No Time To Die Review: A Memorable Farewell For Daniel Craig’s James Bond The Spectacular End

Director: Cary Joji Fukunaga

Starring: Daniel Craig, Rami Malek, Léa Seydoux, Lashana Lynch, Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw, Jeffrey Wright, Ana de Armas

Ratings: 4/5 (four star) [yasr_overall_rating size=”large”]

Six long years have passed since 007 Specter, the last James Bond (without infamy and without praise) brought to the big screen. But fifteen have passed since Daniel Craig’s initial debut as the world’s most famous secret agent. It was 2006 when that Casino Royale came out that made us so passionate about the saga. Today we are happy to tell you about our impressions on the latest chapter: 007 No Time to Die of which we report our review. According to what is said for the web it seems that this is the last chapter with Daniel Craigwhich will have to leave “gun and badge” to a new 007. Abandoning rumors that don’t compete with us and are of little interest, let’s go back to the present, to what is reality, that is, this highly anticipated No Time to Die.

Postponed several times due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the film has finally seen the light in theaters. A bit like it happened in the previous chapter, the troupe returned to shoot in Italy, in Matera to be precise; further reason why the hype and the expectation had really skyrocketed. The film, directed by Cary Fukunaga (True detective), sees, in addition to the obvious participation of Daniel Craig, the return of Christoph Waltz as the villain at the head of Specter. There is also a new entry as mysterious as it is disturbing, played by Rami Malek. Among the various bond-girls we find Lea Seydoux (Madeleine) and Lashana Lynch. Also worth mentioning is the stainless Ralph Fiennes in the role of M. If you are curious to find out what we think of No Time to Die, likely last 007 with Daniel Craig, you just have to continue reading our review.

No Time To Die Review: The Story

Although the race for the title of the most spectacular cinematic special agent is increasingly fierce between the various Mission Impossible and John Wick, 007 always has its stainless charm. Several years have passed since 1962, the year of the first 007 with Sean Connery. Since then the saga has always been a great success. But more than history, it is precisely the figure of 007 that attracts. A secret agent who is a dream and for many perhaps a model. For the beauty of the actors who played him, the ability to know how to fight, the cunning and for all the women who surround him in each chapter. And let’s also put a purely commercial-consumer side between Aston Martin, haute couture clothes and the new sparkling Seamaster on the wrist. Agent 007 is what it is also for these elements, which are lacking in the various Ethans of MI and John Wick.

Making a James Bond film means starting with an advantage, because the “product pulls”. The repetitiveness of a consolidated scheme always works. We are talking about the classic race in Aston Martin equipped for a war, the technological and lethal gadgets that support our spy in every mission; of the martini that he never refuses, of the bond-girls, of the elegance, of the opening theme. Everything always comes back in an “almost ceremonial and ritualistic” wayand it works because the public wants to see everything that made the saga famous. A sort of game between cinema and spectator, because when we see the Aston Martin being damaged for the umpteenth time we breathe a sigh of relief as if to say “ok, tradition is respected”. What changes are the plot and characters, not always up to par. Well yes, because we lovers of the “agitated, not mixed” martini and technological gadgets also need that something more unique and unrepeatable.

The Review and Analysis

Let’s get to the point of the film in question. No Time to Die, likely last chapter with Daniel Craig in a tuxedo and license to kill, is a film with many responsibilities a bit like all 007s. Let’s start by saying that visually the film is great. In addition to the scenic beauty of some shots scattered around the most beautiful places in the world (starting with our Matera), the film has a management of lights, especially in terms of colors and silhouettes, nothing short of amazing. We then returned with our minds to the technical excellence of Skyfall with the photography of Roger Deakins or to the beauty of the initial sequence shot of Specter (the only positive note of that film).

Not to mention the shots, from the panoramic ones to the aerial ones up to incisive close-ups on the faces of the protagonists (we count at least a couple from film school). Just as, especially in the action, we appreciated the shrewd movements of a camera that rotates on itself or scrolls with a fluidity that literally makes us enter the scene. Really good work. Same thing goes for the soundtracks of Hans Zimmer and for the soundtrack No Time to Die by Billie Eilish in the opening theme. Although the plot, as we will tell later, has not thrilled and enthused us, we can say that it redeems an emotionally moving and unexpected ending.

History is the classic pretext to stage the action of the most formidable and deadly spy in the world. This latest chapter of the 007 saga certainly does not shine for originality, even if in 2021 we will gladly expect a little more step also in this aspect. Okay all the hype of the saga, the repetitiveness of those patterns that “we want to see” in every James Bond, but every now and then some acumen in the script would be nice.

Instead, here too we have yet another technology capable of weighing on world health; moreover, in this last chapter we are halfway between science and pure science fiction. The plot over all is easily predictable even in the few twists of the film. Also unfortunate is the characterization of the various villains, “specks” as per the tradition of the saga, certainly not interesting as in other James Bond; think for example of Le Chiffre from Casino Royale in 2006 (Mads Mikkelsen).

The Final Verdict: What Worked

We close the review of No Time to Die, Daniel Craig’s long farewell to the James Bond character after fifteen years of honorable service and five films, underlining how the film is faithful to the stylistic features of the saga and at the same time attentive to today, the 25th installment of the franchise combines on-screen action, pathos, humor and introspection. Naturally agitated, not mixed.

• Daniel Craig surpasses himself for the umpteenth time as Bond.
• Rami Malek is a creepy and charming villain.
• The contour cast is solid as ever.
• The technical apparatus is flawless.

What Didn’t Worked

• Some narrative choices won’t make everyone agree.