287. No Time To Die; movie review

 

NO TIME TO DIE

Cert 12A

163 mins

BBFC advice: Contains moderate violence, infrequent strong language

"The world’s moved on, Commander Bond."

The words of Lashana Lynch's character Nomi struck a nerve with me. After decades of 007 fandom, No Time To Die left me wondering whether the coolest hero in cinema should finally call it quits.

Of course, he won't. Studio finances are too dependent on the hundreds of millions he guarantees at the box office.

But Cary Joji Fukunaga's movie will leave everyone wondering where James Bond can go next.

Let me make it clear, No Time To Die is a decent movie but it is well below the brilliance of Daniel Craig's stand-out movies, Casino Royale and Skyfall.

The initial issue is that audience's will need a very clear memory of the previous Bond film, Spectre - a movie which was released six years ago.

Now I count myself as a Bond follower but I couldn't remember the key details, especially the apparent fact that Dr Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) is more important to our hero than any other Bond girl.

So much so that she returns as his love in this film. 

Yep, no distractions from other belles here - 2021 Bond is monogamous to the attractive French beauty who just happens to be more than a decade younger.

I guess I should be happy that Bond's eyes no longer wander and accusations of misogyny are quelled but the glamour and glint in the eye of 007 are surely part of his allure?

I also felt the makers of No Time To Die were so keen on tying up loose ends that they lost the heart of Bond.

There are rushed cameos from previous characters with the result that the film's chief villain, played by Remi Malek, doesn't have nearly as much screen time as previous baddies.

But while there is a familiarity about the people in Fukunaga's film, there is also a distancing from the past in other regards.

So, there is less emphasis on the famous gadgets provided by Q (Ben Whishaw).

On the plus side, Craig is still a very fine Bond - an all-action hero with an engaging demeanour which lures the audience in.

And there are arguably the best special effects of any movie released this year.

Whatever my reservations, this is still one of the better movies of 2021 but, let's face it, there haven't been many challengers.

However, it did fail to meet the hype.

Indeed, myself, Mrs W and two friends who joined us at Coventry Odeon, were left confused by its ending and a little disappointed with it overall.

Reasons to watch: It's Bond

Reasons to avoid: But not quite as we know it

Laughs: Two

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10 (usually Bond would be 9 or even 10)

Did you know? Gaming consultants Casino Scores, worked out that ​​the cost of the wardrobe worn by Daniel Craig in his movies is £154,334.89, including the Tom Ford custom mother-of-pearl ​'JB' engraved ​cufflinks in Spectre, at £74,500 and a Giorgio Armani leather jacket worn in Casino Royale​,​ ​at £4,800.​

The final word. Daniel Craig: "This is, for me personally, the biggest thing I've ever done in my career. It's one of the biggest things in my life. It's massively important to me, and maybe that’s taking it too seriously, and sometimes you’ve got to lighten it [up]." Empire

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