In ‘No Time to Die’, Daniel Craig Takes His Final Bow as 007
Written by Rachel Shin
The anticipation was tangible in the movie theater as Daniel Craig’s 007 strolled onscreen in No Time to Die one last time for the barrel sequence. Helmed by Asian-American director Cary Joji Fukunaga (Jane Eyre), No Time to Die is an explosive, action-packed ride through the past, present, and future of the James Bond legacy. But even though Fukunaga’s final installment of Craig’s 007 was worth the wait, it somehow failed to up the ante on its predecessor, Spectre, and I’m not entirely sure who’s to blame.
Fallen godlike heroes, destruction giving way to new life, and the unstoppable nature of time were masterfully woven through the film.
In one of the first scenes, we meet the vampiric Lyutsifer Safin (Rami Malek, Bohemian Rhapsody). Vampiric because, wow he’s pale! but also because he seemingly never ages the entire film, one of many issues with this under-developed villain. Cut to lovebirds James Bond and Madeleine Swann, reprised by the enigmatic Léa Seydoux, blissfully galivanting around Italy. Of course, it doesn’t last long, and we’re suddenly launched into an epic, and I mean epic, car chase. *Cue Billie Eilish’s haunting No Time to Die theme song*
Let’s skip over the spoilers and go straight to my love-hate relationship with No Time to Die. Here’s what I loved:
In No Time to Die, we meet the first-ever female 007! Agent Nomi, played with strong finesse by Lashana Lynch (Captain Marvel), is a welcome addition to the 007 legacy along with feisty Agent Paloma (the dazzling Ana D’Armas). I enjoyed the return of virtuoso Jeffrey Right as CIA Agent Felix Leiter, the maniacal Christoph Waltz as Blofeld and the savvy MI6 team back in action. Daniel Craig was perfect, and Léa Seydoux matched him step for step.
As a lover of metaphors, No Time’s metaphor game was on point. Fallen godlike heroes, destruction giving way to new life, and the unstoppable nature of time were masterfully woven through the film. Maybe Phoebe Waller Bridge (Killing Eve) had something to do with it, but I will say, this is the first Bond film to make me cry. They truly managed to nail a cathartic, epic ending to an epic series. And of course, every set, every location, and every Aston Martin was stunning.
The majority of what I took issue with revolves around the villainous Safin along with the plot holes that only exacerbated his poorly constructed character. Initially, I was excited when Malek was introduced as the new Bond villain, but watching Malek go toe to toe with Craig was underwhelming. I hate to say it, but I had stronger feelings about Dominic Greene in Quantum of Solace than Safin, and that’s saying something.
All the elements for a strong, final knock-out were there, yet No Time to Die failed to do anything better than any of its predecessors. While there is a jaw-dropping twist even I didn’t see coming, I’m surprised that with a vetted director and team of writers, the story still fell short in comparison to previous films, namely Skyfall. Good thing Daniel Craig saves the day.
As a newcomer to the world of 007 after Spectre, I fell in love with Craig’s gritty, elusive portrayal of Bond. Somehow, he got under the skin of 007 and made him more than a suave ladies’ man. In Being James Bond: The Daniel Craig Story, we track with Craig from his unlikely casting to his tear-jerking final moments on the No Time to Die set. The documentary was a reminder that sustained international success comes at a cost—one that Craig has paid since he took on 007.
While I wonder who will fill his shoes—and they are enormous shoes to fill—as an actor, I’m thankful he changed the mold for Bond from a sexual icon to a human being. He tore down the godlike statue, leaving space for something and someone new to rise up.
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