No Time to Die (2021)

"The function of man is to live, not to exist. I shall not waste my days in trying to prolong them. I shall use my time." -M.

Let me begin by saying that this is a look not only at this, the 25th James Bond film, but of all 5 which starred Daniel Craig. No Time to Die itself certainly adheres to the same type of narrative of Craig's previous Bond pics. The return of Madeline Swann (Lea Seydoux) reflects that. While I disliked how Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) died, I did appreciate the moment when Bond refers to him as a brother. Bond's apparent demise at the film's end is appropriately vague. Craig basically shouted to the world that this would be his final Bond, although I was not surprised that the classic 'James Bond Will Return' message was seen at the very end of the closing credits. The use of Louis Armstrong's song "We Have All the Time in the World," previously used in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969), was a nice touch, as was the ending when M (Ralph Fiennes) eulogizes Bond with the same words(which I've quoted above) that are at the end of the 1964 Bond novel You Only Live Twice. One thing I disliked, though, was the fate of Blofeld (Christoph Waltz). I appreciate that there was a more definitive end for the character, as opposed to the disappointment fans felt at the same thing in Diamonds are Forever (1971); although, in fairness, that dissatisfaction would eventually lead to the awesome pre-credits sequence of For Your Eyes Only (1981). But this is a let down because Blofeld is killed apparently by the real villain of No Time to Die, Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek), who proves as unmemorable as the villains of Craig's other Bond pics. I also hated how Ana de Armas's Paloma was only in the film for a short time and is never heard from again. Craig's 1st Bond film, Casino Royale (2006), was essentially Bond Begins. Bond producers Michael G. Wilson & Barbara Broccoli reportedly wanted to do Bond Begins for years. However, Bond producer Albert R. Broccoli (Barbara's father & Michael's step-father) kept shutting such plans down. He felt that part of Bond's appeal was that his origins were kept deliberately vague. Broccoli's passing in 1996 led to Wilson & the younger Broccoli getting control of the Bond series. Hence, they were now free to make Bond Begins, which they did once they decided to not renew Pierce Brosnan's Bond contract after his fourth Bond picture Die Another Day (2002). The success of Batman Begins (2005) gave them further incentive for going this route. As Wilson & Broccoli were so determined to go this route, it made perfect sense that another actor would be introduced as Bond, as Bond Begins with an actor already estabished in the role would've been awkward. Casino Royale had a better pace than Die Another Day, & it was certainly a good move to attempt to have the series take a different track. Like Batman Begins & its two sequels, Craig's 5 Bond movies seem to tell a massive if convoluted story. But, just a few years earlier came the release of The Bourne Identity (2001), which was noted for its viseral action moments. Many have called this a more realistic tone in the aftermath of 9/11 & it's not surprising that the Bond series would pick up with this. But this understandably led to criticism that Craig's Bond films were too similar to the Bourne ones. I've always felt that this led to the spirit of Ian Fleming's Bond books being lost in an attempt to be more 'modern.' Previously, I noted that both Sir Sean Connery & Sir Roger Moore added a sense of whimsy and fun to their interpretations of the role. This aspect was not always present in the books, yet I felt it was always one of the many reasons the Bond series became the great success it did. Only a handful of the Bond pics are actually faithful to Fleming's stories. However, the films of both Connery & Moore managed to capture the essence of what made Fleming's Bond special. This is why I actually enjoy Moonraker (1979), save for the stupid decision to give Jaws a girlfriend. Yes, it was weird to see a Bond film which climaxes with lasers firing in space, but the film still managed to have the same nice sense of escapism as the others. Craig's films, however, became less and less enjoyable due to the emphasis on 'realism.' While the comparison to Bourne is understandable, I think another fair comparison to Craig's Bond would be the manga character Duke Togo, aka Golgo 13. Neither of the guys ever really smiles, & they both probably keep the stern face even when having sex.

Like The Dark Knight Rises (2012), No Time to Die certainly projects a sense of closure, but its storyline is too complicated for its own good!