We’re a little behind on this review, but better late than never! After 27 films, fans of the franchise get one last opportunity to enjoy the current iteration of 007, Daniel Craig. This is Craig’s fifth and final outing as the British secret agent with a license to kill. We’ve already written about the previous Bond films and our favorite actors, so we’ve established that Craig is among our favorites to put on the Bond Tuxedo. Let’s dive into our No Time To Die review. Warning: some spoilers ahead, although we’ll try to keep them minimal.
What’s it About?
After the events of the most recent film (Spectre, 2015), Bond has retired. Early in the film, we see Bond and Madeleine Swann (his love interest from Spectre) enjoying a well-earned romantic trip to Italy. But, this is a Bond film and we know this interlude can’t last.
Just as Bond seems to settle into what could be this new life, he has it stripped away again. To say that Bond has terrible misfortune when it comes to love is an understatement. Craig’s version of Bond has every excuse to just call it a day in the romance department even before No Time to Die, so when it appears that Madeleine may have betrayed him, he is ready to walk away to a tropical island by himself, which he does.
But, his old CIA buddy Felix convinces him to come out of retirement 5 years later for one last mission. This sets everything in motion, including the inevitable reunion with Madeleine, Spectre (the villain from the last film), and a new villain with another evil plot.
Bond meets his replacement agent 007 (Lashana Lynch as Naomi) and the two eventually work together to foil the new villain’s plot. None of that should be too surprising, since the trailers provide a lot of this information as the set-up for the film. You’ll get more world-hopping exotic locales, action, and face-offs with evil villains. However, you will get some surprises and things that make this a unique bond film.
A Farewell to Daniel Craig’s Bond
As mentioned above, this is Craig’s final turn as James Bond. He has had a great run, ranking at or near the top of all the Bond actors by most fans and critics. We will not give away the ending, but let’s simply say he receives an entirely appropriate finale. True to the character that Craig has developed and to the legacy of Bond.
Craig leaves a tough act to follow for whichever actor takes up the Bond mantle going forward. Idris Elba (my personal choice), Tom Hardy (I don’t see it, but he’s a betting favorite), Tom Hopper, Richard Madden, Henry Cavill, Lashana Lync, someone else? Hopefully, whoever picks up the role will make it their own in the way that Craig has done during his time in the role.
Watch it or Not?
It’s a must-watch for Bond fans in general and for Craig’s version of Bond fans in particular. It’s not a perfect movie. The villains are often a bit clownish at this point - how many supervillains are there out there? But, this one is particularly impactful as a personal Bond film.
