No Time to Die: A Worthy Ending to Daniel Craig's James Bond Era
James Bond of the 21st Century
From early James Bonds like Sean Connery, David Niven or Pierce Brosnan, the big screen has seen actors replace each other without too many announcements, but with Daniel Craig it's different. From the moment he began his 15-year journey as the handsome MI6 spy (based on the character created by British writer Ian Fleming), Daniel Craig brings a compelling James Bond image appeal to 21st-century audiences, where everything black-and-white, real-false, good-bad, and seemingly indistinguishable. Many critics consider Craig's appearance as a hint to a James Bond makeover: more serious, more emotional. Daniel Craig's James Bond era saw the legendary spy as more than just a "hero" who always did a good job, no matter how "bruised"; he also has to go through joy, anger, love, and shame like any normal person. Psychological backgrounds are pushed to the climax of diversity, from trust to betrayal, from secrets to lies, from personal psychological conflicts to internal conflicts within a national organization.
But given that long career as a spy, it's clear Daniel Craig hasn't always satisfied critics or audiences from around the world. Casino Royale, Craig's first film as James Bond, is still considered one of the best films in the series' more than half-century history. Like it or not, the classic Hollywood action series always have to be in a low mood to face the fate of "all-or-one", from the pinnacle of Casino Royale, Quantum of Solace became a slip. First when it was described as "meaningless verbose", followed by a successful production Skyfall when Bonds confronted the crazy eccentric (Javier Bardem) intent on destroying the world.
6 years since the audience last witnessed the "hero" of the James Bond screen in the specialty heart-pounding chases. Sadly, Specter at the time was a disappointment, as "it was nothing but action", critics enthusiastically pointed out the points that make Specter should be considered a scratch in Bond's career (on film) and Daniel Craig (in real life), raising doubts about the sequel to the oldest spy series in cinematic history.
Is the long road a good road?
It's no surprise that the film world has the opportunity to shout "James Bond is back!" After the official premiere in London on September 28, No Time to Die had to go a longer way than many people imagined to reach the public. During a year and a half since the time of its first release, No Time to Die officially became the longest delayed movie due to the pandemic. So much excitement of the fans after the producer considered releasing the film at the end of last year is enough to show how the audience is anxiously looking forward to seeing James Bond again. In addition to a star-studded cast, the premiere of the 25th installment in the series also featured Duchess Kate Middleton, Prince Williams and even Prince Charles. Even members of the British royal family must be the first to see No Time to Die ! What affirmation is stronger than that!
People talked so much about No Time to Die's "blockbuster" during the waiting period, from the strong cast that included familiar faces from previous films such as Lea Seydoux, Ben Whishaw, Naomie Harris, Ralph Finnes and Christoph Waltz to new faces like Rami Malek (the scarred guy who is the standard bad guy), Ana de Armas (a charming female CIA agent who was rumored to be the new Bond Girl) and Lashana Lynch (the next generation of MI6 darlings after James Bond). From the rising American director Cary Joji Fukunaga (director of the hit HBO series True Detective) comes a name that pushes expectations to the top of the screenplay - Phoebe Waller-Bridge (screenwriter). Directed by Killing Eve, Fleabag).
With No Time to Die - the longest film in the history of James Bond films (2 hours 43 minutes), perhaps no compliment is more convincing than the statement that "the time watching the movie seems to go by half as fast ” by The Hollywood Reporter.
After the last image when James Bond drove his new lover Madeleine Swann (French rose Lea Seydoux) in his Aston Martin DB5, James Bond in No Time to Die is enjoying his "retired" life in Jamaica. After being sold out by Madeleine to SPECTER, Bond almost wanted to forget his life as a spy. Old friend and CIA agent Felix Leiter (Jeffrey Wright) drags Bond back with a new mission: tracking down the scientist working for Lyutsifer Safin (Oscar Award-winning actor Rami Malek) – a man with another disfigured face (if one can't forget the haunting performance of Javier Bardem in Skyfall) aspires to destroy the world with biological weapons. A new world rescue mission, landmarks spanning the planet from Cuba to Italy, the appearance of agent Nomi replacing Bond in MI6, a new female CIA agent Paloma (Ana de Armas), the secrets and ties of M (Ralph Fiennes) and the troubles of his ex-lover Madeleine
A worthy ending
No Time to Die has all the elements of a classic spy action movie, and the motif of saving the world from crazy fanatics is nothing new when Bourne's new films are as good as they are. Even Marvel is still coming out. However, No Time to Die seems to have hit the right spot to set itself apart: realistic, rhythmic action scenes that are compatible with the movie's flow, dramatic last-minute escapes after the chase scene. eye-catching chase, advanced weapons worthy of James Bond (like Bond's gray car at the beginning of the film or the plane that grows on its own in the air), there is still enough room for a full love story. emotions, insightful revelations about Bond's past, and the characters' humorous juggling.
Few people know that Cary Joji Fukunaga is not the first choice to direct No Time to Die, he is also the first American director of the 007 series. Many will have to thank director Danny Boyle's decision to withdraw from the show. project to focus on the goal of winning an Oscar, because this is definitely the movie that takes Fukunaga's name to a new level. A director specializing in the art house genre like Jane Eyre or Beasts of No Nation) and popular TV series like True Detective officially stepped into the blockbuster world with No Time to Die, with the ability to coordinate. action scenes as a conductor with a symphony and the James Bond approach from an emotional and psychological point of view.
Phoebe Waller-Bridge has also done her part by blowing into the script everything that has made Killing Eve's female director and screenwriter the identity of Killing Eve: the dark humor, the clever twists, the twists and turns. interesting and colorful female characters, and of course indispensable a bit of bizarre and violent touches of the "psychopaths".
The film soon proved revolutionary when it invited young singer Billie Eilish to sing the theme song, but the people behind the film revolutionized it by redefining the Bond girl. Bond girls are now not glamorous beautiful girls to either "make scenes" or "complicate" or "complicated", instead, the Bond girl in No Time to Die is a real MI6 spy, a successor. James Bond from role to number 007, and not necessarily a romantic relationship with the peach spy. While one can clearly see the producer's attempt to bring out a "bad-ass" black female character as well as the openly feminist Phoebe Waller-Bridge, Nomi's becoming a female spy The first 00 went against the tradition of the whole series and made interesting contributions in the duel scenes with "senior" James Bond. Besides, the female character in No Time to Die is no longer a color, Ana de Armas left a clear impression with the character "not as innocent as the first impression" and Seydoux definitely has more acting space for her complex emotions and an important link of the whole film.
The title track and Billie Eilish's melancholy vocals turned out to be the perfect emotional summary for No Time to Die, the "most emotional movie" in the series, Daniel Craig's memorable goodbye with the role of James Bond. In the film, one sees a Craig who gives his all to the action scenes, while convincingly portraying a James Bond who is not afraid to show his emotions, a Bond who wholeheartedly trusts to be betrayed.
Not just "emotional", but the kind of emotion that is not forced and overdone like the viewers see in Specter when Bond's past is revealed, and No Time to Die is a successful testament to Daniel's ambition Craig, as Variety describes the film as “is a sensational film just enough to combine with neoclassical accents… the right emotions and a sequence of surprises enough to keep the viewer suspense from the start. to the end of the movie.”
