No Time to Die was one of the movies I was most looking forward to. With the pandemic, the release of No Time to Die was pushed back until finally, it was released this year. The release of No Time to Die is a big deal, as this is Daniel Craig’s last Bond film. It’s a much easier transition for the next Bond actor if the previous film ends on a high note. I enjoyed No Time to Die as I thought it took the franchise in a different direction and explored Bond in a way that the other films have not.

James Bond (Daniel Craig) is on vacation with Madeleine Swann (played by Lea Seydoux). As James visits Vesper’s grave, he’s attacked by Spectre. As he and Madeleine flee, he is under the impression that Madeleine betrayed him. As such, James leaves her. Five years later, James is retired. He is approached by Felix Leiter (played by Jeffrey Wright), who wants his help to find an MI6 scientist who helped create a biological weapon. James is swayed into helping and ends up reconnecting with Madeleine under extreme circumstances.

One major highlight of the film is the appearance of Paloma (played by Ana de Armas). She’s in the movie for a short time, and I think her appearance is important. The Bond films are notorious for killing women in violent ways, especially once these women sleep with him. With Paloma, she’s introduced and helps James, and once her role is done, she is on her way. She’s still alive and doesn’t suffer. This was something I loved. It also leaves the door open for Paloma to come back in another film with a different James Bond.

Besides the women, the Bond films are known for classic villains. In No Time to Die, the villain Safin (played by Rami Malek) was seeking revenge against Spectre for the murder of his family. When I heard about Rami Malek’s casting in this film, I was excited. There are certain types of Bond villains. Some villains pose a physical threat to Bond. An example would be Jaws, although he may be considered a henchman, not a villain. Some villains are a psychological threat to Bond. I think of Raoul Silva from Skyfall to fit this category. I would put Safin in this category as well.

The main critique I had of this film was the run time. No Time To Die is 163 minutes or 2 hours and 43 minutes. I find it difficult to keep my attention if a movie is longer than 2 1/2 hours. While watching No Time to Die, it didn’t feel long. However, I think this could have been made into a 2 1/2 hour movie.

No Time to Die was an entertaining and fitting end to what Daniel Craig brought to the role. I will miss Daniel Craig, as I think he took James Bond in a different direction than the other actors did. One of the things I enjoy about the Bond franchise is each actor’s take on the character. It makes me excited for the future Bond films and to see who is willing to take up the mantle of Bond, especially because they will have big shoes to fill.

If you’re curious, I did include a couple of paragraphs summarizing some major spoilers from No Time to Die. Feel free to read at your own risk.

SPOILERS DOWN BELOW

I can’t write a review about No Time to Die without revealing some spoilers. The biggest spoiler was James’ dying in the end. James is trapped in Safin’s lair as he doesn’t have time to escape the island before the missile strike happens. Additionally, Safin gave James the nanobots specifically to kill Madeleine and their daughter, Mathilde. I thought this was a shocking yet fitting end to Daniel Craig’s tenure as the character. He lost his first love, Vesper, and now he dies saving his second love, Madeleine. I know some fans were disappointed by his death, but I figure in the next film, James Bond will be cast as the new 007 to take over anyway.

I loved how James ended up having a daughter. The character of James Bond is depressing in the sense that his parents were killed, and his entire focus is on his job. Daniel Craig brought some humanity back into the character, and while James is flawed, he’s grown so much as a person throughout the films.