*Spoiler Free Review*
I've been a huge James Bond fan all my life. I read all the Ian Fleming books while at school, and saw my first Bond movie on ITV in the early 70s, as my family were too poor to go to the cinema very often. I was very lucky, in that I saw all the films in order, with no spoilers from a non-existent internet. So, I was able to be entertained by the classic Connery era, experienced the shock of a new Bond (George Lazenby) taking over in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service' (1969), and Bond being married and widowed by the end of the film. THAT was a huge surprise! Then Connery returned briefly, we had the hilarious Roger Moore years, Timothy Dalton brought a more serious and brutal Bond in the late 1980s, and Pierce Brosnan coasted along with a more glib, slick 007 for the 90s, and then we had Daniel Craig. I was amazed that Craig had been cast, but also overjoyed. I'd seen him in a few things on tv, and thought he was a superb actor. I never thought the producers would take a chance on him, as he didn't fit the usual Bond mould; tall, dark, clean cut, etc. Craig was more of a character actor. A guy who could turn his hand to a huge variety of roles. When I saw 'Casino Royale', in 2006, I was blown away! FINALLY, here was the Bond of the books, with all the gritty, adult, x-rated drama of Fleming's debut novel. Here we saw how Bond became the ruthless, womanising, risk-taking, virtually masochistic assassin. I couldn't believe they included the infamous torture scene from the novel ( a naked Bond, tied to a chair, and having his genitals battered). This was a radical move, and a big risk for the producers, EON. But, it worked! A new Bond was here, and Craig's subsequent films followed a through line, with the character developing into the hero we had known for decades. With 2012's 'Skyfall' we had Bond on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and failing to prevent the death of Judi Dench's much-loved 'M', who had evolved to become a virtual mother to Bond. We also got to see 007's childhood home, a gothic mansion in the wilds of Scotland, and the graves of his parents. We learned how the teen-age Bond had coped with the deaths of his mother and father, and in 2015's 'Spectre' we discovered how he had been adopted, and found himself with a foster brother, Hans Oberhauser. 'Spectre' brought Oberhauser back, who eventually turned out to be Bond's arch enemy Ernst Stavro Blofeld - a real bone of contention for hardcore Bond fans! In Fleming's novels, Blofeld was the mastermind behind the criminal organisation S.P.E.C.T.R.E., but was no relation to his nemesis. By the end of 2015's 'Spectre', Blofeld was caught, and Bond was retiring - literally driving off into the sunset (with his new love, Madeleine Swann). It was a fitting end for Craig's Bond. In his previous films, there had been no happy endings, but here we finally saw our hero at peace, and seemingly content with life.
So, now we have 'No Time To Die', which picks up right after 'Spectre'. Bond and Madeleine (Lea Seydoux) are living in blissful retirement, and have 'all the time in the world'. What can possibly go wrong?
I had heard many rumours about this new film. It was definitely Craig's last one. There would be an unprecedented surprise ending. Beloved characters would be in serious peril. With a new Bond movie, there are always a thousand rumours, many of which are pure speculation based on 'anonymous sources'. However, what we DID know was that director Danny Boyle had pulled out following disagreements over the movie's ending. Add on a nearly two year delay, thanks to the pandemic, and we had had a hell of a long time to dwell on things.
I took my seat, on the back row, and braced myself. For a Bond fan, this was a momentous occasion. It had been six years since 'Spectre'. SO much had happened in the world, and our personal lives. Would this new film live up to the hype, and the feverish expectation? Here we go ...
The pre-credits sequence (PLEASE don't call it a 'cold open'!) gave us an unusual start. Bond films tend to begin with a bang, usually dropping in on 007 finishing a previous mission, and culminating in an outrageous stunt. This one is rather more restrained. It is creepy, ominous, and shocking. For once, the focus isn't on Bond, but we soon catch up with him and Madeleine enjoying the splendour of Matera (Italy), coasting along in 007's silver Aston Martin to the strains of John Barry's bittersweet 'We Have All The Time In The World' (first heard in 'On Her Majesty's Secret Service', and possibly suggesting much sorrow ahead for the couple). The car chase we've seen so much of in the trailers is truly spectacular. Much enhanced by a huge emotional aspect, with an angry, determined Bond pulling no punches. A wonderful start, leading into Billie Eilish's suitably downbeat title song. Fast-forward a few years, and Bond has gone back to nature, catching fish and enjoying the simple (yet luxurious) life in Jamaica. Enter Bond's old CIA pal, Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright, returning for the first time since 2008's 'Quantum Of Solace'), and a new 'OO' agent, the snarky yet capable Nomi (Lashana Lynch), and soon Bond is back in action, and on the trail of a kidnapped scientist. It's a pretty straight-forward 'mission' for the retired Bond, but things get complicated quickly, when he discovers 'M' (Ralph Feinnes) has a dark secret or two, and the stakes are the highest they've ever been for the Daniel Craig era.
The cast are all on top form, with Craig leading the way with his best performance yet. Ben Whishaw's 'Q' has more to do than simply supply Bond with his tools of the trade. Here, he gets to tag along with the OOs, and he's there at the heartbreaking finale. There is intrigue, there are betrayals, sacrifices, some ultra violence (Craig's Bond is more brutal than ever), a wonderful villain's lair, and a genuinely terrifying bio weapon that is used to surprising effect at vital moments in the narrative. Bond comes face to mangled face with Blofeld again, in a claustrophobic and incredibly intense scene. Blofeld's entrance here, is one of the very best for a Bond villain, and reminiscent of Javier Bardem's introduction in 'Skyfall'. This is an epic film. It has all the expected Bond action, but it is essentially a romantic drama, with themes of family, friendship, loyalty, and mortality. Hans Zimmer's music adds a sombre, background tension, and explodes into life, when required, with a cracking rendition of the classic Bond theme.
Ana De Armas (as Paloma) has a wonderful, funny, and dynamic scene, as a fellow MI6 agent, helping Bond infiltrate a very peculiar, bizarre and spooky Spectre gathering. She is a fun, endearing presence, in what is probably the most old-fashioned, good humoured action set piece since the 1960s Bond movie heyday.
Rami Malek as Safin deserved more screen time, but provides an enigmatic main adversary for Bond. He seems a tortured soul, and when we first meet him, he is both terrifying and tragic. Safin's mannered, precise, and controlled persona is unnerving and unsettling. His final scene with Bond is a welcome return to the hand-to-hand, brutal and murderous confrontations we used to see back in Connery's day. This time, though, the stakes are higher than they have ever been, and (again) the thrills and drama are mixed with real emotion, heartbreak, and empathy. Cary Joji Fukunaga is an actors' director, and every character feels real and engaging. There will be some hardcore Bond fans who will hate this more emotional, human, and empathetic 007. But, 'No Time To Die' is the perfect send-off for Daniel Craig, and the M.I.6 team. For once, the hype was spot on, and the trailers were quite correct - everything has led to this, and nothing will ever be the same again. I felt genuine sorrow during the film's final moments. I hope that nobody has the ending spoiled for them, as it is truly unprecedented, classic, and wonderfully shot, and played by Daniel Craig.
Will James Bond return?
