No Time to Die (2021)
(Video on Demand, December 2021) As a James Bond fan, I’m not entirely satisfied with No Time to Die — but hasn’t that been the case for much of the Daniel Craig era? A strong introduction in Casino Royale led to the lows of Quantum of Solace, then a once-in-a-generation high in Skyfall, immediately followed by a frustrating return to the norm in Spectre. But just as No Time to Die makes it obvious that the Craig era is a self-contained story, it also marks a very definitive end for Craig-as-Bond. Oh yes; this review will contain spoilers because spoilers are where the film is most interesting. Building on the frustrating legacy of the previous film, this follow-up sees the Bond character developed well beyond the norm, all the way to being retired, becoming a father and, eventually, concluding his legacy as a man of action. It’s not what we expected of Bond despite the film’s frequent action sequences, island lair and megalomaniac villain — but then again, the Craig cycle has been an awkward attempt to impose a dramatic arc to a character who, until now, barely had one. The attempt is audacious, but the result in No Time to Die often disappoints: despite the slickness of the execution, the script seems undercooked with a dull villain who does not earn the distinction of what happens to Bond late in the film. The doubling-down on the least satisfying elements of the previous films (including the bland and featureless Léa Seydoux as the Bond Girl who manages what other Bond Girls never did) shows how an episodic structure can sabotage later entries. There are highlights, mind you: a great one-shot staircase fight scene; a forest car chase sequence with a mean finish; a terrific motorcycle jump; Ana de Armas as a not-so-junior “secret” agent; the liquidation of two Craig regulars; and Naomie Harris, Ben Whishaw and Ralph Fiennes all further developing their stock characters. But, perhaps best of all, Lashana Lynch as a new 007 who goes toe-to-toe with Craig’s character and doesn’t blink — now that we’re looking for a new Bond, maybe we don’t have to look all that far. While we’re free to admire all the ways No Time to Die attempts to break the formula and wrap things up, the result falls short of satisfying everyone. Like a few other long-running franchises (Game of Thrones, Star Wars, The Matrix, etc.), the intention to do something new often overpowers the skill in which this change is executed, leaving formula skeptics to hail things that formula fans will find botched. So it is with No Time to Die, which solicits dramatic heft without quite making the case that it’s warranted. Hopefully, the Bond producers, having now completed this experiment, we can look forward to a new Bond and a return to the formula.
