A review of the eagerly-awaited James Bond movie “No Time To Die”
The release of this 25th feature in the official James Bond franchise was successively postponed for a total of a year and a half as a result of the global pandemic and it comes no less than six years after the last 007 film, so we’ve waited a long time for this.
For lovers of new action movies like me, the period since the coronavirus has been a lean time with really only “Tenet”, “Black Widow” and “Shang-Chi” easing the drought, therefore “No Time To Die” is so very welcome. I made a point of seeing it in IMAX on Britain’s largest screen and the audience applauded at start and finish.
At 2 hours 43 minutes, it’s the longest Bond film and could have done with a bit of trimming, but the risk of taking on director Cary Joji Fukunaga (after more experienced Danny Boyle pulled out) has really paid off. All the traditional ingredients are there.
The megalomanic villain: the not-so-subtly named Lyutsifer Safin played by Rami Malek (“Bohemian Rhapsody”) who plans to use nanobots to take over the world (I know …). The exotic locations: such as Matera in Italy and various parts of Norway. The chases: a high-powered motor bike and the formidable Aston Martin DB5.
Inevitably, after a franchise spanning half a century, there are echoes of other Bond films, most notably narrative, dialogue and music referencing one particular earlier 007 movie. What is different – and this has been developed over the recent Bond movies – is the updating of the British spy to a more caring, emotionally vulnerable man.
“No Time To Die” will not do as spectacularly well at the box office as “Skyfall” and “Spectre” but should exceed the takings of “Casino Royale” and “Quantum Of Solace” and the five movies together have been a tribute to Daniel Craig’s wonderful wearing of the 007 mantle with his final outing in the role a fitting finale to this joyous ride.