History Isn't Kind to Men Who Play God. 4.5 / 5
Directed by Cary Joji Fukunaga Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology. On the 4th March 2020 when No Time to Die was delayed because of the impending pandemic, that was the first moment that it finally sunk in that this COVID thing may be more serious than I first thought. A few more delays and lockdowns later, finally on 30th September 2021 I couldn't quite believe that I had purchased a ticket for a film that was out of reach for so long.
This final swansong for Daniel Craig's Bond took its time and I'm so pleased to say, was worth the wait. Lulling you in with a false sense of security after the sunset ending of Spectre, No Time to Die throws you back in with a racing adventure full of action and heartache as it attempts to tie up the loose ends from the past four installments.
There is so much packed into an already lengthy runtime with so many characters old and new adding to the scale of the mission at hand. There are a few elements I would like to have seen explored more like Ana De Armas' CIA character but the pacing required the film to keep sprinting forward, never feeling stagnant.
Despite the heavy amount of marketing, there are many secrets and surprises still in store as Cary Joji Fukunaga does a fantastic job taking the directorial reigns from Sam Mendes.
At the centre of it all - Daniel Craig has still got it. His Bond made the character more human and vulnerable than his predecessors and they play on his character heavily in this final film.
A remarkable and dignified finale to one of the strongest runs in Bond history.
Thank you for your service 007. Read our latest reviews at: letterboxd.com/TheJackAling
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