Cinema Saturday
Daniel Craig’s long awaited finale as Britain’s most famous spy has finally hit screens in select territories. Hear it here first though, this isn’t the typical Bond film. “People having been saying that since Casino Royale came out”….yeah, not like this. Readers who have already seen it will know what this means, and as for everyone else, just wait and see. If Craig wanted to go out with a bang, do something different, or maybe even just be remembered forever, then rest assured, No Time to Die is going to check all of those boxes.
No Time to Die initially picks up where Spectre left off before jumping to a point of blissful retirement in Jamaica for the notorious double O.
Daniel Craig is on his fifth outing as James Bond, already confirming that this will unquestionably be his last time around. No Time to Die initially picks up where Spectre left off before jumping to a point of blissful retirement in Jamaica for the notorious double O. It’s a familiar face who brings James Bond back to action, as Felix Leiter shows up to enlist his help. Reluctantly persuaded, Bond relents and joins Leiter on what is on the surface, a simple party crash and capture of a Russian scientist of interest. Though as usual, the rabbit hole gets deeper and Bond is brought back into service on a mission that is unlike any he’s undertaken. Without spoiling anything, that notion is not meant to be clichéd. This 007 movie is and is likely to be, the boldest narrative that has ever been told in a James Bond adventure.
Whether or not this is good or bad will be up for serious debate. What more can really be said from there? Cary Fukunaga delivers epic direction as expected, with immaculate shots of the on location sets as well as top notch action sequences, gun battles, fight scenes, and car chases. So, more or less, just like any other Bond film. Except, that it’s not. The difference is in the storytelling and Bond’s character arc, and believe it, the difference is huge. No Time to Die shows the character of James Bond like he’s never been seen. He’s vulnerable, he’s overly eccentric, and quite frankly, almost out of place. With everything Craig does with the character, there’s much that is clear. First, examining it JUST as a movie, what they did works. As a Bond movie on the other hand, fans of the lore will certainly see this as a risk.
Until the smoke clears, what’s unclear is how divided or united fans and/or novices will be when everything is said and done. No Time to Die is bold, there’s no questioning that. It is different, that simply cannot be argued. Will this ensure that Daniel Craig is remembered forever? Oh, were this blog a gambling platform, the safe bet would be a resounding YES. What will remained unanswered for the time being, is will this risk have paid off? In a financial sense, that could be unlikely. Though for the quality of the movie, all that can be said is –Let the discourse begin.
