No Time to Die (2021)

 

Bond number 25, and what a Bond it is. Be forewarned: this might not exactly be the one you wanted or expected, but it is quite the ride, especially since the makers did make some daring choices along the way. It is both a bit nostalgic and emotional, something that hasn't really been seen often in this series, except maybe for 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' and 'Casino Royale'. It is even made more poignant by referencing both these films quite often in small details.

Who would have guessed a Bond-film could be so heartwrenching at times? 

Things don't start off all that well, as the grim prologue shows us a young Madeleine in a tough spot, which sets up the rest of the film. After 'Spectre', Bond and Madeleine are enjoying the good life, but of course something goes horrendously awry and their relationship comes to a painful end.

Fast forward five years, and Bond is now well and truly retired. Again. But this time, he really went off the grid. That is, until his friend Felix Leiter wants him to do one last mission/assignment. Because Bond is Bond and this has to do with Spectre, he accepts. He comes across his replacement 007 (Lashana Lynch), who is every bit like him, only a woman and black. 

Cool choice, by the way. And Lashana Lynch nails those - dare I say - typical Bond mannerisms to a T. She also plays very well off of Daniel Craig. 

Turns out there used to be a covert project under the auspices of M to create a very specific technology to kill only certain people, but of course this got stolen and is now ready to be used against whomever the villain desires. 

The villain's name is Lyutsifer, by the way. Maybe a bit too on the nose. Might as well have called him Dr Evil McSatan or something like that.

Through various actions and mishaps, Bond comes into contact once again with Madeleine, Blofeld and other ghosts from the past, which all lead to a climax very reminiscent of 'Dr No', actually. But there is a lot more happening which I won't spoil here, because there are some massive gutpunches awaiting.

The callback to previous works is actually very well done, and it's not so much a "Look! Something the fans recognise!" but more subtle and it foreshadows quite a bit of the events. Daniel Craig is once again excellent and this time around, his chemistry with Léa Seydoux feels good, whereas in 'Spectre', it felt a bit forced. The supporting cast is also very, very good.

In fact, the worst (well, least) part of this entire film is Rami Malek's bad guy. This evildoer feels incredibly flat and stock and not at all memorable. Even his scheme is very derivative of pretty much every scheme in any Bondfilm ever. That he looks, talks and feels like a copy of Dr No doesn't help either, nor does the third act which feels like a rehash of that film's climax. Well, except for the ending, which not a lot of people saw coming and which is surprisingly emotional.

Heck, this is a Bondfilm that will leave you sad, not because it disappointed, but because you actually care about the characters and what happens to them. 

'No Time To Die' is a most excellent end to the Daniel Craig era. One can only hope for the best in the future of this franchise.