No Time to Die (2021)
Bond has left active service and is enjoying a tranquil life in Jamaica. His peace is short-lived when his old friend Felix Leiter from the CIA turns up asking for help. The mission to rescue a kidnapped scientist turns out to be far more treacherous than expected, leading Bond onto the trail of a mysterious villain armed with dangerous new technology.
Universal Pictures
The twenty fifth Bond film is a horse of a different colour but then again that adage could be applied to the last five instalments of the franchise. Bond has never had a continuous story arc or any major narrative continuity until Daniel Craig’s tenure as 007. Two Roger Moore films briefly alluded to Bond’s previous marriage as depicted in On Her Majesty's Secret Service (1969). However, we should remember that Casino Royale (2006) was effectively a reboot of the entire franchise depicting Bond’s first mission as a recently commissioned 00 agent. As well as the tonal shift in the franchise regarding humour, violence and the role of agents in a modern world, the last five films have taken a far more personal interest into Bond. It has very much been about him as opposed to just his actions. Therein lies the rub as they say. Some fans have not warmed to this sort of character analysis, although the box office clearly shows that it has gone down well with the wider audience.
No Time to Die is by far the most intimate Bond movie to date. This is about Bonds relationship with Dr. Madeleine Swann (Léa Seydoux) and the void in his life when they part acrimoniously. The story explores perennial themes of how people in specific lines of work sacrifice so much of themselves. For every action set piece, and there are plenty of these, there are an equal amount of dramatic scenes in which Bond searches his soul and considers his future. The Bond of the seventies and eighties was seldom this thoughtful but this is clearly the way the franchise has been going since 2006. Director Cary Joji Fukunaga clearly is enamoured with On Her Majesty's Secret Service and references it with the use of subtle dialogue homages. “We have all the time in the world” Bond states at the beginning of the film and it’s not long before Louis Armstrong’s iconic song is played. Later, perceptive viewers will hear a clever reworking of John Barry’s famous instrumental theme from the 1969 film, as M expedites the plot. Hans Zimmer’s score is suitably intelligent and musically literate.
There are several extremely good vehicular stunt sequences in No Time to Die, as well as some solid hand to hand fights which are bone crunching and gritty. Although the gunfights are relatively bloodless, there is a realistic and callous quality to them. Rami Malek is notable as Lyutsifer Safin and provides the audience with a more interesting Bond villain than usual. His motivations are not about “world domination” but are far more personal. His enforcer, Primo (played by Muay Thai martial artist champion Dali Benssalah) is far from charismatic but has some very effective fight sequences. No Time to Die does not skimp on action, globe trotting or conspicuous product placement. The regular cast of Ralph Fiennes, Naomie Harris, Rory Kinnear and Ben Wishaw are as ever, robust and stalwart and it is interesting to see the franchise embracing modernity and featuring Lashana Lynch as Nomi; the latest agent to bear the number 007.
The success of whether No Time to Die resonates with viewers ultimately hinges upon whether one buys into the concept of a more personal Bond movie. It’s all a far cry from the self deprecating humour and two dimensional characterisation of the Roger Moore era. Eon productions seem to have learned a lot from the Jason Bourne films and the importance of a lead character with a soul, rather than just a series of action set pieces and an archetype as a hero. I was initially thrown by the tone of No Time to Die but upon reflection it is a rather sophisticated and appropriate ending to Bond’s story arc which started with Casino Royale. I suspect this film may find wider approval upon subsequent viewings and in time be appraised in a comparable manner to On Her Majesty's Secret Service. It will be interesting to see what direction the franchise takes with the 26th instalment. However, before that happens a new Bond needs to be found. I suspect that won’t be a walk in the park, either logistically or critically.
