8:06 I doubt it. From what I've read online, Craig's return was on the specific condition his Bond died at the end of NTTD. Craig didn't want another three years or so of B Broccoli pestering him to do a sixth film so he said "Bond dies in NTTD" and she accepted his demand. The ending wouldn't have changed with or without the coronavirus pandemic.
Licence to Kill always flew under the radar - I’m pleased it’s finally getting the recognition and credit it deserves. Die Another Day is very much a guilty pleasure. Utterly ridiculous film, but very fun.
Die Another Day is fun. A bad movie, but a very fun one. And also starred by Brosnan that's my favorite Bond. I rather watch it above other movies in the franchise like Diamonds Are Forever or A View To A Kill. A guilty pleasure, 100% agree with that.
I rewatched DAD just the other night and I'll be damned if it isn't an entertaining piece of cheese! I think biggest mistake of the Craig era treating a purely escapist franchise as an art house project. Bond is a capable, charming cad with a penchant for sex, violence and one-liners. Let's get back to the fun of it all!
Exactly. It's supposed to be a fun ride, not depressing and ultra personal. Viewers are supposed to want to BE bond, and that doesn't ideally involve baby mama drama and dying
NTTD wanted to be the Endgmae/Logan/TDKR of Bond franchise. I think the ending not working is due to a few factors: 1. Bond and his daughter, Mathilde, have a nonexistent relationship. It's not like Logan where they have to spend the entire movie together, so when Bond sacrifices himself for her, you'de feel anything. 2. Bond and his lover Madeline have also not that much of an impactful relationship. Maybe because the series keeps shoving Vesper back into the storyline, maybe because of the age difference, but I find it a bit hard to believe she would love someone like Bond. 3. The sacrifice itself is muddy. They try very hard to have no other way for Bond to survive. So instead of a last heroic act on Bond's part, he is kinda forced into it. 4. The villain sucks, and has no lasting impact on the viewer. If Raul Silva killed Bond in Skyfall, I would've believed him. Not this weirdo, however.
Nothing celebrates a 60th anniversary quite like blowing up the main character we've all grown to love. That's my biggest problem with the film and why it will forever be remembered as "the one where Bond dies"
The most divisive Bond films are often summed up as "the one where..." aren't they? The one where Bond goes into space The one with the invisible car The one where Bond dies
I think it's also far worse still that they didn't even do any justice to the whole killing off of James Bond. It felt so cheap and tacked on. His supposed relationship with Madeleine came out of nowhere. They didn't even seem that likely to have a romantic fling, let alone become the love of his life who he quits for and ends up impregnating. I mean, also, how many women has Bond slept with? Suddenly, he gets one pregnant and it just happens to be right before he gets killed. Madeleine wasn't just a bad character but played by a wooden actress too. I felt nothing between them whatsoever. The complete disdain for James Bond that comes across in most of the Craig movies is something I've always found weird and unpleasant. Nobody else seems to sense it, but it's like they just hate James Bond now and want to ridicule, humiliate and then kill him off in a weird Netflix style feature series that tries to make every movie a run-on story but they didn't even bother planning it out before starting!
The Queen wouldn't have wanted a completely contrived and forced funeral of a movie though. She'd have wanted something fun and celebratory, full of hope, not full of amateurish writing and complete misery.
Just going to say I'm completely jealous of you guys in the U.K getting reruns of the whole franchise. I'd kill to go drag my grandpa to the theater and watch From Russia with Love and Goldfinger on the big screen with him (the first bond films I ever saw, thanks to him)
Go and see them. I didn’t see as many this year at the cinema in the UK as I wanted (which was all of them) but saw a large chunk, some I’d seen at the cinema as a kid, some I wasn’t old enough, but they all looked gorgeous.
I totally agree with your sentiment on people wanting Escapism in the cinema. I saw No Time to Die with my grandad on his birthday who's been a fan since the 60s, it was our first time back in the cinemas. He came out incredibly deflated which shouldn't happen in a Bond film and ruined my night
Always thought that was a better reason for On Her Majestys Secret Service being not that successful and not just Lazenby. Bond films are watched for expected happy endings.
I completely agree. A big part of enjoying the Bond films at the cinema is going with family and sharing the experience together. Should never leave a Bond film on a downer.
My dad & I r huge bond fans. He passed away in 2016. I for one am happy he didn’t live to see this film. He finished with Spectre which is a far better ending he drives off with what’s her face & that’s it.
The amount of re-shoots and re-editing around the villain's plot as a response to the covid pandemic and how close his original plan mirrored it is very telling
I agree ... NTTD was not the Bond film the world needed at the time of its release. I appreciate it had been finished before the Pandemic hit and they had no idea how the world would have changed ... but its a bare fact .. it just needed to be a positive movie..
Agreed; if they needed to have a change of lead actor, they could have either done as all the films before and just have the new guy, or, they could have had Bond get out of the situational the end of NTTD, and close with him slapping his badge, gadgets, and gun onto M's desk and tell him he quits, he's done, for real this time!! At least we don't see the 'main-man' as such get killed-off...not a great way to end a film in a franchise like this which has always been high adventure, a bit of comedy, action, explosions, and the hero riding, sailing, floating, walking off into the sunset - usually with a gorgeous blond...!! 🙂
Idk why Bond fans feel the need to overly justify where they rank their favorite and least favorite Bond movies; the fact is this series is a VERY eclectic bunch, and each serves a different function for each viewer. There are times when I wanna feel the intensity of a Skyfall or License to Kill and there are times when I wanna drown my brain with Diamonds are Forever or Moonraker. These movies at the end of the day are meant to be events, and experienced as pieces of entertainment. With 25 films you’re gonna be a little all over the pace with rankings because it slips and slides between a film that’s quality and a film that’s just purely entertaining. I have yet to meet two people whose rankings are even close to identical. Personally I still haven’t gotten over the parasailing scene in DAD, just as much as many won’t get over Bond’s death at the end of NTTD. But if a Bond movie is on, you bet I’m gonna sit and watch it.
It’s a matter of taste ; do you want some comedy? (Roger Moore/ Sean Connery/ Pierce Brosnan) or do you just want the hard nosed depressing “modern” Bond (Daniel Craig)
Completely agree. Wasn't a fan of Die Another Day in the cinema but it was the movie I watched to cheer myself up and remind me what I love about these movies after watching No Time to Die. It's the only Bond I've only seen once which says it all really.
I'm with you 100% Calvin. I've watched No Time to Die' only once since the cinema, and it went down in my ranking. Totally agree with your comments on Die Another Day too. I've disliked it immensely since it came out BUT I watched it with kids a few months ago and they loved it. And watching them enjoy it made me enjoy it so much more, and reminded me that THIS is exactly why we become Bond fans. It was like watching an eight year old me falling in love watching Moonraker with my dad.
I completely agree, there were some elements that were really good in the film. But for me the ending is just too much. I feel it takes away from what Bond has been for 60 years, always finding a way out of situations, never giving up etc. So I feel this ending is a bit disrespectful to the legacy that has come before. That’s just my take on it. I would rank it almost at the bottom of my ranking list
Same thing for me. The only thing I liked in it was Ana. For me it’s at the bottom of my list just slightly above quantum. I liked Spectre more & think the ending of Spectre ends of Craig’s series much better. He drives off & that’s it. I only own casino royal. Skyfall & Spectre. That’s it.
I didn’t necessarily have an issue with Craig’s version of Bond dying cause his whole tenure was very experimental but it was more the way he was taken out. And by who. If Bond is going to die, then he should be going up against a villain who is worthy of that very difficult feat and Safin wasn’t it. He was fucking lame. His death should’ve been at the hands of arguably one of the greatest villains Bond has ever faced, if not the greatest.
Craig's Bond was supposed to be a more realistic spy, and in real life the hero doesn't always win, or does make his goals but doesn't make it out alive.
I have to say, a year on… and being at least a few years yet from a new Bond film… it does feel like the more time that passes, the easier and better it’ll be to have (another) reboot. Last year I was like WHAT are they going to do next?!
It's obvious, they're contriving a black Bond now. The only point, if any, for them doing such a severe statement as killing Bond here was a symbolic killing off of white Bond. So instead of them happening to find a back actor who is just so brilliant for Bond that they cast him and just make some great Bond movies with him, they're making a big song and dance of showing off how enlightened they are as billionaire white Hollywood producers. I can just see it coming, a big self-aware publicity parade and then movie trampling the fourth wall and showing off how in touch with current racial issues it is. 🙄
@@DM-kv9kj Surely they’re looking at Top Gun: Maverick and realising their mistake in going woke and killing off Bond. You think they’d double down and go BlackBond after all this? Is Broccolli that suicidal?
What kills it for me is the feeling of no hope. Normally I wouldn’t mind that, but in an era of pandemics, climate instability and now a war that has the very real potential of going global, I actually need to watch something that can make me excited and hopeful. I think No Time To Die for me would work better in a different context
I used to tell friends that 2/3 through, it felt like the perfect Bond film before it fell apart. Then I recently watched it and realized what I thought was perfect, ended after the Cuba scene. I looked at the run time and saw that was barely 1 hour in with another 1 hour and 40 minutes to go. I now tell friends it is only 1/3 of a perfect Bond film before it falls apart for the remaining 2/3.
Great video Calvin. I agree with you about the ending. I hate the ending, not only because it a big no for me to kill Bond, but also it was badly constructed like you say. I dont want a Bond film where it's personal for Bond. It can work, because I love OHMSS and CR, but they have a good plot and a good villain. I really don't like the idea of Bond have a kid and that he dies. Why can't we just get Bond on a mission? At least DAD and QOS had a story and Bond going on mission. NTTD and Spectre is always going to be at the bottom of my ranking and I'm not going to see them outside of a marathon.
For me, this movie works best if I think of it like an opera; negative emotions are heightened but so are positive ones, so there’s fun to be had even in the buildup to impending tragedy. Edit: At the time I wrote this I had never seen an actual opera. Now I think I was giving them too much credit. There is very little fun to be had.
Whenever I’m tempted to rewatch NTTD (mainly for the great action), I get somewhat dissuaded because it means watching the ending. I have nothing against Bond dying - actually I quite admire the boldness of it - but in the film it feels oddly forced and, at the end of the day, it isn’t pleasant watching Bond have fire rain down upon him. As you quite rightly said, a funeral, not a party.
I think one of the things adding to Mavericks popularity, is that it has become one of the few sequels to a popular film from the past where the characters from the original film are treated with respect. We haven’t got that with Trek, Star Wars, or Bond.
Here's my take: Spectre wrote the series into a sharp corner. NTTD had to try and bring Bond out of that corner, which it kinda did, but then ended up putting him back into an even sharper corner. No wonder they're having a hard time deciding what to do next.
With Craig though, as the wheels got rolling, it was clear that the next Bond would be a fresh start regardless of what happened in SPECTRE and NTTD. I don't think NTTD wrote it into a sharper corner. Although I definitely agree that SPECTRE left NTTD with very few options on where to go
@@davidshillaker7578 I'm not saying it was wrong to kill Craig off at the end. It creates a clean slate, and noone wants to see 007 with a wife and kid in tow. However, what to do about the future? Ignore the legacy and start an alternative universe with the same character name? Create a new 007 with a different name? What makes things difficult also is that Bond films are always contemporary, and the fan base doesn't forget the past very easily.
@@sevensevenalways7995 Well, I mean, that's what they did with Casino Royale. That film was a complete reboot of the film's continuity with zero connections to the previous films outside of the main character's name (and also Judi Dench). With that in mind, I don't see why they can't do that again, especially considering we live in a timeline in which we've had countless Spider-Man, Batman or Superman reboots (and probably loads of other franchises doing just the same)
I've spent a ridiculous amount of time over the years toiling over my ranking of the series, and it usually gets tweaked a little whenever I do a full series rewatch. But I haven't even attempted to put NTTD into my ranking because it is very much a film of two halves. The first half, especially the pre-London scenes, is top 10 material, but I really dislike the second half. I doubt this opinion will change any time soon. Once Bond arrives at Madeline's home, I can just see the cogs and gears of the plot grinding away in an attempt to justify the decision for Bond to die. Also, I've been seeing each film religiously each week in the cinema as part of the 60th anniversary. It's been amazing but I won't be seeing NTTD because ending by weekly cinematic celebration of Bond with his death just feels inappropriate.
Could not agree more. First 50 minutes pre London, the film is a fast paced romp that, despite loving my Bond to be gritty, was a welcome levity. But after that, a big major nosedive.
I split the film in 3. Great 1st act, potential to be a classic Bond. 2nd act - turns into a strange and boring soap opera. 3rd act - totally falls apart.
I have to ask, do you think that Bond is actually supposed to have died? Because I keep seeing "they killed Bond" comments here and I have to assume you Gentlemen are just trolling the storyline, when anyone with a quantum of movie-sense knows that definitely did not happen, right? I mean, we all got why Bond needed to cut ties and to make the self sacrifice seem permanent, didn't we? I'm just asking because surely we watched the same film? I mean, I'm pretty sure it's the "downbeat" ending (to me, the heroic and fitting, bravura send off) they're complaining about, rather than a genuine lack of understanding? No offence btw, because I'm probably just missing the air-quotes, the "duh" look in eyes raised to the heavens, and the cynical, sarcastic tone of "they killed Bond," what with only seeing it in text form. That's got to be it, right?
This is the only Bond film out there that I have serious trouble rewatching. I rewatched it a grand total of one time, and I still felt completely miserable. I absolutely love the first action scene, and that's it. It's a bad sign if I'd rather watch Quantum of Solace.
Honestly ill watch Quantum of Solace anyday. given i do actually quite like it despite its problems, but i think thats cuz the screenplay is a lot less fucked up and contrived, and the pacing is SOOO much better. Wow does No Time To Die have a lackluster abysmal pacing. Its like a broken car it just speeds up at random and then drags its feet at certain parts. Im a big fan of dialogue-heavy movies but this was just exposition and boring plot scenes taking up so much time and so many scenes dragging out too long. Quantum of Solace is ripe for re-watching with a quick pace, it is straighforward, it has plenty action too.
Literally same though. Like I can’t get over the ending. After watching it I just feel depressed and mad about the movie. 🤷♀️ Makes it exactly as you said: not very rewatchable.
Just watched this again and have to agree. When I left No Time to Die, I was so depressed I called out sick the next day! Both License to Kill and Die Another Day definitely walked out of those films in quite the opposite feeling! Appreciate all you bring to the Bond world. Thank You!!
As someone who's exclusively seen the Craig Bond films (curse you streaming services for not having Bond movies here in Germany), and with No Time to Die having been the only ever Bond film I saw in the cinema, I like it a lot. The ending was very fitting and well set up in my opinion. In terms of bad endings, I'd cite Spectre, which is just ludicrous from the point on where they arrive at Blofeld's base. Edit: Only days after I wrote the comment they announced that from today, most Bond films will be on Amazon Prime. So it looks like I'll get to watch them now! Strangely, it seems they left 5 of them out (From Russia with love, On her Majesty's secret service, The spy who loved me, The world is not enough and No time to die).
I still think not having the villain turn out to be Dr. No was a big missed opportunity, esp giving all the hints fans saw pointing to that (How DID he survive little Maddie's gunshot, if his heart is in the normal place?). Ah well...
@@Paul91- They didn't need to do twists with either of them. Call your movie SPECTRE and we're going to expect Blofeld to show up in it, we're not stupid - there wasn't a single gasp when Oberhauser revealed his true name. In NTTD they should've just called Safin Dr. No from the get go.
Safin’s henchman do say “yes doctor” to the said man whilst awaiting the first shipment. A hidden easter egg. Up to the audience to decide if it is Dr No or not.
My thoughts on where it stands for me: Sorry if it's a bit long. Gotta give context. The first time I saw it in theaters, the ending didn't really hit me. It was more shock than anything. But the second time I saw it in theaters, I actually cried at the end(and I've shed even a couple tears every time I've watched it since). Calvin, you and I are around the same age and we both saw Die Another Day as our first Bond film in theaters. I cried because James Bond was like a friend to me. I had spent twenty plus years of my life with him, watching the movies and such. It really hit home to see him die. BUT I have been slowly reading through the Bond novels over the last couple years(and reading a fair amount this year alone, 5 books), shortly after NTTD came out, I finished reading From Russia With Love and at the end of it, James Bond dies. Ian Fleming was sick of writing the books at the time, and decided to kill him off. Now, obviously that didn't happen and he survived and carried on thru MANY more adventures, BUT when, at one point, even the CREATOR of the man, decided to kill him off, it made the ending of NTTD sit a little better with me. Now, would I prefer he lived, of course. HOWEVER, I can now see through different eyes, that Craig's Bond really did have a "life story" from the birth of his 007, to his death. And in the novels and films, has he not been portrayed as fallible and human? The man died, just as we all will. Overall, at this stage in my life after having seen the movie many times, with all the positives of it, music, cinematography, Cuba, acting, action ALL of it, I can't fault the film all THAT much based on his death. In conclusion, I would rather he have lived, but it's still a great movie and when it came out I placed it at 10 in my ranking. Now I would probably say it moved up to around 6 or 7. Thanks for reading Calvin and keep up the great work!! I always look forward to and enjoy your videos. Been watching you for almost 2 years now.
My opinion hasn’t really changed much. The film falls apart during the last hour because tons of flaws compound upon each other: The lack of an arc in Nomi and Bond’s relationship, the lack of chemistry between Bond and Swann, the villain’s nonsense motivations, the contrived steps leading to the ending. All the failures of the film add up in a climax that has nothing good going for it.
Spot on re. the pandemic. I remember walking out of the cinema after my first viewing, in the midst of an awful couple of years, and thinking, "well now HE'S dead." I didn't need him to ride a unicorn across a rainbow, but . . . if Bond can't beat the odds, who the hell can?
The biggest problem with No Time to Die, besides the awful villain, is that they went into creating this film deciding that Bond HAD to die, rather than them making it and realizing they had a really good idea to tell a story of him dying. They so obviously decided they had to end his life
Yes, and every major plot point revolves around Bond's death which is why this film has a rather bizarre feel to it. Things just seem so off point and you can't put your finger on it until you get to the ending. The fact that Bond's death is so contrived is ultimately what ruins the movie.
I feel that, whether we like the Craig era or not, Bond's death complements the themes from NTTD (retirement... end of the old glories of MI6... absolute disappearance of the faces that Bond met... permanent loneliness... disappearance of the 'spy Bond' due to his blood family... etc.) and of the Craig era since Casino Royale (Bond being a locus of pain and disaster for innocent people... presentation of a world that might be better off without Bond... James with allies who need him, yet look down on him at the same time... and Bond's eternal & tormenting struggle against decay). His death would have upset me in another adventure with another version of the character (say, Moore's Bond or Brosnan's Bond) or in a story that didn't have the themes from NTTD. So I feel like Bond's death was a unique and faithful way to end the Craig era.
@@007johnsnake It's just fitting for Craig's Bond IMO. Any other Bond actor I would have a huge problem with it. That being said though, I still think it's better if Craig's Bond didn't die and instead secluded himself or fake his death like Bruce Wayne from Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.
@@007johnsnake The problem with killing Bond in the Craig era is that it ruins the happy ending of Spectre. It also begs the question of what the Craig arc was all about. Why create James Bond from the ground up just to brutally tear him down?
@@LeonWick526 NTTD can be seen as an alternative chapter to the Craig era (since the connection between both films is very superficial and NTTD is pretty much a "What if.../Elseworld" kinda story), if you like Spectre's ending as the definitive conclusion for Craig's Bond, good for you (I personally prefer NTTD as a final chapter for Craig because its bondisms pleased me more than those from Spectre). I think Craig's arc was about showing a non-classic version of James Bond, an archaic destabilizing force that needed to be put down since Casino Royale (I mean, even Judi Dench's M considered him as an archaic brute she'd rather do without). The Craig movies, instead of being simple stories about James Bond doing routine missions, were a series of explanations for why James Bond is a locus of pain and disaster. So I think NTTD told us that, at the end of the day, (a retired) James Bond's struggle to fight against decay was futile (pointing out his death as a natural conclusion), but he will be remembered as a badass & heroic agent who left a legacy... a great impression in MI6 & his closer allies. That's not a bad thing for me; it's cool to have different takes of this character (even if the Craig era is almost a nihilistic take on the 007 mythology with a cynical & kinda evil MI6). I just hope the next version of Bond is more cheerful and less dramatic in his stories. Having said that, I'm glad the Craig-007 movies exist (with its strenghts & flaws) and have a special place in my heart.
I rewatched it last weekend, and I still love it. I love the debates it’s sparked, and surprisingly the Bond fandom has kept it more civil than other fandoms. Definitely a top tier Bond film for me
I remember seeing this in a theater with my mom, who really wanted to go. We went (masked up for safety) and I remember her crying at the end. I know that there are people who feel that that ending worked, and to those people, I wish I shared that. The best way I can describe my feelings about NTTD is that I got it for Christmas and it remains unopened and unwatched. I don’t know why I would subject myself to 2/3rds of a movie that are well put together and with amazing music that leave me feeling hollow at the end.
I absolutely hated NTTD at first but I reread YOLT this summer and realised NTTD is an adaptation of it which made me like the film maybe 25% more (seriously though I can’t be the only one who never realised that…), Safin’s plan still doesn’t make much sense to me which I think is the biggest issue I have with the film
I have a love/hate relationship with the ending of No Time To Die. I wish he didn’t die but I can understand how it completes his arc clearly. There was a clear beginning in Casino and a clear ending here.
I’ve seen all 24 at the cinema so far this year so (sigh) I will see No Time To Die again on Sunday but it will be the last time as I’m permanently retiring both it and Spectre. I really can’t stand either of them, I just feel it’s a shame to end Craig’s tenure on such a low but Bond being killed off was what he demanded way back in 2006 if you take him for his word. I’m really looking forward to the next film, I hope it’s bombastic and over the top if only to be a palette cleanser from the overly emotional dross we’ve had to endure the past decade.
Despite the objective issues with "Die Another Day", I think it achieved its goal of being a dumb, fun popcorn movie. You can easily watch it and have fun without caring too much about the story; If you enjoy the story set pieces, then that's all the better. No Time to Die desperately asks you to take it seriously, which it fails at on multiple levels. You can't watch it as a popcorn movie because you need to know the story, but the story has so many critical issues that it just takes you out of the movie.
Great elements. Loved some of the scenes but this is a movie I’ve fully edited in my head. I’d change Naomi’s character to be more of a bad ass during the Silo scene. She almost dies fighting those soldiers and loses Waldo in the process. He escapes and we respect Naomi for a tough fight. During the missile strike, we get subtle hints he dodges the missiles. Cut to last scene, he catches up to Waldo after wounding him (throwback to Casino Royale). We see a detailed close up of Bonds wrist watch (EMP) Waldo says “How did you not to die?” Bond: “There’s No Time to Die” End Credits
I really hate doing this as it outs me as the young Bond fan I am, and I have really made this film work for me to say this, but No Time to Die might just be my favourite Bond film. It was everything I could have ever possibly wanted from a Bond film, from spectacular action to emotional stakes. This film challenged me like no other Bond has, and made me reflect on what I love about the series. I never thought I would want to see Bond have a kid, let alone die, but it somehow works for me. I can buy into the decisions the film takes and just go with the experience. Every time I watch it I want to experience the film again. But also a big part of why I love the ending as much as I do is the fact I grew up with Craig’s Bond. I was 7 when Casino Royale came out, so Daniel Craig has been Bond for most of my life. No Time to Die gave Daniel Craig something that no other Bond has had, closure. No other Bond has had the chance to properly say goodbye, and for that I will always love that I got that for the Bond I grew up with. As weird as it sounds, it felts like the closure on a chapter in my life. I do get why people may not like this film. But I think it is fantastic and a genuine contender for the best Bond film for me. No one liked the ending for Majesty’s when it was first released, and now it is one of the most celebrated Bond films of them all. Maybe a lot of people don’t like the ending because it feels like a definitive end until the next film, which given all the uncertainty is justified. I’m glad this film took a risk, and despite the ending I think this is still a pretty outstanding Bond film with a number of great moments.
I was very happy reading this because I've had the exact same experience with the film. We're the same age (both 7 when Casino Royale was released) so that may explain why. There's still maybe 3-4 films in the series that I think are better, but it was truly exceptional and also probably the best film that I saw in 2021, although Mad God and Petite Maman were fantastic as well.
Have to agree to both of you. Thank you for capturing my emotions and thoughts so well! While I still like Skyfall the most, honestly the best Bond film and one of the best movies of all time, NTTD has challenged me like no other bond movie has - and I was craving for it. The music is fantastic (Hans Zimmer is a god), the whole pre-title sequence is the best thing I have seen in cinema and I love all the refernces. Concerning OHMSS: I love the movie, but I hate the ending. It's just Tracy dying and then the Bond them blasting over it - and to be honest, I was a bit shocked at my last rewatch. We have all the time in the world would have been a perfect match for this particular ending, don't get why they didn't do it back then!
Completely agree with you here Calvin. Like you, I've been going to the weekly screenings of the films every Tuesday, and its really helped me appreciate some of the films I thought were lesser in the series. DAD was so awesome on the big screen, and like you, left me feeling excited and happy after I'd seen it. NTD definitely does not do that and it's a shame, because it starts off so string at the beginning
A comment I never got around to making for Calvin's original review, where he was baffled that everyone seemed to somehow know the girl was Bond's daughter despite Madelaine fervently denying it: It is a long-standing trope/cliche that when a couple doesn't see each other for years, and the woman has a child the same age as when they were last together, the child is ALWAYS his...and the woman will ALWAYS lie about it! Not sure why this is, or if there is any psychological truth to it, but it can be seen in countless soap operas as well as in movies like Superman Returns...And I for one *love* that Bond sees right through it and doesn't buy it for a second, even pointing out that she clearly has his eyes!😅
I feel you, Calvin. When I saw Casino Royale a few weeks ago at the cinema, I left the screening punching the air, humming the Bond theme and YKMN. I had witnessed two hours of escapism, great entertainment and I went away from it with on a positive note, strutting down the street with Craig-swagger. As for NTTD, even though I love elements of it, the ending just leaves me emotionally wilted. It's not a feel-good film. It's weird, but I never actually feel like it's a good time to put on NTTD, whereas I could put on any of the other 24 and get more enjoyment out of them. Now, I have been wondering ever since, why OHMSS does not deflate me like that, despite its comparable ending. Maybe it's the Bond theme kicking in so quickly, maybe the short wait before seeing the JAMES BOND WILL RETURN caption, or maybe I got used to it over time - I don't know.
NTTD was designed to deflate you - as punishment for being and/or cheering on a straight white male. Demoralisation is the purpose of the woke agenda. The reason you can watch OHMSS and not feel like slitting your wrists is that Bond survives. It’s sad and it’s a tough blow to our hero but, crucially, HE SURVIVES.
I watched OHMSS recently and boy did I have a great time with it, it might be back on top of my personal ranking for the first time since I saw it as a teen, it was that good. As for the difference of feeling regarding the ending, I think it all comes down to Majesty’s feeling true to the character: as Barbara Broccoli eloquently puts it herself, Bond can’t settle down, he carries a heavy burden for us all… while in NTTD, he refuses that burden. He gives up. And there are so many contrivances to come to that result that it ends up not feeling earned. At least that’s how I see it :)
I think your point about Die Another Day is extremely valid... Although it's very silly, it will always be so - and often enjoyable because of that (for me, that's the same as Moonraker). It seems to me that NTTD will always be a dour affair, and take itself far too seriously (except Cuba). As time has passed, I've reflected on the main differences between Casino, Skyfall and NTTD as specific examples of the Craig era. What I love about Casino is the serious, but playful tone. It's got swagger and confidence, but it remembers to be cool... it always feels like this could be the first chapter to any of the other Bonds. What I love about Skyfall is the sophistcation and the tightly focussed, flowing story. It's not light in tone, but it manages to bring that sophisticated Bond world to live, and demsonstrates a brutal focus on the mission that we'd not seen in a Bond movie for some time (perhaps since Dalton). I feel like NTTD has none of these elements: It's almost always serious in tone, but the plot contrivances are sometimes laughable; it's packed with characters, but their motivations are weak or completely unknown; the action scenes seem to be slotted into the story, rather than part of it; the story appears to be on rails - rolling inevitably towards a specified end point, regularly making me ask 'why?'. Also, I still passionately feel that NTTD did a disservice to the idea of having multiple strong female characters. It under-utilised each one, like they were just conveniences to make Bond seem more modern at first glance. Don't just dress it up like it's modern... just BE modern! In many ways, Skyfall was far more modern in its portrayal of gender roles - not least the obvious contrast between Severine and M.
After seeing the film initially, I was blown away. I had never left the movie theatre feeling so relieved that another series I adored hadn't been thrown in the trash. (See: Star Wars, Game Of Thrones, Metal Gear.) I knew though that the film had problems and probably would've ranked it as a low top ten. After all this time, my ranking has certainly shifted. I can't believe I'm saying this but it's probably my second favourite bond movie of all time!!! I'm a younger fan, only 20 with the first bond movies I watched being the Craig ones, and the first one I saw at the theatre being Spectre (a film quite a bit lower in my list.) Side note it's crazy how big the gap between the movies was, I saw Spectre while in grade 9 shortly before my 14th birthday, and my the time I saw the next I was nearly 20, moved out and engaged (getting married next summer!) Anyway, I adore this movie. Partly because I tend to like longer films that give characters time to breathe. I love the OHMSS parallels, and I think this might be my favourite performance from a bond actor. I love seeing bond after time away from MI6 having become a lot more honest and outspoken now that he isn't part of her majesty's secret service. I love seeing him return to emotions he hasn't shown much since Casino Royale, now as an older and more introspective man. I love Ana De Armas and her scene made for one of my favourite action scenes in the series. The movie made me laugh and cry, and it made Madeline (who I had no interest in during Spectre) into a character I liked and cared about. I love the daughter twist, and I feel it gave the third act an extra layer of tension I felt in no other Bond movie. I would love to list every single thing I like about the movie, but I'd write a novel. I'll end with my hottest take, I loved the ending. I can see how the multiple excuses thing (family breaking nanobots/shot by Rami/Missile doors closing/approaching ships) can make it feel a little contrived, but it doesn't bother me because throughout the Craig movies, Bond has repeatedly tried to get away from the spy life. With Vesper, after his assumed death, and finally with Madeline. After finding out he has a family there for him, and finding out how much love was in his heart, I adore the thought that he no longer wanted to live if he couldn't be with his family. Not in solitude, and not as a spy. At the end I think there's a slim chance he could've escaped, but the odds were more against him than ever, and so he put down the gun. It may seem like a downer ending, but it just made me love the character's journey through these 5 films (3/5 which I liked) all the more. I can understand why many hate the ending, and I really wish they didn't. I wish I could share the love I have for this movie with them. But all I can do is defend it in youtube comment sections so there you go. Great Video as always Calvin!
After the second time I watched NTTD in the cinema, these were my thoughts: 1- "Well, now I appreciate more the rest of the movies, since all of them doesn´t include this horrendous ending". 2- "Well, Skyfall was one of my favourites, but now I love it even more because it´s the only one in Craig´s era that is not about him and SOMETHING SO PERSONAL. Yes, we see his house. But the whole plot was about M and Silva." It´s sad. Cause I LOVE almost everything about NTTD right until they go to Safin´s island. That whole last segment has some cool stuff, like the stairs shot and the killing of Safin, but also very bad stuff. It´s been a year and I still am conflicted about this move.
Great video! - and as someone who loves this film, I also enjoy the debates/different opinions. I think it says more about our passion about this character more than anything that there are so many different views whether you think the story is high ranking, middling or rubbish. It’ll be interesting to see how this affects a new era. I genuinely think that the Craig films will age better as we move forward and we can appreciate them as this small little connective story.
Totally agree it’s a poor flagship to celebrate 60 years of Bond. I believe it was Craig’s insistence that the character should die and the film was written backwards to accommodate that wish. I’m astonished that the producers went along with this. Whatever you think of various films throughout the series the feel good factor of Bond saving the world and living to fight another day can not be denied. It’s iconic and has had a positive impact on audiences around the world. I don’t think there’s been as much uproar about a fictional character being killed off since Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes. Such was public outcry he had to write him back to life. Well good luck trying to do that with Bond.
@@tcaudiobooks737 Yes I just checked. Don't know why Craig's era couldn't just end the same way every other actors tenure ended - Bond still alive. Seems like an ego thing from Craig.
I love NTTD, it’s the climax of Craig’s era, it dares to step into uncharted territory with Bonds death. It looks stunning and harks back to points in the series with sensitivity. Maybe we’re mourning Bonds death? This character who has been part of our lives for so long was killed off, and that still feels quite strange to me. I think in a year or two, and maybe when Bond is reinvented we may see it differently and be able to move on.
NTTD was an absolute disaster! Ms Broccoli was so in thrall to her beloved Daniel that she more or less gave him carte blanche. &, as we know from Quantum, as well as his stylistic preferences, his instincts are extremely flawed.
This is exactly why Craig is my least favorite Bond. He has a few great movies but his films aren’t FUN! The producers need to know their audience and not try to take the series too serious. Let Bond be a lighthearted adventure experience again.
I'll admit, I'm one of the ones that is onboard with No Time to Die until a certain point but still actually like it. With that said, I HOPE that going forward, the producers go back to making Bond films FUN again especially considering what's been happening over the last two years. I think people are really just looking for genuine fun and excitement, reasons to just smile even if stuff is stupid and shouldn't make sense. I hope that they've gotten this out of their system this is whole overarching story of Bonds love interests or backstory. To the point about Die Another Day, its STUPID fun and considering how the last 16 years have gone... That's ALL I want. I'd take A View to a Kill, Die Another Day, Diamonds are Forever and even the unofficial Bonds at this point if it meant we can go back to being FUN with Bond again! Great video!
As a cinephile, I do enjoy examining the Bond franchise from a heritage perspective. When I first watched No Time To Die I was pleasantly surprised. When it was first announced I was keen to see it, but within that timespan of it being delayed, my enthusiasm for big budget films dwindled as I primarily focused on independent and world cinema from all ages. By the time the film swept into the cinema I wasn’t expecting much: Bond quality is inconsistent at best (although I like most of them). However, I wasn’t just surprised, I was really surprised. Despite the franchise’s reputation of female characters, it was great to see a genuine Bond girl and genuine romance since Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The film has a somber tone, a finality; a tangible feeling of cynicism not captured before. Craig’s Bond is brooding, yet he’s sensitive here, making the tone carry that brooding nature. Bond is an interesting character from a cultural standpoint; but I appreciate that on this outing he felt like a person. I’m not an action person, simply because it’s often shallow exercises in eliciting adrenaline or exploitation (I’m not pretentious I swear). But I love when an action film makes you dread an action sequence to come: this is perhaps the only Bond to fulfil this criteria, as there are genuine stakes, and as a result genuine consequences. The film is flawed, but not drastically so, nor on a technical level. I understand your view on Bond rushing against a fairly lenient or perhaps undefined clock, which results in his death. On re-viewing it’s fair argument to say it’s an oversight in the script: but wether it’s bad is subjective for the individual. What makes Bond interesting and weird is how diverse everyone’s opinions on every film. As I said before this surprised me, and is better than it has any right to be and no one should invalidate your thoughts on it. You’re not an angry fanboy, trust me lmao. I’m certain nothing is more subjective than a Bond ranking. I’m glad after 25 films, this one actually did a lot different, and because of it, it feels singular and distinct.
A better ending would have had Q use some sort of EMP burst on Bond to kill off the nanobots. Have Bond retire again from the Secret Service in a touching farewell to all the characters. The very end would have been similar to the current ending, except have Bond be driving the car telling Madeline and his daughter the story of Bond, James Bond. Go into the circular tunnel, the end. Cue up Louis Armstrong music. I know that would have brought a tear to my eye, rather than the current ending.
Two points. First there’s the way Bond dies; after we’ve all been through the Pandemic he’s infected with something and just gives up. A re-cut could have left it open but they didn’t go for it. More seriously in my view there’s the last caption - “James Bond will return”. Either that’s as a period thing but we all know he’s doomed or it’s as a reboot, in which case we lose any sense of tension because even if they kill him they can just start again. It makes killing Bond look like a gimmick.
I think that the ending has really painted them into a corner. Far from being freeing for them to start afresh, I think killing Bond really broke the forth wall in a way that’s hard to come back from. His death is followed by a post credit coda that says “James Bond will return” which may as well say: “there are no stakes anymore, even death can’t kill him”. It’s also escalatory in that it sets a president for all future Bonds to go out in increasingly dramatic fashion. I think Bond probably died for me in this film. Whatever happens hereafter: there will be something missing.
You’re assuming that they will continue on from Craig rather than reboot the franchise. They did it before, and it’s more than likely what’s going to happen again.
@@magnusprime962 No I'm not. I'm well aware that they will reboot, but the damage is done. They've effectively said that there are no stakes for that very reason: we'll kill him, but he'll be back as someone else.
I totally agree with you on the "there are no stakes anymore." Now that we've seen Bond die, the number one question we'll be asking ourselves is "Will they do it again at the end of the next reboot?" If they do, it won't have the same effect as before and if they don't, it'll feel weak because like you said: NTTD sets a precedent for future Bonds to go out in increasingly dramatic fashion.
@@LeonWick526 exactly. Total law of diminishing returns. Also: any actor going in without considering all of that is likely to be the wrong choice. One that does would likely have serious misgivings. I think they’ve painted themselves into a corner, but we’ll see.
There is a lot to like with NTTD. The opening action scenes in Italy, the sequence in Cuba. But the ending spoils what could have been a classic Bond like Goldfinger or The Spy Who Loved Me.
Easily one of my favorite Bond movies. Tracy in OHMSS doesn’t take away from that movie bc it leaves u sad it makes it so much better and so much more impactful than just about any other ending of a Bond film. While I don’t feel exactly like that about NTTD I still think the first half is a blast and some aspects are the best the series has ever been. The ending is literally perfect for Craig’s melodramatic serious Bond in my opinion
Honestly it's really grown on me... like made the back end of my top 10... honestly I think it's a really good story of an old bond looking back on his life and realizing that on a personal level, he has very little to hang his hat on. He lives in anonymity in the carribean because he doesnt trust anyone and MI6 has simply moved on and reassigned his number... it's not even as much about the love story as much as what it could have been if Bond was able to trust and what still remained from it despite his effort to leave it all behind. Bond died at the end a happy/complete man finally realizing that he had something of value which does complete the setup from royale. Honestly his characterization in the film felt very fleming to me, maybe more than any other film in the series. Film speak made a really good video on nttd that really made me observe some aspects of it with a new lens.... I will say I also am not someone who gets the Licence to kill love though... Licence was just too poorly made for me to think of it as anything but a missed opportunity. Bad Cinematography, awful supporting performances, jarring leftover Roger Moore humor and logic(it doesn't get talked about enough how Pam blows a perfect bugs bunny hole in the side of a bar with a shotgun.)
@@carlitostcb or the bit where in this gritty, grounded revenge tale, Bond encounters Chinese agents that are dressed like actual ninjas and fight him with karate chops, kicks, throwing stars and nets... as opposed to dressing practically and using modern weapons...
The Craig era for me has two parts. CR and QOS feel completely different to the rest, they are; vibrant, fresh, action packed, exciting and more believable. Then the second part being SF, SP and NTTD; more slowly paced, more artsy, too personal and emotional. Not that I don’t like those films at all, but I much prefer the earlier part of Craig’s run.
It would have been better for everyone had Craig quit after Skyfall. Spectre & NTTD leave 007 in as bad a state as the early 1990s. If Craig had been such a great 007 then the series wouldn't be in desperate need of a reboot.
I watched NTTD again about a month ago and I don’t think my opinion has changed too much on it kind of evening out in the middle of my rankings, possibly a little lower. I don’t know, it’s a weird film for many different reasons you’ve gone over in other videos and this is coming from someone who doesn’t (completely) hate the ending. I would agree with License to Kill being better, but I still can’t bring myself to like Die Another Day haha. I think the most interesting thing I’ve gotten out of NTTD is the divisive opinions about it. I think it leads to interesting discussion. Side note, I’ll always agree with you on Thunderball lol. Not a huge fan.
Enjoyed the video, you've certainly been a good sport about NTTD all this time & I commend you for it haha. One year later, for me personally it's very hard to talk about my feelings towards NTTD from an unbiased perspective. Although there are worse movies overall, I absolutely hated it & easily much more than Die Another Day (which ranks 24/25). Haven't purchased it (a first for me when it comes to Bond movies) & have zero desire to re-visit it anytime soon. Looking back on the Craig era as a whole while I certainly enjoyed some of those movies (Casino Royale and - god help me - Spectre) I think I tolerated his era more than I genuinely enjoyed it. Truly miss the Brosnan era.
When I first came out of the cinema I said I liked it. But it quickly became apparent that I actually did not like it and was forcing myself to. And this is something I believe others have done too. I’ve seen plenty of ‘on my 15th viewing I finally liked the movie’ type sentiments. Simply put, if you don’t like the movie that’s totally cool. If you rank it near the bottom, that’s ok also. I’ve always said re-watchability if a key appeal of Bond-that idea that on any random day you can put on any random Bond movie. I think NTTD will suffer in that regard.
I think my main issue with NTTD is that ending and how plot heavy this story is along with the fact if feels very influenced by marvels long interconnected plots, whereas I feel like the older Films are so much easier to watch and get behind. I think I just miss the bombastic bases, gadget laden cars and ridiculous Villains
I totally agree with you. The ending was dreadful, and it felt like they were backed into a corner to do it by Craig himself. No one person is bigger than a film series, particularly one with the quality and longevity of the Bond series. Please Lord let’s move on with the next Bond actor from the emotional story arc journey rubbish…. the Bond films are meant to be escapist fun, with high quality production values, and a visual spectacle. And, as you say, people should come out of the cinema with a smile on their face. The series is much bigger than one D Craig, and that is not to fail to recognise the huge contribution he has made to it. The film answers its own question - it really was ‘No Time To Die’.
I totally agree, Calvin. Die Another Die was enjoyable but absolutely ridiculous (the invisible car was just too much!), and is the worst film in the series in my opinion. However, the ending of No Time To Die was just too heartbreaking and the only time I have left the cinema (let alone a Bond film) feeling downbeat and upset. By the way, I loved your use of the Goldeneye N64 soundtrack in the background!
Hard to believe it's been a year already. I still appreciate that they tried to do something different and that there are some great parts to this movie. Overall, I'm not keen on revisiting this one unlike the rest of the Craig era. Its lower on my list, and because it's a bit sad doesn't have much rewatchability.
The thing is for me is that since Casino Royale, the movies have been trying to take risks and get away from the stigma of Bond movies saving the world and getting the girl. BB and MG really want to make their movies their own and also not be behind modern movies coming out that can be more surprising and amazing for people, not just in spectacle, but story too. The producers will be in trouble if they hear an audience saying "I prefer other action adventure movies to Bond movies". On the other side of things, because of all the new inventive and creative ideas they have been able to produce since Casino Royale, people will want the film makers to surprise them again and again if they want to keep em coming back. But just because you do something different or original, it doesn't mean your being clever or innovative. You run the risk of alienating an audience that have come along on this journey so far and producers certainly don't either want to hear " I prefer older Bond movies to this new one" At the end of the day, its not like this hasn't happened before with this series or other film series for that matter. This is still early days and its a movie we havent been use to seeing Bond in such a situation. These things take take time. OHMSS, TMWTGG, LTK and DAD have been down this situation before. Imagine if 13 year old Calvin saw this movie instead of Die another day, would you still hate it? or love it? Remember, just know in you heart Calvin that its only a movie, and James Bond will return :) and now cue Louise Armstrong!!!!!!! LOL
Regardless of how you feel about the ending, the problem with this movie is that the whole movie feels fractured. Most of the sections of this movie are just not connected at all. And the almost non existent Villian motivation hurts it even more. The ending of this movie feels wedged in there too. If the ending was written more competently than Bond dieing wouldn't be a problem.
Yes! Die Another Day is perfectly good fun, it's really not anything like as terrible as it seems to generally be regarded as being. My hope is, that when Bond returns, he does so in a film that's obviously following directly on from DAD, continuity is restored, and the Craig era can then just be seen as the aberration that it was. Anyway, as always, a great & entertaining video Calvin.
Totally agree with pretty much everything you’ve said Calvin. Although I really like NTTD on the whole, (may seem strange with what I’m about to say) I agree that the ending is poorly handled. Charlie Higson’s assessment was bang on the money: the fact the character was somewhat of a fantasy and one of the most renown aspects was that he is the man that always finds a way to survive. NTTD totally kills this fundamental part of what Bond is.
The killing of Bond is not entirely unheard of. Let's remember even Ian Fleming was unsure whether he wanted to even continue writing the novels at one stage and rewrote the ending of _From Russia With Love_ to have Rosa Klebb succeed in poisoning Bond resulting in him collapsing to the floor struggling to breath. All that being said, I would like to reserve my judgement on _No Time To Die_ until the next film comes out to see what direction they are planning to go next. I see two possibilities. 1) It's a straight up reboot. Or 2) in something of a more faithful adaptation of _The Man With The Golden Gun_ we see Bond survive - presumable all chard and busted up in need of reconstructive surgery - suffering amnesia from the explosion, and brainwashed by the Russians. It seems like an obvious way to continue where Craig left off with a new actor in the role.
It took me a bit to appreciate No Time To Die, but after seeing No Way Home in theaters a few months later, and seeing the similar themes of forgiveness, responsibility, and sacrifice be conveyed, I really started to appreciate the film more for it's efforts. It was something new I guess. Its not a perfect film, but it just worked for me.
NTTD ranks somewhere in the middle to lower echelons in the series for me personally. I do feel that the movie presents a LOT more positives than it does negative but I feel like producers missed a huge opportunity to make Saffin Dr. No and then of course, killing Bond at the end just left me numb as a die hard Bond fan. Really can’t wait to see where the series goes from here but I can’t help but feel we’re in for a somewhat arduous wait. I am praying the studios or whoever holds the rights in about 3 or 4 years’ time stick with tradition though and it comes to theatres because there is nothing quite like seeing Bond on the big screen.
I still thing No Time To Die is fantastic and gave me the level of escapism that I like. I do think you had to either kill or disable or permanently retire Bond in the Craig era. You can’t build on from the work he did because he’s explored of Bond’s psychology any actor coming in to that timeline would have struggled to build on to that.
@@meganhartmann180 I honestly thought at the very end in opening the doors he was going to get his hand or foot crushed. But face he chose to die because he would keep everyone safe and that’s what a hero does. We know in real life chances are most people wouldn’t be able to stop this but that’s the escapism aspect in that world heroes exist
I really dislike how much the Craig movies made Bond feel so disrespected. He's the greatest agent in the world, but everyone at MI6 seems to treat him like he's this replaceable, obsolete old man. He retires like 3 times throughout the 5 movies, and I don't blame him because no one in the organization seems to like or value him much lol
It almost feels like they took the best bits from a bunch of rejected bond scripts and very loosely connected them with the plot. Cuba especially felt like some rejected pre title but it just seems like they made an action movie first and a bond film second.
It is BY FAR the most stylish and beautiful Bond movie in many years. Easily the most stylish of Craig’s. Direction is cool as ice. The plot holes are intense, but that was true of Skyfall as well. It’s a shame the film seems to have been more coherent before Covid as they had to alter the biological elements to nanobots. Bond’s death needed gravitas and meaning that the film failed to deliver. I would have filmed a Dark Knight Rises esque ‘he’s still somewhere’ hint for the end. Leaving him back in the shadows would have been far cooler, sadly.
To be honest, I've never agreed on basically any of the plot holes in Skyfall while with NTTD I can see it. But I simply love the style of both movies, from the completely cold and gritty digital image of Skyfall to the beautiful beautiful colours of NTTD. Action is superb on both!
Did you think that they kind of built up the nanobots to be a bigger deal and then that plot line kind of gets discarded? I mean obviously it's the reason Bond chooses to die but I just felt like the producers wanted to do more with that whole thing.
@@spencerkindra8822 I think it was probably a biological weapon initially, but due to covid the change was made to nanobots. It just makes so much more sense he has a dormant virus in respect to a poison garden. Nanobots are a bit wtf..
I'm okay with Bond dying, but I think the death he got was unearned. I don't buy such a paint-by-numbers villain like Safin being the one to take Bond out. But, if they'd gone with M being a secret SPECTRE agent and the final villain, with Bond having to go up against him AND the entire 00 section as his personal bodyguards, then yeah, that's a situation I can believe Bond wouldn't come back from, plus it would've given Nomi something to do as she sides with Bond as he takes his last stand.
I totally agree with you Calvin I did a ranking of all the Bond movies earlier this year I definitely need to do a redo of it I love No Time To Die till the scene in Q’s flat after that I turn it off Licence To Kill and GoldenEye will forever be my number one and two favourite James Bond movies Die Another Day holds a soft spot for me it was my late mother’s favourite James Bond movie
“NO TIME TO DIE is a funeral it’s not a party” - Very well said.
It's a party at a funeral. And everyone is drunk as fuck. Good times.
8:06
I doubt it. From what I've read online, Craig's return was on the specific condition his Bond died at the end of NTTD. Craig didn't want another three years or so of B Broccoli pestering him to do a sixth film so he said "Bond dies in NTTD" and she accepted his demand. The ending wouldn't have changed with or without the coronavirus pandemic.
How is it a funeral.
@@bobsmithy9024 Couldn't have Craig said no to a sixth film without killing Bond?
@@bobsmithy9024 this is where Babs should've gave him ✌ instead of katowing to the man like a lovesick child
Licence to Kill always flew under the radar - I’m pleased it’s finally getting the recognition and credit it deserves. Die Another Day is very much a guilty pleasure. Utterly ridiculous film, but very fun.
Totally agree about Licence to Kill, but Die Another Day is just awful. I can't even agree that it's 'harmless/brainless' fun.
Die Another Day is fun. A bad movie, but a very fun one. And also starred by Brosnan that's my favorite Bond. I rather watch it above other movies in the franchise like Diamonds Are Forever or A View To A Kill. A guilty pleasure, 100% agree with that.
@@AdAstra78 Die Another Day is the perfect guilty pleasure. It’s not a bad film
The BEST guilty pleasure bond is Octopussy 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
@@AdAstra78 well your lost its not anywhere near the top of best Bond movie but it is a fun movie when you can switch off the absurd nature of it.
I rewatched DAD just the other night and I'll be damned if it isn't an entertaining piece of cheese! I think biggest mistake of the Craig era treating a purely escapist franchise as an art house project. Bond is a capable, charming cad with a penchant for sex, violence and one-liners. Let's get back to the fun of it all!
“Hong Kong’s our turf now Bond!”
Exactly. It's supposed to be a fun ride, not depressing and ultra personal. Viewers are supposed to want to BE bond, and that doesn't ideally involve baby mama drama and dying
NTTD wanted to be the Endgmae/Logan/TDKR of Bond franchise. I think the ending not working is due to a few factors:
1. Bond and his daughter, Mathilde, have a nonexistent relationship. It's not like Logan where they have to spend the entire movie together, so when Bond sacrifices himself for her, you'de feel anything.
2. Bond and his lover Madeline have also not that much of an impactful relationship. Maybe because the series keeps shoving Vesper back into the storyline, maybe because of the age difference, but I find it a bit hard to believe she would love someone like Bond.
3. The sacrifice itself is muddy. They try very hard to have no other way for Bond to survive. So instead of a last heroic act on Bond's part, he is kinda forced into it.
4. The villain sucks, and has no lasting impact on the viewer. If Raul Silva killed Bond in Skyfall, I would've believed him. Not this weirdo, however.
Spot on !
Nothing celebrates a 60th anniversary quite like blowing up the main character we've all grown to love. That's my biggest problem with the film and why it will forever be remembered as "the one where Bond dies"
The most divisive Bond films are often summed up as "the one where..." aren't they?
The one where Bond goes into space
The one with the invisible car
The one where Bond dies
Right. That's its legacy forever
@@tcaudiobooks737 BUT the difference between those films and this? Bond doesn’t die hhaha
I think it's also far worse still that they didn't even do any justice to the whole killing off of James Bond. It felt so cheap and tacked on. His supposed relationship with Madeleine came out of nowhere. They didn't even seem that likely to have a romantic fling, let alone become the love of his life who he quits for and ends up impregnating. I mean, also, how many women has Bond slept with? Suddenly, he gets one pregnant and it just happens to be right before he gets killed. Madeleine wasn't just a bad character but played by a wooden actress too. I felt nothing between them whatsoever.
The complete disdain for James Bond that comes across in most of the Craig movies is something I've always found weird and unpleasant. Nobody else seems to sense it, but it's like they just hate James Bond now and want to ridicule, humiliate and then kill him off in a weird Netflix style feature series that tries to make every movie a run-on story but they didn't even bother planning it out before starting!
And now that Bonds dead they can’t do anymore films it was kinda stupid how do they go on now they can’t
The fact that this is the last bond to be released during Elizabeth II reign, makes this film was more defining than ever
Indeed! That is quite remarkable.
It's very fitting, isn't it? Might as well as fly a big banner with "THE UK'S DEAD" outside every cinema.
Same
The Queen wouldn't have wanted a completely contrived and forced funeral of a movie though. She'd have wanted something fun and celebratory, full of hope, not full of amateurish writing and complete misery.
Don't be daft.
Just going to say I'm completely jealous of you guys in the U.K getting reruns of the whole franchise. I'd kill to go drag my grandpa to the theater and watch From Russia with Love and Goldfinger on the big screen with him (the first bond films I ever saw, thanks to him)
Go and see them. I didn’t see as many this year at the cinema in the UK as I wanted (which was all of them) but saw a large chunk, some I’d seen at the cinema as a kid, some I wasn’t old enough, but they all looked gorgeous.
@@loftlegacy I think they were saying that they don't live in the UK, so they can't see them in the cinema.
@@loftlegacy I'd love to see them, but I'm in the US where to my knowledge no one is currently playing any bond films
@@calvinskye I live in the US and they never do reruns. At least where I live which is in the western half of the country.
@@calvinskye Here in the US we have theaters that play old movies. My local theater playes a different dong movie ever week. This week is Moonraker.
I totally agree with your sentiment on people wanting Escapism in the cinema. I saw No Time to Die with my grandad on his birthday who's been a fan since the 60s, it was our first time back in the cinemas. He came out incredibly deflated which shouldn't happen in a Bond film and ruined my night
"Ruined my night" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Always thought that was a better reason for On Her Majestys Secret Service being not that successful and not just Lazenby. Bond films are watched for expected happy endings.
I completely agree. A big part of enjoying the Bond films at the cinema is going with family and sharing the experience together. Should never leave a Bond film on a downer.
The goal of the film was to punish your grandad for liking a straight white male hero, it worked.
My dad & I r huge bond fans. He passed away in 2016. I for one am happy he didn’t live to see this film. He finished with Spectre which is a far better ending he drives off with what’s her face & that’s it.
The amount of re-shoots and re-editing around the villain's plot as a response to the covid pandemic and how close his original plan mirrored it is very telling
How can I get to massage you as well?
I agree ... NTTD was not the Bond film the world needed at the time of its release. I appreciate it had been finished before the Pandemic hit and they had no idea how the world would have changed ... but its a bare fact .. it just needed to be a positive movie..
Agreed; if they needed to have a change of lead actor, they could have either done as all the films before and just have the new guy, or, they could have had Bond get out of the situational the end of NTTD, and close with him slapping his badge, gadgets, and gun onto M's desk and tell him he quits, he's done, for real this time!!
At least we don't see the 'main-man' as such get killed-off...not a great way to end a film in a franchise like this which has always been high adventure, a bit of comedy, action, explosions, and the hero riding, sailing, floating, walking off into the sunset - usually with a gorgeous blond...!! 🙂
If no time to die was on at the same time on TV as view to a kill I would pick OAP Rog every time !
Idk why Bond fans feel the need to overly justify where they rank their favorite and least favorite Bond movies; the fact is this series is a VERY eclectic bunch, and each serves a different function for each viewer. There are times when I wanna feel the intensity of a Skyfall or License to Kill and there are times when I wanna drown my brain with Diamonds are Forever or Moonraker. These movies at the end of the day are meant to be events, and experienced as pieces of entertainment. With 25 films you’re gonna be a little all over the pace with rankings because it slips and slides between a film that’s quality and a film that’s just purely entertaining. I have yet to meet two people whose rankings are even close to identical. Personally I still haven’t gotten over the parasailing scene in DAD, just as much as many won’t get over Bond’s death at the end of NTTD. But if a Bond movie is on, you bet I’m gonna sit and watch it.
How is an 8 day old comment appearing on a video uploaded 1 hour ago?
@Shobhit. Most likely early access Patreon supporters.
I completely disagree. It's that vast canvass of different tones and genres that makes me love seeing other people's lists.
"If a Bond movie is on, you bet I'm gonna sit and watch it." Yeah, basically.
It’s a matter of taste ; do you want some comedy? (Roger Moore/ Sean Connery/ Pierce Brosnan) or do you just want the hard nosed depressing “modern” Bond (Daniel Craig)
Completely agree. Wasn't a fan of Die Another Day in the cinema but it was the movie I watched to cheer myself up and remind me what I love about these movies after watching No Time to Die. It's the only Bond I've only seen once which says it all really.
I'm with you 100% Calvin. I've watched No Time to Die' only once since the cinema, and it went down in my ranking. Totally agree with your comments on Die Another Day too. I've disliked it immensely since it came out BUT I watched it with kids a few months ago and they loved it. And watching them enjoy it made me enjoy it so much more, and reminded me that THIS is exactly why we become Bond fans. It was like watching an eight year old me falling in love watching Moonraker with my dad.
Bond fans have become contrarian to where die another day and moonraker are good movies. lol
I completely agree, there were some elements that were really good in the film. But for me the ending is just too much. I feel it takes away from what Bond has been for 60 years, always finding a way out of situations, never giving up etc. So I feel this ending is a bit disrespectful to the legacy that has come before. That’s just my take on it. I would rank it almost at the bottom of my ranking list
Same thing for me. The only thing I liked in it was Ana. For me it’s at the bottom of my list just slightly above quantum. I liked Spectre more & think the ending of Spectre ends of Craig’s series much better. He drives off & that’s it. I only own casino royal. Skyfall & Spectre. That’s it.
I agree. It feels more like a condemnation of Bond instead of a celebration.
"Disrespectful" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!
I didn’t necessarily have an issue with Craig’s version of Bond dying cause his whole tenure was very experimental but it was more the way he was taken out. And by who. If Bond is going to die, then he should be going up against a villain who is worthy of that very difficult feat and Safin wasn’t it. He was fucking lame. His death should’ve been at the hands of arguably one of the greatest villains Bond has ever faced, if not the greatest.
Craig's Bond was supposed to be a more realistic spy, and in real life the hero doesn't always win, or does make his goals but doesn't make it out alive.
I have to say, a year on… and being at least a few years yet from a new Bond film… it does feel like the more time that passes, the easier and better it’ll be to have (another) reboot. Last year I was like WHAT are they going to do next?!
It's obvious, they're contriving a black Bond now. The only point, if any, for them doing such a severe statement as killing Bond here was a symbolic killing off of white Bond. So instead of them happening to find a back actor who is just so brilliant for Bond that they cast him and just make some great Bond movies with him, they're making a big song and dance of showing off how enlightened they are as billionaire white Hollywood producers. I can just see it coming, a big self-aware publicity parade and then movie trampling the fourth wall and showing off how in touch with current racial issues it is. 🙄
My personal preference would be time- pieces!!! New anthology stories set in the 60’s or 70’s.
@@DM-kv9kj Surely they’re looking at Top Gun: Maverick and realising their mistake in going woke and killing off Bond. You think they’d double down and go BlackBond after all this? Is Broccolli that suicidal?
Black and non binary
What kills it for me is the feeling of no hope. Normally I wouldn’t mind that, but in an era of pandemics, climate instability and now a war that has the very real potential of going global, I actually need to watch something that can make me excited and hopeful. I think No Time To Die for me would work better in a different context
I used to tell friends that 2/3 through, it felt like the perfect Bond film before it fell apart. Then I recently watched it and realized what I thought was perfect, ended after the Cuba scene. I looked at the run time and saw that was barely 1 hour in with another 1 hour and 40 minutes to go. I now tell friends it is only 1/3 of a perfect Bond film before it falls apart for the remaining 2/3.
That's pretty much what I think as well. The first third was amazing, the rest was messy and full of distracting contrivances.
Because of that ending I can't bring myself to rewatch it.
Great video Calvin.
I agree with you about the ending. I hate the ending, not only because it a big no for me to kill Bond, but also it was badly constructed like you say. I dont want a Bond film where it's personal for Bond. It can work, because I love OHMSS and CR, but they have a good plot and a good villain. I really don't like the idea of Bond have a kid and that he dies. Why can't we just get Bond on a mission? At least DAD and QOS had a story and Bond going on mission. NTTD and Spectre is always going to be at the bottom of my ranking and I'm not going to see them outside of a marathon.
For me, this movie works best if I think of it like an opera; negative emotions are heightened but so are positive ones, so there’s fun to be had even in the buildup to impending tragedy.
Edit: At the time I wrote this I had never seen an actual opera. Now I think I was giving them too much credit. There is very little fun to be had.
Whenever I’m tempted to rewatch NTTD (mainly for the great action), I get somewhat dissuaded because it means watching the ending. I have nothing against Bond dying - actually I quite admire the boldness of it - but in the film it feels oddly forced and, at the end of the day, it isn’t pleasant watching Bond have fire rain down upon him. As you quite rightly said, a funeral, not a party.
I've spent the last year trying to forget this "film" exists.
I think one of the things adding to Mavericks popularity, is that it has become one of the few sequels to a popular film from the past where the characters from the original film are treated with respect. We haven’t got that with Trek, Star Wars, or Bond.
Yeah, they didn’t go woke.
@@mowazeem644 I wouldn't necessarily say that Bond went woke, but they clearly didn't want to do a Bond film.
@@NelsonStJames They wanted to make oscar bait.
Here's my take: Spectre wrote the series into a sharp corner. NTTD had to try and bring Bond out of that corner, which it kinda did, but then ended up putting him back into an even sharper corner. No wonder they're having a hard time deciding what to do next.
With Craig though, as the wheels got rolling, it was clear that the next Bond would be a fresh start regardless of what happened in SPECTRE and NTTD. I don't think NTTD wrote it into a sharper corner. Although I definitely agree that SPECTRE left NTTD with very few options on where to go
@@davidshillaker7578 I'm not saying it was wrong to kill Craig off at the end. It creates a clean slate, and noone wants to see 007 with a wife and kid in tow. However, what to do about the future? Ignore the legacy and start an alternative universe with the same character name? Create a new 007 with a different name?
What makes things difficult also is that Bond films are always contemporary, and the fan base doesn't forget the past very easily.
@@sevensevenalways7995 Well, I mean, that's what they did with Casino Royale. That film was a complete reboot of the film's continuity with zero connections to the previous films outside of the main character's name (and also Judi Dench). With that in mind, I don't see why they can't do that again, especially considering we live in a timeline in which we've had countless Spider-Man, Batman or Superman reboots (and probably loads of other franchises doing just the same)
@@christianwise637 Agreed. I don't know why people are having a hard time with Bond being rebooted when Casino Royale was a reboot.
This makes no sense, bond gets rebooted at the end of each outing. This movie won't effect the next one. Bond is immortal.
I've spent a ridiculous amount of time over the years toiling over my ranking of the series, and it usually gets tweaked a little whenever I do a full series rewatch. But I haven't even attempted to put NTTD into my ranking because it is very much a film of two halves. The first half, especially the pre-London scenes, is top 10 material, but I really dislike the second half. I doubt this opinion will change any time soon. Once Bond arrives at Madeline's home, I can just see the cogs and gears of the plot grinding away in an attempt to justify the decision for Bond to die. Also, I've been seeing each film religiously each week in the cinema as part of the 60th anniversary. It's been amazing but I won't be seeing NTTD because ending by weekly cinematic celebration of Bond with his death just feels inappropriate.
Could not agree more. First 50 minutes pre London, the film is a fast paced romp that, despite loving my Bond to be gritty, was a welcome levity. But after that, a big major nosedive.
I split the film in 3. Great 1st act, potential to be a classic Bond. 2nd act - turns into a strange and boring soap opera. 3rd act - totally falls apart.
I have to ask, do you think that Bond is actually supposed to have died? Because I keep seeing "they killed Bond" comments here and I have to assume you Gentlemen are just trolling the storyline, when anyone with a quantum of movie-sense knows that definitely did not happen, right? I mean, we all got why Bond needed to cut ties and to make the self sacrifice seem permanent, didn't we? I'm just asking because surely we watched the same film? I mean, I'm pretty sure it's the "downbeat" ending (to me, the heroic and fitting, bravura send off) they're complaining about, rather than a genuine lack of understanding? No offence btw, because I'm probably just missing the air-quotes, the "duh" look in eyes raised to the heavens, and the cynical, sarcastic tone of "they killed Bond," what with only seeing it in text form. That's got to be it, right?
I have the same exact opinion
@@hgwells1899 wut
This is the only Bond film out there that I have serious trouble rewatching. I rewatched it a grand total of one time, and I still felt completely miserable. I absolutely love the first action scene, and that's it. It's a bad sign if I'd rather watch Quantum of Solace.
Honestly ill watch Quantum of Solace anyday. given i do actually quite like it despite its problems, but i think thats cuz the screenplay is a lot less fucked up and contrived, and the pacing is SOOO much better. Wow does No Time To Die have a lackluster abysmal pacing. Its like a broken car it just speeds up at random and then drags its feet at certain parts. Im a big fan of dialogue-heavy movies but this was just exposition and boring plot scenes taking up so much time and so many scenes dragging out too long. Quantum of Solace is ripe for re-watching with a quick pace, it is straighforward, it has plenty action too.
Literally same though. Like I can’t get over the ending. After watching it I just feel depressed and mad about the movie. 🤷♀️ Makes it exactly as you said: not very rewatchable.
These last two Bond films show that this series is in trouble. No more gimmicks, get back to tradition.
Just watched this again and have to agree. When I left No Time to Die, I was so depressed I called out sick the next day! Both License to Kill and Die Another Day definitely walked out of those films in quite the opposite feeling! Appreciate all you bring to the Bond world. Thank You!!
NTTD is a funeral. Best description I have heard about how I feel about it.
As someone who's exclusively seen the Craig Bond films (curse you streaming services for not having Bond movies here in Germany), and with No Time to Die having been the only ever Bond film I saw in the cinema, I like it a lot. The ending was very fitting and well set up in my opinion. In terms of bad endings, I'd cite Spectre, which is just ludicrous from the point on where they arrive at Blofeld's base.
Edit: Only days after I wrote the comment they announced that from today, most Bond films will be on Amazon Prime. So it looks like I'll get to watch them now! Strangely, it seems they left 5 of them out (From Russia with love, On her Majesty's secret service, The spy who loved me, The world is not enough and No time to die).
Those left-out movies kill me. From Russia, Majesty's, and Spy Who Loved Me are among my favorites.
Good thing those (except for No time to Die) did show up a few hours later too... only for all the movies to be gone again 2 weeks later.
I still think not having the villain turn out to be Dr. No was a big missed opportunity, esp giving all the hints fans saw pointing to that (How DID he survive little Maddie's gunshot, if his heart is in the normal place?). Ah well...
Honestly I'm happy that they didn't do a Dr No with Safin. I didn't want a rehash of the pointless twist in Spectre of Oberhauser being Blofeld.
@@Paul91- They didn't need to do twists with either of them. Call your movie SPECTRE and we're going to expect Blofeld to show up in it, we're not stupid - there wasn't a single gasp when Oberhauser revealed his true name. In NTTD they should've just called Safin Dr. No from the get go.
Safin’s henchman do say “yes doctor” to the said man whilst awaiting the first shipment. A hidden easter egg. Up to the audience to decide if it is Dr No or not.
I hear you brother. We feel the same. I want to be entertained and feel good when I leave. This was the wake of a dear friend.
My thoughts on where it stands for me:
Sorry if it's a bit long. Gotta give context.
The first time I saw it in theaters, the ending didn't really hit me. It was more shock than anything. But the second time I saw it in theaters, I actually cried at the end(and I've shed even a couple tears every time I've watched it since).
Calvin, you and I are around the same age and we both saw Die Another Day as our first Bond film in theaters. I cried because James Bond was like a friend to me. I had spent twenty plus years of my life with him, watching the movies and such. It really hit home to see him die. BUT I have been slowly reading through the Bond novels over the last couple years(and reading a fair amount this year alone, 5 books), shortly after NTTD came out, I finished reading From Russia With Love and at the end of it, James Bond dies. Ian Fleming was sick of writing the books at the time, and decided to kill him off.
Now, obviously that didn't happen and he survived and carried on thru MANY more adventures, BUT when, at one point, even the CREATOR of the man, decided to kill him off, it made the ending of NTTD sit a little better with me. Now, would I prefer he lived, of course. HOWEVER, I can now see through different eyes, that Craig's Bond really did have a "life story" from the birth of his 007, to his death. And in the novels and films, has he not been portrayed as fallible and human? The man died, just as we all will.
Overall, at this stage in my life after having seen the movie many times, with all the positives of it, music, cinematography, Cuba, acting, action ALL of it, I can't fault the film all THAT much based on his death. In conclusion, I would rather he have lived, but it's still a great movie and when it came out I placed it at 10 in my ranking. Now I would probably say it moved up to around 6 or 7. Thanks for reading Calvin and keep up the great work!! I always look forward to and enjoy your videos. Been watching you for almost 2 years now.
My opinion hasn’t really changed much. The film falls apart during the last hour because tons of flaws compound upon each other: The lack of an arc in Nomi and Bond’s relationship, the lack of chemistry between Bond and Swann, the villain’s nonsense motivations, the contrived steps leading to the ending. All the failures of the film add up in a climax that has nothing good going for it.
Spot on re. the pandemic. I remember walking out of the cinema after my first viewing, in the midst of an awful couple of years, and thinking, "well now HE'S dead." I didn't need him to ride a unicorn across a rainbow, but . . . if Bond can't beat the odds, who the hell can?
The biggest problem with No Time to Die, besides the awful villain, is that they went into creating this film deciding that Bond HAD to die, rather than them making it and realizing they had a really good idea to tell a story of him dying. They so obviously decided they had to end his life
Yes, and every major plot point revolves around Bond's death which is why this film has a rather bizarre feel to it. Things just seem so off point and you can't put your finger on it until you get to the ending. The fact that Bond's death is so contrived is ultimately what ruins the movie.
I feel that, whether we like the Craig era or not, Bond's death complements the themes from NTTD (retirement... end of the old glories of MI6... absolute disappearance of the faces that Bond met... permanent loneliness... disappearance of the 'spy Bond' due to his blood family... etc.) and of the Craig era since Casino Royale (Bond being a locus of pain and disaster for innocent people... presentation of a world that might be better off without Bond... James with allies who need him, yet look down on him at the same time... and Bond's eternal & tormenting struggle against decay).
His death would have upset me in another adventure with another version of the character (say, Moore's Bond or Brosnan's Bond) or in a story that didn't have the themes from NTTD.
So I feel like Bond's death was a unique and faithful way to end the Craig era.
@@007johnsnake It's just fitting for Craig's Bond IMO. Any other Bond actor I would have a huge problem with it.
That being said though, I still think it's better if Craig's Bond didn't die and instead secluded himself or fake his death like Bruce Wayne from Nolan's Dark Knight trilogy.
@@007johnsnake The problem with killing Bond in the Craig era is that it ruins the happy ending of Spectre. It also begs the question of what the Craig arc was all about. Why create James Bond from the ground up just to brutally tear him down?
@@LeonWick526 NTTD can be seen as an alternative chapter to the Craig era (since the connection between both films is very superficial and NTTD is pretty much a "What if.../Elseworld" kinda story), if you like Spectre's ending as the definitive conclusion for Craig's Bond, good for you (I personally prefer NTTD as a final chapter for Craig because its bondisms pleased me more than those from Spectre).
I think Craig's arc was about showing a non-classic version of James Bond, an archaic destabilizing force that needed to be put down since Casino Royale (I mean, even Judi Dench's M considered him as an archaic brute she'd rather do without).
The Craig movies, instead of being simple stories about James Bond doing routine missions, were a series of explanations for why James Bond is a locus of pain and disaster. So I think NTTD told us that, at the end of the day, (a retired) James Bond's struggle to fight against decay was futile (pointing out his death as a natural conclusion), but he will be remembered as a badass & heroic agent who left a legacy... a great impression in MI6 & his closer allies.
That's not a bad thing for me; it's cool to have different takes of this character (even if the Craig era is almost a nihilistic take on the 007 mythology with a cynical & kinda evil MI6). I just hope the next version of Bond is more cheerful and less dramatic in his stories.
Having said that, I'm glad the Craig-007 movies exist (with its strenghts & flaws) and have a special place in my heart.
I rewatched it last weekend, and I still love it. I love the debates it’s sparked, and surprisingly the Bond fandom has kept it more civil than other fandoms. Definitely a top tier Bond film for me
I remember seeing this in a theater with my mom, who really wanted to go. We went (masked up for safety) and I remember her crying at the end. I know that there are people who feel that that ending worked, and to those people, I wish I shared that.
The best way I can describe my feelings about NTTD is that I got it for Christmas and it remains unopened and unwatched. I don’t know why I would subject myself to 2/3rds of a movie that are well put together and with amazing music that leave me feeling hollow at the end.
I absolutely hated NTTD at first but I reread YOLT this summer and realised NTTD is an adaptation of it which made me like the film maybe 25% more (seriously though I can’t be the only one who never realised that…), Safin’s plan still doesn’t make much sense to me which I think is the biggest issue I have with the film
I have a love/hate relationship with the ending of No Time To Die. I wish he didn’t die but I can understand how it completes his arc clearly. There was a clear beginning in Casino and a clear ending here.
I’ve seen all 24 at the cinema so far this year so (sigh) I will see No Time To Die again on Sunday but it will be the last time as I’m permanently retiring both it and Spectre. I really can’t stand either of them, I just feel it’s a shame to end Craig’s tenure on such a low but Bond being killed off was what he demanded way back in 2006 if you take him for his word. I’m really looking forward to the next film, I hope it’s bombastic and over the top if only to be a palette cleanser from the overly emotional dross we’ve had to endure the past decade.
Despite the objective issues with "Die Another Day", I think it achieved its goal of being a dumb, fun popcorn movie. You can easily watch it and have fun without caring too much about the story; If you enjoy the story set pieces, then that's all the better.
No Time to Die desperately asks you to take it seriously, which it fails at on multiple levels. You can't watch it as a popcorn movie because you need to know the story, but the story has so many critical issues that it just takes you out of the movie.
Great elements. Loved some of the scenes but this is a movie I’ve fully edited in my head.
I’d change Naomi’s character to be more of a bad ass during the Silo scene. She almost dies fighting those soldiers and loses Waldo in the process. He escapes and we respect Naomi for a tough fight.
During the missile strike, we get subtle hints he dodges the missiles. Cut to last scene, he catches up to Waldo after wounding him (throwback to Casino Royale). We see a detailed close up of Bonds wrist watch (EMP) Waldo says “How did you not to die?” Bond: “There’s No Time to Die”
End Credits
My word that would have been jaw dropping!
I really hate doing this as it outs me as the young Bond fan I am, and I have really made this film work for me to say this, but No Time to Die might just be my favourite Bond film. It was everything I could have ever possibly wanted from a Bond film, from spectacular action to emotional stakes. This film challenged me like no other Bond has, and made me reflect on what I love about the series. I never thought I would want to see Bond have a kid, let alone die, but it somehow works for me. I can buy into the decisions the film takes and just go with the experience. Every time I watch it I want to experience the film again.
But also a big part of why I love the ending as much as I do is the fact I grew up with Craig’s Bond. I was 7 when Casino Royale came out, so Daniel Craig has been Bond for most of my life. No Time to Die gave Daniel Craig something that no other Bond has had, closure. No other Bond has had the chance to properly say goodbye, and for that I will always love that I got that for the Bond I grew up with. As weird as it sounds, it felts like the closure on a chapter in my life.
I do get why people may not like this film. But I think it is fantastic and a genuine contender for the best Bond film for me. No one liked the ending for Majesty’s when it was first released, and now it is one of the most celebrated Bond films of them all. Maybe a lot of people don’t like the ending because it feels like a definitive end until the next film, which given all the uncertainty is justified. I’m glad this film took a risk, and despite the ending I think this is still a pretty outstanding Bond film with a number of great moments.
While I can't agree with you, I do appreciate your sound argumentation. Cheers!
I was very happy reading this because I've had the exact same experience with the film. We're the same age (both 7 when Casino Royale was released) so that may explain why. There's still maybe 3-4 films in the series that I think are better, but it was truly exceptional and also probably the best film that I saw in 2021, although Mad God and Petite Maman were fantastic as well.
Have to agree to both of you. Thank you for capturing my emotions and thoughts so well!
While I still like Skyfall the most, honestly the best Bond film and one of the best movies of all time, NTTD has challenged me like no other bond movie has - and I was craving for it. The music is fantastic (Hans Zimmer is a god), the whole pre-title sequence is the best thing I have seen in cinema and I love all the refernces.
Concerning OHMSS: I love the movie, but I hate the ending. It's just Tracy dying and then the Bond them blasting over it - and to be honest, I was a bit shocked at my last rewatch. We have all the time in the world would have been a perfect match for this particular ending, don't get why they didn't do it back then!
I know what you're saying. Also I think NTTD will grow in popularity in time like On Her Majesty's Secret Service.
I would rather watch Die Another Day any day over No Time To Die
I agree also. Left the cinema deflated and never recovered following 2-3 viewings.
Completely agree with you here Calvin. Like you, I've been going to the weekly screenings of the films every Tuesday, and its really helped me appreciate some of the films I thought were lesser in the series. DAD was so awesome on the big screen, and like you, left me feeling excited and happy after I'd seen it. NTD definitely does not do that and it's a shame, because it starts off so string at the beginning
DAD underrated since 2002
A comment I never got around to making for Calvin's original review, where he was baffled that everyone seemed to somehow know the girl was Bond's daughter despite Madelaine fervently denying it: It is a long-standing trope/cliche that when a couple doesn't see each other for years, and the woman has a child the same age as when they were last together, the child is ALWAYS his...and the woman will ALWAYS lie about it! Not sure why this is, or if there is any psychological truth to it, but it can be seen in countless soap operas as well as in movies like Superman Returns...And I for one *love* that Bond sees right through it and doesn't buy it for a second, even pointing out that she clearly has his eyes!😅
They need to get Christopher McQuarrie to write the next phase of Bond. He will be done with MI as well by the time they start planning.
He's booked for tropic thunder spinoff iirc
I feel you, Calvin. When I saw Casino Royale a few weeks ago at the cinema, I left the screening punching the air, humming the Bond theme and YKMN. I had witnessed two hours of escapism, great entertainment and I went away from it with on a positive note, strutting down the street with Craig-swagger. As for NTTD, even though I love elements of it, the ending just leaves me emotionally wilted. It's not a feel-good film. It's weird, but I never actually feel like it's a good time to put on NTTD, whereas I could put on any of the other 24 and get more enjoyment out of them. Now, I have been wondering ever since, why OHMSS does not deflate me like that, despite its comparable ending. Maybe it's the Bond theme kicking in so quickly, maybe the short wait before seeing the JAMES BOND WILL RETURN caption, or maybe I got used to it over time - I don't know.
NTTD was designed to deflate you - as punishment for being and/or cheering on a straight white male. Demoralisation is the purpose of the woke agenda.
The reason you can watch OHMSS and not feel like slitting your wrists is that Bond survives. It’s sad and it’s a tough blow to our hero but, crucially, HE SURVIVES.
I watched OHMSS recently and boy did I have a great time with it, it might be back on top of my personal ranking for the first time since I saw it as a teen, it was that good. As for the difference of feeling regarding the ending, I think it all comes down to Majesty’s feeling true to the character: as Barbara Broccoli eloquently puts it herself, Bond can’t settle down, he carries a heavy burden for us all… while in NTTD, he refuses that burden. He gives up. And there are so many contrivances to come to that result that it ends up not feeling earned. At least that’s how I see it :)
I think your point about Die Another Day is extremely valid... Although it's very silly, it will always be so - and often enjoyable because of that (for me, that's the same as Moonraker). It seems to me that NTTD will always be a dour affair, and take itself far too seriously (except Cuba).
As time has passed, I've reflected on the main differences between Casino, Skyfall and NTTD as specific examples of the Craig era. What I love about Casino is the serious, but playful tone. It's got swagger and confidence, but it remembers to be cool... it always feels like this could be the first chapter to any of the other Bonds.
What I love about Skyfall is the sophistcation and the tightly focussed, flowing story. It's not light in tone, but it manages to bring that sophisticated Bond world to live, and demsonstrates a brutal focus on the mission that we'd not seen in a Bond movie for some time (perhaps since Dalton).
I feel like NTTD has none of these elements: It's almost always serious in tone, but the plot contrivances are sometimes laughable; it's packed with characters, but their motivations are weak or completely unknown; the action scenes seem to be slotted into the story, rather than part of it; the story appears to be on rails - rolling inevitably towards a specified end point, regularly making me ask 'why?'.
Also, I still passionately feel that NTTD did a disservice to the idea of having multiple strong female characters. It under-utilised each one, like they were just conveniences to make Bond seem more modern at first glance. Don't just dress it up like it's modern... just BE modern! In many ways, Skyfall was far more modern in its portrayal of gender roles - not least the obvious contrast between Severine and M.
After seeing the film initially, I was blown away. I had never left the movie theatre feeling so relieved that another series I adored hadn't been thrown in the trash. (See: Star Wars, Game Of Thrones, Metal Gear.) I knew though that the film had problems and probably would've ranked it as a low top ten. After all this time, my ranking has certainly shifted. I can't believe I'm saying this but it's probably my second favourite bond movie of all time!!!
I'm a younger fan, only 20 with the first bond movies I watched being the Craig ones, and the first one I saw at the theatre being Spectre (a film quite a bit lower in my list.) Side note it's crazy how big the gap between the movies was, I saw Spectre while in grade 9 shortly before my 14th birthday, and my the time I saw the next I was nearly 20, moved out and engaged (getting married next summer!)
Anyway, I adore this movie. Partly because I tend to like longer films that give characters time to breathe. I love the OHMSS parallels, and I think this might be my favourite performance from a bond actor. I love seeing bond after time away from MI6 having become a lot more honest and outspoken now that he isn't part of her majesty's secret service. I love seeing him return to emotions he hasn't shown much since Casino Royale, now as an older and more introspective man. I love Ana De Armas and her scene made for one of my favourite action scenes in the series.
The movie made me laugh and cry, and it made Madeline (who I had no interest in during Spectre) into a character I liked and cared about. I love the daughter twist, and I feel it gave the third act an extra layer of tension I felt in no other Bond movie. I would love to list every single thing I like about the movie, but I'd write a novel.
I'll end with my hottest take, I loved the ending. I can see how the multiple excuses thing (family breaking nanobots/shot by Rami/Missile doors closing/approaching ships) can make it feel a little contrived, but it doesn't bother me because throughout the Craig movies, Bond has repeatedly tried to get away from the spy life. With Vesper, after his assumed death, and finally with Madeline. After finding out he has a family there for him, and finding out how much love was in his heart, I adore the thought that he no longer wanted to live if he couldn't be with his family. Not in solitude, and not as a spy. At the end I think there's a slim chance he could've escaped, but the odds were more against him than ever, and so he put down the gun. It may seem like a downer ending, but it just made me love the character's journey through these 5 films (3/5 which I liked) all the more.
I can understand why many hate the ending, and I really wish they didn't. I wish I could share the love I have for this movie with them. But all I can do is defend it in youtube comment sections so there you go. Great Video as always Calvin!
I loved it as well!
After the second time I watched NTTD in the cinema, these were my thoughts:
1- "Well, now I appreciate more the rest of the movies, since all of them doesn´t include this horrendous ending".
2- "Well, Skyfall was one of my favourites, but now I love it even more because it´s the only one in Craig´s era that is not about him and SOMETHING SO PERSONAL. Yes, we see his house. But the whole plot was about M and Silva."
It´s sad. Cause I LOVE almost everything about NTTD right until they go to Safin´s island. That whole last segment has some cool stuff, like the stairs shot and the killing of Safin, but also very bad stuff. It´s been a year and I still am conflicted about this move.
Great video! - and as someone who loves this film, I also enjoy the debates/different opinions.
I think it says more about our passion about this character more than anything that there are so many different views whether you think the story is high ranking, middling or rubbish.
It’ll be interesting to see how this affects a new era. I genuinely think that the Craig films will age better as we move forward and we can appreciate them as this small little connective story.
Totally agree it’s a poor flagship to celebrate 60 years of Bond. I believe it was Craig’s insistence that the character should die and the film was written backwards to accommodate that wish. I’m astonished that the producers went along with this. Whatever you think of various films throughout the series the feel good factor of Bond saving the world and living to fight another day can not be denied. It’s iconic and has had a positive impact on audiences around the world. I don’t think there’s been as much uproar about a fictional character being killed off since Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes. Such was public outcry he had to write him back to life. Well good luck trying to do that with Bond.
Did Craig insist Bond should die?
@@adamcollins915 Apparently he insisted as far back as Casino Royale.
@@tcaudiobooks737 Yes I just checked. Don't know why Craig's era couldn't just end the same way every other actors tenure ended - Bond still alive. Seems like an ego thing from Craig.
@@adamcollins915 Yes
@@adamcollins915 It deffo was his ego. Who does he think he is to kill Bond?
With you on Die Another Day. Like the Moore films, it’s a mini-vacation from reality and a ton of fun.
I love NTTD, it’s the climax of Craig’s era, it dares to step into uncharted territory with Bonds death. It looks stunning and harks back to points in the series with sensitivity. Maybe we’re mourning Bonds death? This character who has been part of our lives for so long was killed off, and that still feels quite strange to me. I think in a year or two, and maybe when Bond is reinvented we may see it differently and be able to move on.
Craig’s era is extremely overrated
Time flies by
NTTD was an absolute disaster! Ms Broccoli was so in thrall to her beloved Daniel that she more or less gave him carte blanche. &, as we know from Quantum, as well as his stylistic preferences, his instincts are extremely flawed.
Agreed. This film is all about Craig, not Bond!
Right. They cared more about craig than the character. If that wasn't the biggest red flag
This is exactly why Craig is my least favorite Bond. He has a few great movies but his films aren’t FUN! The producers need to know their audience and not try to take the series too serious. Let Bond be a lighthearted adventure experience again.
I'll admit, I'm one of the ones that is onboard with No Time to Die until a certain point but still actually like it. With that said, I HOPE that going forward, the producers go back to making Bond films FUN again especially considering what's been happening over the last two years. I think people are really just looking for genuine fun and excitement, reasons to just smile even if stuff is stupid and shouldn't make sense. I hope that they've gotten this out of their system this is whole overarching story of Bonds love interests or backstory. To the point about Die Another Day, its STUPID fun and considering how the last 16 years have gone... That's ALL I want. I'd take A View to a Kill, Die Another Day, Diamonds are Forever and even the unofficial Bonds at this point if it meant we can go back to being FUN with Bond again! Great video!
Beautiful looking film, hated the ending and all the flipping plot holes. Loved your in-depth review!
As a cinephile, I do enjoy examining the Bond franchise from a heritage perspective. When I first watched No Time To Die I was pleasantly surprised. When it was first announced I was keen to see it, but within that timespan of it being delayed, my enthusiasm for big budget films dwindled as I primarily focused on independent and world cinema from all ages.
By the time the film swept into the cinema I wasn’t expecting much: Bond quality is inconsistent at best (although I like most of them). However, I wasn’t just surprised, I was really surprised. Despite the franchise’s reputation of female characters, it was great to see a genuine Bond girl and genuine romance since Her Majesty’s Secret Service. The film has a somber tone, a finality; a tangible feeling of cynicism not captured before. Craig’s Bond is brooding, yet he’s sensitive here, making the tone carry that brooding nature. Bond is an interesting character from a cultural standpoint; but I appreciate that on this outing he felt like a person.
I’m not an action person, simply because it’s often shallow exercises in eliciting adrenaline or exploitation (I’m not pretentious I swear). But I love when an action film makes you dread an action sequence to come: this is perhaps the only Bond to fulfil this criteria, as there are genuine stakes, and as a result genuine consequences. The film is flawed, but not drastically so, nor on a technical level.
I understand your view on Bond rushing against a fairly lenient or perhaps undefined clock, which results in his death. On re-viewing it’s fair argument to say it’s an oversight in the script: but wether it’s bad is subjective for the individual.
What makes Bond interesting and weird is how diverse everyone’s opinions on every film. As I said before this surprised me, and is better than it has any right to be and no one should invalidate your thoughts on it. You’re not an angry fanboy, trust me lmao. I’m certain nothing is more subjective than a Bond ranking. I’m glad after 25 films, this one actually did a lot different, and because of it, it feels singular and distinct.
A better ending would have had Q use some sort of EMP burst on Bond to kill off the nanobots. Have Bond retire again from the Secret Service in a touching farewell to all the characters. The very end would have been similar to the current ending, except have Bond be driving the car telling Madeline and his daughter the story of Bond, James Bond. Go into the circular tunnel, the end. Cue up Louis Armstrong music. I know that would have brought a tear to my eye, rather than the current ending.
Two points. First there’s the way Bond dies; after we’ve all been through the Pandemic he’s infected with something and just gives up. A re-cut could have left it open but they didn’t go for it.
More seriously in my view there’s the last caption - “James Bond will return”. Either that’s as a period thing but we all know he’s doomed or it’s as a reboot, in which case we lose any sense of tension because even if they kill him they can just start again. It makes killing Bond look like a gimmick.
I think that the ending has really painted them into a corner. Far from being freeing for them to start afresh, I think killing Bond really broke the forth wall in a way that’s hard to come back from. His death is followed by a post credit coda that says “James Bond will return” which may as well say: “there are no stakes anymore, even death can’t kill him”. It’s also escalatory in that it sets a president for all future Bonds to go out in increasingly dramatic fashion. I think Bond probably died for me in this film. Whatever happens hereafter: there will be something missing.
Just do what I do and not consider it canon. Flush it down the same toilet as Never Say Never Again.
You’re assuming that they will continue on from Craig rather than reboot the franchise. They did it before, and it’s more than likely what’s going to happen again.
@@magnusprime962 No I'm not. I'm well aware that they will reboot, but the damage is done. They've effectively said that there are no stakes for that very reason: we'll kill him, but he'll be back as someone else.
I totally agree with you on the "there are no stakes anymore." Now that we've seen Bond die, the number one question we'll be asking ourselves is "Will they do it again at the end of the next reboot?" If they do, it won't have the same effect as before and if they don't, it'll feel weak because like you said: NTTD sets a precedent for future Bonds to go out in increasingly dramatic fashion.
@@LeonWick526 exactly. Total law of diminishing returns. Also: any actor going in without considering all of that is likely to be the wrong choice. One that does would likely have serious misgivings. I think they’ve painted themselves into a corner, but we’ll see.
There is a lot to like with NTTD. The opening action scenes in Italy, the sequence in Cuba. But the ending spoils what could have been a classic Bond like Goldfinger or The Spy Who Loved Me.
Easily one of my favorite Bond movies. Tracy in OHMSS doesn’t take away from that movie bc it leaves u sad it makes it so much better and so much more impactful than just about any other ending of a Bond film.
While I don’t feel exactly like that about NTTD I still think the first half is a blast and some aspects are the best the series has ever been. The ending is literally perfect for Craig’s melodramatic serious Bond in my opinion
Honestly it's really grown on me... like made the back end of my top 10... honestly I think it's a really good story of an old bond looking back on his life and realizing that on a personal level, he has very little to hang his hat on. He lives in anonymity in the carribean because he doesnt trust anyone and MI6 has simply moved on and reassigned his number... it's not even as much about the love story as much as what it could have been if Bond was able to trust and what still remained from it despite his effort to leave it all behind. Bond died at the end a happy/complete man finally realizing that he had something of value which does complete the setup from royale. Honestly his characterization in the film felt very fleming to me, maybe more than any other film in the series. Film speak made a really good video on nttd that really made me observe some aspects of it with a new lens....
I will say I also am not someone who gets the Licence to kill love though... Licence was just too poorly made for me to think of it as anything but a missed opportunity. Bad Cinematography, awful supporting performances, jarring leftover Roger Moore humor and logic(it doesn't get talked about enough how Pam blows a perfect bugs bunny hole in the side of a bar with a shotgun.)
Agreed. LTK is such an ugly film. Looks crap and has some nasty violence as well as that stupid happy ending.
@@carlitostcb or the bit where in this gritty, grounded revenge tale, Bond encounters Chinese agents that are dressed like actual ninjas and fight him with karate chops, kicks, throwing stars and nets... as opposed to dressing practically and using modern weapons...
@@sammonroe882 Or doing an impromptu wheelie in a truck...
Really enjoying the content on your channel keep up the good work 🎥👌👌
The Craig era for me has two parts. CR and QOS feel completely different to the rest, they are; vibrant, fresh, action packed, exciting and more believable. Then the second part being SF, SP and NTTD; more slowly paced, more artsy, too personal and emotional. Not that I don’t like those films at all, but I much prefer the earlier part of Craig’s run.
It would have been better for everyone had Craig quit after Skyfall. Spectre & NTTD leave 007 in as bad a state as the early 1990s. If Craig had been such a great 007 then the series wouldn't be in desperate need of a reboot.
Me too. CR and QOS are Craig's best. A different era started with SF...IMO
My thoughts exactly.
I love hearing that your opinion of Die Another Day has changed. It’a the first Bond film I ever watched in theaters so I have a soft spot for it.
I watched NTTD again about a month ago and I don’t think my opinion has changed too much on it kind of evening out in the middle of my rankings, possibly a little lower.
I don’t know, it’s a weird film for many different reasons you’ve gone over in other videos and this is coming from someone who doesn’t (completely) hate the ending.
I would agree with License to Kill being better, but I still can’t bring myself to like Die Another Day haha. I think the most interesting thing I’ve gotten out of NTTD is the divisive opinions about it. I think it leads to interesting discussion.
Side note, I’ll always agree with you on Thunderball lol. Not a huge fan.
Enjoyed the video, you've certainly been a good sport about NTTD all this time & I commend you for it haha.
One year later, for me personally it's very hard to talk about my feelings towards NTTD from an unbiased perspective. Although there are worse movies overall, I absolutely hated it & easily much more than Die Another Day (which ranks 24/25). Haven't purchased it (a first for me when it comes to Bond movies) & have zero desire to re-visit it anytime soon.
Looking back on the Craig era as a whole while I certainly enjoyed some of those movies (Casino Royale and - god help me - Spectre) I think I tolerated his era more than I genuinely enjoyed it. Truly miss the Brosnan era.
When I first came out of the cinema I said I liked it. But it quickly became apparent that I actually did not like it and was forcing myself to. And this is something I believe others have done too. I’ve seen plenty of ‘on my 15th viewing I finally liked the movie’ type sentiments. Simply put, if you don’t like the movie that’s totally cool. If you rank it near the bottom, that’s ok also. I’ve always said re-watchability if a key appeal of Bond-that idea that on any random day you can put on any random Bond movie. I think NTTD will suffer in that regard.
Part of the reason I enjoyed it so much was it was the first film Grumpy jr and I saw after lockdown. I still think it's a great film though.
I think my main issue with NTTD is that ending and how plot heavy this story is along with the fact if feels very influenced by marvels long interconnected plots, whereas I feel like the older Films are so much easier to watch and get behind. I think I just miss the bombastic bases, gadget laden cars and ridiculous Villains
I totally agree with you. The ending was dreadful, and it felt like they were backed into a corner to do it by Craig himself. No one person is bigger than a film series, particularly one with the quality and longevity of the Bond series. Please Lord let’s move on with the next Bond actor from the emotional story arc journey rubbish…. the Bond films are meant to be escapist fun, with high quality production values, and a visual spectacle. And, as you say, people should come out of the cinema with a smile on their face. The series is much bigger than one D Craig, and that is not to fail to recognise the huge contribution he has made to it. The film answers its own question - it really was ‘No Time To Die’.
I totally agree, Calvin. Die Another Die was enjoyable but absolutely ridiculous (the invisible car was just too much!), and is the worst film in the series in my opinion. However, the ending of No Time To Die was just too heartbreaking and the only time I have left the cinema (let alone a Bond film) feeling downbeat and upset.
By the way, I loved your use of the Goldeneye N64 soundtrack in the background!
Hard to believe it's been a year already. I still appreciate that they tried to do something different and that there are some great parts to this movie. Overall, I'm not keen on revisiting this one unlike the rest of the Craig era. Its lower on my list, and because it's a bit sad doesn't have much rewatchability.
The thing is for me is that since Casino Royale, the movies have been trying to take risks and get away from the stigma of Bond movies saving the world and getting the girl. BB and MG really want to make their movies their own and also not be behind modern movies coming out that can be more surprising and amazing for people, not just in spectacle, but story too. The producers will be in trouble if they hear an audience saying "I prefer other action adventure movies to Bond movies".
On the other side of things, because of all the new inventive and creative ideas they have been able to produce since Casino Royale, people will want the film makers to surprise them again and again if they want to keep em coming back. But just because you do something different or original, it doesn't mean your being clever or innovative. You run the risk of alienating an audience that have come along on this journey so far and producers certainly don't either want to hear " I prefer older Bond movies to this new one"
At the end of the day, its not like this hasn't happened before with this series or other film series for that matter. This is still early days and its a movie we havent been use to seeing Bond in such a situation. These things take take time. OHMSS, TMWTGG, LTK and DAD have been down this situation before.
Imagine if 13 year old Calvin saw this movie instead of Die another day, would you still hate it? or love it?
Remember, just know in you heart Calvin that its only a movie,
and James Bond will return :)
and now cue Louise Armstrong!!!!!!! LOL
Regardless of how you feel about the ending, the problem with this movie is that the whole movie feels fractured. Most of the sections of this movie are just not connected at all. And the almost non existent Villian motivation hurts it even more. The ending of this movie feels wedged in there too. If the ending was written more competently than Bond dieing wouldn't be a problem.
Yes! Die Another Day is perfectly good fun, it's really not anything like as terrible as it seems to generally be regarded as being. My hope is, that when Bond returns, he does so in a film that's obviously following directly on from DAD, continuity is restored, and the Craig era can then just be seen as the aberration that it was. Anyway, as always, a great & entertaining video Calvin.
Agreed, they ruined the unbroken continuity of the ageless spy with Craig Bond. Hence they tried to bring back "continuity" with Skyfall.
One hundred percent agreed😢
Totally agree with pretty much everything you’ve said Calvin. Although I really like NTTD on the whole, (may seem strange with what I’m about to say) I agree that the ending is poorly handled. Charlie Higson’s assessment was bang on the money: the fact the character was somewhat of a fantasy and one of the most renown aspects was that he is the man that always finds a way to survive. NTTD totally kills this fundamental part of what Bond is.
Hey Calvin, loving your videos. Video idea: your favourite moment/scene from every Bond film. Could be interesting
The killing of Bond is not entirely unheard of. Let's remember even Ian Fleming was unsure whether he wanted to even continue writing the novels at one stage and rewrote the ending of _From Russia With Love_ to have Rosa Klebb succeed in poisoning Bond resulting in him collapsing to the floor struggling to breath. All that being said, I would like to reserve my judgement on _No Time To Die_ until the next film comes out to see what direction they are planning to go next. I see two possibilities. 1) It's a straight up reboot. Or 2) in something of a more faithful adaptation of _The Man With The Golden Gun_ we see Bond survive - presumable all chard and busted up in need of reconstructive surgery - suffering amnesia from the explosion, and brainwashed by the Russians. It seems like an obvious way to continue where Craig left off with a new actor in the role.
It took me a bit to appreciate No Time To Die, but after seeing No Way Home in theaters a few months later, and seeing the similar themes of forgiveness, responsibility, and sacrifice be conveyed, I really started to appreciate the film more for it's efforts. It was something new I guess. Its not a perfect film, but it just worked for me.
The ending still makes me 😭 I still like it but I definitely want a more fun bond next time. I still love die another day or dad 😂 as I call it.
NTTD ranks somewhere in the middle to lower echelons in the series for me personally. I do feel that the movie presents a LOT more positives than it does negative but I feel like producers missed a huge opportunity to make Saffin Dr. No and then of course, killing Bond at the end just left me numb as a die hard Bond fan.
Really can’t wait to see where the series goes from here but I can’t help but feel we’re in for a somewhat arduous wait. I am praying the studios or whoever holds the rights in about 3 or 4 years’ time stick with tradition though and it comes to theatres because there is nothing quite like seeing Bond on the big screen.
One thing's for sure, Paloma should have been in the whole film.
I still thing No Time To Die is fantastic and gave me the level of escapism that I like. I do think you had to either kill or disable or permanently retire Bond in the Craig era. You can’t build on from the work he did because he’s explored of Bond’s psychology any actor coming in to that timeline would have struggled to build on to that.
Yes! Totally agree with you on that point.
@@meganhartmann180 I honestly thought at the very end in opening the doors he was going to get his hand or foot crushed. But face he chose to die because he would keep everyone safe and that’s what a hero does. We know in real life chances are most people wouldn’t be able to stop this but that’s the escapism aspect in that world heroes exist
One year on... and it still sucks.
After the Queen died this film made so much more sense. I feel like its a metaphor for the Britain that Bond used to inhabit.
I really dislike how much the Craig movies made Bond feel so disrespected. He's the greatest agent in the world, but everyone at MI6 seems to treat him like he's this replaceable, obsolete old man. He retires like 3 times throughout the 5 movies, and I don't blame him because no one in the organization seems to like or value him much lol
A year on and NTTD is still in my Top 5
Self sacrifice is the ultimate act of bravery and manliness. The fact that so many Bond fans are agitated by this might be very telling.
It almost feels like they took the best bits from a bunch of rejected bond scripts and very loosely connected them with the plot. Cuba especially felt like some rejected pre title but it just seems like they made an action movie first and a bond film second.
It is BY FAR the most stylish and beautiful Bond movie in many years. Easily the most stylish of Craig’s. Direction is cool as ice. The plot holes are intense, but that was true of Skyfall as well.
It’s a shame the film seems to have been more coherent before Covid as they had to alter the biological elements to nanobots. Bond’s death needed gravitas and meaning that the film failed to deliver. I would have filmed a Dark Knight Rises esque ‘he’s still somewhere’ hint for the end. Leaving him back in the shadows would have been far cooler, sadly.
To be honest, I've never agreed on basically any of the plot holes in Skyfall while with NTTD I can see it. But I simply love the style of both movies, from the completely cold and gritty digital image of Skyfall to the beautiful beautiful colours of NTTD. Action is superb on both!
@@marcokrueger3399
They are both very gorgeous pictures indeed
Did you think that they kind of built up the nanobots to be a bigger deal and then that plot line kind of gets discarded? I mean obviously it's the reason Bond chooses to die but I just felt like the producers wanted to do more with that whole thing.
@@spencerkindra8822
I think it was probably a biological weapon initially, but due to covid the change was made to nanobots. It just makes so much more sense he has a dormant virus in respect to a poison garden. Nanobots are a bit wtf..
I'm okay with Bond dying, but I think the death he got was unearned. I don't buy such a paint-by-numbers villain like Safin being the one to take Bond out. But, if they'd gone with M being a secret SPECTRE agent and the final villain, with Bond having to go up against him AND the entire 00 section as his personal bodyguards, then yeah, that's a situation I can believe Bond wouldn't come back from, plus it would've given Nomi something to do as she sides with Bond as he takes his last stand.
I totally agree with you Calvin I did a ranking of all the Bond movies earlier this year I definitely need to do a redo of it I love No Time To Die till the scene in Q’s flat after that I turn it off Licence To Kill and GoldenEye will forever be my number one and two favourite James Bond movies Die Another Day holds a soft spot for me it was my late mother’s favourite James Bond movie