paloma is also a fond callback to her and Craig’s pairing on the surprise smash Knives Out. Here, de Armas is severely underutilized, appearing only for the beginning of the second act in what could be considered the best action scene given to a woman in all 25 entries. A team up movie of Lynch’s 007 and Paloma is the best possible consideration coming out of the ending of the movie.

Special shoutout has to be given to Jeffrey Wright as CIA Agent Felix Leiter. While absent from Skyfall and Spectre, Felix’s return to the series is that much more special, focusing on the friendship between the two secret agents. Wright plays the role with more exuberance than his previous two subdued outings, excited to see his old friend for the first time in years while eager to be finished with his mission. Wright is perfect for the role of Felix, and is, to date, the only actor to reprise the role three times; a testament to Wright’s portrayal.

Directed by Cary Fukunaga, part of the brilliance of No Time to Die lies in its action and set pieces. While action is the centerpiece of every Bond film, Fukunaga manages to capture to visceral nature of Daniel Craig’s Bond while still conveying Bond’s aging, broken down frame. The work-smarter-not-harder Bond in this film has come a long way from running through drywall in Casino Royale. Here, Fukunaga and his team have decked out Bond with a few handy gadgets, an Aston Martin, and all the familiar tricks that lead to classic moments for fans of the series. Also a cinematographer, Fukunaga teams up with DP Linus Sandgren to deliver stunning camerawork, both in terms of well constructed shot compositions and frenetic movement during the action scenes.

Overall, No Time to Die caps the end of an outstanding run of movies that manages to transplant a character from an outdated era and repurpose him for the modern age. All of Bond’s faults and insecurities, of which there are many, are prominently displayed on the screen in a fashion never before seen in the decades spanning series and Fukunaga encapsulates his journey perfectly. Stunning action scenes, brilliant acting, crisp cinematography, and outstanding technical work from Fukunaga and his team all make No Time to Die one of the best entries in the franchise. With an ending that’s guaranteed to leave audiences shaken (not stirred), No Time to Die should be the perfect ending for a genre of action defined by its gritty, rough-and-tumble roots. After 15 years playing a character that many had written off a relic of a bygone era, it’s finally time for Daniel Craig to hang up his tuxedo after having truly proven that nobody did it better. No Time to Die is in theaters October 8th.

Review by Darryl Mansel