‘No Time to Die’ is the thrilling conclusion Daniel Craig deserves
Finally, after over a year of delays because of COVID-19, Daniel Craig is playing the legendary character of Bond, James Bond, for the fifth and final time. “No Time to Die” exhilarates with complex fight scenes and Rami Malek’s thrilling performance as the newest Bond villain.
In the beginning, we see the fallout of events from the previous Bond film, “Spectre,” in which Bond and Dr. Madeleine Swann, played by French actress Léa Seydoux, run off together thinking they are in the clear. But they are mistaken and part ways.
Fast forward five years and Bond is retired and alone in Jamaica. Propositioned by an old CIA pal, Bond agrees to assist a mission involving a kidnapped scientist, but he gets more than he bargained for. Things don’t go well for Bond, who seems to be two steps behind whoever it is that is behind all of this.
Bond soon looks for help from some of his old colleagues and learns the kidnapped scientist was in charge of making a secret bioweapon that attacks based on a person’s DNA. In the wrong hands, it could be catastrophic.
We are introduced to Safin, the antagonist played by Rami Malek. Deadset on revenge, he uses the bioweapon to kill the people responsible for his family’s deaths. He forces Madeleine to use the weapon on the remaining individual responsible, a cameo from the last movie’s villain played by Christoph Waltz.
Safin kidnaps the people Bond loves most and begins his plan to wipe out millions of people. To stop Safin and save Madeleine, Bond joins forces with the newer and younger 007 agent that took over his job after he retired, played by Lashana Lynch.
The explosive finale felt like a satisfying conclusion for this Bond era. The emotional ending was unexpected but felt right for the character and the franchise.
The film is very long, almost three hours long. It has so many action-packed stunts, chases, and high-flying thrills, but it in part took away from the characters, especially Safin. He was so intimidating and menacing, but he had minimal scenes.
One of the best elements of this film was the cinematography. It was visually stunning throughout the first half; as the action continues it becomes more gritty and visually complex. The fast-paced action scenes made some tight shots of the action hard to recognize, but overall each action sequence was well done and enthralling to watch.
Craig takes on the role of James Bond as if it fits him like a glove. The suave swagger the Bond character is known for bleeds from Craig. The witty lines to the nuances in the tense fight scenes just made it believable and a great performance.
“No Time to Die” is a fast-paced, high-intensity spy action that is sure to leave everyone on the edge of their seat. It is playing at your local theater — just make sure you go to the bathroom before the movie starts.
