Film: No Time To Die

 

GENRE: Action, Adventure
RATING: PG-13 for violence and suggestive stuff
RUNTIME: 2 hours and 43 minutes
PLATFORM: Movie Theatre
STARRING: Daniel Craig (Skyfall, Spectre, Casino Royale, Knives Out)
Rami Malek (Bohemian Rhapsody); Lea Seydoux (Spectre, The Lobster)
DIRECTOR: Cari Fukunaga (True Detective, Beasts of No Nation)
WRITERS: Fukunaga (It), Phoebe Waller-Bridge (Fleabag)
Neal Purvis & Robert Wade (last six Bond films, Johnny English)
PLOT: Bond is roped into service again, this time to track down a villain with a dangerous new poison.

FULL DISCLOSURE: Been anticipating this Bond for a while.

STORY STUFF: The story is good but not great. While it’s nice to see Bond grow as a person and be willing to settle down, I really come to watch awesome action sequences with neat gadgets, sexy villainesses, and cheesy one-liners. Bond’s first action sequence is well done but most of it is also in the trailer. There’s a good line here and there. There are not too many gadgets to play with this time around. I did enjoy the Q at home scene though. I also enjoyed Ana de Armas (Knives Out) as she kicked butt in a Cuban fight scene. I wish there was more of that.

ACTING STUFF: Craig brings it as usual. While I still like Connery the best, Craig is inches from number one. The cast brings their ‘A’ game. Malek makes an okay villain. He has the tone of voice but I wish he had a little more excitement and unpredictability.  

ARTISTIC STUFF: The locations are beautiful. Love Bond’s retirement locale and the Italian town (wish they would pick a lane when driving though). The action pieces are well done. Armas’ dress is nice. Not much else to say. I didn’t find the cinematography that mesmerizing this time which is odd considering the stellar camera work in Fukunaga’s True Detective. Oh well.   

VERDICT: Three stars out of five
SEE IT IF: You like Craig’s Bond (and saw Spectre)
UPCOMING REVIEW: Dune, The French Dispatch