Daniel Craig’s final outing as James Bond takes a long trip down memory lane
BY: JACOB POLITTE
Managing Editor
“No Time To Die” is a definitive end to Daniel Craig’s time playing the iconic 007 agent, and at the risk of spoiling things, it’s also kind of a lie.
At 163 minutes, there is plenty of time for Craig’s version of James Bond to find enough closure to end his story for good. And end for good it does; the final few minutes of the film make sure of that. Craig has been one of the better Bonds, but you could tell that he’s been tired of the role for awhile. Not to mention, he gets injured filming every single Bond movie. Daniel Craig is 53 years old now, and while that’s not old, he’s probably not stoked about a role that can be so physically demanding at times.
2012’s “Skyfall” would have been the best note to end things on looking back on based on its emotional climax, but “No Time To Die” does a better job closing the book on this era of Bond, and finally frees Craig up to move on to different projects that he can be more invested in.
The last three films showed Craig’s Bond dealing with a world that seems to be moving on quite fast without him, and the films should be commended for not being afraid to show Bond’s age. He has been a shell of himself for quite awhile; arguably, since the opening events of “Skyfall.” His womanizing days seem to be rather far behind him, and the years since the death of “M” (Judi Dench) at his childhood home have hardened his emotions even more. He’s been through and seen so much, and even James Bond can’t shake the test of time.
The end of “Spectre” saw him finally walk away from the MI6 agency, and while “No Time To Die” shows that his exit wasn’t exactly a clean one, his retirement has actually stuck this time. Five years have passed since the end of “Spectre” and Bond finds himself living out the remainder of his days (at that point) lounging in Jamaica. He’s no longer Agent 007; a female agent (Lashana Lynch) has taken his place.
He’s pulled back into the MI6 orbit by an old friend. CIA Agent Felix Leiter (Jeffery Wright) alerts Bond to the abduction of an MI6 scientist who was developing a bioweapon that specifically targets the DNA of any particular individual. Bond is hesitant at first, but eventually agrees, leading to the crux of his final mission.
Along the way, there are plenty of cameos and callbacks to characters and plot-lines from years past. At times, the movie can feel slightly bloated, as there is a lot of ground to cover. However, everyone does a great job with the role they’re given to play, especially Rami Malek, who plays the movie’s main antagonist. There is also another plot-line that is rather surprising, but does add a lot to the emotional aspect of the film as well its sense of finality.
Is it the ending for Daniel Craig’s James Bond that anyone expected, or even hoped for? Probably not. But it is definitive, and it is emotionally satisfying.
Rating: ⅘ Stars
