Movie Review: No Time To Die

When he assumed the role of James Bond in Casino Royale (2006), Daniel Craig was not the fan favorite to inherit the character, but he quickly made it his own and solidified his take on Agent 007 with three additional films (Quantum of Solace [2008], Skyfall [2012], and Spectre [2015]). Now, in No Time To Die, Craig delivers his final triumphant turn as Ian Fleming’s secret agent.

At the beginning of No Time To Die, a recently retired Bond is found living a somewhat peaceful life in Jamaica when his old cohort Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) shows up seeking assistance to save a scientist as though the safety of the world were at stake. Of course, this turns out to be far more than the simple mission they thought it would be and it puts Bond on the trail, or rather in the crosshairs, of a dangerous new adversary.

As the writer/director of such powerful films as Beasts of No Nation (2015) and Sin Nombre (2009), Cary Joji Fukunaga seems an odd choice to helm a Bond film given the track record of the series in general. But the modern Bond is no stranger to bold choices and there is no pulling of punches in this film. Working from script by himself and Bond stalwarts Neal Purvis and Robert Wade, with some additional punch added by Scott Z. Burns, and Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Killing Eve [2018-2019] and Fleabag [2016-2019]), Fukunaga infuses the film with just enough trademark Bondisms to make fans happy (there are more than a few passing references to lines from the often overlooked On Her Majesty’s Secret Service [1969]), while simultaneously continuing the dynamic and series rewriting rebirth of Bond that began with Casino Royale.

Daniel Craig in “No Time to Die.” CREDIT: Nicola Dove © 2020 DANJAQ, LLC AND MGM. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

The usual supporting players are present, including Ben Whishaw as Q and Naomie Harris as Eve Moneypenny. Ralph Fiennes too reprises his role admirably as M and Christoph Waltz shines as he gets into Bond’s psyche even more than he did in Spectre. But, the real ace in the hole of the entire entourage is Rami Malek as Safin. Malek’s portrayal is that rarest of Bond villains; one who is both terrifying and sympathetic instead of a simply straight-up cartoonish bad guy. His vendetta proves to be every bit as consuming and sympathetic as anything Bond has undertaken himself.

Stellar editing by Tom Cross and Elliot Graham keeps the action photographed by Linus Sandgren in seemingly constant motion, which makes the nearly three-hour film seem far less of a chore to sit through than it could have been had it been hampered by the usual explanatory dialogue typical of earlier films in the series.

In what is obviously designed to be his final nod as Bond (given that he is now the actor who has held the role the longest period of time), Craig once again rises to the occasion and gives the character a depth and resonance that has been forgotten in the past. In short, this is not the Bond of old.

While it may not be the best of the Craig-era Bond films, No Time To Die does give Daniel Craig a fitting sendoff as 007 and brings his story arc to a dramatic and somewhat surprisingly gratifying conclusion.

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Mike Tyrkus

Editor in Chief at CinemaNerdz.com

An independent filmmaker, co-writer and director of over a dozen short films, the Editor in Chief of CinemaNerdz.com has spent much of the last three decades as a writer and editor specializing in biographical and critical reference sources in literature and the cinema, beginning in February 1991 reviewing films for his college newspaper. He was a member of the Detroit Film Critics Society, as well as the group's webmaster and one-time President for over a decade until the group ceased to exist. His contributions to film criticism can be found in Magill's Cinema Annual, VideoHound's Golden Movie Retriever (of which he was the editor for nearly a decade until it too ceased to exist), the International Dictionary of Films and Filmmakers, and the St. James Film Directors Encyclopedia (on which he collaborated with editor Andrew Sarris). He has also appeared on the television program Critic LEE Speaking alongside Lee Thomas of FOX2 and Adam Graham, of The Detroit News. He currently lives in the Detroit area with his wife and their dogs.

@miketyrkus

Mike Tyrkus

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