It has hallmarks of a James Bond movie, but the storyline can be hard to follow, and its running time does drag it out
In the film industry, there are only an exclusive number of movie franchises that could be considered household names. They have a universal appeal that transcends generations and have become interwoven into the fabric of our social culture. They inhabit a special space that inspires the imagination in the most captivating of ways. Star Wars and Harry Potter are examples that fit this description.
Another is fictional character James Bond, a British secret agent that works for MI6 under the codename 007. Created by novelist Ian Fleming in 1953, the role has been portrayed by seven actors, with the franchise spanning twenty-five movies. Such longevity speaks volumes about the enduring interest it garners and the adaptability of the James Bond brand.
As a younger viewer, I have grown up watching Daniel Craig playing the role. And contrast to previous interpretations, his tenure really has repositioned the perception of James Bond in modern times. He’s tougher and rougher in combat, more aggressive and ruthless in action sequences, but has retained a sense of personable respectability in sociable settings. He’s not a thug. It’s made the franchise more serious and sophisticated. And that’s because Daniel Craig is James Bond. He epitomises the role he plays and kind of has a double identity in ways.
The biggest challenge for any household movie franchise is the test of time itself. With each of Daniel Craig’s James Bond movies broadly linked to each other, a greater depth and meaning can be attributed to them. And with storylines that are more or less credible to the real world, discernible parallels can be conveyed to an extent. It’s what has connected me in particular to the Daniel Craig era of James Bond. It’s a direction that I approve of.
"Craig is as convincing as ever in the role, as Bond ruthlessly fights off each and every threat he encounters"
It has to be said, that the overhaul and reinvention of the James Bond brand came at the right time, it’s enabled the franchise to stay relevant and cool. And so, for the fifth and final time, Daniel Craig plays James Bond in No Time To Die, which does add a certain poignancy to the anticipation of the movie. And to fully understand the storyline that unfolds, I would recommend rewatching the previous film Spectre to remind yourself of the backstory. It does allow you to better join up the dots of details in the movie.
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga, the sequel is packed with plot building as it seeks to tie up loose ends of the Daniel Craig era. The intro is quite crammed as it tries to link a story together between the main characters. It starts in the past with a younger Madeleine Swann witnessing Lyutsifer Safin – played by Rami Malek – killing her mother in a failed attempt to assassinate her father Mr White.
Fast forward to the present day, and Bond, who has left active service, is on holiday with the older Madeleine Swann – played by Léa Seydoux – in Matera in Italy. It appears that he hasn’t let the past go, as the ulterior motive for visiting the quaint Italian town is revealed with Bond attending the tomb of Vesper, his deceased girlfriend. However, his unresolved trauma comes back to haunt him, when he is ambushed by Spectre assassins.
The action sequences in the movie are box office and include daring stunts in cars, on bikes as well as in person. A car chase featuring a heavily modified Aston Martin DB5 gets a particular mention here. Craig is as convincing as ever in the role, as Bond ruthlessly fights off each and every threat he encounters. There’s a moment in the DB5 where Bond and Madeleine are outnumbered and surrounded, with Spectre members shooting at the car. It’s a dramatic and exciting action sequence, with Bond’s back firmly against the wall.
"In terms of dynamics in relationships in the movie, there is more emotional bandwidth and depth between the characters"
With Bond unsure how Spectre managed to find him, his loyalty to Madeleine is tested to the limit, and pushed to breaking point. It’s an intriguing cliff-hanger that leaves you wondering what Bond will do next. And in terms of dynamics in relationships in the movie, there is more emotional bandwidth and depth between the characters, they feel more human and therefore more relatable than before, certainly less robotic.
From a car fanatics perspective, there’s a good selection that feature throughout the film too, notably several different generations of Aston Martin, which is one of several famous hallmarks of the James Bond brand. Those models include the modified DB5, the original V8, the latest Valhalla hypercar and the DBS Superleggera supercar. The new Land Rover Defender makes an appearance in a car chase scene as well. But there’s no car chase that really captures your attention in this movie.
Some years after, Bond is enjoying retirement from active service in Jamaica, before his former CIA colleague Felix Leiter – played by Jeffrey Wright – gets in touch with him about a mission that he’d like some help with. Bond isn’t interested initially, but when MI6 agent Naomi – played by Lashana Lynch – informs him of a sinister project called Project Hercules, and warns him not to involve himself with the CIA, he contacts Felix and accepts the offer. It’s a rollercoaster ride from there.
There is a modicum amount of humour in the movie too which does play well, it adds a lighter side to what is a pretty serious movie. Although, some of the wit was perhaps unintentional. Several times Mallory references the Prime Minister, and because I take an interest in politics, I couldn’t help picturing Boris Johnson in that position, and it just made me burst out with laughter. It was hilarious, to the point where I momentarily couldn’t take the movie seriously.
"For casual viewers who aren’t completely clued up on the previous films, it might come across as confusing"
I mean, imagine Johnson as the person responsible for making decisions about saving mankind from a deadly virus. Yeah, if only there was an ongoing pandemic to judge what Johnson would be like. As it so happens, there is. It’s resulted in Britain having the highest death toll in Europe and the worst hit economy in the G7. With that track record, if I was Mallory, I would sidestep the Prime Minister altogether. Of course, No Time To Die is only a movie, but you know what I mean.
The film does feel convoluted. There’s a lot to keep up with as the storyline overlaps between Bond movies from the Daniel Craig era. For casual viewers who aren’t completely clued up on the previous films, it might come across as confusing. Overall, No Time To Die did give me the impression of two movies in one, with a 2 hour and 43-minute running length, it was crammed with a lot of plot and quite dragged out. It would suggest that there wasn’t a plan from the outset that charted a direction for the Daniel Craig James Bond movies.
And when you want cohesion, a fractured plot linking the movies together weakens the story. Of course, the producers could simply have wanted to do the last Daniel Craig James Bond film justice. But whatever the reason, it was too long for the story it was telling. It wasn’t immediately clear to me what was happening as some things unfolded. As I’ve alluded to, the movie in parts is jumbled together, it was disjointed, and sagged under its own duration. It didn’t quite work for me.
Towards the end, Bond and Naomi are on a rescue mission. They infiltrate Safin’s headquarters where Madeleine and Mathilde are being held captive, and discover in the process that the converted missile base has been made into a nanobot factory, where Obruchev is mass-producing the technology. It’s here that you realise just how good Daniel Craig has been at playing James Bond. He has in many ways made the character his own, and the next person to play the role will have their work cut out, no doubt.
"Of the five Daniel Craig James Bond movies, No Time To Die is not my favourite. It’s not even in the top three"
The close action sequence shots on the island make for great intimate viewing, and almost make you feel like you are part of the movie. There’s a moment when Bond is confronted by Safin as he attempts to get off the island. It’s quite a brutal and explicit action scene, and one where Bond is more vulnerable than ever before. I liked watching No Time To Die. But it didn’t blow my mind. It did feel like a traditional Bond film, like it didn't want to upset people, or more specifically, it didn't want to upset the wrong people. The storyline was safe, secure, it was on neutral ground. And well, the thing is, the box office didn’t really explode.
It is interesting to think back to when original director Danny Boyle quit Bond 25 over "creative differences". Rumours were rife and ranged with several areas of dispute. One was that the topical script Boyle and his writing partner were creating had links to real-world geopolitical tensions with Russia, and led to disagreement. Those who take an interest in politics will know there is ample material to create a credible and compelling storyline with those connections. Producers were perhaps spooked by the notion, and scared of the repercussions. The reasons why may be hard to ascertain in the public domain.
Of the five Daniel Craig James Bond movies, No Time To Die is not my favourite. It’s not even in the top three. The one I like most is Quantum of Solace. With a storyline about a mysterious organisation attempting to take control of one of the world’s most precious and important resources, it’s no surprise the production team changed the plot, as it was probably getting too close to the truth. That movie also has a great car chase scene. Although, the car chase in Spectre is good too. I’d recommend turning the volume up!
With No Time To Die set to be released on 4K, Blu-ray, DVD and streamed from December 21st, it’s available just in time for Christmas. And yeah, it would make a good present. A James Bond movie doesn’t necessarily disappoint. It’s a fitting end to Daniel Craig’s tenure as James Bond, and it’s a good watch. Having said that, I’m not sure if I’d want to watch it any time soon after. From my perspective, it does come up short. It’s not as good as it could have been, which is a shame really.
As for Daniel Craig’s successor, surely it’s time for the first ethnically diverse person to play James Bond. That's my view. But look, what do I know? I’m just a pleb. My dad is an NHS worker, there’s no prestige about me. My opinions don't count for much. I’m trivial in the grand scheme of things. So, if you’ve kindly read this far, thank you, I am grateful for your time.
Photo: 007.com
Comentarios