"No Time to Die": Daniel Craig's Last Bond Film

“No Time to Die” is Daniel Craig’s last film portraying James Bond with his fifth entry. It is an excellent send-off for the actor who many see as the best or second-best Bond.

This film should have hit theaters in April of 2020, so you can imagine my patience waning recently. I was looking forward to this as much as any other movie before.

Daniel Craig first debuted as 007 in 2006 in “Casino Royale” followed by “Quantum of Solace”, “Skyfall”, “Spectre”, and finally “No Time to Die.” His representation divides many viewers who are not used to his more serious performance. While he is serious, he still makes jokes with a dry sense of humor and quick wit. I will always appreciate Sean Connery’s original performance, but Daniel Craig is my favorite Bond.

This is the first James Bond movie directed by an American. Cary Juji Fukunaga is most famous for HBO’s “True Detective: Season One.” This proves he has a wide directing range. Also, an American performs the title song, and that was Billie Eilish. While it is not the best song of the series, it is pretty good.

The movie is well made. It is full of visual delights stemming from the cinematography. Multiple shots incorporate appealing landscapes, but the lighting may be the catalyst. Not many common movie-goers pay attention to lighting, but it can really make a difference whether you notice it or not.

The biggest casting announcement from this film was Rami Malik. He won best actor for playing Freddie Mercury of Queen. He has become a sought-after actor, and playing a Bond villain is another notch for him. Some critics scrutinized his performance as dull and underwhelming. I guess we did not see the same movie. I am not saying he is the best Bond villain by any means, but it is a solid role. He is intimidating and captivating to watch.

Other acting performances including Lea Seydoux as Madeleine are great. Really all of the supporting cast in this movie are excellent including Ana de Armas. I could watch a whole movie just about her character as an upcoming spy.

Every good Bond movie has plenty of quality action. This one delivers. There are several great sequences with car chases, shootouts, and hand-to-hand combat. One of my favorite parts consists of Bond basically hunting bad guys in a misty forest. It is awesome.

“No Time to Die” is not the best Daniel Craig movie. It is “Skyfall” and “Casino Royale” which are nearly flawless films to me. I would even put those two near or at the top of all twenty-six movies. That being said, fans need to watch this new movie. If you are not a fan yet, become one, so you can watch it too. It closes Daniel Craig’s book with a bang.

My film rating is an A-.

SPOILERS AHEAD! Seriously, there are spoilers, so watch the movie first lest you be warned.

How many manly tears were shed or almost shed? I fell into that category. It is the first time an incarnation of James Bond died on screen. The theater was silent throughout the credits. We were all diagnosing our feelings as Daniel Craig’s Bond saved the world along with his love and his daughter. It cost him his life.

The stakes were incredibly high in this movie. The nanovirus is impossible to stop when contacted, so Bond had to sacrifice himself.

I have to mention Felix dying too. I always enjoyed Jeffrey Wright’s performance and did not know this would happen. So many characters were at risk in a franchise that already had no trouble killing off important characters. It is an incredible sendoff that I will always remember.