No Time to Die – Movie Reviews by Ry!

No Time to Die – Legacy of Character: The Name is Bond

James Bond is icon in the movie industry.  With films that span multiple decades, it has been a strong franchise through the years.  No matter which one is to your liking, the totality of the series provides a sense of enjoyment.  In this review, I look at the latest in the long line of James Bond films.  Being the 25^th installment, this one provides a wholesomeness, but goes beyond to bring a sense of closure to this iteration (of the character).  Even with obviousness in the details, No Time to Die is a fitting end to the Daniel Craig era of James Bond.

Going into this film, the premise is what you’d expect within the encompassing atmosphere of a James Bond led story.  To begin, I put forth the foundational thought; everyone has their favorite actor for this role.  From Sean Connery to Pierce Brosnan, the iconography status stays true within the history of the franchise.  There is a sense of relativity that persist with balancing the persona, but also a window where things stand on their own.  Within that aspect, this one becomes a retrospective of the character, a totality within Daniel Craig’s journey as James Bond.  Within this film, it is a story that spins the perspective of a man living in retirement, but one that knows the ramification of what is always at stake.  Driven by factors (of the past films), the overall character development is one long story over five films.  This last chapter has the onus of bringing a finality, but also build out a world that encompasses consequences (of the past) with genuine detail.  There is still a generalization of spy/action tropes, but the enthralling escapes are driven by the Daniel Craig’s charisma.  You get a sense of strength and fragility that is wholesome but real, bringing purpose to all his relationships.  As he moves from scene to scene, the car chases, spy aspects and the world hopping becomes a reflection of where things began.  Even with expositional dumps within conversation, the level of poignancy lifts the emotions through subtle notions of how things are and what they may become for the his world.

As the film lifts the veil of the ‘behind the scenes’ actions of certain characters, the unsolicited relationships provided a strength to a common outline.  When things are leveled out with purposeful intent within the strong elements (lead, world building, action), the familiarity begins to weight down with genre fatigue and a one-dimensional villain.  Even when things are telegraph, you are still gripped to the finality of the journey.  As everything is revealed, Bond leads the team on a mission that showcases the iconic aspect of the franchise.  As we head into the third act, it becomes an amalgamation of action and political drama within the predictable ‘end of the world’ scenario.  For all the highs and lows, the iconic status of what makes James Bond lifts above the generalization, leading into a full circle climax that brings closure to the character.  No Time to Die plays upon familiarity but brings true closure to the Daniel Craig era.  If you are a fan of James Bond, Daniel Craig, action or spy films, this is one for you.  It is a an achievement for this franchise, worth the full price of admission.

Full Score – 4 out of 5 (Full Price)