‘No Time to Die’ Review: Daniel Craig goes out on a high note

The best and worst aspects of Daniel Craig‘s tenure as James Bond are on display in No Time to Die. Craig being absolutely phenomenal in this role has been a constant. Haphazard plots and some hit-or-miss villains have resulted in imperfect films with a perfect leading man.

Craig has been a fantastic Bond over the course of the last 16 years and arguably the best Bond. Regardless of the film around him, he has always delivered in this role. As good as he’s been in each previous film, this is Craig’s best performance as Bond. Craig strikes the perfect balance. He nails Bond’s inner struggle, particularly his inability to trust. Surprisingly, No Time to Die has the lightest and funniest moments of any Craig-led Bond film. Every comedic line of dialogue and barb with Nomi and Paloma hits.

The female supporting cast is great in spite of a story that gets in their way. Lashana Lynch is fantastic Nomi as a fellow 00. The 00 status is mined for plenty of tension and comedy between Nomi and Bond. Unfortunately, the film’s focus on Bond means a lot of Nomi’s success goes unseen. Ana de Armas is a firecracker as an associate of the CIA in Cuba. The chemistry between her and Craig shines. Like a firecracker, Armas’s appearance is way too short.

Director Cary Joji Fukunaga does a great job overall. There are some pacing issues, but the film looks stunning. There’s a great sequence set in a forest shrouded in mist that has just the right amount of tension. The last act features a great shootout scene that serves as a showcase for Lynch and Craig.

Léa Seydoux returns from Spectre as Madeleine. The most surprising aspect of the film is how much of the story is driven by Madeleine. Seydoux is every bit Craig’s equal in this film.

Unfortunately, the plot is typical Bond-fare. A man with a god-complex takes control of a weapon or object that will bring the world to its knees. In No Time to Die, that man is Lyutsifer Safin played by Academy Award winner Rami Malek. Malek is fine in the role, but the film takes to long in establishing his connection to Bond. No Time to Die is very much a sequel to Spectre and that includes Blofeld. His inclusion ties up a story that didn’t need a bow on it.

The twists in the film are probably the most pedestrian of the Craig Bond films. However, that doesn’t take away from the fantastic closing moments of the film. No Time to Die is an imperfect Bond film with an impeccable James Bond performance.

With the overview out of the way, let’s dive further into the spycraft of No Time to Die. There will be some minor spoilers. 

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Craig’s Swan Song

From the first moment Craig popped up on-screen as Bond in Casino Royale, he’s shined portraying 007 as more of a blunt instrument than sleuth. Some of the rougher edges have been sanded off, but the intensity still remains. Just with a bit more levity this time around.

This Bond doesn’t take Madeleine’s supposed betrayals well. He never has. In No Time to Die, he doesn’t yell. The outward show of anger would take away from the pain etched across Craig’s face.

There’s a fantastic opening action setpiece in Italy. Followed by a wonderful opening credit sequence and song by Billie Eilish. After the action-packed and artistic opening, the film’s pacing slows down.

Bond is retired from MI6 and doing everything he can to stay out of the spy game. When he ends up in the middle of a turf war between the newest 00, Nomi, and the returning Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright reprises his role), he tries to avoid beg off. Unfortunately, Spectre, a new world-threatening weapon and M’s poor decisions force him to return to the fold.

There are problems with other characters and their lack of involvement in the story. However, Bond’s story throughout the film is fantastic and a wonderful way to wrap up his take on the character.

The Women in No Time to Die

Bond isn’t alone in No Time to Die. He’s surrounded by a variety of fantastic female actresses. Each of them shines in their own ways when the somewhat regurgitated plot gets out of the way.

Lynch is fantastic as Nomi but underutilized. Her status as the new 007 threatens Bond. It’s fun to watch Bond and Nomi’s combative relationship grow over the course of the film. Nomi appears to be a different type of 007 than Bond. She appears more subtle at first. The 3rd act shows she has some similar rough edges to Bond. The story does make the mistake of keeping her mission away from Bond off-screen. I’d much rather see more time spent on establishing this new 00 than rehashing the Blofeld story.

Paloma is a new CIA asset with only three weeks of training. Armas is sensational. Her chemistry from working with Craig on Knives Out is clear. Their interactions provide the film with some desperately needed levity. Unfortunately, Armas is maybe in 10-15 minutes of the film. Again she’s another character that’s hurt by the focus on Spectre.

Seydoux has a complete arc in this film as Madeleine. In fact, her story bookends the film. Madeleine and her family heritage mean more to Safin than Bond. The chemistry between Seydoux and Craig is a big improvement over Spectre.

I could easily watch a female team-up film starring Lynch and Armas. If there are no plans to use these characters in the future, then they should have been given more time to shine over Christophe Waltz‘s cameo and the continuation of Spectre.

Spectre

The first half of this film is essentially a direct continuation of Spectre. Blofeld’s organization is still on the hunt for Bond. Meanwhile, Safin is working to obtain a weapon that targets based on DNA. The weapon is a chemical that can be sprayed on like perfume or dispersed like aerosol.

The combination of Spectre and Safin is the biggest weakness of the film. Safin has a terrific, terrifying introduction to begin the film, then spends the next hour operating off-screen. There’s simply not enough time to connect Bond and Safin as hero and villain. Waltz is great in his cameo, but his interaction with Bond doesn’t add anything to the story.

The finale works well due to the wonderful cinematography, inspired action scenes and Hans Zimmer’s pulse-pounding score.

No Time to Die Final Thoughts

Craig’s final Bond film is great but does have a few missteps. Fukunaga’s cinematic direction, Craig’s committed performance and a great supporting cast allow the film to work as well as it does. A stronger villain, a plot that utilizes the newcomers better and a tighter runtime could have made this the best Bond film.

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