No Time To Die
We follow on from Spectre . . . after apprehending Blofeld, James Bond has retired, and lives a quiet life in Jamaica . . . then CIA agent Felix Leiter approaches him for one last job. Bond finds himself taking on the sinister villain Safin (played by Rami Malek) and uncovers the secrets of the woman he once loved – Madeleine Swan (played by Léa Seydoux).
The 25th film in the series feels like the end of a very long journey, particularly for Daniel Craig. There are lovely nods to ‘On Her Majesty’s Secret Service’ throughout the film with use of ‘We have all the time in the world’. This feels appropriate, because this film does things that no Bond film has ever done making it very enjoyable.
Bond turns his back on MI6 throughout the first half. His performance in this film, feels a little understated, a sign of man who had enough not just role but the character itself. Although he seems more passionate, impulsive, sensitive and almost romantic, with breathes remarkable new energy into this 60-year character. There’s pretty of action with intense chase sequences and all the usual stuff. The supporting cast are great . . . Ana De Armas and Lashanna Lynch are particularly good.
The new villain Safin has a slight Russian accent with his main motivation for world destruction being just personal revenge. Phoebe Waller-Bridge has definitely added a sheen to the script with a selection of funny one-liners throughout the screen time. In the end the director has skillfully balanced the character and the franchise, with a stunning finale that gives Craig the send-off he deserves.
The film is everywhere and likely to be around for a while . . .
