My SPOILER Review of NO TIME TO DIE
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- Опубликовано: 20 окт 2024
- WARNING! This is my review of NO TIME TO DIE which is filled with SPOILERS. In this video I discuss the plot, actors, direction, music, stunts/action, and my reaction to everything in between. So pour yourself a drink, sit back, and enjoy the ride!
#notimetodie #bond25 #jamesbond #007 #danielcraig #thebondexperience #spoilers
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When David is not running an advertising and marketing company, his hobby is The Bond Experience which is primarily a video blog where he discusses Bond experiences and the people and brands that help to create those experiences...
The mantra of living like Bond, one moment at a time emanates from a concept of experiencing the joy of collecting small moments in life that add up to amazing journeys and stories....whether it's through style, locations, literature, fitness, and the movies themselves the world of Bond is explored through its people and their stories.
Ultimately though, The Bond Experience channel is a celebration of the James Bond franchise and the many people that form a true community. Our core mission is to create a strong connection in the Bond community amongst all the fans, regardless of interest or demographic.
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If Bond has to die here, his last words should have been: "This never happened to the other fella!"
OMG! THAT is beyond PERFECT!
You need to write the next film!
Genius!
Thanks, but unfortunately I can't take credit for that. The James Bond & Friends Podcast on MI6 uk came up with that one. I just wanted to put it here as well as this line is indeed absolute genius.
If he had said that line I would've cheered when he was incinerated. Not because it fits but because it's my most hated line in all of Bond. I'll take the Tarzan scream any day over that line.
or “fellas”.
I dislike the concept of the ending simply because Bond living to fight another day is (in my opinion) as much of a staple of the franchise as the theme music, the gunbarrel or anything else. The character can be passed on from actor to actor because his "immortality" leads him to transcend continuity, but I felt like NTTD (which I largely enjoyed) placed Craig the actor before Bond the character to a borderline annoying degree. If Bond has to be given finality to serve the actor playing him, it should be ambiguous so that the mystique of the character can be preserved. Just my opinion, of course.
WELL SAID! BRAVO!! 👏👏👏👏👏😎🍸
Yes. I come out of the film with way less respect for Craig than I had going in.
Extremely well worded and accurate.
Couldn't agree more. Nearly sixty yrs of dusting himself off and coming back, but craig's era HAD to trump all of that. Doesn't seem right for BOND
Well said! Absolutely agree 👏🏻 I’m sure the people who don’t have any issue with the ending are just going to say well you all are just too married to the character and just too precious about it, but it’s more than that
Low key, I would have appreciated Bond living out the rest of his life as a family man as a symbolic victory over Blofeld telling him he wanted to punish him by making him live a meaningless existence. Bond having a family and moving on from Bond life would have been the ultimate hero victory over Blofeld. Just my opinion.
I agree
YES!!!! Never really thought of it from this perspective but this totally resolves the story arc. Always thought Spectre’s bond/blofeld Austin powers step brothers storyline was a tough pill to swallow. Bond walking away content with the family he never had (that the Craig films reference so frequently) at the end of No Time To Die would have been the perfect tonic.
It's not just your opinion, I completely agree
Bond’s death gave more meaning to his life, not less. That was the sense of M’s quote at the end. By leaving the scene, he is also protecting his family from the desire for revenge of old enemies.
Agreed.
Highlight for me was the scene stealing appearance of the DB5. The car and the action sequences were stunning. Possibly the cars finest hour in the series.
honestly though
Yeah right. Way cooler than the DB5s appearance in Goldfinger even
I love the DB5, but think it’s been overused in the series now. The Skyfall cameo should have been it.
@@mercury6765 Yep, i do agree its time to move on even to a different make of car i.e a Bentley !. As great as that scene was. I do question if "in cannon" its ment to be the same DB5....Skyfall it was shot to pieces. Spectre it was a shell awaitng a rebuild ( quicker & cheaper to buy another perhaps ?) NTTD opening scene is supposed to be not that long after Spectre ? I believe. So how does Bond now retired have he's vechicle back from MI6 if he's left?? Also in Skyfall was it he's own car at that point. Some crazy continuity there really.
@@dtuk22 the car was re-built at the end of spectre, the scene ends with him and Madeline driving off in the DB5 together.
Great review David, I agree on you with a lot of things. The movie should have ended with a shot of a guy having a drink on a beach in Jamaica, smoking Felix’ cigar. And then.. underneath the mango tree…
Nice!
That's exactly how it should have ended, great idea!
If the movie ended with a shot of a vodka martini and a cigar on a beach, the entire fandom would be alright right now lmao
It definitely needed some sort of levity. The classic cut to a boat floating away or something. I get that they setup the fact that he can't now touch anyone (dumbest idea ever btw) but I'm sure they could've worked something out.
would you have had it that he doesn't get poisoned?
James Bond is not to be a "humanised" or depressing person. He is not a Jason Bourne alternative. All Bond fans have loved Bond for the "escapism" he offered. For beeing "the man that every other man wants to be and every woman simply wants". Is that the case with today's James Bond? In the BBC interview of Mark Cousins called "scene by scene", SEAN CONNERY had said about the evolution of the Bond franchise: “If there is a criticism about where its gone, or come, is to: too politically correct... not quite dirty enough... That’s what’s kind of missing because it gives a little bit of spice at no cost. And the other thing, it started to drift towards antiseptic assence”! God, how right he was!!!
Ian Fleming wrote Bond as a very humanistic, realistic character and I think they wanted Daniel Craig’s films to show that. I totally understand where you’re coming from, but I think this era deserves to be enjoyed like the others
@@sethdavis459 Ok, but in the end of NTTD they have gone too far i.m.o.
I actually really enjoyed the scenes of bond basically having a family, seeing him struggle talking to a kid is very in character. There was also a moment I think a lot of people missed toward the end when bond introduces Madeleine and Matilde to Nomi and he says “they’re my….” and then mouths “family…?” to himself with a confused face. Really great moment.
"I'm seeing Daniel Craig's 5 movies, as not the 25 film Bond franchise - I'm seeing it as a 5 picture arc"
Exactly this. I think a lot of the people who have issues with things like Bond dying and Bond having a daughter with Madeline are not appreciating the fact that Craig's 5 movies are very atypical of the Bond legacy and lore to date due to their connected narrative.
It's why they can say at the end credits "James Bond will return" and for me that means just that. It's just that Craig's version of Bond is done.
your right but look at it this way ac/dc do the same sound and try really hard to reinvent that sound.and sometimes the achieve it and sometimes they dont but they keep the thing the fans want the most ,the formula..Daniels era they were to busy listening to the me 2 gen and trying to please them and forgetting about 85% of the world.we dont all live in inner city london in our same sex marriage..really bad advice who ever the producers have been listening to.whats funny or sad the old formula reinvented would still win over the kids of this gen because they to want to escape reality and bond is great for this.last thing the world needs imo is a realistic bond.we need a adventurous fantasy driven bond to take us away from this world
I recently re-watched the Craig films and they are a 5 film saga, divorced from the original 20 continuity. They can start afresh now.
I;ve been a Bond fan from the beginning, Daniel Craig is my favourite Bond, but the ending was a BIG mistake, which I think the producers will regret over time!
I felt the Russian scientist, Valdo, was a throwback to Boris, the over the top Russian hacker in GoldenEye. Both can be a little irritatting, but they are their to be annoying, funny, evil, and to have an over the top death scene.
Completely with you on that, I was half expecting him to shout out "I'm invincible!" as he fell down into the acid pool
He was in the film too long, so irritating and to have that guy from mock the week was so odd casting choice and threw me a bit.
The Russian scientist was the best character in the film, by far. Relatable, funny to the very end, classic Bond stuff. Too bad he was the ONLY good character in the film.
i thought the same thing!
I also thought the same thing! It was so obvious. “I am invincible!”
I tend to judge Bond movies by their “high water mark” - ie if it’s got something amazing in it, I’m willing to let other things slide, so for me this movie ranks very very highly. Yeh, Safin wasn’t great, but there was so much else to like. It was kind of like Christmas and getting 13 or 14 great presents, and one or two not so great presents - that’s still a great Christmas.
And then Santa dies...so no more presents for you!
@@muzTVProductions I mean, everyone knows they’ll start again with a new Bond. This is the end of Daniel Craig’s Bond story, but it’s clearly the start of a new story for the next Bond
Christmas... Merry Christmas.
@@muzTVProductions Perfect response. Exactly. Santa’s dead and so Christmas is no more and never to return, and if they do resurrect Bond, it’ll feel like a fake, a cheat, and will still be tainted by his on-record death.
The stink of this won’t wash off, and it will infect Zaritsky and the other Bondites forever. Their hearts are broken, and rightly so.
Wait until they wake up to WHY Bond was killed. His body was thrown onto the mass grave of white male heroes that now includes Han, Luke, He-Man, John Connor, Wolverine, and is soon to claim the body of Indiana Jones.
That was certainly why I don't hate it (unlike Skyfall that had literally no presents) but the death (and particularly the reason for it) was a bit like having all those previous presents stomped on by your older brother.
A very honest review, David. You did a great job.
In my opening night screening here in the UK there were so many boos from the audience on that final scene when the rockets dropped that I was so scared that they had gone too far. I felt like they had killed the franchise. I've never felt so miserable after watching a movie. I watched it once more and probably will never watch it again.
So unnecessary wasn't it. Apart from breaking the character how can they really know the nanobots can't be killed/disabled in 5-10 or even 15 years. Surely a father would wait and hope.
The opposite reaction here in Denmark.
Same here
@@4879daniel because he would infect anyone he came into contact with when he left, and they would spread it further, and it may eventually reach his family. This is a large plot point of the movie
I think that killing Bond in this movie is really going to come back to haunt Michael G. Wilson and Barbara Broccoli. There are some movies that I saw twenty or thirty years ago and I can remember every plot scene, but about an hour after leaving the theatre after watching No Time To Die I couldn't remember the plot of the movie (I had the same experience after seeing Spectre) to save my life. I'm going to watch it again when the Google play store rental price goes goes down.
I find your take at 17:50 on the OHMSS theme playing in the M/James scene. I actually really liked it, because it made me think of the tense scene between M and Bond in the original OHMSS when this music was playing, and how it led into M turning a blind eye and allowing Bond to plot with Draco to take on Piz Gloria. The virus plot, and M's sense of helplessness, was directly mirrored and I've listened to the OHMSS soundtrack a million times, so it directly connected them in my head.
I feel you mate , same here . As a matter of fact all the Easter eggs scores on the films to the old classics where lovely touch and felt right and not force at all , very natural and organic .
I loved how the producers included "We Have All The Time In The World" in this movie. I ADORE that song! Rest In Peace, Louis Armstrong!
There's absolutely nothing wrong with doing something for the fans. My eyes moistened when I heard the OHMSS theme in the background of his scene with Mallory. It made me think of Tracy, Draco, southern Europe, love, family, and marriage. That song is actually my own love/marriage song. A lot of Bond fans connected to that scene. It set the tone for the rest of the movie culminating in the mountain road ride at the end with the 2 Ms in a car story telling about bond....no more shooting, no more death... Brilliant!!!!
I've never been so conflicted after seeing a Bond film, and I've seen them all opening day since You Only Live Twice. So many things to love about the film,. Amazing cinematography, great action, glamour, superb acting, Paloma, the return of humor, a true villain's lair, good title song, nice musical throwbacks (albeit with some boilerplate filler as well), etc. But the ending to me renders the whole Craig era (except Casino Royale) a standalone, non-canon series. Unless the 5 films spanned many years and all his other adventures were in between, but that wouldn't make sense.
Maybe it's just as well. That way the future isn't saddled with the silly "Blofeld as his brother" arc. It's odd, in just 5 films, the series went from Bond's beginning to his retirement and ending. I keep telling myself if it's a standalone series, I'm ok with the ending. I'm torn because as a writer myself, I understand why they did it. The arc makes sense, and it brings a cathartic and poetic ending. But as a Bond fan, I go to Bond films for escapism and fun. And no, Mr. Bond, I do NOT expect you to die.
Only other nit is that Safin's motivation for wanting to wipe out millions wasn't clear. I get his gripe against Spectre and his personal interest in Madeline. But either he wanted to make money by selling his invention; he was just a psychotic mass murderer,; he worshipped Thanos and wanted to thin the herd; or he wanted to attack all the cousins and in-laws' cousins of Spectre agents. Or who knows what else, but it didn't seem clear what his motive was. And where did Blofeld get a magic bionic eye in an ultra-top security prison? And for God's sake, who lets a child sit in the front seat! (lol, THAT was my wife's big comment at the end).
Having said all that, it was a beautiful film that I'd definitely watch multiple times, despite the few nits. And as long as I know "James Bond will return," and that the Craig era was a standalone series, I can live with the ending. I'd like to get back to basics and escapism after this. A fresh start. I think it's possible to do that AND have a great film with an emotional edge. But a little more suavity and a little less brooding.
Bond is Dead...Bond will return. Doesn't sit well with me.
@@1114gabby I can't argue with that! It really is strange. Anything else but a Bond movie I would've been ok with.
I doubt Bond is dead. Eon will probably do a u turn and Bond 26 will show how Bond miraculously escapes death.
do you think they will use the all ready casted actors for m, q and moneypenny and so on in the next series with a different bond actor? Or will they cast new ones?
@@melkerfornwall7123 I wondered that too. As much as I like the cast, I feel like they have no choice but to start fresh. Their decision had huge implications. If they don't replace these people, it would seem odd having them act like all this never happened.
In a franchise that spans almost 60 years there are a few pillar principles you don‘t mess with. One of which is that the hero does not die. So typical of these time to mess with it.
Yep. Everyone has to try and reinvent the wheel for edge points.
Not really. That why they invented the word "re-boot" in a multi-verse kind of world. Plus, it's not like James Bond will not return.
I think the reason they did this is because they’re going to stop rebooting with every new actor for a little bit. I think they’ll go for more standalone stories like the classic 20 films, and but this particular Bond had to die. I think this will be the only time he ever dies.
Great review. Like all the previous Craig Bond Movies, I watched this with my son. He's 23 now and this was the first time we didn't drive home grinning like idiots and wishing the Volvo was a DB5.
We loved the first 75%. And although it was a good portrayal of how having a baby in your life changes a man's perspective & priorities, to me the ending just wasn't a Bond movie.
I'm thinking Danny Boyle's more fun version and without Bond dying would have been a better fit for these pandemic times.
They probably would have written a different script if they knew a pandemic was a-coming....
Boyle is one of my favorite directors and I was actually disappointed when he walked off the project but.....while I completely get his mindset as a Brit to NOT want to be the director who kills off Bond, I'm glad they went this direction with Cary Joji Fukunaga. That said, I would love to see Boyle direct a rebooted version at some point.
Having Bond die was actually Danny Boyle’s idea.
Dawsyn Asay How do you know?
@@dawsynasay4841 that was the initial rumour but it has equally been suggested Boyle left because they wanted to kill Bond off, makes more sense as Craig and Producers ultimately killed his Bond off (without Boyle)
I was loving all the Daniel Craig 007 movies in order... Killing him off is not just a No Time To Die moment, For me, it's now changed the entire feeling of the previous 4 movies..Also, I agree with David 100% & thanks David and all the great work.
It was not a normal Bond film in any sense but that’s the point. Daniel Craig has never been a traditional Bond like Brosnan or Moore. He’s been set up since 2006 to have an evolving arc. This ending was very natural for his Bond in my opinion. Had they killed off one of the previous actors’ Bond like that it would be weird but it fits in the context of the Craig films.
Still seems wired to kill a beloved character off like this. Big mistake. Also coming out of pandemic and depressing time to get to cinema and have this, leaving the cinema was like leaving a funeral. and nobody in cinema enjoyed it either
Agreed! I feel that Craig's era has always marched to its own drummer, and everything's been leading up to this. Craig's Bond bleeds, can be hurt, and yes, can potentially die. So he earned the right to end it this way. But I also loved the more overt humor in this, which was needed.
@@garethsmith6611
Yea my audience was very quiet both times I saw it.
Which was very strange since they were laughing and clapping and completely engaged throughout the rest of the movie.
This is why the word of mouth will be VERY mixed here.
And the box office WILL show this.
After going through these last couple of years - unless you are a die hard fan like us -
Why would general audiences want to pay money and go out to the theater to see James Bond die?
Well Casino and Quantum were a pair.. Skyfall was totally independent, one minute he's a brand new agent then suddenly he's washed up as if he's been doing it for 20 years or so.. .. Then Spectre made a clumsy attempt to join everything together..
@@andrewbevan4662
Lol yea u r right
It did sort of seem like we missed most of his career there!
34:30 There was the scene in Norway when Matilde complains of a mosquito bite and that also seemed like Chekov's Gun and yet never played out, just like the poison garden. I wonder how closely the final movie is to how it had been envisioned when it was originally shot. Plot elements did seem to have evolved.
I am wondering if there was a slightly different plot that evolved due to the pandemic? Maybe initially it was a bio terrorist weapon via mosquito driven vectors or a human made pandemic , then changed to nanobots
To me, the Craig era films told the story of James Bond, while the Connery, Moore, Dalton and Brosnan eras told us the missions of 007.
Yup
The problem is that in the "Craig era", everything the other Bonds told us about his story is ignored. In the "Graig universe" p.e. he never married and lost his only wife Tracy! In Casino Royale he is winning the DB5 in cards for the first time, although in Goldfinger the agency is providing the car to him for the first time etc. Craig's era doesn't just tells the story of Bond. He alters it, ignoring everything we knew about Bond and his character from the previous movies. That is annoying for me personally...
bruh what?
The Blofeld scene was so weird. Why was Bond speaking to Blofeld all dandy-like and then all of a sudden he loses his cool. I agree with the Safin criticisms as well.
yes out of character wasnt it.
it seemed it was part of an interrogation technique. which he references when be leaves the room.
The traditional negotiation is to be calm and not let the person your talking to make you lose your cool. But Bond is not a trained negotiator which is why he loses it quickly which is true from a character perspective.
What is sort of silly of me, is, I saw the movie last week and still will not watch “Spoiler Reviews” because I feel like I was kicked in the gut about the ending and don’t want to admit it really happened….
I highly recommend seeing it a second time. The whole film hits differently when you know what’s coming next.
@@joehahn9801 agreed. The ending was so disappointing to me the first time around, that I forgot what a great movie it was up until that point. However the ending really did pull the movie down for me, and I still left the cinema tear-eyed instead of having that fun/cool feeling I used to get after watching Bond movies.
I just watched it and 2 hours later I'm absolutely crushed. The worst part is knowing how long it will be until another one comes out. To me they broke the cardinal rule of the franchise. He's our hero who always remains standing victorious in the end. Not only do they kill him but they leave Madeline alone with a fatherless daughter. I'm just really upset at the producers for going in this direction. 95% of the movie is fantastic and then they absolutely betray the fan base with the last 10 minutes. Again, crushed.
@@tremontilp They did betray the base...and god knows they had a long time to reconsider what a bad idea this was.
@@phillipleconte3715 If you talking about Covid-19 delays, there was never going to be re-shoots, they choose that ending and stuck to it, If they were going to make changes, it would have been to play down the 'virus' given the pandemic.
My impression was that they changed a lot in post production, and that's why Safin's story doesn't jibe. It almost seems like there was a whole dimension of the movie taken out, perhaps it was just too over the top? For one thing, in the original trailers it seemed like Safin was able to use the nano tech to defy death, but in the movie he was just really lucky (he survived his family's assassination, he survived when Madeleine unloaded a magazine into him, and he fully expected to survive this plague...) Another thing I missed was why were there massive pools of sulphuric acid, and why were all those people fishing around in it? And one other thing: Bond would never beg, not even to buy some time to reach for his hideaway piece. Bond would say something snarky and do something super cool to take out the bad guy. But I guess that's the point: Like Blofeld told him, when he found out Madeleine's secret it would be the death of him, and the vulnerability of being a father truly did kill "Bond", it made him human. The little girl was Bond's kryptonite.
Yeah, the acid was so odd. Literally just one line to say that the nanobots release the acid or something would've at least made it tie in to the plot, even if it would've still been silly. Still wouldn't have explained why people were walking around in it, though. Just seemed like they needed a reason to have lots of people and lights in that big dark hallway.
Yeah, the acid scenes looked cool, and they definitely had a different vibe in the trailer. To be honest, most of the movie felt hastily re-written. The action scenes were a technical marvel for sure, but most of the emotional beats fell flat for me. I spent most of the final act of the movie wondering what the original plan was.
I’m not sure the Craig Continuity works. The villains have been extraordinarily weak. Blofeld being the most underwhelming one.
You’re not watching Craig’s Bond movies for villains.
Hey man, you can’t talk bad about Blofeld……..that’s James Bond’s brother! Lol
Flemings Blofeld is not and I repeat not Bonds foster brother. He was his arch enemy! Head of Spectre. That wss a ridiculous storyline created by the writers and producers in Spectre. Disrespectful to Fleming for his creation of James Bond, and now in so many ways!!!
For Safin, I think a lot of his storyline and scenes (his "why") were cut out of the film. Frankly, I think his original plan was about growing a virus on his island and spreading it around the world. Can't have a Goldfinger speech about that, right now. The nanobot stuff was a last minute add in due to real world events. Just my gut feeling. I liked Rami Malek's performance, though.
To be honest, this, for me, is the weakest Daniel Craig Era Bond movie.
- Weak and almost pointless villian
- Zimmer ost was pretty bad imo
- Paloma…waaaaaay too short! Actually liked her! Why not make her Felix 2.0?
- Felix killed just like that??
- No epic Bond moments, like Casino, Quantum, Skyfall, and heck, even Spectre
- Weakest intro of all five movies
- Theme song…..
- Bond with a hat???
- Blofeld killed off way too easy, for such an iconic character and actor
- Bond talked too much (??)
- Killing him off
Things i did like:
- Very well shot, beautiful scenes
- Safin first appearence, in the snow was very well done
- Matera and the scene with Vesper and music was amazing imo
- Interaction with Bond and Nomi was actually very good and kick ass, plane scene etc
- Bond stairway scene, shooting all of these guys
- Bond being Commander Bond with the navy like outfit
This ranks, for me, at number 5.
Such a shame, and i know how much you like Craig’s Bond, David, which makes it sad, because, you or we, deserved a much better and fleshed out movie. And yes, i understand the Bond ark, but still…..
Calvin’s take is very solid. A great film but not uplifting or necessary. Will hope they get back on track and Barbara doesn’t have a crush on whoever the next actor might be. Will be interesting to hear your take, sir.
The crush part i agree a lot with! Should have stayed professional. Look how much stuff they let daniel craig do. The directors he hired, actors.. the input on the writing of the scripts. How long he took between movies. Etc etc
Can I "like" this comment twice?
Yep, the actor is supposed to embody Bond, not the other way round.
My sentiments exactly
I agree ive always felt barbara just love craig way to much, even letting him have the honor of being the first bond to die in the end. Hope the next one goes back to the old formula, no more backstory and personal storyline just bond out on a mission saving the world and surviving,
In case anyone is confused, the classic “JAMES BOND WILL RETURN” text appears at the very end of the credits.
James Bond will return as a pile of ash...
I am thinking how unless there is a solution to the fact that James Bond is *spoiler* dead. They have to find a way around this
@@evonneokafor Simple, with a recasting. Then either:
1. They reboot again and start a new timeline.
2. They return to the classic timeline and pick up long enough after Die Another Day to pretend the aforementioned film hadn't happened.
@@evonneokafor They're just going to start a "new timeline" or "alternate universe" bond. There will be no regard to continuity. They're going to reset the franchise. Casino Royale was, to be fair, a resetting of James Bond. This is the only solution, because "James Bond" is not a code name. 007 is a codename. James Bond is a "real" person. So he cannot die and then have the franchise be continued unless they start over again.
@@evonneokafor they already rebooted the entire franchise with Casino Royale. They’ll just have a new actor playing Bond with the status quo of him being an undercover agent with a drinking problem, with no mention of these movies
You’re overthinking this
No ads in the whole 49 minutes - Thank you David! I love the way you closed this video. You really know how to lead a community.
Here it's only 1pm, but I will pour myself a drink anyways, being so invested in Bond that I even copied being an alcoholic
Imagine how fans would have felt if Ian Fleming had, in fact, stayed with killing Bond off in From Russia with Love - "game over man". That's before 50 years of fan build-up for the films/character
I am with you David for the rankign of this film, this is a good film however I think the serialisation of the Craig films will hurt it in the long run which is why Casino/Skyfall are his best because they are not direct sequels to other films, and to me that is what bond films are, you can have any one of them on and not need to have seen others to understand it as they are contained stories, sure some themes can crossover but you really cant watch NTTD without watching Spectre.
Because Spectre was so bad NTTD has ALOT of cleaning up to do plot wise (blowfeld is bonds step brother, chemistry between him and madeline, Retconning previous villains as spectre villains) which I think it does an admirable job trying to fix, this would not be an Issue if the films weren't serialised, NTTD could tell its own story without hangups from previous movies.
The whole final act needs a re write in my opinion, i'm not upset they kill bond if the writing is good enough to warrant that decision, they could completely remove Saffin and it be a blowfeld scheme and I don't think the film would change much, that 3rd act really feels like a writing mess, the ticking clock for destroying the island, why does Saffin care about bond to make a virus that makes him deadly to Madeline and mathilde, his motivations do not make sense and to me smells of BIG rewrites to the story.
imagine if the death of Blowfeld was a ruse to get him out of prison and Saffin is a fake villain and its revealed that its blowfelds secret virus island ect, blowfeld had to almost wipe out his own organisation to have everyone believe it's someone else and makes his escape, this to me makes more sense and would help flesh out the character more instead of the meh Saffin character.
I will also finally add that Nanobots are sooooo lame as a plot device that it really took me out of the film, I don't know why it isn't just a unique strain of virus that attacks specific DNA its created with, than nanobots, both are ridiculous but nanobots is pure science fiction.
also hoping this is the final time we hear the phrase "Smart blood"
I'm really of the belief now that we need to go back to old ways of Bond. I'd say the producers need to look back to Roger Moore and Pierce Brosnan. Find a Bond who's well known, but not too well known and maybe in his early 40s. Some 26-28 year old bond girls with some sexyness. No woke stuff. Please we all want an escape. Women are on record to say they DON'T want woke Bond. Let's have some crazy villains again, some damsel in distress stuff and funny quips from 007. It would be so fun and refreshing!
Nah. A forty something actor has more limited limited longevity and there are plenty of very attractive older actresses. I've always preferred the Bond Girls who actually DO something. Mary Goodnight was a terrible character. Traci Bond on the other hand - yes please! There are many characters who I wish we'd got to see more often. Sometimes the death of a character is a great shock, like Aki, but other times it just robs you of a character with potential, like Paula. I can see quite a few shades of Paula in Paloma, who was the stand out for me in NTtD. I did love the nod to Casino Royale with Mata Bond as well 😁
@@pauln6 A forty something actor is exactly what they're always looking to cast. Brosnan was 42, Craig was 38, Moore was 45. You get the picture. They want someone to come on board as Bond for a certain amount of movies. They don't need someone to play Bond for 30 years.
@@RS-kt6bo I suppose although I'd rather they started younger and retired younger. We've had a fair few tired of the game middle aged Bonds now. Also, if the Bond girls are only around for one movie, I suppose it doesn't matter if they're already 50.
It's a no-brainer that they'll cast someone younger, but 40 isn't changing the formula from either Craig or the guys before. Only really Moore that stands out as a noticeably older guy getting the overly young girls, and his era is looked upon least favourably for a reason. Bond being a letch isn't a look anyone wants these days.
I agree. I'm of the old school of thought that you DO NOT ever kill legacy characters. Especially ones so entrenched into our history and collective psyche. Characters we've grown up with like Bond, Han Solo, Captain Kirk etc... You beat them up, give them a hard time with shit that most people would wither under. But you do not kill them. Let them live, survive and if needs be, let the actor ride off into the sunset so that he can be replaced. But his (or her) survival is one of the things that make these characters legacy and our "Hero!"
Because to kill them almost feels to me like the producers, director or actor etc... is giving us the finger.
I think Bond dying was all down to Craig, the influence he had on the films and a immovable condition for him to do one last film. Enjoyed the film.
Don't like the ending.
Fantastic review! Everything you said matches my sentiments exactly (except I did enjoy the musical throwbacks, mainly in the beginning). But everything else, spot on! You raised some great points I hadn't thought of, particularly around the idea of Blofeld having been the maIn villain (it would've worked much better) and around leveraging the poison garden in the end. You should be a consultant on the films, representing the Bond community!
I agree with David 100% Excellent review,
Funny thing is I pictured in my mind the exactly same scenario, Bond surviving and watching them from distance. And then “James Bond Will return.” It would be a perfect way to protect the “Legacy” of Bond.
Yes! Totally agree with safin’s motivation. Only seen the film once but thought the whole world domination was a disproportionate response to what happened to him. Overall thought the film was good, not great. Felt Blofeld/spectre deserved a more explosive send off. Behind casino royale and skyfall for me in the Craig series but totally agree that DC’s performance was superb
Bond could've went back to Jamaica alone and watched his family grow old via zoom. A MILLION times better than dying alone.
Or used his EMP to disable the nanobots. Huge plot hole there.
@@scottcarroll9201 An EMP as shown in this film doesn’t exist, as well as nanobots. It’s really disingenuous to claim how one would or should effect the other, when the film simply never claimed it to work that way.
Bond is permanently in lockdown.
I think that would be way worse for him-it would destroy him mentally.
David, this was a fantastic review! I generally agree with you on most of the film and while I DO think Safin as a villain is the weakest part of the movie, I think all of his scenes work....I just needed more of them for him to have a real impact. I love this film and I love the ending but I will say.....this COULD have been 'Wrath of Khan levels of greatness with a more formidable villain.
And I do really appreciate your eloquent words relating to the future of the franchise...."James Bond Will Return" and I have fair that EON will find a way to navigate to the next re-casting.
That said, I get your personal preference regarding his death - I have been a fan of this character for more than 40 years now (my first in-theater Bond experience was seeing For Your Eyes Only at the age of six) so I found the ending for this Bond to be very affecting. Unlike you though, I do feel like it really tracks with the Daniel Craig era and the four films which preceded it - this whole era has been marked by tragedy and despite Bond's heroism, his failure to save some important figures in his life:
- He couldn't save Vesper at the end of Casino Royale
- He couldn't save M at the end of Skyfall
- He IS able to save Madeline and his daughter at the end of No Time To Die
And beyond that, I have heard a lot of fans say there is no ticking clock during that climax - they could just come back later to blow up the place even if the blast doors, Safin's dead so the threat should be dead - but I strongly disagree:
- Just the fact that now SO many other countries are aware of this island and headed there makes it a VERY urgent threat from not only the viewpoint of Bond but M as well....there has already been extensive discussion up until this point as to how dangerous it would be if the Heracles Project got out, how it could be twisted into a weapon of mass destruction. As an agent of the state serving Queen and Country, it's Bond's job (and likely Nomi's as well but that's OK) to ensure that it is fully destroyed.....any other powerful country just getting visual confirmation of its very existence puts that at risk. Granted, I'm NOT crazy about the fact that they made this about "nanobots" as I just find that makes it seem a bit sillier.....and I'm fairly confident that this was a rewrite and/or ADR change made during the pandemic to change it from being a simple virus for obvious reasons.
- Given the opportunity to do for Madeline what he failed to do for both M and Vesper, I don't see how Bond WOULDN'T choose to stay on the island so that the Heracles Project dies with him....failure is just NOT an option for Bond and it has always been that way going back Fleming's original text. I found his ending both poetic AND life-affirming believe it or not. :) And that also just comes from myself being raised on literal decades of action films where we see the hero put himself on the line to stop a bigger threat - The Dark Knight Rises, The Rock, The Avengers, Edge of Tomorrow, too many others to mention - where we see our hero get consumed by an explosion but then.... the movie cops out at the end.....we hear a radio communication or just an image, they're ALIVE!!! :P It's a trope that's just been done to death (pun intended) and I actually LOVE that the folks at EON had the balls to subvert it for a change. :) And it tracks with how heroic a character he is - whether he's a bastard or not - it's still his job and after all as Spock says in 'Khan, "The needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few.....or the one."
I get why several Bond fans are very angry about the ending of this film but I would just advise them to give it time.....thanks for your reviews and feel free to check out my mini-pod review of this one, I did four others leading up to the release of NTTD each focusing on a different Bond. The link for my "Living for the Cinema" podcast is below and I would love to hear your thoughts - keep up the great work!!
livingforthecinema.buzzsprout.com/1764842/9353442-no-time-to-die-2021-living-for-the-bond-series-spoiler-review
I watched it on opening night in the US and again just yesterday. My immediate takeaways in first viewing were: NTTD had some of the best, if not the best action sequences in the entire franchise. It was the most beautiful looking Bond film cinematically speaking. Locations were the type of exotic locations of Bond’s past. Every Bond girl was actually good and loved the different types of chemistry Bond had with them. Quippy one-liners and gadgets are back. On the second viewing, my thoughts never changed. Now, the elephant in the room. First viewing, it was a shock to me and it was a very bittersweet ending. Bond is embodiment of the trope of the hero defeating the villain to fight another day. But I understood why Cary took this approach, it certainly was fitting for the story and arc. I wasn’t fully on board, but I was definitely ok with it. On second viewing, it worked. Something about it worked for me. And knowing what was about to happen and everything leading up, I started tearing up. The last conversation he has with Madeleine made me shed a few tears, and Bond smiling, accepting his fate just seemed perfect for that moment. Like you, it’s not how I wanted him to go out. I really wanted a Dark Knight Rises kind of ending, but within the Craig arc, it does work.
I think NTTD is a top 10 Bond film for me, but I’ll admit, it’s far from rewatchable simply because of the ending. My top 10 list of Bond films is full of highly rewatchable Bond films and rewatchability is a huge part of my list. The first two acts of this film is A++++ Bond content.
For Daniel Craig’s Bond era story, I think it is connected not through the Spectre organization, as much as it is through the various sacrifices & deaths.
Vesper, Mathis, Judi Dench’s M, & Mr. White all lead into No Time To Die’s sacrifice… being James Bond.
Even the final U.S. trailer marketed this.
Interesting that in every movie, characters from Casino Royale die to the point where all the surviving characters in NTTD are from later movies
@@alexuvakov3390 That’s true too.
Don't forget Fields and Severine
@@mt007jb I really meant main characters from each film but yes, them too.
Couldn’t disagree more with the Blofeld scene, felt overacted to me on Daniels part - just opinion. Loved the film but there were unintentional tonal shifts to me. Blofeld coming down the corridor was very Austin Powers 😂
My wife and me thought exactly the same. Some performances are way overreacted. But everyone says the performances are the best... So i'm perplexed. Craig does not overreact in the other films, so the problem is clearly Fukunaga. And let alone the "telenovela" feeling on some parts.... Terrible.
Odd tonal shifts is a Bond trademark at this point
it would have been a better scene if Blofeld decided to play ball and reconcile with Bond, shake hands and then get poisoned. Him dying after a violent confrontation makes it less impactful in my opinion.
In my opinion bond wasn't trying to kill Blofeld or actually got provoked, i believe he wanted Blofeld to feel that bond is about to kill him if he doesn't give him some information.
Blofeld in the Craig era was just terrible and Waltz was too hammy he belong in AP not Bond.
I totally agree with you. Personally I found no time to die to be pure narcissism.
… side note, I’m glad they took the more serious and somber route with Bond’s death, but I still kind of wish that he got one last quip in like “I’ve been dead before. It’s not so bad.”
Paloma in my opinion is the best character short but wonderful with a great sense of comic timing leaving you wanting more of her character Great Great acting
Pretty sure that Saffin didn't even need Dr. Swan to wear the nanobugs for Blofeld, if Bond was already covered with the Spectre targeted nanobugs in Cuba, that means that he would have infected Blofeld anyways even without touching Dr. Swan because the MI6 scientist had coded all of Spectre to be targeted and it would be a hard idea to believe that he didn't include the head of Spectre himself. So when Bond was at the Balmarsh facility I believe that he already had the multiple DNA coded nanobugs to end Blofeld and the writers just forgot somehow that Bond was showered with this in Cuba.
I think Saffin did that to get Madeline fearful and under his control; also to ensure one of two people would get to Blofield
I’ve just discovered your channel, and you’re helping me move through a most difficult period of my life. Pure escapism, which I need desperately. A life long 007 fan, I saw NTTD here in the US on Oct 6th. I was devastated by the loss of Felix, and of course the ending. I agree, that the inclusion of the OHMSS music, I.e. ‘All the Time in the World”, was a bit much. Safin the Villian, was not that villainous. Tepid, at best, not Bond worthy. And he hasn’t aged in 25 years? Aside from the plot. I know your channel looks at Bond style. My issue is with Madeleine. James dresses in Tom Ford and Armani, couldn’t he have taken Madeleine shopping? I wasn’t ok with the ending, and in fact, I was disturbed. But in my mind, Bond lives on, baby. We assume he died. We don’t KNOW it. He survives. Thanks for your devotion to 007.
I felt like this movie was almost perfect up until the Cuba scene ended. Then, the more we start seeing Safin and Blofeld and Safin's character and motivation starts falling apart. Then we get an emotionally manipulative ending that fails like a dud. Bond's redemption should have come through his surviving to take care of his child because no one was buying Madeline as a replacement for Vesper. They had the perfect resolution in front of them and they walked right by it for a manufactured emotional finish that flopped.
feel the complete opposite. Your proposed ending would've made me roll my eyes so hard. This is the only ending I could've bought for Craig's Bond. Nothing else could've worked and I've been of that opinion since CR.
Hear hear.
@@TheGeorgeD13 I concur
This is pretty much the story with every Craig Bond movie. Starts strong and ends weak. I think Skyfall falls apart after Macau
@@TheGeorgeD13 Agree, the way to REALLY kill Bond would be having him end up as "dad", taking care of his little munchkin.
What did Bond say in Casino Royale? "Well, I understand double-0s have a very short life-expectancy. So your mistake will be short lived." This was the perfect way to end the heroic tragedy that began with Casino Royale era. Much better than the soppy Spectre ending.
Great review. I dig your insights. I look at this film as a love story with action (and a villain) thrown in. Bond’s love for his country, his friends, his family, and humanity itself. He has a license to kill and ironically his last kill was himself. Emotional and powerful. And Zimmer’s soundtrack - wow. Even listening to the “Final Ascent” is an emotional experience.
I will tell you this, Bonds death feels exactly how it feels to have lost my Dad young. It feels like “this isn’t how it’s supposed to go, this is something that happens in other places but not here.” That’s exactly what it feels like to lose a father before his time. Dad would have loved this movie
My sentiments exactly...I think your dad would've loved watching Bond with you, his son.
In my humble opinion It's a spectacular movie on its own, it completes the previous film spectre.
I feel that this is the kind of movie that gets better as we age, the ending was bittersweet and hard to take at first but I wouldn't have it end any other way.
The cinematography was spot on and engaging, the last scene has that "John Wick" feel to it and for the first time in a Craig Bond film I wasn't sure if he was going to win the final fight, the fighting felt human, the tiredness, for once Bond didn't look invincible, but that's just my opinion.
Kudos to you David for the interviews and this nice video summary for us all Bond fans, it's been one heck of a ride boys see you in the next saga.
I felt the same way. I honestly didn’t mind that they killed off Bond because at the end of the day it was still an emotional experience that will likely never happen again in the franchise.
My god, the man puts into words something I couldn't after watching it. I felt exactly the same at the end, there was nobody left to cheer at the end. It leaves a sour taste and it is a bit harder (for me) to appreciate the good parts.
Feels as if the people behind this do not understand Bond or its legacy. Or they just wanted to shock everyone for the purpose of shock itself.
The people behind this wanted to break your spirit because they think masculinity is toxic and white people are evil… so they’re killing the cultural heroes of the Western man, and James Bond is their biggest fish yet.
I love Craig as Bond but the actor is a woke dickhead. Did you see Knives Out?
yes, Knives Out…an EXcELLENT movie!
No go over there with ur “white” this, and “masculinity” that. There’s always someone who takes things extra over board. My God
@@mowazeem644 Did see it but I thought it was mostly the director responsible for the cringey dialog there.
@@Mr.Wayne.1 I love you, legit I love how you worded that I’m so sick of this “woke” this “pc” that cringe ass comments from these neckbeard virgins who...let’s just be honest, are probably both sexist and racist
But WHY do they kill James Bond? It makes no sense. The franchise is still generating a lot of money, and it will continue with new movies. If the franchise had experienced a severe decline in popularity and income the last 10-15 years, we could understand the decision, but not now.
Yes. There is simply no upside to killing him in terms of how we perceive future films. I heard he was going to die in spoilers but I assumed it would be left ambiguous.
I suspect killing Bond was one of Daniel Craig's requirements to return for a fifth film.
The character isn’t dead. The end credits has the classic JAMES BOND WILL RETURN text at the very end.
@@ZeeZedZeeAs a woman "identifying" as a man. Probably. That was sarcasm, but there is something very strange with this, and I am certain it has to do with political corruption.
@@Stroheim333 oh shut the fuck up. The bond producers are on record saying he’ll never not be a man. The movie wasn’t woke at all, you’re searching for shit that isn’t there. Did you watch the movie? Like, actually go to a theater and see the movie or are you basing all of this off of angry culture blog articles?
Craig shooting Safin without even looking at him, so casually, was peak bad ass Craig. I don't wanna see a silly death by poison garden.
And yeah all fans including me don't want to see Bond's death. It's against what we love about Bond winning against all odds.
I love the look on his face too, the purest expression of “ugh you’re such a fucker, just die”
I LOVED it. To me it had that "sore loser" vibe kinda because in the end, bond lost. Sure he saved the day, but he was finally at the point that the character had been building up to, happiness and a life outside, and for Ramis character to steal that from him at the very end, it just gives you that feeling that he was just emotionally hit in the gut and couldn't process it. Like he knew at that moment it was the end but he had to just make the best he could out of what he had.
Quite a few Bond movies have weak bad guys, but it doesn't ruin or bring down the quality in many cases, like The Living Daylights was excellent, despite the fact that the two main villains are lackluster. The same with For Your Eyes Only, The Spy Who Loved Me and others. No Time To Die is another example of this.
The other oddities were Craig's acting during the Blofeld confrontation, and the acting when Bond is cowering to Safin. Both moments didn't work for me either
1. I didn't like "Die Blofeld Die" - it seemed very corny and I would have rather he didn't say anything when he strangled him;
2. I think Bond was only pretending to cower to grab his gun at the opportune moment - not convinced it was genuine cowering
I believe bond wasn't trying to kill Blofeld, he just wanted Blofeld to feel threatened so he might give bond some information as for Saffin it was just a trick bond played but even i didn't liked it much. Overall i love the first half of the film, best in the series.
Craig seems to stumble into his Knives Out character from time to time
Yes both scenes were similar and to my mind were supposed to show Bond slightly out of his comfort zone.
@@AustinBeeman 100% noticed this: "what I don't understand is..." etc, so he definitely has a 'detective hat' on. It would have been fine had he not been in Knives Out!
Australian here David, saw the movie today. I’m still a bit shocked, it’s going to take awhile to digest the this Bond is gone.
Excellent review, yes a great movie visually, action sequences top notch. It does lose its way a bit. The Cuban CIA agent was an excellent character, well played.
In my opinion only, of course!
I really loved this film.
It struck a perfect balance for me between action, humour and emotion and I really liked that.
The Matera and Cuba scenes were close to perfect.
The cast were incredible - I think this was Daniel Craig's best performance. Ana De Armes, Lashana Lynch, Léa Seydoux and the actress playing Mathilde were fantastic.
The style was brilliant. The look Bond had for the showdown in the lair was perfect.
The staircase scene was one of the best in the franchise. Cary Fukanaga's direction was awesome; I hope we see him back for more films.
The ending got me in tears all 3 times I've watched it. Lea and Daniel play that scene to perfection.
I love some of the locations - Madeline's childhood home is gorgeous in both winter and summer. The Forrest chase in Norway is great.
It's not a perfect film; the villain plot post-Spectre was pretty weak for example, but on the whole I thought this was a fantastic film
Fukanaga needs to stay far away from this franchise
Spot on review and I'm glad it was worth the wait to get your opinion. I feel the opening Matera sequence was incredible, and with the sound effects, fantastic. But, it just seemed a bit strange and all over the place after that. When leaving the cinema, there were a lot of people who had never seen a Bond film and fair enough to them - it can serve as a great standalone 'action' film for such viewer who seemed to enjoy it but when you have the true Bond fans upset with the ending in both ways, those former new fans are confused. Why are these people upset that Bond's died, doesn't he die in every movie? It seems to be a film for new fans and made somewhat for the sake of it being Craig's last film. Certainly nothing on Casino Royale or Skyfall. But, having had a few weeks since viewing, I can appreciate it as an arc of a story and a standlone Craig Bond series of five films, disconnected from previous 20 films.
My thoughts almost perfectly echo your own. From a film perspective, it was extremely well done and about halfway through I thought it could end up being one of my favorite movies ever, not just among Bond films. The second half didn't completely spoil it but it was a letdown, even though I went in knowing that them killing Bond was a likely possibility. I don't really want "family Bond" and I feel like the decision to kill him was a combination of them wanting to set up the opportunity for another hard reboot and just to do something different for the sake of doing something different after 25 films. He didn't need to die though and I also didn't feel any real connection to or fear of the bad guys (Safin or Blofeld) so his death rings hollow. The only way I can wrap my head around it is if I distance the DC Bonds from the rest of the franchise and look at it as its own thing. It makes more sense from that perspective, but it is still sad. However, that sadness stems more from knowing Craig won't be coming back than it does the fact that they killed him since the death itself just left me feeling empty.
"He didn't need to die though" This is the crux of it. By all means, it still would've been a bit depressing if he died but the circumstances surrounding why he died just didn't hold up. Made the whole thing lack the weight it should've had - and it didn't help that his death was yet another depressing point in the arc that has been the Craig era. Too many dead friends and loved ones, so him also succumbing was the final nail.
Very well done, I couldn't agree more!
I literally just watched the film for the first time last night, and came out of my home theater with tears streaming down my face. This perfectly encapsulates all of the emotions involved watching the film for the first time, and then thinking about it for the rest of the evening afterwards.
In thinking about the ending of the movie and the final scene with Safin, it has a bit more gravitas when he explains that he's infected Bond with a strain of Heracles specifically tailored to Madeleine and Mathilde. If you watch Bond's face, you can see him make the decision to not leave the island, his entire demeanor changes when he does so, and that's why he coldly shoots him and moves on from there. That just shows how brilliant of an actor Craig really is...
I was GUTTED and in literal tears watching the end of the movie, I always considered the possibility of him dying as unthinkable. But, the more that I sit with it, the more well done that I think it was, and the more that I think that Craig wouldn't have had it any other way.
Just my poorly written $0.02.
David: Your review was honest and sincere. While people may disagree with your conclusions, you were very upfront about how you reached those conclusions.
Waiting for streaming.
I think we can all agree Bond’s last words in the film as he looked up to the sky should have been: “I thought Christmas only came once a year.”
In Bond’s meeting with Safin, you forget Mathilde’s presence. The child with her eyes exactly like his is watching him. He’s not alone. The last thing he wants is to be gunned down or worse to gun down Safin in front of her eyes.
David, imagine the missiles hit but we see it from Madeline's view. Then you can do the playground scene and have him alive. Also wish they did more goodbyes on the call. Like thanking M "Its been an honor." type moment. More sentimental
Put it this way everyone. a 14 year old lad went to see this for his first film. What a film to go see when trying to become a bond fan. That ending was a kick in the teeth, and now he refuses to watch the other craig films. The after effects of this film won't go down well for the franchise in my opinion. Worst creative choice in cinema history, in my opinion. If it was the last bond film ever then it would be rather good, but its not. BOND WILL RETURN, but my faith in the producers is very low now
They wanted Bond's death to be definitive. Not a choice agree with, but it's clear that's why they showed him literally being engulfed in flames.
The first 80 percent of the movie was superb.. the last 20.. horrible! To breeze over his death with such careless, hap-hazard two-shot scenes was inexcusable and for that, and strictly emotional reasons, this will go down as my least favorite Bond movie ever. The first rule of Fight Club is you do not talk about Fight Club. The first rule of Cinema is you do not kill James Bond! Ever!
Thanks David, as you say, the Craig-era films should to be viewed as a separate series within the other 20. Sat in the IMAX in London as the credits rolled, I was really quite emotional, I had a huge affinity with Daniel Craig (similar age etc) & he was MY Bond as well; for me the Bond franchise died at the end of this film. I'm looking forward to where they will take it next but for me it won't be the same; nostalgia is a sign of age!
Absolutely spot on David why the death is so problematic - we're grieving the loss of our hero who is so personal to us after so many decades. It was, cinematically, a very good movie but just the death is so wrong for this stab to the heart to the fans. The only thing I would add is that it feels like Daniel Craig's ego is what drove such a catatonic decision.
I think it's more an existing trend in films now which, because audiences have been fine with it, means Bond has done it [see Logan and Avengers Endgame].
I just saw the movie in the theater.
In which James Bond is left to die for his family by missiles from a British warship. It feels to me like they destroyed over 50 years of Bond history in just a few minutes. I just can't believe that after 25 films, Bond dies. I will never get over the fact that he has a daughter.
Still, for me it is one of the best action films of the last 10 years. The film is superbly directed, the music fits perfectly and it is never boring.
On a scale of 1 - 5 I would give it a 4 as an action film and a 2 as a Bond film.
I loved the heroic ending. I don't think of it as killing off Bond, but rather as a bookend to support the Daniel Craig era Bond series. Each era is its own universe, and this is the closing of Craig's universe... Now they can start over with a younger Bond, perhaps when he is an officer in the British Spec Ops, and we can experience a new storyline with slightly different takes on the Bond character. I don't think this ending hurts the Bond franchise at all, but I fear for the future of the hyper masculine Bond in this ever woker world.
I sign and support every single word of your comment. You totally nail it.
Thank you for this long review, I really liked it. And I liked NTTD a lot. Especially the music and the remembrance of IHMSS in the middle and at the end. I liked the Lazenby movie a lot from the beginning (I had read the novel before, so I knew what would come. To be honest I started to read all the Fleming novels at the age of 10. With 12 it was allowed to me to see my first Bond movie. That was Dr. No btw, cause it was running at a small cinema nearby. 1979 we haven’t the Bond movies in the TV in Germany. So luckily I saw all Bond movies first in a cinema 😇, sorry I got out off the tracks), so Majesty Secret Service is also not a standard Bond with a Hero smiling at the end. Nevertheless I think it’s one of the best Bond movies. This is the same here for me and the music connects both movies nicely.
Another connection of the Zimmer music is to the last Batman movie. I thought a lot about it, cause it also brings the story to an different end (and it was really possible, that Batman would die, but they decided to end it differently)
I agree. As someone who has OHMSS as their favorite Bond movie, I loved all of the references to it. I know this might be an unpopular opinion but I didn’t mind the fact that they killed off Bond.
I agree. Although I appreciate the attempt to be less predictable, (not the typical Bond narrowly escapes bad guy lair blowing up, world saved, kisses girl on life raft etc.) at the end of the day, I don't want to feel bummed out after watching a Bond movie. Even during the Craig era.
Great review David, and I can't disagree with much of it (although I actually thought Safin was great!), I loved most of the film. The action was fantastic, as were the sets. Whatever turn the franchise takes next Eon has to make use of Cary Fukunaga - his direction was fantastic, so much better than Sam Mendes...
I love this film right up until the last 15 minutes or so and I came out of the cinema feeling terribly disappointed.
I get the idea of the self sacrifice, but it felt like the wrong way to go. I was desperately hoping that there would be a Marvel-style post credits scene where the camera pans slowly and soundlessly over the smoking wreckage of Safin's Island. 15, 20 seconds of slow forward motion until suddenly there is movement - rocks fall from a pile as an outstretched, bloody arm desperately bursts out of it at the same time the opening two notes of the "gun barrel" Bond theme plays as the screen suddenly cuts to black with the "James Bond Will Return" caption cutting in. You don't even need to see Craig's face so its sets things up for the next guy...
Yeah, I've thought about this a bit too much...
I have a problem with the concept of self-sacrifice in movies. I don’t think it’s something we should be glamorising at the moment. The idea of sacrificing yourself for others or a cause is one of the most noble things you can do; the problem is every suicide bomber would agree with you! Although Art and Politics should never be bound by each other I just don't think the climate is right for this depiction just now. If they absolutely had to kill Bond off I would much rather he had gone down fighting to the death, or have fallen whilst trying to escape after having killed Safin in a heroic struggle.
But killing him off just made me melancholic and deflated, and after all the world has been through during the last two years, I don't think anyone wanted to walk out of the cinema for the first time since the pandemic began feeling like that. Not that that's Eon's fault - they didn't know what was around the corner when they made the flick - but there was so much riding on this one, the end felt empty.
My preferred ending actually would have been downbeat as well.
Nomi hit the nail on the head when she said Bond looked like a man killing time. Directionless without MI6.
For me the perfect ending would have been Bond killing Safin in a desperate struggle, with double jeopardy being him avoiding being infected with nanobots in the process. He would be injured and barely escaping with his life just before the missiles hit, only to be rescued by Nomi and the others. Life looks good, Bond has plans to live his life with Madeline and Mathilde.
But then the twist. At the last minute Madeline pushes him away. She knows he can't stop looking over his shoulder, and she knows as much as she loves him and he loves her his life is so entwined with secrets that the threat of violence will always follow him. Everyone has secrets and they just didn't get around to his yet.
She can't subject Mathilde to that. And he knows it as well... This leaves Bond empty, knowing that the only thing in his life is his work, so the film ends with him walking back into MI6. Setting up the next guy to take on the role...
Fade to black. James Bond will return...
I agree about the end. I felt very strange walking out the cinema after watching it. Numb. Until watching you review I couldn't work out quite why. Even now (I only watched it a few days ago). I always thought Spectre a great film btw. Possibly my favourite Craig Bond film.
David, as a massive Bond fan since my Dad took me to the very first Bond movie, Dr No, Bond has been my childhood hero. I have fond memories playing with the original Corgi DB5 and throughout the years watched every movie since at home living in the UK and now residing in Canada. The ending of this movie and the blatant culling of the male characters throughout, followed by the death of my boyhood hero, was met with silence and disappointment. The ending could have left the audience with some doubt that Bond may have survived with anticipation for the next Bond chapter; but they culled every male they could lay their hands on including the hero himself, as well as getting rid of Spectre and wiping the entire chapter 59 years of Bonds missions and any male close to him off the face of the earth while they were at it. How could Barbara allow this? Her father would be sorely disappointed I'm sure and no doubt Fleming himself is angered. If Bond was to die then Fleming should have been the one to kill him off certainly not 'Fleabag' or even Craig if he was part of the idea. I liked your recent interviews with Craig et al, but I am sure you like me were seething inside that our hero met his end because of the wokeness that exists today. RIP Mr Bond... I hope David that your channel followers don't dwindle as a result. Keep fighting to keep the real Bond alive. God knows what we'll end up with next with this lot in charge.
I agree with you 100%. I can't begin to describe my rage when I found out Bond dies in this film. We the fans deserved a better ending. I only wanted one thing from this film and that was for Bond to not die. Since they can't deliver on that anymore, I've decided the best thing to do is leave the franchise and move on to a different film series. I'm not even going to see this in the theatre. I'll see it for free when I check out a DVD copy at my local library.
I really don't think wokeness was a problem with this movie.. people are really overcomplicating things I think. Really don't think killing Bond had anything to do with it it was just a bad decision but at the same time kind of fitting for Daniel's movies specifically
@@LeonWick526 Broccoli/Wilson and Craig were arrogant and somehow believed they had the God given write to kill Bond and the effectively the franchise. Do they honestly believe that this generation full of wokes, do gooders, Me Too, BLM etc will ever appreciate want Bond meant to every alpha male growing up in the 60's through to 2000. Craig's era, as good as a couple of movies were began to shift into reality he became soft in many ways, not as Fleming saw him I'm sure. It was all about fun, killing the bad guys, saving the world and the escape from reality and a hero that many of us men and women admired. God know where they go from here. Bond as a member of the LBQGT and whatever other letter of the alphabet they add these days? ...given my age I won't be interested in the next instalment, this is it for me. Stay Safe.
Something they have forgotten lately: Bond beating the villain at his own game. Backgammon, fencing, horseracing, golf, video games, poker, on and on and on. Bond would always display expertise in the villain's specialty. They lost touch after ROYALE, which was an existing story.
Loved the film and it’s ending. Instead of Bond being a stagnant character, we see him grow and become a better man and sacrifice himself for queen, country, and family.
11:15 THANK YOU. these people who are implying strong female characters are some newfangled thing for Bond are NOT real fans. It's just that getting mad at "woke" things is one of the most monetizable things on RUclips 🙄
Agree with much of your review, David, well said. What this movie has forced ME to realize is that the Daniel Craig era is/was an experiment. I will henceforth feel that the Craig films were kind of a collective one-off, and should stand by themselves in much the same way Nolan's Batman films seem to. Speaking for me James Bond isn't dead, only Daniel Craig's version is. And I'm OK with that because overall I feel his version - more to the point, his films - is unique (almost too unique, but hey) and isn't the way that I want the franchise to go in the future. I like the old formula and hope it returns. Perhaps the reboot will be set back in the Cold War era; love to see that. All the old tropes could be reinstituted. And I agree with the poster that referred to Barbara's crush on Craig. Think that was true and he knew it and exploited it for his own ends, creatively; I hope it doesn't happen again.
I would think Craig's successor, especially if he's a 'name' actor or even an 'up and comer' after a couple of films will want some creative control/ a voice in decision making [Pierce has indicated he wanted more of a say in his films and Sean Connery wanted to be a partner back in the day]. It's quite common for actors to be producers now a days [such as The Rock] so it's inevitable.
I think they will go a bit lighter but it's now been 20 years since the formula was last used and even something as OTT as Fast and Furious is full of continuity and personal drama as that is existing trends. I think they'll move forward rather than go back to cold war as there always contemporary issued which are easier to write and film around [man from uncle bombing will have also put them off I think].
Love your review and your honesty. Part of me thought you might not be completely open and honest about it after getting to interview Craig/Broccoli etc but I believe you’ve been forthright.
Me personally? I think it’s a 6/10, the action is brilliant, I liked Zimmers score and I loved the locations. But at this point I’ve had enough of Craig’s Bond (I enjoyed his Bond and he’s a brilliant actor but I was ready for a fresh take after Spectre), I still don’t understand Safin’s motive, and hated the ending with every fibre of my being. But I could watch it again and more or less enjoy it which isn’t something I could do with with A View to a Kill, Die Another Day or Quantum.
Bond couldn't have protected his family. It would've been too dangerous for them and Mathilde's life would've been similar to Madeline's. Plus this 5-movie arc is now effectively bookended which I like. A clear beginning, middle, and end. Casino he becomes bond, Skyfall he is 007 protecting Queen and Country, NTTD he dies not only as 007 but as a hero protecting his family. As much as people can disagree with the execution of ending it this way, I believe it is a fine end to a great arc and it is fitting that Daniel Craig's bond goes out this way. He was the most human bond and suffered the most.
We use the word "sacrifice" a lot but it is interesting that Bond was also shot multiple times and he is struggling to even make it up the ladder. They make it a point to show him losing blood, I think it shouldn't be analyzed as much as it is. In the end, sure he did sacrifice himself but he was literally stumbling around and looked to be in a lot of pain. You could say that him being shot and not wanting to make a run for it certainly played a role in his decision to stay there as well.
Great review David. On the topic of Bond and his family and their connection: when you listen to Blofeld taunting Bond and the way he apologises to Madeline, I think Bond’s connection to his daughter forms instantly because he realises that it is entirely his fault he has no connection with her. He is the reason he didn’t have 5 years with his daughter. This to me is the tragedy of the film that no one is talking about. His paranoia made him reject what would have been the most essential years of his life.
I think the OHMSS theme comes in when M is talking Bond comes in because M reinstates Bond to MI6 and he now works On Her Majesty’s Secret Service. I personally like it and I think it works, but it does feel a little fan service heavy.
Safin was unfortunately the "generic Bond villain" I suspect that's partly the script and partly because Malik isn't the most emotive actor out there.
I'm not a genuine fan of the Craig era, but I think this conclusion is fitting and makes sense in light of 'Casino Royale' and the path Craig's Bond has been on. If the film makers were ever going to do something like this, then this was the Bond to do it with. And I think it is time that the Bond series again really did something with genuine emotional impact. I would have an issue with using musical references to the 'Classic' EON Bond series (OHMSS). I believe instead that an original musical theme should have been created. There is far too great a pattern in modern movies to pillage elements from and make references to previous entries. Creating a parallel with something from the past is fine. Re-using something from the past is not.
They destroy the franchise with the killing of James Bond, and it makes no sense from a larger perspective. Why put the whole franchise in such a severe jeopardy now?
I think we all agree the ending makes sense for Daniel Craig. It does not make sense for James Bond.
@@4879daniel Exactly, it does not make sense for James Bond. And that's the important point.
24:36
Exactly!! This is the point I think needs stressing the most. A great movie should be great on the first viewing alone. I'll admit that I missed plenty of important points in other great movies (Fight Club comes to mind), but I still enjoyed them without qualification on the first viewing.
I'm so glad I watched your video. I now know that I shouldn't watch NTTD. I can tell from your voice, expression (and the number of sips) that it isn't worth it.
I thought that the meeting between Bond and Safin in his lair was very well done. The reason why you see Bond trying to reason with Safin is because in a strange way he can relate to him. They both had their lives ruined by Blofeld and Spectre. Unfortunately Safin chose to become just like the very thing that he hated, whereas Bond had dedicated his life to fighting against it... It was a deceptively personal moment.
Couldn’t agree more with all of your points. Not sure if you’ll read this, but watching you say and talk about the same things I noticed and picked up on was very comforting. It made me really feel the sense of community, much love David!
The movie definitely had balls.
Can't wait for your thoughts man.
David,
Thank you for your fantastic video. I really appreciate your review and how you handled your evaluation of No Time To Die. This film will undoubtedly be polarizing for some Bond fans. I personally have only seen the film once so far but I adored the film. I feel No Time To Die is the greatest Bond film for one simple reason: It completed the arc of James Bond’s character and it did so in a way no other Bond film has close to doing so. Much of this is of course because the storyline was implemented over the course of all of Daniel Craig’s films.
Yes the film does have some challenges and I have some issues with certain aspects. I won’t bother bringing them up here because they may very well be addressed with my seeing the film again. I just love what the filmmakers achieved and this film feels like a ‘total bond film.’
We all know it’s the last Daniel Craig film so it’s great that we get closure for the storyline and character. But what I love is that Blofeld / Saffin actually win in this one… and Bond still saves the world (so he wins the mission as well). Blofeld and Saffin wanted to cause sadness and harm to James Bond. Bond is tricked into leaving Madeleine so he loses his 5 years of happiness with her. He also misses the opportunity to be a father for those five years and it’s Bond’s last moments that make all the difference in the world for his character. To explain I want to summarize that he’s dying (physically and mentally) of three things: (upcoming missiles which he could arguably flee, his wounds which he could possibly survive from, and the overwhelming emotion that he’s now ‘contaminated’ so he can never be close to Madeleine and his daughter- something which would eat him up inside and leave him as a shell of a man). But Bond has effectively saved the world (so he won) but he’s scarified everything that was important to him… and in his final moments he’s broken down physically and emotionally… and all that is left is his love and soul. This might sound silly but hear me out. In Bond’s very last moments he’s not full of anger or regret he’s full of love and contentment because he (as a person) is finally made whole. And that is something Craig’s Bond has been striving for since his very beginning. This is demonstrated in Casino Royale where he’s recovering from his injuries near the end of the film and talking with Vesper and says ‘If you do what I do for too long then there won’t be any soul left to salvage. I’m leaving with what little I have left… Is that enough for you?’ This desire for him to become a complete person is fulfilled in the culmination of No Time to Die and Bond dies with his soul intact and as a complete human being.
I’d love to know anyone’s thoughts on this?
(by the way- several people I’ve read are annoyed and confused in the opening sequence in Matera where Madeline is trying to tell Bond ‘I have something to tell you’ and Bond says something like ‘I bet you do…!’. At the time of the story we don’t know Madeleine is pregnant and so the setup is that we think she has a secret about being part of Spectre… so through much of the film we don’t know who to trust. I believe that Madeleine’s secret she wanted to tell is that she’s pregnant! But it seems many people haven’t made this connection… or I false connected these two story points? What are your thoughts?)
Terrific beginning, loved all the db5 tech. The rest of the movie is a re-write of OHMSS, which is a good thing. I’ve always believed that OHMSS was by far the best Bond movie made, and this seemed to acknowledge that. Seems like we are teed up for another reboot. Long live Bond, nothing else quite like it.
I have to agree with you about the ending. He’s been my hero since my dad took me to see GOLDFINGER. Every time I see a new movie the first time I am always emotional because there’s my hero on the big screen. I knew some thing was up when I saw the gun barrel scene. No blood (bad guy) then Bond fades away(death?). I got choked up when I heard the OHMSS music. I remember in 1969 I was not happy about that ‘other fella’. Now OHMSS is one of my favorites. But the ending in this one, I was in shock, and was literally in tears and I’m a 61 year old man. Since the 60s I live and breath Bond. I have a picture of me when I was 8 posing as Bond from YOLT with a suit and bow tie and a football helmet(didn’t have an astronaut helmet). My phone numbers end in 007, nice collection of posters and stills,I own the 95 Omega, I have a blue Z3(not as blessed as you, lol). My point is that I always watch one of the movies on a regular basis since video came out on every type of media. Before that, I listened to cassettes that I recorded the movie audio from the drive-ins. I’m not sure if I will be able to put NTTD on a viewing rotation like the other ones. If I do, I may just press stop during him on the ladder scene. Like you said, I want to stand up and cheer in the end , not be depressed & weep.
Fantastic review David. This movie for me is the Blade Runner of the Bond community. Over time, the appreciation for this movie will grow greater. This movie is a masterpiece for me. It’s not the typical goofy Bond movie of our youth but that’s not a bad thing. With Craig dying, most fans will feel not just the death of this character but the death of their time spent enjoying this saga of the Craig era. Sadly all things must come to a close. Letting go of the Bond tropes is difficult and I totally understand their feelings regarding this. I just hope there is another Bond movie directed by Cary-Joji Fukunaga. David you have the best Bond channel here on RUclips, thank you for all that you do here.👍
Nah there are too many ridiculous plot holes and WTF moments for it to stand up to the scrutiny of time. More likely that as time passes it joins Die Another Day and Spectre near the bottom of the list.
@@scottcarroll9201 Plot holes? Please give examples. The script was pretty tight from what I was witnessing. Spectre has lots of problems with the script. Die Another Day is not even worth mentioning-it’s a god awful movie.
The ending is sad but I think it's more uplifting than many people do. It's in conversation with the whole franchise, but particularly OHMSS. Bond has always been poisonous to the women in his life, and that is the saddest thing about the character. He can never get married and have kids and a happy life because of what he does, and because that's just not what James Bond is about. So to me, if they wanted to finally give him that - a family, and have it end happily, Bond should die. It would feel very un-Bond like if he lived happily ever after with a wife and kids. There has to be some consequence. So to me, having Bond make the choice - this time, unlike the end of OHMSS, you're going to get all the time in the world with our beautiful daughter, I think is beautiful and uplifting. There is an arc there. There is growth. The character didn't just go on being this tragic lonely guy who's loves get murdered forever and ever and ever. It's hard to swallow, but all Bonds die. Sean Connery's Bond dies, Lazenby's Bond dies, Moore's Bond dies - they are human beings, we all die. We just got to see it this time, and if it was ever going to be done, this was a good way to do it. It's painful, yes, but it's supposed to be. And that's fine.
I do agree with a lot of this. But i do like the 'begging' scene with Bond and Safin. With his kid in the picture he can't be the Bond he used to be. He was 'weaker' as he had people he cares about
the begging scene allows him to pull out his ppk, also finally there's a truly logical reason for anyone to use a ppk in this day and age
No me too? All the guys get killed off, and the women survive. Jokes aside, great review, David, and I appreciate your down to earth approach. And, with someone so devoted to the character like yourself, I can feel your disappointment with the ending. Many people have been left 'shaken and stirred' with anger over that. I do like your analogy of Bond at the end with the cap and sunglasses, similar to what they did in Batman, (which by the way i thought was brilliant end to the actor, but not the character). It' s a shame that all these franchises tend to follow 'trends' with what they think the audience want, but at the same time it causes mixed feelings at best, significant division and anger. Anyway, I really do enjoy your channel. Thanks for all your hard work and devotion.
mission accomplished ~ Waller-Bridge ;)
Q overhears Bond telling Madeleine he's infected with the nanobots. Q says, "Bond, jump off the island now."
Bond: "Q, I cant risk it."
Q: Bond, for once in your goddamned life trust someone. Jump now!"
As Bond is about to jump you see an establishing shot of the island exploding. Cut to Madeleine crying. Fade to Black.
Epilogue: Two months later-- Madeleine is playing in a park with her daughter at sunset. A black SUV pulls into the parking lot in the distance. Interior of SUV-- Bond is sitting with Q in the backseat. Q is working on his computer.
Bond: You're sure you got it all? I mean nanobots are very small.
Q: Are you serious, Bond? I invented these things.
Cut back to Madeleine as she turns to look over her shoulder. Bond is approaching carrying his daughter's stuffed toy. Bond theme blasts through the theater. The End
That wouldn't have worked for me at all.
nanobots are so small that not even emps can stop it. No matter which way you look at it, he got scratched with poison during his fight with Safin, shot multiple times, he was never gonna live.
Thank you for this. Enjoyed your review. I'm Australian so i have been dodging all the reviews and spoilers that are around until i had the chance to see the movie for myself. Saw it tonight and as soon as it finished I knew that i have to see it again to work out how much I like it. For mine, it was a gut punch but i feel like James Bond didn't die, Daniel Craig did and it seemed to be the only way that he could leave. There's a whole lot of thoughts running around in my head about this movie.